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Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Routers and Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 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 EX Series Ethernet ...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
14th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Routers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, down from 4.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 6.0%, up from 4.7% 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.
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective protocol support and a straightforward setup with room for login enhancements
In the network operations center, I manage our client's bandwidth. We connect with our clients through BGP and OSPF based on client demands. We also manage routing protocols, policies, internal firewalls, and other details like QE bandwidth, client manage bandwidth management, PoE, PPPoE, and DNS…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is that the CLI is the same on all of the Juniper devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls."
"The thing that sets Juniper apart from most switches is that when you're in the command line and you make a configuration change, you just write the command and then say "commit confirmed minutes". For example, I'm configuring a switch here in my office, which is five miles away, and I say, "commit confirmed 5". If I can't get back to the interface within five minutes to be able to make sure the switch came up, it rolls back to the previous configuration. This way I do not get locked out, or the switch doesn't get messed up because of the incorrect configuration. That's an automatic feature, which is pretty slick. I haven't seen that feature with other vendors that I've worked with. That's probably my most favorite feature."
"Both Juniper and Cisco switches are interoperable."
"The virtual Chassis feature for stacking is good in general, with high bandwidth for the link, which is good."
"I like that it's fairly easy to implement these ethernet switches."
"The feature I like the most is the ability to reword changes before committing to the change. We can always reword changes in 10 minutes if they don't work."
"It is easy to configure, and there are three routing switches."
"The most valuable feature is switching on our network."
"The product is very reliable."
"The most valuable aspect of this solution is the combination of value for money. They're extremely cost effective, yet they provide you with an extensive feature set of things you can do across the board. Also, they're pretty reliable, as far as equipment goes."
"The stability is good."
"MikroTik offers full enterprise capabilities at a very reasonable price."
"The initial setup is very straightforward. You can typically set them up in about 30 minutes."
"I think they have very strong routers because they have multiple processors. I like its easy configuration with applications. For example, configuration with Linux, Iptables, and routing protocols."
"The features of the equipment fit all the needs of the customers."
"The solution is stable."
 

Cons

"Some areas of technical support could be better."
"Stability could be better, especially during a reboot. We have had some issues recently with the software getting corrupt on reboot, which causes a lot of downtime."
"Its distribution channel and the ease of availability should be improved."
"Their web GUI interface needs to be a lot better, especially when compared to HP. The command line is good, but you have to know how to get around it. The GUI is clunky and very slow."
"The updates are constantly breaking."
"The price could be a bit lower."
"The only issue that we have with Juniper Ethernet Switches is the firmware because it is not stable."
"The solution is a bit costly compared to other products."
"The queuing functionality needs improvement. The initial setup could be simplified."
"A central management platform would be great."
"The solution's website isn't that good. When I go to it, I can't find what I'm looking for. However, if I go to a third party's website, I can easily find the information."
"The solution needs to offer better documentation."
"They lack the extended warranty for the equipment. They only provide a warranty for one year as compared to the other vendors who offer a warranty for three years, five years, and lifetime, etc."
"In the Israeli market, we are in need of Hebrew support."
"When we have a problem and reach out to MikroTik support, it's not very fast. Usually, you have to speak in English, so my technicians need to have strong English skills to communicate."
"The Soft-GRE support needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They offer a more competitive pricing structure compared to one of the competitors."
"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."
"The pricing of Juniper Ethernet Switches compared to equivalent switches from Aruba, Cisco, and others, Juniper Ethernet Switches are priced a little higher. They are approximately 20 to 50 percent higher. When we receive a new range of models, the prices can come down. The price can also vary by region."
"There is a subscription payment model or you can purchase licenses on a one, two, and five-year basis. If you want decent support, the solution is not expensive."
"This solution is cheaper than Cisco or HP switches."
"The maintenance cost is approximately €2,000 ($2,200 USD) per year, including support, for our entire fleet."
"The pricing is very aggressive."
"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
"Pricing is not an issue."
"When we purchase MikroTik devices, a certain level of the license is included in the price."
"This product is cheaper than competing products by other vendors."
"Here in Bangladesh, MikroTik Routers and Switches cost 90,000 Taka, or converting that figure to dollars is $1,000."
"They are very cheap and not at all expensive."
"MikroTik Routers and Switches' pricing is reasonable."
"The price is affordable."
"The tool is cheap."
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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%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Hospitality Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

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?
I use the solution in my company for our customers in the retail and financial companies. We are using the switches in data center operations for our customer environment. We are using Juniper for ...
How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is ve...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or ga...
What do you like most about MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Also Known As

Juniper Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
839,422 professionals have used our research since 2012.