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Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.4
Arista Networks Platform offers cost-effective solutions with high ROI, saving time and resources in global data center deployments.
Sentiment score
5.7
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer high ROI with low maintenance, uptime, but some face renewal, scalability challenges affecting profitability.
Sentiment score
4.3
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches offer scalability and stability, resulting in efficient operations and improved long-term ROI.
I saved between five to six hours using Arista Networks Platform, as it takes less time to actually add your APs to the dashboard and deployment is quite fast and easy.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
I have seen a return on investment from using Arista Networks Platform in terms of fewer employees needed during installation and deployment.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
In the data center, there is no comparison in terms of technicality or return of investment.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
It has saved considerable time for engineers to troubleshoot and perform related tasks.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.
Compared to other low-end switches with similar features, these are more robust and offer better scalability, which justifies the higher cost.
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.7
Arista Networks' support is fast, highly rated, responsive, and effective, though documentation could improve, with positive pricing feedback.
Sentiment score
6.1
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for strong support, yet experience variability, especially with complex issues and response times.
Sentiment score
8.3
Juniper EX Series Switches receive mixed support reviews, with responsiveness praised but regional and tier-based variations noted.
They provide instant support and maintain commitments regarding replacement products.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
We would rate the customer support as a nine to 9.5 out of ten.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
All network engineers from the organization were present in the program, and the Arista engineer provided a solution in less than five minutes.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Customer support for Cisco Ethernet Switches is really good.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
I have not faced any hardware issues requiring support due to the stable nature of their products.
Owner at Shree Atharva Sales Corporation
I find them very competent.
Solution Architect & Services Delivery Manager EMEA at Beyond Technology
Local partners and local distributors cannot open direct tickets, but any level of partner with other OEMs such as Cisco can open a ticket directly, which is a connectivity advantage that Juniper lacks.
Manager Pre Sales at STBL
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Arista Networks Platform is scalable, user-friendly, future-proof, but cost-effectiveness varies by deals and regions.
Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, adaptable, and support efficient network expansion across diverse environments, suitable for all company sizes.
Sentiment score
7.5
Juniper EX Series switches are scalable and versatile, suitable for various environments, but some models need scalability improvements.
Arista Networks Platform's focus on GPU-based and high-speed switches is a smart move for next-generation AI-based data center solutions.
Network Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Scalability is a key feature of Arista, owing to the possibilities to manage the entire data center network from a single console.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Scalability is excellent as it has handled our growing network requirements effectively without adding significant operational complexity.
BDM at a outsourcing company with 501-1,000 employees
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
The scalability depends on the model.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
Adding another switch to an existing setup turns them into a single virtual switch.
Solution Architect & Services Delivery Manager EMEA at Beyond Technology
The Virtual Chassis provides great scalability, making it a scalable solution.
Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom
The EX series supports scalability well, with newer series like EX4100 offering stacking of up to eight switches.
Owner at Shree Atharva Sales Corporation
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Arista Networks Platform is praised for its stability and reliability, with minimal downtime and vulnerabilities, especially in consistent configurations.
Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are highly regarded for their durability and reliability, with users praising their long-lasting performance and support.
Sentiment score
7.9
Juniper EX Series Switches are praised for long-term stability despite some OS bugs, suitable for high-demand environments.
Arista is the only IT product that has the minimum vulnerabilities, so it is a very stable product.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
The amount of failure is low because we have tested a Huawei platform of the same grade beside Arista Networks Platform, and Arista Networks Platform always won.
Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees
I have not had any downtime using Arista Networks Platform.
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
Senior System Engineer & Project Manager at TechnoPeak
They have separate control and forwarding planes, which enhance scalability and stability.
Solution Architect & Services Delivery Manager EMEA at Beyond Technology
During peak time at nine, the traffic passes through the switches perfectly.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches proves to be an equally good switch.
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
 

Room For Improvement

Arista Networks Platform faces high costs, a complex interface, stability issues, unclear documentation, and needs better integration and features.
Cisco Ethernet Switches face challenges with complexity, costs, inadequate support, and demand improvements in scalability, security, integration, and usability.
Users seek stability, interface improvements, better support, expanded features, and intuitive upgrades for Junos OS, alongside integration and cost efficiency.
Using AI, I can understand how my entire organization operates and what kind of applications are being used, what the peak times are, where there is a bottleneck if any exists.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Scalability at every single step has a huge upgrade cost which is required for port mapping, connectivity, and transceivers certified by Arista Networks Platform, then the fabric upgrades from a software firmware level.
Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
Commercial Experience Supervisor at Jazz (previously known as Mobilink)
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
Senior System Engineer & Project Manager at TechnoPeak
One area that can be improved is the handling of power interruption, as it can cause the platform to crash.
Solution Architect & Services Delivery Manager EMEA at Beyond Technology
Some integration with AI could be a good idea since I heard that Juniper already has systems to deploy AI within the EX device, but I haven't had the opportunity to try that.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
With other OEMs, customers or partners can directly open tech tickets.
Manager Pre Sales at STBL
 

