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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox 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
13th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
68
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.7%, down from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.0%, up from 1.8% 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.
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Powerful hardware, reliable performance, and advantageous Cumulus Linux OS
Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Onyx, and now they only use Linux. If they Learn Linux OS essentials before Cumulus it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The setup phase was straightforward."
"Compared to Cisco, Juniper offers better stability and low prices."
"The Juniper Ethernet switch feature I find the most valuable is reliability."
"The most valuable feature is the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)."
"It is very valuable for SRX devices and we have found it very easy to configure."
"In terms of performance, Juniper switches have a more user-friendly interface and more features than Cisco products."
"The most valuable feature is that the CLI is the same on all of the Juniper devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls."
"The tool's most valuable feature is stability."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
 

Cons

"I would like the ability to operate with other operating systems."
"One potential drawback of the Juniper EX Series has been that those without experience using a command-line interface (CLI) may find it intimidating. However, Junos is working on improving this by offering tools, such as Juniper Mist with Wired Assurance and Apstra. Additionally, the graphical user interface (GUI) could be improved as it has been considered lackluster across the board in Junos."
"Juniper should improve the support services provided to users, as it is one of its areas with certain shortcomings."
"The tool should improve its fabric."
"In an upcoming release, Juniper Ethernet Switches could improve by having more microservices."
"Its distribution channel and the ease of availability should be improved."
"Juniper needs to get their code up to par because it isn't stable enough for a leaf and spine design."
"Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is not cheap. The tool needs improvement in UI."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the Juniper EX Series is reasonable. Cisco is a lot more expensive."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' pricing is high, but that's reflected across the market."
"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."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"We purchased the box for a one-time charge, and we are paying a yearly support fee of several hundred Euros."
"It is an inexpensive product."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"Relatively affordable per switch."
"It's an open-source solution."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
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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
15%
Educational Organization
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The solution is affordable. I rate the product’s pricing as two out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
The response time of the support could be faster.
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
We use the solution to lock switches, storage switches, and border gate switches.
 

Also Known As

Juniper Ethernet Switches
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.