Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.3, while Juniper is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 7.2% mindshare in SDW, compared to Juniper’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform and Juniper Session Smart Router compete in the network infrastructure space. Juniper Session Smart Router has an advantage in performance features due to advanced security and routing, despite higher costs. Aruba is preferred for its pricing and comprehensive support packages.

Features: Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform offers robust path conditioning, enhanced WAN optimization, and strong cloud connectivity for smooth application performance. Juniper Session Smart Router focuses on advanced security, dynamic path selection, and policy-based routing, prioritizing network security.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba's straightforward deployment and consistent customer support facilitate seamless integration into existing infrastructures. Juniper requires detailed planning for its more complex deployment but provides extensive documentation and training resources, contrasting with Aruba’s hassle-free setup.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba EdgeConnect is known for competitive pricing and faster ROI due to lower initial setup costs. Juniper Session Smart Router, despite higher upfront investment, is seen as delivering superior long-term value with its extensive feature set. Budget-conscious customers may lean towards Aruba, whereas those aiming for long-term network advancement may justify Juniper’s higher price.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs. Juniper Session Smart Router Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

September 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 October 2025, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is 7.2%, up from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper Session Smart Router is 2.8%, down from 3.5% 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	18.3%
Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform	7.2%
Juniper Session Smart Router	2.8%
Other	71.7%

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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SatishKumar13

Deputy Manager at Savex Technologies Pvt Ltd

Reliable features and exceptional tech support enhance user experience

The Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is a fantastic solution based on my experience. The Zero-Touch Provisioning feature is one of the best features I have seen so far. While there are some aspects that need improvement on the technical side, when comparing it with other products and solutions, it performs well but still has room for enhancement.

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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

"Fortinet FortiGate has SD-WAN, FortiView, antivirus, sandbox, and IPS, which are generally well-known features."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is the simple configuration."

"The overall features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG are good."

"There are great templates, so you don't have to customize them if you don't want to. You do have the option to custom create some folders and some reports, however, with what is there, you don't really need to go through extra effort, as they already give you a lot of predefined views of reports and so forth."

"It's a flexible solution."

"Initial setup is easy to configure."

"It is easy to set up."

"The performance is very good and the solution is simple to manage."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable feature is the support for asymmetric lines."

"The tool is easy to configure due to the existing pre-configured templates. It is easy to manage compared to legacy systems, which takes time. We can complete a site within 30 minutes. The tool's best feature is outdoor onboarding. You need to bring the box to the site with the internet. It is a simple plug-and-play. The solution offers a zero-touch procedure."

"The tool's most valuable feature is bandwidth optimization."

"Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect has high availability."

"The most valuable features of Silver Peak VX are we can register our customers and they can receive free training and all the solutions features."

"The initial setup is very easy and not confusing."

"At the moment, for us, it is a very good solution because it has all the features we need and it is not so expensive."

"I really love the auto-tunnel creation feature."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform pros

"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."

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

"Customer service is very prompt."

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

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

Cons

"The solution is not scalable."

"Sometimes you do need to know some CLI commands, so it's a bit harder for technicians or new people that don't know it."

"One drawback of Fortinet FortiGate is that they provide two types of models: one with a hard disk and another without. The model without a hard disk has very low ROM where you can store very few logs, after which you need to upload it to the cloud or purchase a firewall with SSD. That's the only drawback."

"Fortinet FortiGate SWG's SSL offloading features need improvement."

"The non-error conserve mode has room for improvement."

"The most important feature to have is zero trust, which is lacking in Fortinet FortiGate IPS."

"The scalability could be better."

"I would like to see improvements in the IPS/IDS feature to enhance protection against attacks from attackers, including ransomware protection."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"One area for improvement is the Intel support integration. The security could also improve."

"I expect automation in the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform's next release."

"The security can be improved, with the firewall for example, because they supply a basic one but not a UTM."

"I would like to have a physical appliance to use with the orchestrator for managing all EdgeConnect appliances. Currently, it's a virtual appliance."

"When comparing it with Fortinet and Palo Alto, which are top players in the Indian market, we are currently lacking in that aspect."

