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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 23, 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 Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper EX Series Ethernet ...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 15.6%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.7%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…
PRADIPJOSHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Virtual chassis technology enhances connectivity and simplifies management
Juniper EX series switches offer great technology, particularly their Virtual Chassis technology, which is an excellent feature for stacking switches and functions like a single virtual switch. The EX series provides a separation of control, management, and data planes, reducing the attack surface area, ensuring a lesser extent of vulnerability. The PoE budget is commendable, and they manage connectivity effectively.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The installation is very straightforward."
"The most valuable feature is the simplicity of the central management system(CMS)."
"This product is widely available and the warranty is very good."
"They are easy to use and have low maintenance requirements."
"The solution is basically issue-free."
"The queue functionality is the solution's most valuable feature, specifically because we are delivering a lot of Layer 2 services. Layer 2 protocol tunnels work well on Cisco switches."
"The quality, like all Cisco solutions, is very high. The fact that it's Cisco is one of the reasons we chose to use it."
"These switches are both stable and scalable."
"The solution has a high level of network functionality."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' most valuable feature is the Juniper-Mist cloud, which facilitates management of the switches and access points."
"Juniper switches are smart and we have all the features that we want. You can rollback to the previous version if you make any mistake during configuration. This is not possible in Cisco."
"The virtual Chassis feature for stacking is good in general, with high bandwidth for the link, which is good."
"The Juniper EX Series's most valuable feature is its robustness. Additionally, it is easy to use and great GUI."
"The solution is stable and scalable."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Junos operating system."
"It's pretty good as compared to other vendors."
 

Cons

"It could be cheaper, especially the DNA license. One DNA license is around $3,000 for a three-year contract."
"Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately."
"Integration with third-party products could be improved."
"The local support resources for Cisco in Bangledesh are very poor and should be increased."
"It'll also help if it can support more network utilization."
"I haven't heard from my engineers that they said it's excellent."
"The cost is very prohibitive both for us as well as other organizations. It's very expensive to buy Cisco switches. Among our colleagues, we find that we're not alone in thinking it's too high. Everyone's complaining about this."
"The price is an area with a shortcoming in the solution."
"We would like it if there was more security added in future releases."
"The durability of the devices could be better."
"The tool should improve its fabric."
"It was very difficult to get technical support, here in Egypt. There is no local support available."
"The stability of this solution should be improved."
"Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is not cheap. The tool needs improvement in UI."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' tech support is hard to reach and slow."
"We are undergoing a migration to software-defined networking. Different vendors have to integrate with each other and we are not seeing this type of capability within Juniper. We are getting left behind in this technology trend by staying with this solution. Juniper is also losing a bit of market share because of this."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is very expensive."
"The cost of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"The cost of this solution is expensive."
"Not inexpensive. Price will vary widely depending on the chosen product and size of the deployment."
"The solution can be comparatively cheaper."
"Quality comes at a price. I've been around the block a bit, and I know that good quality comes at a price. However, some of the organizations don't have big budgets, so you have to develop different solutions for them. They don't have the budget to get some of the high-end features. Cisco can consider providing entry-level hardware to suit SMBs."
"The product is expensive."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"Juniper costs less than the competition. As a comparison, Cisco is 33% more."
"We purchased the box for a one-time charge, and we are paying a yearly support fee of several hundred Euros."
"Relatively affordable per switch."
"It is an inexpensive product."
"I think the tool's prices are competitive with the vendors."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' pricing is high, but that's reflected across the market."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches could be less expensive. There is not a license needed to use the solution."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What advice do you have for others considering Juniper Ethernet Switches?
Juniper EX model is ok for the campus network as the ex4300 is EOL in a few years and the new ex4400 is the standard. Now for the QFX model, 5k/10k in CRB mode IP fabric Ethernet switching is horri...
What is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
Throughout my experience, I've deployed Juniper EX switches in various environments, from small enterprise networks to large-scale data centers. In every instance, they have consistently delivered ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Juniper Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.