Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 24 PoE vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba 8320: 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

Aruba (HPE) Aruba 8320

★ 3.3 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 2.5 Tbps
Forwarding Rate: 1,905 Mpps
Ports: Model-dependent: JL479A = 48x 1/10G SFP+ + 6x 40G QSFP+; JL579A = 32x 40G QSFP+; JL581A = 48x 1/10GBASE-T + 6x 40G QSFP+
PoE Budget: N/A (no PoE support)
Layer: L3 (managed)
Stacking Support: No stacking; high availability via Aruba VSX (Virtual Switching Extension)
Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable
Packet Buffer: 16 MB
MAC Table Size: 98,304 entries (per HPE QuickSpecs; some resellers list 14K)
VLANs: 4,096 (802.1Q; reseller-listed, not confirmed in official datasheet)
Power Supplies: Dual redundant PSUs (listed as 2x 400W on JL579A bundle)
Operating System: AOS-CX

✔ Pros: 2.5 Tbps switching capacity and 1,905 Mpps forwarding for core/aggregation use; Layer 3 managed switching in a compact 1U chassis; VSX active-active high availability without stacking; Dense 40G QSFP+ uplink options (6x on the 48-port SKUs, 32x on JL579A); 16 MB packet buffer and 98K MAC table suitable for busy campus or data center aggregation; AOS-CX automation and API-driven management; Redundant power supply options for uptime
✘ Cons: No PoE, so it cannot power access points or cameras directly; No stacking support (VSX is required for HA, which adds design complexity); Priced at the high end of enterprise aggregation switches, roughly $20K to $28K per unit at advertised retail; Some SKUs and resellers list it as end-of-life, so confirm current availability with HPE before specifying; Conflicting MAC table and VLAN figures across listings, so verify against the current HPE datasheet before purchase; Price data is from undated or sold-out retailer listings, not verified street pricing
Est. Price: $20,506 - $27,690

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