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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 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

Juniper EX Series Ethernet ...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Meraki MS Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
96
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.8%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

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.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The performance is very good."
"The GUI interface distinguishes it from other vendors and makes it easy to operate."
"I like the simplicity of it."
"The tool's most valuable feature is stability."
"There is no end to the ability to scale Juniper."
"Juniper supports all our connectivity infrastructure in our datacenter, supporting optimal availability and performance for services.​"
"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco products."
"Juniper switches are very good with MPLS."
"We find value in its ability to enable cloud management and visibility. They are also easy to deploy. It's very convenient because you can see who is accessing, what type of UI system they're using, what applications they're using, the bandwidth, and more."
"The most beneficial features of Meraki MS Switches are the visibility and convenience they provide."
"The initial setup is easy."
"Being able to look at every port and see what it is connected to is very useful. Everything seems to be running really well. They've got everything covered. They have a really cool mounting system at the bottom and an access point that you can use to level up your device. It is kind of cool."
"Meraki does support CLI, but the GUI is purely GUI, which is very easy to access."
"This is a sophisticated product with easy configuration that can save time and effort."
"Easy access to the solution is the most valuable feature."
"It offers a compelling solution due to its cloud management capabilities and strong security features."
 

Cons

"The operating system could be better."
"The interface could be better. It needs improvement."
"The price is in the intermediate range. It is not overly expensive, but also not cheap. It could stand improvement."
"The difficulty of the installation of Juniper Ethernet Switches depends on the environment it is being implemented in. It is fairly straightforward in terms of being able to source the technical information as we need it. However, this process could improve."
"The initial setup of switches is not that simple."
"They could improve the code, as there are some issues with it."
"There are multiple areas of improvement in Juniper EX series switches. In terms of speed and pricing, while Juniper provides good quality services, some clients still find the price very high compared to other competitors. Also there is a need for certain features to be enhanced like clear our configuration process which will help to make Juniper switches more stronger. However, there are also multiple challenges including understanding and configuration of certain aspects difficult without assistance. Despite these kinds of challenges, there have been multiple solutions and huge potential of improvement in Juniper."
"The durability of the devices could be better."
"The traffic reporting should be better in Meraki MS Switches. We want to be able to see all the traffic and where it is going. Additionally, detailed device utilization information would be very helpful for the security personnel."
"We had issues with the stability, issues with the pricing, and the total cost of ownership."
"In my opinion, there's room for improvement cost-wise. With Meraki's licensing terms, you're required to pay an annual licensing fee, which can be for a one-year license or perhaps a five-year license. But if you analyze the costs involved, there are huge expenses incurred as far as the licensing is concerned."
"The licensing model needs to be improved."
"If they added the option to manage it locally, not in the cloud, it would be better."
"Doesn't enable a local configuration without internet access."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The pricing can be made cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for the support is very high."
"We had a leakage in the support process and decided to end the product's life in order to purchase a new product with support. We did not renew product support as a result."
"You don't need to license every switch. We only chose to cover support on core/key equipment and keep a cold spare available when needed."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches could be less expensive. There is not a license needed to use the solution."
"They offer a more competitive pricing structure compared to one of the competitors."
"It's was $100,000 per year."
"This solution is cheaper than Cisco or HP switches."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."
"It depends on what type of equipment you have and other things. We're about $17,000 a year."
"My company pays for Meraki MS Switches yearly. Pricing-wise, the product is relatively inexpensive."
"Securing licenses and devices for more than a year can make the product expensive. In general, the product is expensive."
"Its price is definitely competitive."
"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."
"The solution is a bit on the pricey side."
"This product is more than the competition, but you get what you pay for."
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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%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 ...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MS Switches?
Meraki MS Switches, including their licensing, are somewhat expensive, particularly when compared with competitor solutions like HP.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
The prices are a little higher than other vendors. However, within the Cisco customer segment, customers mostly recommend it because they are existing users, and they are satisfied with their curre...
 

Also Known As

Juniper Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. Meraki MS Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.