MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM scores 7.4/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini at 6.1/10.

The MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM leads on port speeds, port count and uplinks, noise and efficiency and firmware and support.

They score the same on management and poE.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM scores 8/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini's 5/10.

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM

7.4/10verdict: buy

This is for sysadmins and homelabbers who want a managed 24-port gigabit switch with two 10Gb SFP+ uplinks for a rack. It suits anyone who wants VLANs and a silent, passively cooled switch. It is a poor fit for buyers who need PoE or who plan to use it as a busy router.

Typically about £175.32 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Switch Flex Mini is for people who run, or plan to run, a UniFi network and want a small managed switch. It offers five Gigabit ports, VLAN support and controller management in a 150 g fanless-listed box. It does not suit buyers who need PoE output, SFP uplinks or faster-than-Gigabit links.

Typically about £33 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini
Port speeds	30%	7/10	5/10
Management	20%	8/10	8/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	8/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	8/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	6/10	5/10
Overall		7.4/10	6.1/10

Specifications

Spec	MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini
Ports	24 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, 2 x SFP+ ports, serial console RJ45	5 RJ45 ports, 1GbE
Port speeds	Copper ports 1 GbE; SFP cages support 1.25 Gb SFP and 10 Gb SFP+ modules	10/100/1000 Mbps per port
Management	Dual-boot SwOS/RouterOS; configurable VLANs, port mirroring, MAC filter, bandwidth limitation	UniFi Network Controller management with VLAN support (1,000 VLANs), port isolation, mirroring and rate limiting; requires UniFi Network 5.12.5 or later
PoE budget	not listed	No PoE output; one port accepts 802.3af/at PoE input only
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	2 x SFP+	None; RJ45 ports only, no SFP/SFP+
Switching capacity	Non-blocking Layer 2 capacity 86,855.7 Mbps at 1518-byte packets; 88,000 Mbps at Layer 1	Switching capacity 10 Gbps; 5 Gbps non-blocking throughput; 7 Mpps forwarding rate
Cooling	Passive	Heat dissipation 6.824 BTU/hr (excluding PoE output); no fan listed on manufacturer page

Strengths and weaknesses

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM

+ Passive cooling, praised by owners as quiet and fanless
+ Two SFP+ cages for 1.25Gb and 10Gb modules
+ Dual-boot SwOS/RouterOS with VLANs and port mirroring
− Routing is slow, according to owners
− No PoE listed in the specifications
− Warranty is only 1 year

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE ports to power access points or cameras
Anyone wanting 2.5GbE or 10GbE copper ports on every port
People planning to use the switch as their main router

Read the full MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM review ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

+ Controller management with up to 1,000 VLANs
+ No fan listed; 2.5 W maximum power draw
+ Small and light: 107 x 70 x 21 mm, 150 g
− Gigabit only, with no SFP or SFP+ uplink
− No PoE output to power other devices
− Needs UniFi Network 5.12.5 or later for management

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output to power access points or cameras
Anyone who wants SFP/SFP+ uplinks or faster-than-Gigabit ports
People who do not want to run a UniFi controller

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini review ›

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