Cisco Enterprise Routers vs Juniper MX Series Routers comparison

Cisco and Juniper are both solutions in the Routers category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.9, while Juniper is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.6. Cisco holds a 18.9% mindshare in R, compared to Juniper’s 13.0% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

Cisco Enterprise Routers

Read 110 Cisco Enterprise Routers reviews

2,505 Views
2,430 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Juniper MX Series Routers

Read 34 Juniper MX Series Routers reviews

1,621 Views
1,345 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Enterprise Routers

Juniper MX Series Routers

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2025

Cisco Enterprise Routers and Juniper MX Series Routers are key competitors in enterprise networking, with Cisco offering a broad feature set and strong brand reputation and Juniper providing competitive pricing and customization options. Cisco seems to have an upper hand due to its extensive support network and resources.

Features: Cisco Enterprise Routers are noted for service virtualization, high performance in WAN services, and cloud-connected solutions. They reduce network operation costs via nV technology and enhance security through IPsec and VPN. Juniper MX Series Routers stand out with policy management, the separation of control and forwarding planes, and unique chipset designs.

Room for Improvement: Cisco faces challenges with its high pricing, complex WAN integration, and necessity for expert configuration. Users seek improved technical support and a more user-friendly dashboard. Juniper could enhance VPN features, network automation interfaces, and user-friendly web interfaces, and their pricing, though competitive, might improve for smaller networks.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco's robust documentation and strong technical support are appreciated, despite high costs and less intuitive interfaces. Juniper's excellent customer service could be enhanced by more intuitive interfaces and cloud support. Cisco stands out for its extensive support network.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco's pricing is high and complex, posing challenges for smaller enterprises but providing good ROI due to low failure rates. Juniper is seen as more affordable, offering good ROI through efficient performance and lower maintenance, although some users find their licensing policies in need of clearer adaptation for specific sectors.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. Juniper MX Series Routers Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. Juniper MX Series Routers

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

Cisco Enterprise Routers

Ranking in Routers

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

110

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Juniper MX Series Routers

Ranking in Routers

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 18.9%, down from 24.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper MX Series Routers is 13.0%, up from 12.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Routers Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Enterprise Routers	18.9%
Juniper MX Series Routers	13.0%
Other	68.1%

Routers

Featured Reviews

Donald Ochanda

Technical Manager at Network Security and Crypto

Long-term reliability and high performance ensure seamless operations in challenging environments

Regarding the Wi-Fi connection and setup, we need superior coverage because our market has extensive vegetation. When setting up Cisco Enterprise Routers Wi-Fi in institutions such as campuses, there are always challenges. People often opt for Ubiquiti, not because of their features, but because of the Wi-Fi signal stability. Cisco Enterprise Routers has made improvements in making configurations more user-friendly with dashboards. However, they need to do more as many people prefer simpler configurations rather than using CMD or CLI. The process of procuring Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment through channel partners needs improvement. The partners are limited compared to other products. It's cheaper to purchase Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment from the UK than from a local distributor. When purchased off-channel, the equipment is much cheaper than through the channel. This affects our ability to compete in government tenders where price is crucial, even when we can provide warranty, licenses, and renewability.

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Patrick Anaku

Senior Network Engineer at Roke Telkom

Performance excels with reliable uptime and robust features

The best features of Juniper MX Series Routers include their performance, which is quite good for us in terms of hardware performance. The Junos OS, the software, is stable, and we don't have many issues with the Juniper system itself. They have numerous features that allow us to deliver services, be it Layer 2 connectivity to customers, Layer 3 connectivity, data center connectivity, or even security features. Hardware performance has been a top-notch reason why we chose Juniper in the beginning, especially the MX series, which performs well in terms of network uptime and we don't encounter many failures. We have had a bad experience here and there with the ACX series, and their network performance is not so great compared to MX, so we have mostly done away with the ACX and only use MX at some of the core sites. I have seen a return on investment from the solution. Initially, we deployed MX80s on the network, and since our company has been in operation since 2006, from that point we used MX80s until around 2016 when we upgraded most of them to MX204s. From our experience, once we buy an MX204, we don't have issues with it; we have never had to replace an MX204 on the network. Once we deploy it, it works until we decide to upgrade the capacity. The return on investment is significant, as once we buy it, we have no worries about performance.

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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

"Solution is stable."

