Sodium reduction in the human diet is currently one of the main concerns for public health agencies and, consequently has become a challenge facing the food industries. One of the functions of sodium chloride during cheese transformation is the limitation of undesirable microorganism development such as spoilage microorganisms. Using both soft and semi-hard cheese models, the impact of reduced sodium chloride content (65%) or its substitution by potassium chloride (65%/35%) was compared with cheeses manufactured with regular NaCl content (100%). The impact of modification of NaCl content was also studied regarding the development of spoilers (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Yarrowia lypolytica). Analyzes included physico-chemical analyzes, sensory analysis, microbial counts on specific media, 16S metabarcoding analysis and metatranscriptomic analysis. Results showed that a reduction of 35% of NaCl content or its substitution by KCl did not appear to greatly affect the main physico-chemical parameters of ripened cheeses, except for lipolysis and proteolysis that were slightly higher at reduced NaCl content. Regarding microbial composition and metabolism, Geotrichum candidum development was more important at NaCl 65%, to the detriment of Penicillium camemberti growth in soft cheeses. Otherwise, no change was observed for semi hard cheeses. A NaCl reduction or its substitution resulted in a more intense bitterness for both cheeses. The decrease in salt content favored the growth of P. fluorescens in semi hard cheeses but it had no impact on that of Y. lipolytica in soft cheeses. In conclusion, results showed that the impact of a reduction or substitution of NaCl is cheese model dependent but mostly lead to minor modifications of the products. Slight changes of the salt content can then be considered for human health concerns while remaining vigilant to the microbiological stability and organoleptic characteristics of the products.