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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.8%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.6%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches12.8%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access4.6%
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches2.8%
Other79.8%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with cloud management simplifies network expansion
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch. Although the machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues, the initial price can be high. Sometimes, I have to offer alternatives like Aruba or HP, which might be cheaper.
FauzanRahmanto - PeerSpot reviewer
Have achieved lower costs and gained reliability with some room for better scalability
The security capabilities of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches are comparable to other brands, so there are no additional points for Juniper regarding the security systems. I would rate the price of Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten. Regarding stability, I would rate Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches a nine out of ten. I would recommend Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches to other organizations because it is easy to use, the command is easy to learn, and it is very stable. I chose Juniper as my primary vendor because it is very stable, reliable, and the price is lower than competitors. I am the person who usually does the maintenance alone. In my office, my two colleagues and I are the network engineers directly responsible for the operation of the EX devices. The number of users in my organization who have access to Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is around 17 people. Overall, I would rate Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is highly reliable."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is stable and robust."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very stable product."
"I know this solution for many years. I know the GUI and commands, and they are useful for me. I have all the functions that I want."
"Very stable solution with a very low failure rate."
"The quality, like all Cisco solutions, is very high. The fact that it's Cisco is one of the reasons we chose to use it."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"One of the most feature-packed switching solutions you can implement."
"The policies are very good."
"Having a single dashboard to manage everything simplifies the process."
"It is easy to set up."
"The solution has enhanced network security by integrating access control more seamlessly, reducing overhead, and simplifying the network environment by removing the need for interfaces with other vendors."
"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"The powerful integration capabilities allow us to manage all devices from a single interface through the firewall."
"I can say that the product is easy to use...The initial setup of the product was easy."
"The virtual Chassis feature for stacking is good in general, with high bandwidth for the link, which is good."
"The scalability is excellent. It's one of the aspects of the solution that is quite good."
"The solution is certainly scalable."
"The GUI interface distinguishes it from other vendors and makes it easy to operate."
"The platform is very stable in terms of consistency and reliability."
"We have multiple cases of the customers trying to upgrade their network from Cisco, Aruba and Huawei to Juniper. They do this basically because they want to modernise their network and have an increased capacity. This shift improves their functionality because the Juniper Ethernet switches are more advanced. We provide them with assistance to configure switches, access points and Wi-Fi."
"It's easy to use."
"Both Juniper and Cisco switches are interoperable."
 

Cons

"Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands."
"If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot. There is probably a problem with the software."
"The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive."
"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."
"It would be nice if they had higher wattage for PoE+."
"The enterprise-level switches should have a simpler deployment. They should make it possible for lower-skilled workers to be able to deploy the product."
"The local support resources for Cisco in Bangledesh are very poor and should be increased."
"Very highly priced in comparison to other similar products."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"Renewing the annual licenses for Secure the Switch FortiSwitch can be cumbersome, especially considering the relatively high cost of Fortinet licenses."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"FortiSwitch requires periodic firmware updates. It can be a little difficult because the switches aren't connected to the internet, so you cannot upgrade the firmware remotely. You need to go to the site and do it manually because it's a closed network."
"When we started using the solution, it was quite complex but then it became easier to use. It takes a while to get used to the interface."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"In Fortinet, the packet reconstruction in the SD-WAN solution needs a little bit of improvement. When it comes to the Secure Access to the switches or the mix of Fortinet solution, the very small ones do not have the capability to use fiber cables. So, the small FortiGates have to work with the copper cables and cannot use fiber cables. Even though they have the capacity and throughput on all technical connectors, they don't have the interfaces, which is one of the good things with Cisco. They just add models to it. You buy the independent models, and you add them."
"The pricing is considered high due to the currency exchange changes in our region."
"The operating system, Junos OS, often has bugs which forces rollbacks or additional upgrades to resolve."
"Some areas of technical support could be better."
"The upgrading of the system should be simplified and made faster."
"It would be nice to have a more available list of modules that you can get for this solution."
"The management platforms for the network need improvement."
"The pricing for the Juniper product is expensive. 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."
"I would like the ability to operate with other operating systems."
"The stability could be better. We find, for example, Cisco, to be more stable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price-wise, Cisco Ethernet Switches is a product that falls a little bit on the expensive side."
"It is an expensive product."
"Customers have to pay for some of the L3 switches licenses, which are expensive."
"Users have to pay an annual licensing fee for Cisco Ethernet Switches, which is expensive."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more expensive than Huawei Ethernet Switches."
"Cisco now has more products that are priced for small businesses, so they do have some cheaper models."
"There is a license required for this solution and the price could be better."
"Quality comes at a price. I've been around the block a bit, and I know that good quality comes at a price. However, some of the organizations don't have big budgets, so you have to develop different solutions for them. They don't have the budget to get some of the high-end features. Cisco can consider providing entry-level hardware to suit SMBs."
"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"The pricing is quite high."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"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."
"Juniper costs less than the competition. As a comparison, Cisco is 33% more."
"The price could be cheaper."
"Support prices and licensing scheme need to be improved to allow some features to be purchased at lower costs, for example, RPM​."
"Relatively affordable per switch."
"You require the Junos Management Platform in order to manage the switches and you need to purchase the Juniper Ethernet Switches."
"The pricing for the support is very high."
"Their prices are competitive and not bad. It is cheaper than Cisco. We have a yearly license."
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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
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business57
Midsize Enterprise35
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business37
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise23
 

Questions from the Community

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 do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve confi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
The initial cost of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is high compared to other options. Although robust and rarel...
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new busines...
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....
What is your primary use case for Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches?
We deal mostly with Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches products, as we are partners with Juniper products. We work w...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
Juniper Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
865,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.