"The main reason for using Cisco Routers is for the proprietor routing protocol that it has."

"Cisco has one of the best products in terms of routing because of the protocols in which they provide."

"The solution has great performance."

"I think Cisco Enterprise Routers are excellent."

"The solution provides the best security available and simplifies the process for branches and networking."

"The performance is quite good."

"Cisco Enterprise Routers are simple. Everything is in a proper manner. You don't need to upgrade or do other things on a daily basis. Cisco sends you the updates, and they are automatically updated. They are good."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers pros

"For the Juniper MX Series Routers, it plays a crucial role in our network. They offer numerous features, enabling multiple connections and handling various reports. The routers efficiently manage the number of switched fabric codes and process features based on the specific switch requirements. Previously, I utilized them for processing and addressing customer-side concerns. The routers have excellent documentation, making it easy to resolve any issues that may arise. It's excellent for customization, especially in tailoring the Windows configuration environment. Overall, dealing with this solution has been straightforward and efficient."

"The most valuable feature is reliability."

"I have found the most useful features to be layered VPNs, IPsec, VPLS, and firewall filters."

"Juniper's custom Trio chipset drives their MX routers, offering superior performance. Juniper's design separates the control plane and the forwarding plane, which is a key aspect of their architecture. This separation provides high throughput, maintaining line-rate performance across the MX platform."

"The solution is quite stable. We've found it to be very good. There aren't bugs, glitches, or crashes."

"The functionality and stability are great."

"Juniper Enterprise Routers has a CLR and it's more reliable and faster than others."

"Users are able to easily configure the whole solution via simple data."

More Juniper MX Series Routers pros

Cons

"While scalability is available, it must be paid for."

"They take too much time to reboot or restart. Whenever we hard reset them, they take time. Cisco should resolve this issue."

"It can be very expensive, sometimes, to do the jump to the next router for your needs."

"Cisco is not granular if we compare it to Juniper."

"Their software-defined paradigm requires significant improvement."

"I would like to see support for software-defined networking."

"We'd like to see some better UI."

"The UI could be more user-friendly."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers cons

"Better documentation to assist with implementation would be helpful."

"There are areas for improvement in Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches. One aspect that could be enhanced is the pricing; many clients acknowledge the quality of Juniper switches but find the pricing challenging, especially when compared to competitors like Huawei. Additionally, from a feature perspective, there's a desire for improved clarity and ease of configuration in Juniper switches. Some users find it difficult to understand and configure certain aspects, necessitating the use of external tools. This complexity, especially for Internet service providers, can be a barrier. Addressing these concerns could further strengthen the position of Juniper switches in the market."

"In terms of improvement, I would like for it to effectively protect against the broadcast storms, multicast storms, and DDoS attacks."

"Juniper have addressed issues with the MX204, but it still has a limited number of interfaces. Ideally, it should support up to twenty or twenty-four interfaces to better serve smaller service providers. Additionally, the MX304 doesn't support subscriber management, also known as BNG, which I believe should be included."

"We'd like them to be capable of adding firewall options to the license."

"While it is challenging to pinpoint specific areas for enhancement, there is room for better support and updates for Ansible."

"The integration could be better."

"The pricing is a bit too high."

More Juniper MX Series Routers cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost of this solution is very low compared to other products."

"The licensing fee is okay and matches industry standards, which is the benchmark."

"It's expensive and the pricing could be improved."

"Cisco Enterprise Routers are not the cheapest routers on the market, they are expensive."

"It is quite costly for the same feature as compared to Huawei and Juniper. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"If Cisco Enterprise Routers could be less expensive it would be better. In Turkey, clients prefer cheap solutions, but working solutions."

"For a boost performance license, the cost is $2,000 to $2,500. There is an additional cost for more scalability."

"The price is very high."

More Cisco Enterprise Routers pricing and cost advice

"I would rate the pricing model a seven out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive. It is not cheap."

"There is a license for this solution and the price is very competitive. The cost is less expensive than some competitors, such as Cisco. There are additional costs for support licenses."

"I would rate it around a three. While I'm not deeply involved in pricing discussions, I believe it is comparatively more affordable than Cisco."

"The solution is more expensive compared to other solutions."

"An additional license can be purchased for support of a next-generation firewall."

"We have to pay for the device and licensing. The support service requires additional costs."

