Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Ultra vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200: Specs & Price Comparison

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Ultra

★ 3.7 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 16 Gbps
Forwarding Rate: 12 Mpps (datasheet PDF lists 11.904 Mpps)
Ports: 8 x GbE RJ45 (1G/100M/10M): 7 x PoE+ output, 1 x PoE++ input
PoE Budget: 42W total on base model (PoE++ input or 60W adapter input); 52W with 60W AC adapter variant; 202W with 210W AC adapter variant; max 30W per PoE+ port
Layer: L2 managed (official spec lists Layer 2 features only; no Layer 3 features listed)
Stacking support: Not listed on official spec page

✔ Pros: Compact fanless 8-port GbE switch with 7 PoE+ outputs; Can be powered over PoE via its PoE++ input, so no separate adapter is needed on the base model; Official specs list 16 Gbps switching capacity and 256 supported VLANs; Full set of L2 features including STP/RSTP, port isolation, storm control, port mirroring, jumbo frames and egress rate limiting; Managed through UniFi Network with a small footprint (203 x 76 x 33 mm, 320 g)
✘ Cons: Layer 2 only, with no Layer 3 routing features listed; No stacking or link aggregation (LACP) listed on the official spec page; PoE budget is small on the base model (42W), so it suits only a few PoE devices; PoE budget varies by SKU (42W, 52W, 202W), which can confuse buyers; Requires UniFi Network 8.0.28 or later; No independent professional reviews found, and retailer pricing varies widely
Est. Price: $150 - $243

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200

★ 4.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 128 Gbps (24-port models); 176 Gbps (48-port models)
Forwarding Rate: 95.2 Mpps (24-port models); 130.9 Mpps (48-port models)
Ports (breakdown): 24x or 48x 10/100/1000BASE-T (PoE+ on PoE SKUs) + 4x SFP/SFP+ uplinks (1GbE/10GbE); 6200M models add 4x SFP+ uplinks
PoE Budget: 370W Class 4 (24G and 48G 370W SKUs); 740W Class 4 (48-port 6200F PoE SKU); up to 1440W Class 6 (60W per port) on 6200M PoE SKUs. Varies by SKU
Layer: L2/L3 (Layer 3 static routing; dynamic routing depends on software license)
Stacking support: Yes, VSF virtual stacking up to 8 members (single logical device); VSX redundancy also supported

✔ Pros: Fixed-port, Layer 2/3 managed access switch in a compact 1U form factor; Wide range of PoE and non-PoE SKUs (370W, 740W, and 1440W class 6 PoE options) for IP phones, cameras, and APs; VSF stacking of up to 8 members simplifies management as one logical device; Full Aruba CX OS features with REST API, network analytics, and automation support via Aruba Central; Solid mid-range pricing compared with enterprise-class core switches; 10GbE SFP+ uplinks support aggregation and campus backbone links
✘ Cons: Model and SKU naming (6200F vs 6200M, 24G vs 48G, PoE vs non-PoE) is confusing and specs differ significantly between variants; Public spec sources conflict on some figures (for example, 6200F throughput and uplink types), so exact datasheet values should be verified per SKU; Dynamic routing and advanced L3 features require additional licensing; Power budget is limited on 370W and 740W SKUs, so high-draw PoE devices may not all be supported at full load; Pricing is in USD only for 6200F SKUs. European 6200M pricing was found only in EUR and GBP, and no official HPE list price was confirmed
Est. Price: $4,261 - $8,663

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