Cisco Meraki MX75 vs MX85
The Meraki MX85 is the better pick when you need extra SFP fiber uplinks and LAN fiber ports or plan to grow past 200 clients; the MX75 covers smaller branches at a lower price with the same 1 Gbps firewall. Both are cloud-managed SD-WAN appliances, so the choice comes down to port mix and headroom, not raw firewall speed.
Cisco Meraki MX75
Cloud-managed SD-WAN and security appliance sized for small branches up to 200 clients.
- 1 Gbps stateful firewall, 750 Mbps with Advanced Security (NGFW/IPS) enabled
- 3 WAN uplinks: 1x GbE SFP plus 2x GbE RJ45, with 2 LAN ports offering PoE+ out
- Recommended for small branches with up to 200 client devices
- Built-in Auto VPN, SD-WAN, and full UTM through the Meraki dashboard
Cisco Meraki MX85
Cloud-managed SD-WAN appliance for small-to-medium branches up to 250 clients with added fiber ports.
- 1 Gbps stateful firewall, 800 Mbps with Advanced Security (NGFW/IPS) enabled
- 4 WAN uplinks: 2x GbE SFP plus 2x GbE RJ45 (one RJ45 with PoE+ out)
- 8x GbE RJ45 plus 2x GbE SFP on the LAN side for fiber drops
- Recommended for small-to-medium branches with up to 250 client devices
Cisco Meraki MX75 vs Cisco Meraki MX85: spec comparison
| Spec | Cisco Meraki MX75 | Cisco Meraki MX85 |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended branch size | Up to 200 clients | Up to 250 clients |
| Stateful firewall throughput | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
| Advanced Security throughput (NGFW/IPS) | 750 Mbps | 800 Mbps |
| Site-to-site VPN throughput | Up to 1 Gbps | Up to 1 Gbps |
| Max concurrent VPN tunnels | 75 | 150 |
| WAN uplinks | 3 (1x SFP, 2x RJ45 GbE) | 4 (2x SFP, 2x RJ45 GbE) |
| LAN RJ45 ports | 10x GbE RJ45 | 8x GbE RJ45 |
| LAN SFP (fiber) ports | None | 2x GbE SFP |
| PoE+ output | 2x LAN ports | 1x WAN RJ45 port |
| USB / management | 1x USB 3.0, dedicated mgmt port | 1x USB 3.0, dedicated mgmt port |
| Power supply | Single 100W AC | Single internal AC |
| Management model | Meraki dashboard (cloud, subscription) | Meraki dashboard (cloud, subscription) |
Choose Cisco Meraki MX75 if
Choose the MX75 for a smaller branch (up to 200 clients) where copper uplinks are fine and you want LAN-side PoE+ to power a phone or AP directly off the appliance. It delivers the same 1 Gbps firewall as the MX85 at a lower price.
Choose Cisco Meraki MX85 if
Choose the MX85 when you need redundant fiber WAN (two SFP uplinks), fiber LAN drops, room to grow toward 250 clients, or more concurrent site-to-site VPN tunnels for a larger SD-WAN fabric.
Verdict
These are adjacent models in the same generation, so neither is a clear winner on raw throughput. Pick the MX75 for cost-sensitive small branches that live on copper, and step up to the MX85 when you want dual fiber WAN uplinks, LAN fiber ports, and headroom for more clients and VPN tunnels. Both are TAA-compliant and GPC-payable through an authorized Cisco partner.
Frequently asked questions
Is the MX85 faster than the MX75?
Not on stateful firewall throughput; both are rated at 1 Gbps. The MX85 is marginally faster with Advanced Security turned on (800 Mbps vs 750 Mbps) and supports more VPN tunnels and clients, but you upgrade mainly for the extra fiber ports, not raw speed.
What is the main difference between the MX75 and MX85?
Port layout. The MX75 has 3 WAN uplinks and 10 RJ45 LAN ports with no LAN fiber. The MX85 adds a second SFP WAN uplink and two SFP LAN ports, trading two of those copper LAN ports for fiber, and supports up to 250 clients instead of 200.
Do both the MX75 and MX85 need a Meraki license?
Yes. Like all Meraki MX appliances, both require an active Enterprise or Advanced Security license to function and stay manageable through the cloud dashboard. The license is a recurring subscription that covers firmware, support, and dashboard access.
Can the MX75 or MX85 power a Meraki access point over PoE?
Yes, but check which port. The MX75 offers PoE+ output on two LAN ports, while the MX85 provides PoE+ on one of its WAN RJ45 ports. For powering several devices you would normally pair either appliance with a separate Meraki MS PoE switch.
More Security comparisons
Specs are for planning and may change; Uniqcli confirms the current Cisco bill of materials and pricing on your quote. Cisco, Catalyst, Nexus, Meraki, and Firepower are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Uniqcli LLC is an independent authorized Cisco partner.