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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
9th
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
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is 1.8%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches3.2%
MikroTik Cloud Router Switch1.8%
Other95.0%
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

"The most valuable feature is that the CLI is the same on all of the Juniper devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls."
"The Juniper Ethernet switch feature I find the most valuable is reliability."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches are high-end solutions."
"We have multiple cases of the customers trying to upgrade their network from Cisco, Aruba and Huawei to Juniper. They do this basically because they want to modernise their network and have an increased capacity. This shift improves their functionality because the Juniper Ethernet switches are more advanced. We provide them with assistance to configure switches, access points and Wi-Fi."
"As far as technology and WAN assurance are concerned, I rate Juniper switch ten out of ten."
"The combination of hardware and software makes it a very good solution. It is a modern protocol that they have supported in the switches. The solution has good performance."
"The most valuable feature is that Juniper is multiple kernels, so there's isolation, which means you won't get a process that runs away, creating problems across the whole platform."
"The security is good."
"It is user-friendly, reliable, and cheap."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"The GUI is easy to use."
"The router power is the most valuable aspect."
"It's a well-rounded solution for routing."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The best aspect is that it remains affordable."
"The performance has been good."
 

Cons

"The pricing for the Juniper product is expensive. It is rated high on the scale, and I would say it is definitely on the high side, confirming a rating of one, which means it is very expensive."
"Juniper should consider reducing its pricing. The Mist licenses are quite expensive and should be more affordable."
"The only issue that we have with Juniper Ethernet Switches is the firmware because it is not stable."
"The configuration could be made simpler."
"Support could be improved."
"Since everything nowadays is web-based and graphical, it should incorporate more graphical elements."
"They could provide better security tools."
"I would like the ability to operate with other operating systems."
"MikroTik needs to add some features like IPS, mail security, or antivirus, et cetera."
"Simplifying the documentation would be a good idea."
"Antispam and antivirus features should be included in the future."
"MikroTik is mostly used by medium and small businesses, so the security is not as robust as Cisco."
"Improvements are needed with respect to some of the security, especially for VPN links between vendors other than Cisco."
"The packet filtering, user log data, and user access log could all be improved."
"The RAM capacity offered by the product needs to be increased, as it is one area where the tool currently has some shortcomings."
"The user interface could improve and they should allow a license for IBS."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches are a less expensive solution than Cisco Ethernet Switches. There is only a one-time purchase for Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"The product's pricing is less and almost half of Cisco's."
"The Juniper switches are less expensive than competing brands."
"The price of the Juniper EX Series is reasonable. Cisco is a lot more expensive."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"They offer a more competitive pricing structure compared to one of the competitors."
"It's was $100,000 per year."
"The price of the solution is fair and there is a one-time license purchase only."
"They came with the licensing when we purchased them."
"The price is competitive."
"This product has a one-time cost and there is no licensing fee."
"The licensing for MikroTik is great. It's easy to enter, especially for small businesses. Their model is great."
"MikroTik is really cheap compared to the competitors."
"I consider it to be a cost-effective solution."
"I believe the price of the tool is high, but it is okay for the services we get from it."
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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
9%
University
8%
Retailer
6%
Comms Service Provider
14%
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing 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 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?
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.
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Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
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