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Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches vs Juniper QFX Series Switches comparison

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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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco N9300 Series Smart Sw...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
26th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.1
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper QFX Series Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
23rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (5th)
 

Featured Reviews

Thu Al-Faqar Salah - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at V2X
Modern data center fabric has delivered zero packet drops and simplified traffic control
Regarding improvements for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches, I think the only issue that could prevent users from using these devices is the smart licensing, as the license model could be much simpler and more cost-effective. Managing Cisco licensing and tiered subscriptions involves unnecessary operational overhead for deployment and renewal. Also, if you are planning to use ACI mode, most of the concepts such as VRF, EPG, and tenant will change. When deploying in ACI mode, the architecture has a steep learning curve, as the policy-driven model requires expensive and specialized training, and many concepts will change for traditional network engineers, requiring them to adapt and learn. Additionally, most of the issues I faced are related to hardware cost specifically, so if we could get a model that is less costly and more cost-effective with simpler licensing, it would be much better. Regarding further improvements, I remember something about the upgrade process. When we did the upgrade for the N9300, changing the image took us around 12 to 15 minutes, which was really a long time. This happened for more than one switch, so I do not know if it is a bug or if this is something normal, but I think they need to address it.
FauzanRahmanto - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
Has streamlined deployment with consistent configuration and reduced long-term hardware replacement needs
The best feature of Juniper QFX Series Switches is the virtual chassis feature because it's very stable in my experience. Juniper QFX Series Switches have positively impacted my organization because it's very helpful for customer connectivity. We've been using it for customer connections, and it's very stable. We can use it for a long time without any broken devices or errors on the system. It has helped me significantly with my network.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The integration is very good, and there is very low CPU utilization, so multiple users can work without any problem."
"Performance-wise, Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is a great machine to work with."
"When you buy a Cisco device, you are going to forget about it after plugging it in because the device is powerful."
"Cisco products are very strong and stable."
"Support is good and customer-friendly"
"I do see a return on investment with Juniper QFX Series Switches because I can use this device for a long time, and it's still very stable until now."
"The QFX series is a good choice for large data centers, particularly for Spine-Leaf architectures."
"EVPN-VXLAN feature offers the most benefits."
"The most valuable features are the VxLAN and the EVPN."
"Technical support is good."
"Juniper QFX Series Switches provide a great platform for all of our requirements and are easy to use."
"It's a stable solution."
 

Cons

"The price is something negative for Cisco that I see."
"Regarding improvements for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches, I think the only issue that could prevent users from using these devices is the smart licensing, as the license model could be much simpler and more cost-effective."
"It is expensive. Compared to Aruba and Dell, it is a little bit costly."
"The price could be cheaper."
"There have been some issues sometimes. When you upgrade the device, it doesn't come up. It gets stuck."
"Sometimes parts are not available in stock, then you have to wait for replacement time."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model. It is too high."
"Integrating QFX switches was the first point of challenge."
"It is very costly."
"I faced issues with the deployment and upgrade. In the QFX5110 series, features like ISSU and DSSQ should be improved. Upgrades should be smoother."
"I don't think there's any improvement needed on Juniper QFX Series Switches, but I would like to see other cheaper plans for the license on the QFX series."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The cost is expensive."
"The solution is cheap, especially compared to competitors like Cisco."
"The price of Juniper QFX Series Switches is expensive because we are running some enterprise hardware. However, they are less expensive than Cisco or HPE hardware."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is expensive. Compared with Aruba and Dell, it is a little bit costly.
What needs improvement with Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
As for any negative points, I think there is nothing significant. The only thing that Cisco may focus on commercially is the SmartNet. From my experience, I have worked with many MNCs where SmartNe...
What is your primary use case for Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches?
The major use case that we have with Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches is that our current switches are old and getting into end of life from Cisco. This is the reason we started looking for the ri...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper QFX Series Switches?
The price depends heavily upon the level of relationship you have with the OEM. We are a number one, tier-one partner of Juniper. Therefore, we normally get better discounts than with Cisco because...
What needs improvement with Juniper QFX Series Switches?
I don't think there's any improvement needed on Juniper QFX Series Switches, but I would like to see other cheaper plans for the license on the QFX series.
What is your primary use case for Juniper QFX Series Switches?
I use Juniper QFX Series Switches just for layer 2 switches. I'm not using layer 3 on Juniper QFX Series Switches; usually, I use MX series for layer 3. For layer 2, I think it's very simple on Jun...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Linode, VPRO, West Chester University
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco N9300 Series Smart Switches vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.