Setup Cost

Arista Networks is costlier than alternatives like Cisco, with high hardware and licensing expenses, challenging budgets, especially in developing regions.
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer high quality and reliability but come with high prices, inflexible licensing, and potential hidden costs.
Juniper EX Series switches are cost-effective, often cheaper than Cisco, offering perpetual or subscription licensing despite high support costs.
Compared to Cisco, Arista routers are significantly cheaper.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
You get a 48 gigs, a 25 Gbps or a 40 Gbps switching fabric at a price of $30-40,000 from Netgear super-fast clusters, whereas Arista Networks Platform is going to cost you three times that.
Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.
A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
Regarding the cost, Cisco Ethernet Switches have a competitive price.
IT Manager at Decorgel
The switches have become more expensive than before.
Owner at Shree Atharva Sales Corporation
It is rated high on the scale, and I would say it is definitely on the high side, confirming a rating of one, which means it is very expensive.
IP Solution Architect /Deputy Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
In terms of pricing, the Juniper EX Series is cost-effective compared to competitors like Cisco.
Solution Architect & Services Delivery Manager EMEA at Beyond Technology
 

Valuable Features

Arista Networks Platform is favored for its low latency, scalability, and efficient management, ideal for data centers.
Cisco Ethernet Switches provide performance, reliability, security, scalability, advanced management features, customization, energy efficiency, and extensive support.
Juniper EX Series Switches offer scalability, seamless integration, performance, security, flexibility, easy management, cost-effectiveness, and advanced automation.
Features include plug-and-play auto-discovery, allowing centralized configuration and management.
CEO/Consultant at CIL
The best features Arista Networks Platform offers are the dashboards where you can see all your APs that have been deployed and installed across all locations, making it quite unique to access, manage, and monitor performance from that dashboard.
Technical project manager at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Arista Networks Platform is known for ultra-low latency, having the fastest backplane ever built.
Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Their stability and durability are essential features we've been looking for many years, and they are still working fine.
IT Manager at Decorgel
It provides a high layer of enterprise security via 802.1X port-based authentication, DHCP snooping, ARP inspection, IP Guard, ACLs, and integration with Cisco ISE.
Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers
We are using the Juniper MX 104 L3 switches and SRX 1500 firewall since 2019, and we have not faced a single failure.
IP Solution Architect /Deputy Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are features such as the Virtual Chassis feature, which is one of the things we use.
Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom
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.
Owner at Shree Atharva Sales Corporation
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 3.2%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 8.8%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 3.7%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches8.8%
Arista Networks Platform3.2%
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches3.7%
Other84.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Dibyendu Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Ultra-low latency networking has delivered reliable video workflows and critical operations
The support of Arista Networks Platform is quite complex; it is not very easy to configure. It needs a lot of network expertise for token sheddings and different kinds of configurations. It is very difficult to configure because Arista Networks Platform does not have a flexible GUI like Huawei or Netgear; everything is a very CLI kind of mainframe architecture. Scalability at every single step has a huge upgrade cost which is required for port mapping, connectivity, and transceivers certified by Arista Networks Platform, then the fabric upgrades from a software firmware level. Arista Networks Platform should improve commercial aspects to be affordable. There is no path for growth with a perfect score because the focus is more on reducing costs globally.
Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom
Has provided reliable performance with useful features such as virtual chassis and high port density
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are features such as the Virtual Chassis feature, which is one of the things we use. In our case, we use them as core switches in a network that is not very large, and their reliability and the Virtual Chassis feature work well for us. It was one of the reasons we chose it, along with the port density; we are using the 32 port and the 48 port, which work for our needs. Regarding its security features such as MACsec encryption, they are standard and cover what we want; we do not do a lot as they are just Layer 2 switches, but it has standard security features.
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Comparison Review

it_user111150 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer Monitoring and Response at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
May 23, 2017
Pro's and Con's - Cisco vs. Juniper
Competitive strength – Cisco and Juniper are a good fit in any data centre Competitive weaknesses – Cisco takes a proprietary spin on standards, increasing fear of vendor lock-in and cost to replace. Juniper has to spend time explaining the technology. Cisco’s Nexus portfolio is broad and…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
11%
University
7%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business60
Midsize Enterprise35
Large Enterprise55
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business39
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
As for the licensing model of Arista Networks Platform, I would describe it as moderate—neither too expensive nor too...
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
I found that Arista Networks Platform could improve by introducing a feature that combines configuration for both swi...
What is your primary use case for Arista Networks Platform?
I currently use Arista products, including Arista wireless solutions like CVQ and Agni solutions, which come with a A...
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 func...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet F...
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...
What is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
The important thing for our use case of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches has been reliability, and there are featu...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper EX Series?
The pricing of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is a bit high, but it matches what it offers; in terms of capabili...
What needs improvement with Juniper EX Series?
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches can be improved by having more Layer 3 capabilities; it depends on the use case. ...
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Juniper Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Linz AG
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: May 2026.
896,034 professionals have used our research since 2012.