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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Juniper QFX Series Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 10, 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

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Ranking in Data Center Networking
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
175
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Juniper QFX Series Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
19th
Ranking in Data Center Networking
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
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 Cisco Catalyst Switches is 1.8%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper QFX Series Switches is 0.2%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Joshua Odunsi - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed
Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.
RafaelTorres - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers automation capabilities and good customer support
Juniper QFX Series Switches offer several features that contribute to improved efficiency. One key advantage is the automation capabilities. This allows us to automate network configuration and management tasks using scripting languages. In our case, at the bank, we use a script for automation to confirm the switch's scalability in the local data center. We expanded the environment to utilize the environment feature with AWS, creating connections between both data centers. This setup allowed us to extend our operations to another data center in Latin America, using AWS and Juniper together.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is highly reliable."
"Catalyst switches are highly reliable. They have a good product life, they are balanced overall compared to others."
"It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products."
"Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization."
"The solution is reliable."
"The solution is robust in terms of the equipment provided."
"The solution is easy to implement and quick to deploy."
"Mostly the LAN switching is the most valuable aspect of the solution."
"It's a stable solution."
"It's really easy to replicate rules. It's the one that I've used; it was CLI-based. You can implement a large set of rules with CLI. You can just copy a script and add additional changes to the source and destination on the part. And so it's easy to do large zone-based rules."
"The most valuable features are the VxLAN and the EVPN."
"Juniper QFX Series Switches provide a good platform for all of our hardware and are easy to use."
"Support is good and customer-friendly"
"The QFX series is a good choice for large data centers, particularly for Spine-Leaf architectures."
"EVPN-VXLAN feature offers the most benefits."
 

Cons

"Cisco should focus more on this type of product instead of on data center switches. They stopped improving the software of these switches and they are focusing on the data center. They should focus on this type of product, more than any other thing."
"They need to implement sFlow."
"Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."
"The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."
"With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"
"The product could offer more integrations with other solutions."
"There are multiple operating systems across Cisco's portfolio, which is problematic."
"Installing and configuring these switches requires the proper training."
"There have been some issues sometimes. When you upgrade the device, it doesn't come up. It gets stuck."
"Integrating QFX switches was the first point of challenge."
"It is very costly."
"I faced issues with the deployment and upgrade. In the QFX5110 series, features like ISSU and DSSQ should be improved. Upgrades should be smoother."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model. It is too high."
"The price could be cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is probably the most expensive, but users who want the best need to pay the premium."
"The price for Cisco Catalyst Switches is not cheaper than other solutions."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an affordable solution."
"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."
"It is expensive."
"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"The price is in an affordable range and everything is included."
"I would rate the features-to-pricing ratio at six out of 10. My advice about licensing is that you should have a perpetual license, not one that is subscription-based."
"The price of Juniper QFX Series Switches is expensive because we are running some enterprise hardware. However, they are less expensive than Cisco or HPE hardware."
"The solution is cheap, especially compared to competitors like Cisco."
"The cost is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
65%
Computer Software Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Government
3%
Computer Software Company
23%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
Although Juniper is cheaper, Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Linode, VPRO, West Chester University
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.