Cisco Catalyst 9300 vs 9200: Choosing the Right Access Switch for Your Business

When planning an upgrade or a new deployment for your small to medium-sized business (SMB) network, choosing between the Cisco Catalyst 9300 vs 9200 series can feel overwhelming. Both belong to the powerful Catalyst 9000 family, offering enterprise-grade security, reliability, and scalability while supporting Cisco’s intent-based networking. However, these switches are designed for different deployment scales and requirements, and choosing the right one can significantly impact your network’s performance, scalability, and budget.

This guide compares the Cisco Catalyst 9300 and 9200 series switches, highlighting their key differences, common use cases, and selection considerations.

What is the difference between 9200 and 9300?

Target Deployment

• Catalyst 9200: Designed for branch offices and SMBs seeking reliable, secure, always-on access switching with simplified management and lower noise, replacing the legacy Catalyst 2960X/XR series.
• Catalyst 9300: Built for mid-sized to large enterprise access layers, offering higher scale, advanced security, and enhanced flexibility. It replaces the Catalyst 3650/3850 and Meraki MS250/MS3xx/MS4xx series in many enterprise environments.

Stacking and Power Redundancy

• Catalyst 9300 includes integrated stacking modules and supports StackPower for power redundancy across the stack.
• Catalyst 9200 requires separate stacking modules and does not support power stacking.

Noise and Physical Design

• Catalyst 9200 is quieter and more compact, ideal for offices and noise-sensitive environments.
• Catalyst 9300 is larger and slightly louder but offers higher power and port density.

Performance and Capacity

• Stacking Bandwidth: 9200 (160 Gbps) vs 9300 (up to 1 Tbps).
• Switching Capacity: 9200 (up to 160 Gbps) vs 9300 (up to 640 Gbps).
• PoE Budget: 9200 (up to 1440W) vs 9300 (up to 1800W with PoE+, UPOE, UPOE+).
• Multigigabit: 9300 offers extensive multigigabit ports (1/2.5/5/10G); 9200 has limited support.
• Uplink Options: 9300 supports up to 4x 100G fiber; 9200 supports up to 25G uplinks.

Routing, Memory, and VRF Instances

• 9200: IPv4 Routes (11,000–14,000), IPv6 Routes (7,000), VRFs (1-4), Flash/DRAM (4GB/4GB).
• 9300: IPv4 Routes (32,000), IPv6 Routes (16,000), VRFs (up to 256), Flash/DRAM (16GB/8GB).

Software and Management

• Both support Cisco IOS XE, advanced security, and automation.
• 9300 supports native Docker app hosting for Cisco Spaces IoT Gateway, ASA Firewall, and ThousandEyes.
• 9300 offers advanced SD-Access, while 9200 offers limited SD-Access support.
• Both can be managed via Cisco DNA Center, CLI, WebUI, SNMP, NETCONF/RESTCONF, and some models support Meraki monitoring/management.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Catalyst 9200 if:

• You need reliable access switching for IP phones, APs, and standard office devices with 1G Ethernet and PoE+.
• Quiet operation and compact design are priorities.
• Budget constraints require a cost-effective solution while maintaining enterprise reliability.

Choose Catalyst 9300 if:

• You require advanced performance, multigigabit connectivity, and UPOE/UPOE+ support.
• Advanced SD-Access and high stacking bandwidth are critical for your deployment.
• You plan to host applications on the switch for security or IoT without extra hardware.
• Your network demands scalability for high-density wireless or high-performance environments.

Summary Comparison Table

Further Resources

Router-switch.com offers a wide selection of Cisco Catalyst 9200 and 9300 series switches:

⚠️ Note: Both series require Cisco DNA licenses (Essentials or Advantage). Hardware purchases often include discounts to offset licensing costs.