Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Juniper QFX Series Switches comparison

Cisco and Juniper are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Cisco is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.4, while Juniper is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.4. Cisco holds a 1.5% mindshare in ES, compared to Juniper’s 0.1% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 173 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,153 Views
3,179 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Juniper QFX Series Switches

Read 7 Juniper QFX Series Switches reviews

56 Views
46 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Juniper QFX Series Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 10, 2024

Cisco Catalyst Switches and Juniper QFX Series Switches compete in the enterprise-grade network switch category. Cisco Catalyst has an edge in feature variety and enterprise deployment suitability, while Juniper QFX offers a slight advantage in cost-effectiveness and port density.

Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches offer advanced security options, Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability, and network monitoring tools such as RSPAN. They allow for stacking, improving network availability, and support VLANs for effective network segmentation. The reliability in diverse environments is a key strength, ensuring they are fit for enterprise deployments. Juniper QFX Series Switches include high port density and low power consumption as standout features, with robust scalability options through EVPN-VXLAN, allowing for flexible network architectures.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches face criticism over high pricing and a complex licensing model. The interface could be more user-friendly, and better third-party integrations could enhance utility. Additionally, limited expansion slots and outdated models can be concerning. Juniper QFX Series Switches could benefit from a more streamlined user interface and improved deployment features. More competitive pricing could increase their market adoption.

Ease Of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches are recognized for their straightforward deployment and strong documentation, though technical support response times can vary. Juniper QFX Series Switches also facilitate reliable deployment, but their support could be more accessible for new users.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches are perceived as high-priced but valued for their performance and reliability, which many justify as a trade-off. While Juniper QFX Series Switches are expensive, they often offer more affordability than Cisco, appealing to budget-conscious businesses seeking good performance at competitive prices. Both deliver strong ROI but differ in initial cost and licensing complexities.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches

January 2025

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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

173

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Juniper QFX Series Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

18th

Ranking in Data Center Networking

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 1.5%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper QFX Series Switches is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

SameerBali

Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom

Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed

I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide. Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world. I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.

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Abdul Malik

Sr. Network / DC & Security Consultant at Premier Systems

Offers high port density, including 1/25G/40G/100G and 400 options upto 2 RU and lower power consumption and leverages Broadcom chipsets for enhanced performance

In terms of performance, scalability, and other factors, I would rate them around eight out of ten. I've encountered a few issues during deployments based on customer experiences. My first deployment was with the QFX5100-48S for a data center customer. I implemented layer-2 connectivity on them. Overall, I would say they're good for small-scale and medium scale so it seems these problems can persist for some time. However, the QFX series is still generally considered a good product and offers more flexibility than other options. It's very scalable. I haven't heard any customer complaints about scalability. In my experience, even the QFX5110 series extends for many years without needing upgrades. This scalability solves the challenge of needing to upgrade due to unknown internal problems, even when the release is stable.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The ability to configure throughput is very flexible and improved the performance of our systems."

"Scalable, stable, and reliable product that's easy to install. Technical support is dependable and can be contacted in a variety of ways, e.g. through their ticketing system, hotline number, and community forum."

"The most valuable features include the redundancy one and the spanning tree."

"It's got one feature, and that's handling extreme temperatures."

"These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."

"It is very reliable."

"It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products."

"We can have multiple Cisco switches, like seven or eight, on a stack for 300 users. So it is highly scalable and easy to manage."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"The most valuable features are the VxLAN and the EVPN."

"The QFX series is a good choice for large data centers, particularly for Spine-Leaf architectures."

"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."

"Juniper QFX Series Switches provide a good platform for all of our hardware and are easy to use."

"EVPN-VXLAN feature offers the most benefits."

"Support is good and customer-friendly"

"It's a stable solution."

Cons

"Reducing the price would be an improvement."

"Their price should be cheaper. We lose a lot of work because of the price that they have."

"The product must provide a better central tool for management."

"All other modules have comparatively many more functions or power than regular Catalyst switches."

"There's a ban on my country and therefore I can't get Cisco support if I need it. It's not allowed."

"When users put Cisco Catalyst Switches in the same environment or infrastructure where other devices or products exist, like HPE, Aruba, and Ubiquiti, it doesn't work properly."

"Cisco can definitely improve the training part. They can provide more training related to configuration."

"We would like the solution to be more stable."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"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."

"The price could be cheaper."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing model. It is too high."

"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."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is on a yearly basis. We usually spend up to $20,000."

"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."

"Generally, Cisco Catalyst would be relatively expensive compared to the competition, it would be on the expensive side."

"Compared to the price of other solutions such as Huawei and HP, Cisco Catalyst Switches is a cheaper solution."

"It's overpriced and should be cheaper."

"The pricing of these devices can be better."

"We love Cisco, but the price is very prohibitive."

"The price must be reduced."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"The cost is expensive."

"The solution is cheap, especially compared to competitors like Cisco."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

65%

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

Government

University

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 ...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.

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What do you like most about Juniper QFX Series Switches?

EVPN-VXLAN feature offers the most benefits.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper QFX Series Switches?

It is very costly. It has a three-year license.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper QFX Series Switches?

The price could be cheaper.

See all answers

Comparisons

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 23% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 15% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 13% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 11% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Cisco Nexus vs Juniper QFX Series Switches

Compared 64% of the time

PTX Series Routers vs Juniper QFX Series Switches

Compared 25% of the time

Juniper MX Series Universal Routing Platforms vs Juniper QFX Series Switches

Compared 8% of the time

More Juniper QFX Series Switches Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

February 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

January 2025

Download Juniper QFX Series Switches product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

No data available

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

QFX Series Switches deliver industry-leading throughput and scalability, an extensive routing stack, the open programmability of the Junos OS, and a broad set of EVPN-VXLAN and IP fabric capabilities. With QFX, you’ll find premier solutions for data center spine-and-leaf, campus distribution, core, and data center gateway and interconnect switching.

Rethink data center operations and fabric management with turnkey Juniper Apstra software in your QFX Series environment. You can automate the entire network lifecycle to simplify design and deployment and provide closed-loop assurance. With Apstra, customers have achieved 90% faster time to deployment, 70% faster time to resolution, and 83% OpEx reduction.

Juniper

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches

January 2025

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

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