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Cisco Enterprise Routers vs Juniper MX Series Routers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Enterprise Routers
Ranking in Routers
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
109
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper MX Series Routers
Ranking in Routers
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 18.9%, down from 24.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper MX Series Routers is 13.0%, up from 12.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Routers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Enterprise Routers18.9%
Juniper MX Series Routers13.0%
Other68.1%
Routers
 

Featured Reviews

Donald Ochanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Long-term reliability and high performance ensure seamless operations in challenging environments
Regarding the Wi-Fi connection and setup, we need superior coverage because our market has extensive vegetation. When setting up Cisco Enterprise Routers Wi-Fi in institutions such as campuses, there are always challenges. People often opt for Ubiquiti, not because of their features, but because of the Wi-Fi signal stability. Cisco Enterprise Routers has made improvements in making configurations more user-friendly with dashboards. However, they need to do more as many people prefer simpler configurations rather than using CMD or CLI. The process of procuring Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment through channel partners needs improvement. The partners are limited compared to other products. It's cheaper to purchase Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment from the UK than from a local distributor. When purchased off-channel, the equipment is much cheaper than through the channel. This affects our ability to compete in government tenders where price is crucial, even when we can provide warranty, licenses, and renewability.
Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Performance excels with reliable uptime and robust features
The best features of Juniper MX Series Routers include their performance, which is quite good for us in terms of hardware performance. The Junos OS, the software, is stable, and we don't have many issues with the Juniper system itself. They have numerous features that allow us to deliver services, be it Layer 2 connectivity to customers, Layer 3 connectivity, data center connectivity, or even security features. Hardware performance has been a top-notch reason why we chose Juniper in the beginning, especially the MX series, which performs well in terms of network uptime and we don't encounter many failures. We have had a bad experience here and there with the ACX series, and their network performance is not so great compared to MX, so we have mostly done away with the ACX and only use MX at some of the core sites. I have seen a return on investment from the solution. Initially, we deployed MX80s on the network, and since our company has been in operation since 2006, from that point we used MX80s until around 2016 when we upgraded most of them to MX204s. From our experience, once we buy an MX204, we don't have issues with it; we have never had to replace an MX204 on the network. Once we deploy it, it works until we decide to upgrade the capacity. The return on investment is significant, as once we buy it, we have no worries about performance.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The commands are easy to understand."
"Solution is stable."
"I haven't assessed it in that way, they provided us with excellent service. We had very few issues."
"Cisco Enterprise Routers are easy to use and the performance is good."
"The most valuable feature is that we can specify the routing policies for our traffic."
"The most valuable features are that it is easy to use, it is easy to configure, and manage."
"Cisco Enterprise Routers is reliable and secure."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is performance."
"The solution is quite stable. We've found it to be very good. There aren't bugs, glitches, or crashes."
"Juniper MX Series Routers are easy to configure and easy to back up."
"The most valuable features for us were related to our transition into MPLS technology, specifically for BPN and VPN services."
"Juniper Enterprise Routers is very flexible."
"On the SRX, the firewall is very easy to configure, especially when you want to filter out traffic."
"I would say it is very user-friendly."
"For the Juniper MX Series Routers, it plays a crucial role in our network. They offer numerous features, enabling multiple connections and handling various reports. The routers efficiently manage the number of switched fabric codes and process features based on the specific switch requirements. Previously, I utilized them for processing and addressing customer-side concerns. The routers have excellent documentation, making it easy to resolve any issues that may arise. It's excellent for customization, especially in tailoring the Windows configuration environment. Overall, dealing with this solution has been straightforward and efficient."
"It is very stable and scalable."
 

