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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Cloud Router Switch comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
73
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 3.4%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches3.4%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.9%
Other94.7%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom
Has provided reliable performance with useful features such as virtual chassis and high port density
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are features such as the Virtual Chassis feature, which is one of the things we use. In our case, we use them as core switches in a network that is not very large, and their reliability and the Virtual Chassis feature work well for us. It was one of the reasons we chose it, along with the port density; we are using the 32 port and the 48 port, which work for our needs. Regarding its security features such as MACsec encryption, they are standard and cover what we want; we do not do a lot as they are just Layer 2 switches, but it has standard security features.
Andriejus Artamonovas - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Specialist at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees
Has supported deeper configuration through traffic mirroring and advanced VLAN setup
The main reason why MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is usually chosen is its raw performance to price ratio. In comparison to UniFi switches, MikroTik Cloud Router Switch can mirror all ports for traffic inspection for further traffic analysis, which UniFi cannot do. VLANs in MikroTik Cloud Router Switch are always useful. The way MikroTik implements VLAN-aware switching at the bridge level is hidden in the configuration. Making CRS work as a simple VLAN-aware switch requires deeper configuration, which is not intuitive. VLANs support individual interfaces not part of the bridge, allowing for double VLANing. You can create a VLAN interface in the interfaces context and also create a bridge interface, add physical ports, create VLANs for that bridge interface, and assign tagged and untagged ports and VLANs. Load balancing is one of the key components. The feature itself is quite efficient and works reliably on MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. The very basic setup is one of my favorites because they have their protocol where I can connect through the MAC address right on Layer 2, and I don't lose connectivity to the switch if I mess up with bridging or IP addressing.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco products."
"Compared to Cisco, Juniper offers better stability and low prices."
"The most valuable feature is that the CLI is the same on all of the Juniper devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls."
"Juniper is the best when it comes to the core layer."
"We are happy with its capabilities overall, and it has allowed us to rely less on Chinese-manufactured technology."
"The most valuable features of Juniper Ethernet Switches are the simple configuration and ruggedness."
"I like the VLAN capabilities, and the Junos interface is easy to use."
"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco products."
"The most valuable feature is that it has better throughput than its competitors."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The traffic monitoring capabilities are excellent."
"This product is easy to configure."
"This solution is very similar to the on-premises version making it easy to use for those who know the architect."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"It is easy to set up."
"The tool has impacted our company's network costs and productivity in a perfect manner and percentage-wise, I can say it is 120 percent."
 

Cons

"The configuration could be made simpler."
"Juniper should improve the support services provided to users, as it is one of its areas with certain shortcomings."
"The management platforms for the network need improvement."
"The only disadvantage with Juniper is the modules are very expensive lately."
"It would be nice to have a more available list of modules that you can get for this solution."
"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."
"It was very difficult to get technical support, here in Egypt. There is no local support available."
"Juniper should consider reducing its pricing. The Mist licenses are quite expensive and should be more affordable."
"The area for improvement is security. MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"MikroTik needs to add some features like IPS, mail security, or antivirus, et cetera."
"If MikroTik had a marketing team and support team in India then it would be much easier for us to get the product, as well as support."
"Antispam and antivirus features should be included in the future."
"There has to be more development in the OS. It's complex for this switch as compared to others like Cisco. For NetGear and Cisco, it's easy to adapt the VLAN concept but it should be simplified for MikroTik."
"Most of the time, the MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is stable. If I were to rate the stability on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best, I would give it a 5."
"It would be even better with a centralized management platform."
"The packet filtering, user log data, and user access log could all be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We purchased the box for a one-time charge, and we are paying a yearly support fee of several hundred Euros."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"The solution's pricing is cheaper than that of Cisco."
"I think the tool's prices are competitive with the vendors."
"Juniper costs less than the competition. As a comparison, Cisco is 33% more."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"This solution is cheaper than Cisco or HP switches."
"For the QFX5000 Juniper switches, the price is about $10,000, but they would probably sell it for $1,000. Nobody can beat Juniper's pricing when it comes to switches. Juniper out-prices everybody, but they get you on the back end, maintenance, service port, and service contract."
"In Pakistan, if you buy this cloud router, it's approximately $700 for the device."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"The price is competitive."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
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
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Educational Organization
12%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

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 is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are features such as the Virtual Chassis feature, which is one of the things we use. In o...
What do you like most about MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
The tool has impacted our company's network costs and productivity in a perfect manner and percentage-wise, I can say it is 120 percent.
What needs improvement with MikroTik Cloud Router Switch?
It can be difficult to identify key functions for MikroTik Cloud Router Switch. I experience functionality limitations, particularly when trying to find specific features. It would be beneficial to...
 

Also Known As

Juniper Ethernet Switches
MikroTik CRS Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.