1. Read the dashboard
Export the MX configuration: VLANs, firewall rules, NAT, site-to-site VPN peers, client VPN users, traffic shaping, content filtering. Dead rules are listed and not migrated.
Meraki Alternative
Meraki MX renewal due, or end of life?
Compare before you pay for another year.
A Meraki appliance stops passing traffic 30 days after its license lapses, and the MX64 and MX65 have reached end of support. If a renewal or an end-of-sale notice just landed, this page puts FortiGate beside the MX on the points that decide it for a small or mid-size business, and explains how we migrate a Meraki network in one after-hours window. Last reviewed 2026-10-06.
What Changed
Meraki MX: the license is the product.
Cisco Meraki appliances require a current per-device license to pass traffic. When the license expires there is a 30-day grace period, after which the organization is shut down: devices stop passing client traffic and the dashboard is restricted to the license page. Several MX models have also reached end of support. If a renewal invoice or an end-of-support notice just arrived, this is the moment to compare.
| Meraki model | Status | Date | FortiGate starting point |
|---|---|---|---|
| MX64 / MX64W | End of sale | 2022-07-26 (support to 2027-07-26) | 50G / 70G |
| MX65 / MX65W | End of support | 2026-05-28 | 70G |
| MX67C / MX68CW (cellular) | End of sale | 2026-11-27 (support to 2031) | 70G with FortiExtender, or 90G |
| MX67 / MX68 | Current, no announcement | as of 2026-08 | 50G / 70G |
| MX75 / MX85 | Current | — | 90G / 120G |
Dates from Cisco's end-of-sale notices and Meraki lifecycle trackers linked below. FortiGate equivalents are our sizing starting points; the sizing guide has the method.
The Comparison
FortiGate against Meraki MX for a small or mid-size business.
Meraki is excellent at one thing: a cloud dashboard that a generalist can run. The trade is a mandatory per-device subscription that turns the hardware off when it lapses, and a feature set that lives inside Cisco's cloud. Verify the Meraki figures on Cisco's datasheet for the model you are quoted.
| Decision point | FortiGate G-series | Meraki MX | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| What happens when the subscription lapses | FortiGuard services stop updating; firewall, VPN, routing and HA keep working | 30-day grace, then the device stops passing client traffic | A missed renewal on Meraki is an outage |
| Annual subscription, entry models | UTP bundle: 70G three-year list $3,644.78 including hardware | MX75 Advanced Security one-year list about $1,660 per device, hardware separate | Compare three-year totals per site |
| Inspection hardware | SP5 ASIC on every model | CPU-based | Services-on throughput under load |
| Management | FortiOS GUI; FortiManager for fleets; FortiGate Cloud for small sites | Meraki dashboard, cloud only | Both work; FortiGate also runs with no cloud dependency |
| Remote access | IPsec and ZTNA (FortiClient); no SSL-VPN on current hardware | Client VPN (IPsec/L2TP), AnyConnect, Secure Connect (SASE) | Plan the VPN migration either way |
| Switches and Wi-Fi | FortiSwitch and FortiAP managed from the firewall; works with UniFi, Aruba, Cisco | Meraki MS and MR, same dashboard, same per-device licensing | Single-vendor is a convenience, not a requirement |
We sell and support FortiGate; we do not sell Meraki. Where we name a Meraki figure or behavior, the source is Cisco's own documentation, linked below.
How We Migrate
Meraki MX to FortiGate in one after-hours window.
The same fixed-fee migration published on the firewall migration page: $6,500 for a FortiGate up to the 90-series class, $8,900 for 100F to 200F or an HA pair; hardware and licenses separate at Fortinet list.
2. Size and quote
Circuit, users, switches, APs, PoE and which Meraki features are actually used decide the model. If MS switches and MR access points stay, the FortiGate works with them; if they are also license-expired, we quote FortiSwitch and FortiAP.
3. Build in parallel
FortiGate configured beside the MX: interfaces, VLANs, policies, NAT, IPsec peers, security profiles, and the client-VPN replacement.
4. Cut over with rollback
One window, usually under two hours. The MX stays cabled and licensed for a five-minute rollback until you sign off.
5. Hypercare and documentation
Five business days of priority response, as-built documentation, config backup under version control, monitoring if you take an Edge plan.
Track Record
The numbers behind the outcomes.
We only do networks. That is not a limitation — it is why the outcomes are different.
Engineering
20+
Years of network-only practice. Architecture, security, and operations — not IT generalism.
Delivery
300+
Sites delivered. Healthcare clinics, law offices, financial branches, multi-site operations.
