Cisco Catalyst 9300 vs 9500
Pricing updated February 2026
Both are Catalyst 9000-series fixtures of the used enterprise networking market, but they serve different layers: the 9300 is the stackable access workhorse, the 9500 the fixed-form aggregation and core switch.
Networking93002018
Cisco Catalyst 9300
Mid Config Pricing▼ 6.5%
Liquidation$1,800 – $2,340
Private Sale$2,520 – $3,276
Dealer Retail$2,898 – $3,767
Networking95002018
Cisco Catalyst 9500
Mid Config Pricing▼ 4.5%
Liquidation$4,500 – $5,850
Private Sale$6,300 – $8,190
Dealer Retail$7,245 – $9,419
Specifications
| Spec | Catalyst 9300 | Catalyst 9500 |
|---|---|---|
| ports | 24/48x 1GbE/mGig + 4-8x 10/25GbE uplinks | 24/48x 10/25GbE + 4-8x 40/100GbE uplinks |
| form Factor | 1U | 1U |
| throughput | 480 Gbps | 6.4 Tbps |
The Verdict
This is a role decision, not a price-performance tradeoff: the 9300 for access closets and PoE endpoints, the 9500 for 10/25/40G aggregation and core. On the used market both hold value unusually well; the 9300's enormous install base makes it the more liquid asset for sellers, while buyers get better dollar-per-port on lightly-used 9500s than almost any other core switch.
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