Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router comparison

Juniper Contrail SD-WAN and Juniper Session Smart Router are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN is ranked #18 with an average rating of 7.7, while Juniper Session Smart Router is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.0. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN holds a 1.3% mindshare in SDW, compared to Juniper Session Smart Router’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Juniper Contrail SD-WAN users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper Session Smart Router users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

Juniper Session Smart Router and Juniper Contrail SD-WAN compete in the networking solutions category. Juniper Session Smart Router appears to have the upper hand in pricing and customer service, while Juniper Contrail SD-WAN leads in network management and integration.

Features: Juniper Session Smart Router provides advanced security, application-based routing, and efficient bandwidth utilization. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN offers robust network automation, intelligence, and visibility, along with flexible policy management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Juniper Session Smart Router is known for its straightforward deployment process and strong customer support. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN has a comprehensive deployment model that benefits from enhanced network management tools but requires more detailed planning.

Pricing and ROI: Juniper Session Smart Router has competitive pricing with a strong ROI due to lower initial setup costs. Juniper Contrail SD-WAN has a higher upfront investment but can justify the ROI with its potential to enhance network efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs. Juniper Session Smart Router Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

December 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 13.9%, down from 20.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper Contrail SD-WAN is 1.3%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper Session Smart Router is 2.4%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	13.9%
Juniper Session Smart Router	2.4%
Juniper Contrail SD-WAN	1.3%
Other	82.4%

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Ivan Sandano

Solution Architect at Posteo

Has automation features but provisioning new branches or making changes to the existing ones is difficult

I've worked with several SD-WAN solutions over the past few years, and the product felt more like an automated provisioning tool. Unlike solutions from Palo Alto or other SD-WANs orchestrated by a SaaS solution, Juniper Contrail SD-WAN already had the files and built their SaaS to orchestrate the configuration. Initially, you didn't do much, but then it started adding some routing capabilities. The automation features do help with network operations. Manually configuring SD-WAN is complicated, so the automation simplifies that. However, the initial SD-WAN solution had many limitations, particularly regarding its features. At some point, the tool began looking for other solutions and bought the 128T, which led to implementing a different SD-WAN approach. It also acquired another company for its session smart router, and then it began to develop the exact SD-WAN solution on the Mist Cloud.

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SRI GANESH PHANIYAPPA

Sub Divisional Engineer NOC Bangalore at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

Delivered tailored features and meets requirements effectively

We are using it as a DNG. This means all subscriber PPPoE sessions or ILS Smart VPN connections are terminated through the access network to this BNG, Uniphore BNG. From there, they are managed Everything has been fine. Although we did not explore much about the solution, they provided us with a…

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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

"We purchased Fortinet because of the pricing, its functionality, because it met our requirements, and the total cost of ownership over five years was quite reasonable. In the market, Fortinet is rated quite well."

"The IPsec tunnels are very easily created, and quite interoperable with devices from other vendors."

"I am content with its user interface and functionalities."

"The configuration possibilities that Fortinet FortiGate provides are extensive, and the task configuration activity is fast and efficient for me."

"The solution provides good threat intelligence feeds."

"The most significant aspect of IPS is self-explanatory as it primarily focuses on intrusion prevention, which is crucial for Fortinet's internal outbreak prevention efforts and ensuring compliance on endpoint devices."

"The best features of this tool include threat protection, email filtering, and web filtering, and FortiAnalyzer's integration with the firewall and FortiSASE is beneficial."

"I like Fortinet's cloud management. It allows me to manage all my devices in different branches for three cloud accounts. Even though I use on-prem devices, I can manage everything on the cloud."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It supports desktop management, network management, and SD-WAN policies."

"I've worked with several SD-WAN solutions over the past few years, and the product felt more like an automated provisioning tool. Unlike solutions from Palo Alto or other SD-WANs orchestrated by a SaaS solution, Juniper Contrail SD-WAN already had the files and built their SaaS to orchestrate the configuration. Initially, you didn't do much, but then it started adding some routing capabilities."

"It gives you that level of visibility to understand what's going on between layer four and layer seven."

"My customers use the solution to have better control and knowledge about the applications inside ONE Access. It also helps them cut costs by reducing MPLs and using better internet access from FTTH."

"The solution is more specific about what's happening since it explains where the problem may lie and points out areas where there is a problem. So, we like that it provides more visibility."

"I would appreciate your thoughts about the security capabilities of Juniper Contrail SD-WAN, particularly its built-in features."

"The support is very good from Juniper and from the local distributors."

"The solution is especially Session's smart, application-aware, AI-based."

"Customer service is very prompt."

"They provided us with a customized product according to our requirements."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Session Smart Router is its unique SDR channel."

"As compared to the other major vendors in the SD-WAN market, such as VeloCloud, Cisco, and others, the tunnel-free and secure vector routing technology is its major USP, which gives plenty of room to discuss with the customer why IPSec from 1998 is a bit outdated."

Cons

"WAN load-balancing could be a lot better at detecting when a link is poor or inconsistent, and not just flat out dead."

"The solution could be more user friendly."

"There are just some services that aren't available. For example, the Ethernet or point-to-point protocols. They could add these services to their product offering - especially services for ISPs."

