Cisco Meraki MX
7.7/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.3/5 (G2)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN
Best Firewall (Small Business) · 2026
Cisco Meraki MX vs 
Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway Cisco Meraki MX vs Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Meraki MX edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.2/10). Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and is best for multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN; Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway starts at $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra) and is best for SMBs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription. Choose Cisco Meraki MX for the stronger overall track record; consider Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway
7.2/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra)
- Reviews
- Not yet rated
- Free trial
- —
- Deployment
- Cloud + self-host
- Best for
- SMBs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Cisco Meraki MX | Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.7 | 7.2 |
| User reviews | 8.6 | 7.0 |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 1.2 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 3.0 |
Cisco Meraki MX vs Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway: head-to-head
| Cisco Meraki MX | Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra) |
| Pricing model | quote | flat |
| Free trial / tier | 30 days | — |
| Best for | Multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN | SMBs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud + self-host |
| G2 rating | 4.3/5 | — |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.7 | 7.2 |
Choose Cisco Meraki MX if…
You need multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with auto vpn.
✓ Pros
- Effortless multi-site management
- Strong Talos threat intelligence
- Best-in-class "set and forget" simplicity
✕ Cons
- Mandatory per-device licensing (stops if it lapses)
- Quote-only pricing
- Pricey at scale
Choose Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway if…
You need smbs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription.
✓ Pros
- No per-device licensing ever
- Excellent long-term TCO
- Unified UniFi ecosystem
✕ Cons
- Less enterprise-grade security depth
- CyberSecure threat feed is a paid add-on
- Limited formal support without UI Care
In depth
Pricing: Cisco Meraki MX vs Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway
Cisco Meraki MX bills on a quote model from Custom quote (30 days trial), while Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway uses a flat model from $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra) (no trial). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Cisco Meraki MX ships 6 headline capabilities (100% cloud-managed dashboard, Auto VPN site-to-site meshing, Cisco Talos threat intelligence, SD-WAN + application-aware routing) and deploys Cloud. Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway ships 6 (License-free (no subscription), Stateful firewall + VLAN segmentation, IDS/IPS + IPSec/WireGuard VPN, UniFi Network controller (free)), deploying Cloud + self-host.
Ratings & verdict
Cisco Meraki MX holds 4.3/5 (G2); Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway holds Not yet rated. On our data-weighted score, Cisco Meraki MX edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.2/10). Pick Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway instead when smbs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription. See Cisco Meraki MX alternatives or Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Cisco Meraki MX vs Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway: which is better?
- Cisco Meraki MX vs Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway: on our data-weighted scoring, Cisco Meraki MX edges ahead (7.7 vs 7.2/10). Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and is best for multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN; Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway starts at $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra) and is best for SMBs wanting a capable, license-free gateway/firewall with no recurring subscription.
- Is Cisco Meraki MX cheaper than Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway?
- Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and Ubiquiti UniFi Gateway starts at $129/one-time (Cloud Gateway Ultra) (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: meraki.cisco.com, store.ui.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.