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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Meraki MS 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 Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, down from 3.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Meraki MS Switches is 3.2%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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.
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.
MajidKhan - PeerSpot reviewer
Remote access enhances troubleshooting with potential for more intuitive interface
We are working with Citrix and router, but in Cisco for Cisco vendor only. We are taking from them since 2015.  The main use case involves some small business customers needing one router, one switch, and two to three access points. It is easy to handle the devices with just a small knowledge of…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is easy to configure and troubleshoot."
"Cisco as a whole is flexible."
"A stable product that is absolutely dependable."
"The solution is basically issue-free."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are pretty reliable, and I have rarely seen one of them break."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches have great enterprise features like Cisco DNA Assurance. Cisco DNA Assurance features advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning. Cisco AI Network Analytics, a capability within Cisco DNA Assurance, allows easy management of all devices and services, prioritizes and resolves network issues, and ensures a better user experience across the network."
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more stable than other products."
"The security is good."
"It's pretty good as compared to other vendors."
"The Virtual Chassis, because you have a centralized administration of a set of switches which makes the operation more efficient.​"
"There is no end to the ability to scale Juniper."
"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 solution is easy to use and has good integration."
"The GUI interface distinguishes it from other vendors and makes it easy to operate."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Junos operating system."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud management architecture from Meraki."
"The switch supports various automation testing tools, and it's quite helpful for network troubleshooting as well."
"Being able to look at every port and see what it is connected to is very useful. Everything seems to be running really well. They've got everything covered. They have a really cool mounting system at the bottom and an access point that you can use to level up your device. It is kind of cool."
"The most valuable feature is the dashboard because it makes it easy to manage all of the switches. It's easy to turn them up and get it configured."
"Almost all of my functions perform very well."
"Provides good statistics and it doesn't require teaching command lines."
"Easy to set up, stable switches with good accessibility that makes it quicker to identify problems, find solutions, and fix problems."
"We found the initial setup to be easy."
 

Cons

"Very highly priced in comparison to other similar products."
"An improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market."
"Cisco is not user-friendly. It would be best if you had a technical expert. The graphical user interface is more like a command line, and most functionalities are on the command line."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI."
"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."
"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."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very expensive solution."
"The only issue that we have with Juniper Ethernet Switches is the firmware because it is not stable."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches could improve in the EX 2300 model because it does not support IPsec VPN. Only the models at 3400 or higher support it. Additionally, there is a need for support for Mac which is lacking. Some of their competitors, such as Cisco, support Mac."
"Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches lack to offer the latest management tools."
"The packet channelizing feature should be improved."
"In an upcoming release, Juniper Ethernet Switches could improve by having more microservices."
"The price could be a bit lower."
"Juniper needs to get their code up to par because it isn't stable enough for a leaf and spine design."
"The only issue that we have with Juniper Ethernet Switches is the firmware because it is not stable."
"The reporting could be improved and could be more granular."
"The price of the solution has room for improvement."
"The solution needs to improve its ability to back up the auto-configuration."
"Its troubleshooting features need work."
"Better alerting capabilities are needed because they do not provide enough notification or detail about events."
"The solution could be simplified a bit."
"The GUI can be improved for a better comfort level."
"The pricing of the solution can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco now has more products that are priced for small businesses, so they do have some cheaper models."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"Cisco products are not cheap, which is something that can be improved."
"The price is on the higher side."
"The pricing is reasonable, and for small business it is acceptable."
"The solution does not require a license. However, it is expensive and the price could improve."
"Its price is very high, but it is a good device. Cisco must work on its price. Other solutions provide a better price for similar functionalities."
"In addition to the fees being high, you pay for support which is also on the higher side."
"The maintenance cost is approximately €2,000 ($2,200 USD) per year, including support, for our entire fleet."
"The solution does not require a license to use it."
"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."
"I think the tool's prices are competitive with the vendors."
"We only pay for support."
"Juniper Ethernet Switches' pricing is high, but that's reflected across the market."
"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."
"The pricing is overvalued in relation to the product's performance."
"Extreme switches are more cost-effective than Cisco Meraki Switches."
"The pricing is very expensive."
"The product's licensing cost is about 30% to 40% of the hardware cost."
"The price of Meraki MS Switches is less expensive than other similar solutions."
"It is very expensive so I want it to be cheaper."
"The pricing is high and it is where we get the most pushback from customers."
"We don't use standard licensing. Most of the time, we use the advanced security model. If there is a drawback to Meraki, it is the cost, but you also have to evaluate it based upon the other factors that you do get. Their support is really good; their hardware is really good. The ease of configuration and deployment is really good, but it is more expensive than most."
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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
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 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...
What do you like most about Meraki MS Switches?
The most valuable features of Meraki MS Switches are their reliability and simplicity.
What needs improvement with Meraki MS Switches?
What could be improved is that when a switch disconnects from the internet, you can't make any changes to that switch...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Juniper Ethernet Switches
MS220, MS320, MS420
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
BlackLotus, Staminus, Community Bank, BAS Group, Cloud Dynamics, Privalia, Fluidata, and Tesla Motors.
Cisco Live Milan, Hyatt
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.