Cons

"Due to the sanctions on our country, we can't get outside help directly from Cisco. We need to handle the implementation ourselves."
"Sometimes, I find it hard to learn how some features of the router work. So, these are the issues that may arise when a user might not have knowledge about the product."
"They need to improve cost efficiency."
"The configuration needs improvement. Most routers, like HP or Aruba, use a UI interface. Those solutions are similar and uniform. It's easier for us compared to Cisco because with Cisco you are not using normal commands. They need to enhance the UI to make it more usable."
"Their software-defined paradigm requires significant improvement."
"The only other thing we struggled with from time to time is when we were configuring access points through a controller."
"The installation can be difficult, Cisco equipment is professional-grade and it requires someone with the skills and knowledge to do it."
"The solution could be more secure."
"Finding market expertise is hard."
"In terms of what could be improved, they could extend the software warranty to be for its lifetime, as well. At the moment, the software warranty is limited, I think to one year."
"The solution could improve by providing enhancements to built-in SDN or SDWAN."
"The initial setup is not easy."
"The solution could improve reliability and it needs more functions."
"Most IT equipment now has graphical interfaces, and there is a need for the Juniper routers to have a more intuitive web interface."
"The pricing is a bit too high."
"Currently, I don't have specific concerns or ideas for improvement. Regarding functionalities, I appreciate the user interface of Juniper Elite. Additionally, I'm exploring the use of Juniper Routers in a Parliament environment, particularly with Baragon, and so far, I find it to be a valuable feature. We're currently facing an issue as we're in the process of building and dealing with the software, specifically transitioning from R2 to RC. It's like when there is an update in the routers, and in the process, there are chances to end up losing some of your settings. The challenge arises because the recommended configurations for RC do not align with our features, necessitating a reevaluation of many features. It would have been more efficient if the initial recommendation had been for RC, avoiding the need to redo our research. This has resulted in a loss of time for us, and we've encountered this situation multiple times."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is reasonable."
"Cisco is mid-tier in terms of pricing and quite affordable by most enterprises."
"For a boost performance license, the cost is $2,000 to $2,500. There is an additional cost for more scalability."
"I rate the product's price a six or seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is extremely expensive, and ten is very cheap."
"The cost of this solution is very low compared to other products."
"The cost of this solution is a little bit high compared to others."
"I like the price of the solution."
"The licensing fee is okay and matches industry standards, which is the benchmark."
"The pricing of Juniper MX Series Routers is okay compared to other technologies."
"$300 to $400 is the hardware cost and for licensing cost, it may be around, for support and all, $100 per year."
"I would rate the pricing model a seven out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive. It is not cheap."
"The solution is more expensive compared to other solutions."
"There is a license for this solution and the price is very competitive. The cost is less expensive than some competitors, such as Cisco. There are additional costs for support licenses."
"The prices for Juniper MX Series Routers are reasonable."
"The price of this solution is better than other competitors, such as Cisco. We receive a lot of discounts which make the price less expensive and attractive."
"An additional license can be purchased for support of a next-generation firewall."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Performing Arts
7%
Educational Organization
7%
University
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise42
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
What do you like most about Cisco Enterprise Routers?
The most valuable feature of the solution is that it makes it possible for users to use encryption and decryption since our company aims to achieve transparency, and without it, the other system on...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Enterprise Routers?
The pricing is not cheap. When we provide quotations to clients, they often comment on the expense. However, we recommend the solution, and after procurement, all clients are satisfied with Cisco E...
What do you like most about Juniper MX Series Routers?
For the Juniper MX Series Routers, it plays a crucial role in our network. They offer numerous features, enabling multiple connections and handling various reports. The routers efficiently manage ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper MX Series Routers?
I would rate it around a three. While I'm not deeply involved in pricing discussions, I believe it is comparatively more affordable than Cisco.
What needs improvement with Juniper MX Series Routers?
The areas of Juniper MX Series Routers that have room for improvement include the port count; for instance, the MX204 has only four 40G or 100G ports, which is quite limited. While I know there are...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Juniper Enterprise Routers, MX Series, Junos Address Aware
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Boingo, Chartwell School, Children's Hospital of Orange County , Department of Justice, Explorer Pipeline, Linz AG, National Rugby League, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Telecom Italia, Transwestern
AARNet Pty Ltd, Allegro Networks, Atlantech Online, Availity, Baloise Insurance, Black Lotus, CATV, Blue Box
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. Juniper MX Series Routers and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.