"Their WAN optimization in terms of wireless connectivity doesn't have a very good cellular capability."

"If compared with Cisco, then Aruba's pricing is very aggressive."

"One area for improvement is the Intel support integration."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform cons

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

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

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We saved a bundle by not needing all the past appliances from an NGFW."

"The price of FortiGate is average and I would say that based on the top five products available on the market, it is in the affordable range."

"The support subscription for the solution is annual. You are paying for support and there are two levels of support, professional and advanced."

"The Fortinet FortiGate security features cost approximately $1,500 a year. The firewall itself doesn't have a recurring cost. It's the security features on top of that that you pay for."

"When comparing this solution to others, I would rate it a ten out of ten in terms of pricing. However, the issue of requiring a separate license for redundancy is a drawback, and I would rate it a nine out of ten."

"If we have an older version, the support costs get quite high."

"I pay €1,200 per year for the license along with Fortinet's 81E firewall appliance. I would rate this pricing as 3/5 stars, and I believe the price is reasonably similar to its competitors in the market, being somewhere in the middle."

"If the price of the license in Fortinet FortiGate was less expensive it would be better."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The licensing fees depend on the bandwidth. As an example of what we charge our customers, for 100MB without Boost, the price is approximately $2,000. That includes the licensing and the unit."

"The price of Silver Peak VX is expensive compared to competitors. There are licenses, renewals, and support that need to be paid."

"There is an annual license required to use Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect."

"You typically will license the hardware and you license the software to access the hardware capabilities. The price will range anywhere from a hundred to $300 a month. There are no additional costs."

"Compared to other solutions, I think it is a cheap product in the market."

"The price of Silver Peak VX is reasonable but could improve."

"You have to negotiate when it comes to pricing and licensing."

"The license could improve for Silver Peak VX."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform pricing and cost advice

"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

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

23%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Legal Firm

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	10

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Silver Peak NX?

The tool's most valuable feature is bandwidth optimization.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Silver Peak NX?

The pricing is on the higher side compared to the competition when discussing experience with pricing, setup cost, an...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Silver Peak NX?

The room for improvement for the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is pricing, as people are purchasing this product ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Juniper Session Smart Router?

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

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Session Smart Router?

Juniper Session Smart Router is not significantly cheaper than, for example, Cisco.

See all answers

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

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 8% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 24% of the time

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 14% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 8% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 5% of the time

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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 23% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 9% of the time

NFX Series Network Services Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 8% of the time

Prisma SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 7% of the time

Peplink SpeedFusion vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 5% of the time

More Juniper Session Smart Router Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

October 2025

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform report

Download Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Routers

October 2025

Download Juniper Session Smart Router product report

Also Known As

No data available

Silver Peak NX, Silver Peak VX, Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect

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

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

The EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform secures and powers a self-driving wide area network for cloud-first enterprises.

In today’s edge-to-cloud enterprise, user experience and security are not optional

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN provides a secure network foundation for Zero Trust and SASE. It includes a first-class SD-WAN paired with a next-generation firewall delivering unmatched quality of experience and advanced security.

Best-of-breed SASE with no compromise

EdgeConnect SD-WAN enables a best-of-breed SASE architecture that meets the security requirements of today’s digital organizations. It provides comprehensive SD-WAN and security services including next-generation firewall, fine-grained segmentation, IDS/IPS, and tightly integrates with many SSE (Security Service Edge) solutions.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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

Group Dekko, Kingston Technology, American Student Assistance, Ares Management, Charlotte Metro Credit Union, Colonial Savings, Community Bank, Denali Credit Union, Bed Bath & Beyond, Breweries of Cameroon, Carnival Australia, Coastal Beverages, Toshiba Electronics, Tru Blu Beverages, WAXIE Sanitary Supply, Charleston Area Medical Center, Community Health Plan, Healthcare Company, Mercy Health, Linklaters, Miles & Stockbridge, Thomson Snell & Passmore

Revation Systems

Buyer's Guide

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

September 2025

Free Report: Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

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