"$300 to $400 is the hardware cost and for licensing cost, it may be around, for support and all, $100 per year."

"The prices for Juniper MX Series Routers are reasonable."

More Juniper MX Series Routers pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Government

University

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	46
Midsize Enterprise	24
Large Enterprise	43

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Enterprise Routers?

The most valuable feature of the solution is that it makes it possible for users to use encryption and decryption since our company aims to achieve transparency, and without it, the other system on...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Enterprise Routers?

It is expensive, but I am not the person purchasing the products; I just handle the configuration.

See all answers

What do you like most about Juniper MX Series Routers?

For the Juniper MX Series Routers, it plays a crucial role in our network. They offer numerous features, enabling multiple connections and handling various reports. The routers efficiently manage ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper MX Series Routers?

I would rate it around a three. While I'm not deeply involved in pricing discussions, I believe it is comparatively more affordable than Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper MX Series Routers?

The areas of Juniper MX Series Routers that have room for improvement include the port count; for instance, the MX204 has only four 40G or 100G ports, which is quite limited. While I know there are...

See all answers

Comparisons

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 44% of the time

Huawei Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 20% of the time

HPE Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 12% of the time

OneAccess Enterprise Routers vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 9% of the time

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Cisco Enterprise Routers

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Enterprise Routers Competitors

ACX Series Routers vs Juniper MX Series Routers

Compared 26% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Juniper MX Series Routers

Compared 18% of the time

Huawei Enterprise Routers vs Juniper MX Series Routers

Compared 14% of the time

A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs Juniper MX Series Routers

Compared 13% of the time

MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs Juniper MX Series Routers

Compared 5% of the time

More Juniper MX Series Routers Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers

October 2025

Download Cisco Enterprise Routers product report

Buyer's Guide

Juniper MX Series Routers

October 2025

Download Juniper MX Series Routers product report

Also Known As

No data available

Juniper Enterprise Routers, MX Series, Junos Address Aware

Overview

The high-performance Cisco Enterprise Routers are the market leader due to their breadth of advanced support for LAN/WAN services, redundancy, reliability, and performance.

Cisco

Juniper MX Series Routers are designed for high throughput with flexible MPLS configuration and robust policy management, offering reliability and scalability for enterprise needs. They feature seamless Cisco integration, strong performance driven by the Trio chipset, and user-friendly management.

Known for their exceptional performance, Juniper MX Series Routers enable enterprises and ISPs to expand network connectivity and efficiency. Their reliable hardware supports tasks like border routing and internet connectivity, catering to high-performance networking and automation. Trio chipset technology ensures stability, while interchangeable line cards maintain top-level performance. These routers are favored for their easy configuration and robust support, though improvements in pricing, VPN compatibility, and stronger DDoS protection are needed. Users seek additional cloud integration, enhanced security features, and expanded port options on models like the MX204.

What are the key features of Juniper MX Series Routers?

High Throughput: Ensures fast and efficient network data transfer.
Flexible MPLS Configuration: Adapts seamlessly to varied network environments.
Robust Policy Management: Provides extensive control over network traffic policies.
Seamless Cisco Integration: Simplifies operations for mixed equipment environments.
Trio Chipset Technology: Boosts performance and ensures network stability.
User-Friendly Interface: Facilitates easy configuration and management.

What benefits should users evaluate?

Scalability: Supports growing network needs without compromising performance.
Reliability: Offers consistent and dependable network operations.
Support and Documentation: Access to comprehensive resources for efficient management.
Performance: Maintains high levels of throughput and stability for enterprise needs.
Automation Support: Streamlines network operations for greater efficiency.

In industries like telecommunications and data centers, Juniper MX Series Routers are widely implemented to manage complex networking tasks such as VPNs, MPLS, and BGP deployments. Service providers often rely on these routers for backbone roles, benefitting from their performance and scalability to maintain robust and efficient network infrastructures.

Juniper

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Boingo, Chartwell School, Children's Hospital of Orange County , Department of Justice, Explorer Pipeline, Linz AG, National Rugby League, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Telecom Italia, Transwestern

AARNet Pty Ltd, Allegro Networks, Atlantech Online, Availity, Baloise Insurance, Black Lotus, CATV, Blue Box

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. Juniper MX Series Routers

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco Enterprise Routers vs. Juniper MX Series Routers

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