"The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."

"The solution could be improved by addressing limited local reporting. It requires obtaining the FortiAnalyzer for proper visibility because you can't do much from a reporting perspective with just the firewall alone."

"It would be ideal if they had some sort of GUI interface for troubleshooting and diagnostics."

"The initial setup is medium complex and takes between five days and a week."

"I would like to see improvements in some of the hard drive features on FortiGate so that we can generate reporting within a single box."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The training could be better. When it comes to the demo dashboard capability, I feel like it could be much easier for our customers to use. Our last customer complained about this."

"The solution is expensive. Its support can be better."

"Areas for improvement in the Juniper Contrail SD-WAN solution include the on-premises deployment process."

"The solution installs similarly to competitors. It is not more difficult or easier. However, it could be easier and take less time for the installation."

"Implementing new branches or changing existing ones in Juniper Contrail SD-WAN wasn't as straightforward as with other solutions like Meraki SD-WAN, which is almost plug-and-play with its zero-touch provisioning. In Juniper Contrail SD-WAN, it was more challenging."

"The only issue was the switch we got, which was a little problematic because it was PoC equipment, and we had a little problem with that."

"The UI of the SSR conductor is the main part where improvements can be done. Today, for every configuration step, you have to do a series of clicks. What we are missing there are wizards. For example, I have two applications, and I want one application to be prioritized against the other. In such a case, a wizard for assigning policies to a service without configuring each step by hand would be very helpful. There should be an overhaul of the GUI of the conductor. The functionality they have got in the Mist portal should be baked into the conductor itself. It would be really great, but as we all know, that won't happen."

"Juniper Session Smart Router could be better in terms of software performance."

"Juniper Session Smart Router can improve the integration for Wi-Fi devices and add additional Sassy deployments."

"Regarding improvement, we still need to see what it can do."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of FortiGate is comparable to that of most other firewall solutions and is more affordable than Cisco."

"I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten. The additional cost depends on the extra feature requirements."

"The tool is a bit pricey for small businesses, but it is still bearable in terms of cost."

"Its pricing is good. It's average or normal as compared to Palo Alto and Check Point firewalls."

"Fortinet FortiGate allows you to purchase licenses for hardware and software."

"On a scale of one being cheap and ten being expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."

"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten."

"Fortinet bundles FortiGate with other products and because of this, the price is a little expensive to some SMB enterprises."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"They are neither very expensive nor cheap. So, we can consider its pricing somewhere in the middle."

"The licensing structure is very flexible."

"The cost of the solution is a little expensive. The hardware is a one-time purchase fee and the software is purchased on an annual basis. There are additional costs for other software features that are available which are on an annual basis, such as extra capacity."

"It is a simple bandwidth-based license and the orchestration comes bundled with the solution by default."

"We are currently renegotiating the offer for the licenses and the license bundle model. The license for an ISP has to be different from the license for an end customer. This is something we are currently renegotiating with Juniper, but, of course, the pricing for the licensing is always an issue when you want to get more customers."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Manufacturing Company

18%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Large Enterprise	1

No data available

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

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What do you like most about Juniper Contrail SD-WAN?

I've worked with several SD-WAN solutions over the past few years, and the product felt more like an automated provis...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Contrail SD-WAN?

My advice regarding setup costs, pricing, and licensing for Juniper Contrail SD-WAN would be to carefully evaluate an...

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What needs improvement with Juniper Contrail SD-WAN?

There might be additional features that would be beneficial to have in the Juniper Contrail SD-WAN solution, includin...

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What needs improvement with Juniper Session Smart Router?

I did not find any problem with Juniper. Regarding improvement, we still need to see what it can do.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Juniper Session Smart Router?

We are using it as a DNG. This means all subscriber PPPoE sessions or ILS Smart VPN connections are terminated throug...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Juniper Session Smart Router?

On a scale of one to ten, I rate the solution nine.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Juniper Mist Edge vs Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

Compared 14% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

Compared 9% of the time

Huawei Enterprise Routers vs Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

Compared 9% of the time

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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 18% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 11% of the time

NFX Series Network Services Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 9% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 8% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Contrail SD-WAN

January 2026

Download Juniper Contrail SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Routers

January 2026

Download Juniper Session Smart Router product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Contrail SD-WAN

128T Networking Platform, 128 Technology SD-WAN, Juniper SSR Series

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Contrail SD-WAN delivers a simple, automated multicloud SD-WAN. It enables you to create an evolvable architecture to simplify growth, from secure routers to SD-WAN, SD-Branch, and beyond. It automates the WAN edge across Juniper virtual cloud endpoints and on-premises next-generation firewall or universal CPE platforms. And it provisions and enforces multilevel security policy at scale, across multiple clouds and enterprise sites with diverse topologies.

Juniper

The 128T Networking Platform (128T) natively provides network-based security, control, and insight across data centers, wide-area networks (WAN), and edge locations for enterprises, service providers, and cloud companies alike. 128T is reshaping the way organizations design, deploy, and operate real-world networks by making them dramatically simpler, smarter, and more secure — it’s going to fix the router — and ultimately the network — as we know it.

Juniper

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Allied Pinnacle

Revation Systems

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

December 2025

Free Report: Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

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