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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Routers and Switches 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
4.3
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches offer reliability, durability, and scalability, justifying high initial costs with long-term performance benefits.
Sentiment score
7.1
MikroTik devices are cost-effective, reliable, and offer an impressive 80% return on investment with no licensing fees.
Compared to other low-end switches with similar features, these are more robust and offer better scalability, which justifies the higher cost.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.3
Juniper EX Series switches receive mixed reviews on support, praised for expertise but criticized for contact issues in certain regions.
Sentiment score
4.3
MikroTik support receives mixed reviews; while knowledgeable, users face access challenges and documentation limitations compared to Cisco.
I have not faced any hardware issues requiring support due to the stable nature of their products.
I find them very competent.
Local partners and local distributors cannot open direct tickets, but any level of partner with other OEMs such as Cisco can open a ticket directly, which is a connectivity advantage that Juniper lacks.
Their support team knows their product very well.
I sometimes need technical support from my ISP company, or else I gather information from YouTube.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches offer scalability and adaptability, though some models face configuration complexities and occasional bugs.
Sentiment score
7.1
MikroTik Routers are seen as scalable, though some note hardware and security limitations in larger deployments.
Adding another switch to an existing setup turns them into a single virtual switch.
The Virtual Chassis provides great scalability, making it a scalable solution.
The EX series supports scalability well, with newer series like EX4100 offering stacking of up to eight switches.
Even in a big enterprise, MikroTik Routers and Switches can scale very well.
It's easy to scale MikroTik Routers and Switches; you can add more and have a cluster.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Juniper EX Series Switches are consistently stable, offering robust performance and reliability, outperforming similar Cisco models in user confidence.
Sentiment score
7.4
MikroTik Routers and Switches are generally stable, but newer OS versions and the power system can cause issues.
They have separate control and forwarding planes, which enhance scalability and stability.
During peak time at nine, the traffic passes through the switches perfectly.
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches proves to be an equally good switch.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are very stable.
MikroTik Routers and Switches have very high stability.
 

Room For Improvement

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches face challenges with pricing, usability, stability, integration, security, and require better support and documentation.
MikroTik Routers and Switches need better interface, security, documentation, compatibility, advanced features, and support for improved user experience.
One area that can be improved is the handling of power interruption, as it can cause the platform to crash.
Some integration with AI could be a good idea since I heard that Juniper already has systems to deploy AI within the EX device, but I haven't had the opportunity to try that.
With other OEMs, customers or partners can directly open tech tickets.
It would be better for me if I could establish filter rules within MikroTik.
The most important thing is maintaining and enhancing their strong security features.
 

Setup Cost

Juniper EX Series Switches provide competitive pricing, being 20-33% cheaper, with valued affordability and attractive entry cost.
MikroTik offers cost-effective routers with lifetime licenses, appealing to enterprises seeking affordable high-performance alternatives without hidden charges.
The switches have become more expensive than before.
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.
In terms of pricing, the Juniper EX Series is cost-effective compared to competitors like Cisco.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are expensive, but they are the best products in terms of quality.
 

Valuable Features

Juniper EX Series Switches are renowned for performance, security, seamless integration, automation, scalability, and cost-effective, user-friendly design.
MikroTik devices combine affordability, scalability, and performance with features like flexible firewalls and user-friendly GUI for efficient networking.
We are using the Juniper MX 104 L3 switches and SRX 1500 firewall since 2019, and we have not faced a single failure.
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.
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.
They simplify the process of creating access lists, allowing me to understand my network's activities effectively.
MikroTik Routers and Switches are some of the best routers around, security-wise, followed by Cisco.
 

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 Routers and Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
Routers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.9%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 7.2%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
MikroTik Routers and Switches7.2%
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches2.9%
Other89.9%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective protocol support and a straightforward setup with room for login enhancements
In the network operations center, I manage our client's bandwidth. We connect with our clients through BGP and OSPF based on client demands. We also manage routing protocols, policies, internal firewalls, and other details like QE bandwidth, client manage bandwidth management, PoE, PPPoE, and DNS…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Hospitality Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

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 Business43
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise9
 

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 typical use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is that it is reliable, and the customer specifically requested this solution in their review. While it comes at a higher cost, it remai...
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...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What do you like most about MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Also Known As

Juniper Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,759 professionals have used our research since 2012.