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Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 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

Juniper Contrail SD-WAN
Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
14th
Ranking in WAN Edge
14th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN
Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
7th
Ranking in WAN Edge
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the mindshare of Juniper Contrail SD-WAN is 0.8%, down from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN is 10.5%, up from 8.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
 

Featured Reviews

Luis Corrochano - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable and scalable solution that helps to cut cost by reducing MPLs
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 expensive. Its support can be better.  The tool is stable.  The solution is more…
Sami-Isoaho - PeerSpot reviewer
To fully utilize cloud vendors' hardware networking, Microsoft and VMware support everything
To improve the product, the company, alone or with a good partner, should manufacture their own hardware brand with boxes to make the product more shippable. Implementing VMware is much more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive than implementing Fortinet or Check Point. With Fortinet, you pay a couple of hundred dollars for hosting and a low-cost firewall, there's only one box to ship to each site, and it's much easier to manage. Moreover, it would be easy for the large telecom operators and system integrators to sell the solution. It would also be a good fit for customers with multiple small offices, who I currently advise to choose hardware-vendor SD-WAN solutions over VMware.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 support is very good from Juniper and from the local distributors."
"It supports desktop management, network management, and SD-WAN policies."
"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'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."
"Initially, we had a scattered environment, but VMware SD-WAN helped us achieve centralization, which was beneficial."
"Proactively detects where problems might arise."
"The cloud gateway is a very good feature for scaling purposes, etc."
"The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is security. Additionally, the integration and configuration are easier to do than with other solutions, such as Cisco."
"The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is the virtualization platform. You can use the software on any hardware. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."
"This solution is as stable as most firewalls. VMware is a reputable vendor."
"One of the standout features is its ability to dynamically manage enterprise networks based on applications."
"VMware SD-WAN is scalable."
 

Cons

"Areas for improvement in the Juniper Contrail SD-WAN solution include the on-premises deployment process."
"The solution is expensive. Its support can be better."
"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."
"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 solution installs similarly to competitors. It is not more difficult or easier. However, it could be easier and take less time for the installation."
"We don't have much visibility into the routing environment."
"The dashboards could be improved."
"Better price model would be appreciated."
"In an upcoming release, the solution can be more functional and have additional features."
"VMware SD-WAN could improve if the hardware could integrate the interface using ICP. Additionally, if VMware SD-WAN is used with SSE providers that use tunnels there are some issues prioritizing traffic because it cannot decrypt."
"Reports could be simplified."
"The initial setup of VMware SD-WAN was simple. However, it took six days to complete."
"There is room for improvement with respect to security."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"The licensing structure is very flexible."
"They are neither very expensive nor cheap. So, we can consider its pricing somewhere in the middle."
"Overall pricing could be lower. It is much more expensive than traditional hardware vendor pricing."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"VeloCloud performs as well as the Cisco SD-WAN but it is cheaper in price."
"The price of this solution should be lower."
"You need to pay for a license to use this product."
"The price of this solution is higher than that of other SD-WAN vendors."
"The licensing model of VMware SD-WAN could be improved, it is not always that competitive. The biggest concern is to be competitive against other solutions. However, the way that the licensing model is designed is not corresponding to the real use cases of my customers."
"VMware SD-WAN provides competitive pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
33%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
7%
Real Estate/Law Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 provisioning tool. Unlike solutions from Palo Alto or other SD-WANs orchestrated by a ...
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 and position the solution in line with competitive offerings, especially consideri...
What needs improvement with Juniper Contrail SD-WAN?
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-touc...
What are the biggest differences between Fortinet Fortigate and VMware SD-WAN?
One of our favorite things about Fortinet Fortigate is that you can deploy on the cloud or on premises. It is a very stable, reliable, and consistent solution. We like that we can manage the entire...
What do you like most about VMware SD-WAN?
One of the key use cases for VMware SD-WAN was assisting a customer in the industrial zone. They required virtualized servers and wanted to enable VMware SD-WAN to connect their sites in Japan or C...
 

Also Known As

Contrail SD-WAN
VMware SD-WAN, VeloCloud
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Allied Pinnacle
Redmond, Coca Cola, Roka Bioscience, MetTel, Deutsche Telekom, Rockford Construction,  The Bay Club, tru Independence, Triton Management Services, DevCon, AXPM
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper Contrail SD-WAN vs. VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.