Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 24 PoE vs Cisco Catalyst 9300: Specs & Price Comparison

Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 24 PoE

★ 4.1 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 112 Gbps
Non-Blocking Throughput: 56 Gbps
Forwarding Rate: 83.3 Mpps
Ports: 24 total: 8x 2.5GbE PoE++, 8x 1GbE PoE++, 8x 1GbE PoE+, plus 2x 10G SFP+ uplinks
PoE Budget: 400W total (max 60W per port)
Layer: L3
Stacking support: Not confirmed; no physical stacking documented in sources reviewed
MAC Address Table Size: 32,000 entries
Packet Buffer Size: 2 MB
Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable, 442 x 325 x 44 mm, 5.1 kg without brackets
Management: UniFi Network 8.0.24+
Operating Temperature: -5 to 40u00b0C (23 to 104u00b0F)
Certifications: CE, FCC, IC (one listing states NDAA compliant)

✔ Pros: Layer 3 switching in a 24-port 1U chassis; 8x 2.5GbE PoE++ ports for multi-gig wireless and workstation uplinks; 400W total PoE budget with up to 60W per port; 2x 10G SFP+ uplinks; 112 Gbps switching capacity and 56 Gbps non-blocking throughput; managed centrally through UniFi Network; list price of $799 USD from Ubiquiti's US store is competitive for L3 PoE++ hardware
✘ Cons: 400W total PoE budget is limited if many high-power PoE++ devices are connected at once; No physical stacking documented, so scaling beyond one unit needs separate management; Port breakdown is described inconsistently across retailer listings, so the official Ubiquiti datasheet should be checked; Reseller prices vary widely (about $799 to $951 USD, plus higher regional prices); Independent hands-on reviews with measured performance were not found; Requires UniFi Network 8.0.24 or later for management
Est. Price: $799 - $951

Cisco Catalyst 9300

★ 3.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 208 Gbps (C9300-24P) to 256 Gbps (C9300-48P) for PoE+ models; 640 Gbps (C9300-24UX) for UPOE+; up to 1,760 Gbps (C9300X-48HX) and 2,000 Gbps (C9300X-24Y)
Forwarding Rate: 154.76 Mpps (C9300-24P) to 190.47 Mpps (C9300-48P); 476.19 Mpps (C9300-24UX); 1,309 Mpps (C9300X-48HX) to 1,488 Mpps (C9300X-24Y)
Ports (breakdown): 24 or 48 ports per switch. Copper GE (PoE+/UPOE/UPOE+) on the 9300, mGig on 9300X-48TX/24UX-class models, and SFP or SFP+/25G fiber on 9300-24S/48S and 9300X-24Y. Modular uplink modules add 1G/10G/25G/40G/100G depending on module
PoE Budget: Model and PSU dependent. Reseller sheets cite about 490 W for C9300-24UX-A and about 645 W for C9300-48S-E. Verify the exact figure for your configuration on the Cisco datasheet
Layer: L2 (Network Essentials) or L3 (Network Advantage), licensed per switch
Stacking support: Yes. StackWise-480 on modular-uplink models, StackWise-320 on fixed-uplink models, and up to 1 Tbps local stackable switching bandwidth on 9300X

✔ Pros: Enterprise-grade stackable access switch with a mature, widely deployed platform; Modular uplink options and StackWise stacking scale from 24 to 48 ports and into multi-switch stacks; Full L2/L3 feature set with the Network Advantage license, including routing and advanced security; Strong PoE and UPOE/UPOE+ options for powering APs, cameras, and phones; 9300X models add mGig, 25G fiber, and up to 1 Tbps stacking bandwidth; Cisco DNA Center and IOS-XE support for automation and programmability
✘ Cons: High acquisition cost, and Network Advantage and DNA licensing add significantly to total cost; Feature and throughput specs differ widely across sub-models, which makes selection complex; PoE budget depends on the chosen power supply and can be a constraint on high-power UPOE deployments; Spec figures in reseller datasheets are inconsistent, so official Cisco data must be checked before purchase; Stacking and modular uplinks require matching modules and licenses, which raises complexity and cost
Est. Price: $10,120 - $40,227

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