Availability
99.99%
Design target for fully redundant builds with HA firewalls, diverse ISPs, and backed-up power.
Ownership
100%
Senior engineer–led. No junior handoffs. No ticket queue. No escalation chain.
Career aggregate. The 20+ years and 300+ sites span the operator’s full network-only practice, including prior-employer engagements. 99.99% availability, about 53 minutes of downtime per year, is an architecture design target for engagements that fund full redundancy. It is not a service guarantee or uptime SLA. Contracted response times and service levels are defined in each customer agreement.
Where We Work
Sacramento, the Bay Area, and remote across California.
Pre-staging and configuration happen remotely; cutover is on site or remote-hands guided, your choice. Local clients: see our Fortinet MSP in Sacramento and Fortinet MSP in San Francisco pages. Replacing a non-Fortinet firewall? See firewall migration. Want it watched afterward? See network monitoring.
FAQ
Meraki Alternative questions.
What happens when a Meraki license expires?
Cisco's documentation gives a 30-day grace period after expiry; when it ends the organization is shut down, devices cease passing client traffic, and the dashboard is restricted to license and device-status pages. The hardware does not work without a current license.
Is the Meraki MX64 end of life?
Yes. End of sale was 2022-07-26 with support ending 2027-07-26. The MX65 reached end of support on 2026-05-28. The cellular MX67C and MX68CW go end of sale on 2026-11-27. The base MX67 and MX68 had no announcement as of August 2026.
What is the FortiGate equivalent of an MX67 or MX68?
For most offices a FortiGate 50G or 70G; the 70G-PoE replaces the MX68's PoE ports. An MX75 or MX85 site usually lands on a 90G or 120G. The sizing guide compares them on services-on throughput and ports.
Will our Meraki rules move to a FortiGate?
VLANs, addresses, firewall rules, NAT and site-to-site VPN definitions carry over through a line-by-line rebuild and review. Meraki traffic shaping and content filtering map to FortiGate traffic shaping and FortiGuard web filtering. Meraki Insight and dashboard analytics are replaced by FortiGate Cloud or FortiAnalyzer, or by our monitoring.
Can we keep our Meraki switches and access points?
Yes, as long as their licenses are current; the FortiGate does not care what switch is behind it. Many customers replace the MX first and the MS and MR at their next license renewal.
What does a Meraki to FortiGate migration cost?
Fixed fee: $6,500 for a FortiGate up to the 90-series class, $8,900 for 100F to 200F or an HA pair, including full policy migration, VPN tunnels, test plan, after-hours cutover and five days of hypercare. Hardware and the FortiCare/UTP bundle are additional at Fortinet list.
Does FortiGate have a cloud dashboard like Meraki?
FortiGate Cloud manages small fleets from a browser, and FortiManager handles larger ones on-premises or in the cloud. The difference is that a FortiGate keeps working when the cloud or the subscription is unavailable; the subscription affects security updates, not the firewall itself.
How long does it take?
Hardware lead time, two to four weeks, is the longest step. Build runs in parallel. The cutover is one window, typically under two hours, with rollback to the MX until you sign off.
Sources
Checked against primary sources.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Vendor documents and prices change; confirm against the linked pages before you decide.
- Cisco Meraki documentation: General licensing FAQs (30-day grace period and shutdown behavior)
- Cisco: End-of-sale and end-of-life announcement for the MX67C and MX68CW
- Cisco: Meraki cloud managed security appliances, end-of-life and end-of-sale notices
- Meraki EOL tracker: MX67 and MX68 status (checked 2026-08-08)
- Reseller listing: Meraki MX75 Advanced Security license, 1 year (list price reference)
- Fortinet FortiGate 50G / 70G / 90G series datasheets
- Fortinet Americas end-user price list, effective 2026-09-07 (partner portal; FG-70G-BDL-950-36 $3,644.78)
Fortinet, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard and FortiCare are trademarks of Fortinet, Inc. Other vendor names are trademarks of their respective owners, used to identify the products discussed. Ambio Edge Networks is an independent Fortinet partner and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any vendor named here.
Replace a Meraki MX
Send us your MX model and renewal date.
Get a FortiGate model and a fixed-fee quote.
Tell us the MX model, when the license renews, whether MS switches and MR access points stay, your internet speed and user count. We size the FortiGate, quote at Fortinet list, and run the migration with rollback.
What Happens Next
Response from a senior engineer within 1 business day.
A direct conversation — no sales team, no runaround.
An honest assessment of whether we are the right fit.
Clear next steps if we are — no pressure if we are not.