Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 vs Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 scores 6.9/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G at 6.3/10.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 leads on port speeds and port count and uplinks.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G leads on noise and efficiency.

They score the same on management, poE and firmware and support.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 scores 8/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G's 4/10.

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

6.9/10verdict: buy

The UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 is for people who run a UniFi setup and want eight 2.5G ports in a small switch. It adds a 10G combo uplink, which suits a link back to a faster switch or router. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, a CLI or a standalone web interface.

Typically about £150 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G is for people who run UniFi gear and want multi-gig speeds on a small five-port switch. It suits a home office or homelab that needs a few 2.5GbE devices linked and managed from the UniFi Network application. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, more than five ports or fibre uplinks.

Typically about £52.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds	30%	8/10	7/10
Management	20%	7/10	7/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	8/10	4/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	6/10	8/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	5/10	5/10
Overall		6.9/10	6.3/10

Specifications

Spec	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports	8 access ports (2.5G/1G/100M/10M) plus one 10G RJ45/SFP+ combo uplink	5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speeds	Access ports 2.5G/1G/100M/10M; uplink RJ45 10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M; SFP+ 10G/1G	2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
Management	Spec sheet lists management interface as Ethernet only; managed through the UniFi console, and a reviewer of the PoE variant reports no web UI	not listed
PoE budget	No PoE output; powered by USB-C 5V DC 3A or PoE+ input	not listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	One 10G SFP+ port (10G/1G) and one 10 GbE RJ45 port, as a combo uplink	None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacity	60 Gbps switching capacity, 30 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 45 Mpps forwarding rate	25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
Cooling	not listed	Fanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

Strengths and weaknesses

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

+ Eight 2.5G access ports
+ 10G RJ45/SFP+ combo uplink
+ Small and light, with flexible power options
− No PoE output
− Needs UniFi console; no CLI or SSH reported
− Owners report limited features, no aggregation

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output to power access points or cameras
Admins who want CLI, SSH or a standalone web interface
Anyone who needs link aggregation or several 10G uplinks

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 review ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

+ All five ports run 2.5GbE
+ Managed through UniFi Network, with 256 VLANs
− Only five ports
− No PoE output
− No SFP or SFP+ uplink

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output for access points or cameras
Anyone who needs more than five ports or SFP/SFP+ uplinks
Users who want advanced layer 2 or layer 3 switching features

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G review ›

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