ExtremeCloud IQ vs Juniper WLC Series comparison

The compared Extreme Networks and Juniper solutions aren't in the same category. Extreme Networks is ranked #14 in NMA , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 2.7% mindshare in the category. Juniper is ranked #18 in Wireless LAN , with an average rating of 9.0, and holds a 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Extreme Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 77 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

3,064 Views
643 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Juniper WLC Series

Read 14 Juniper WLC Series reviews

995 Views
985 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Juniper WLC Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Juniper WLC Series and ExtremeCloud IQ are two key players in wireless management solutions. While Juniper WLC Series is appreciated for its AI capabilities and scalability, ExtremeCloud IQ holds an edge for its cloud-based management and flexibility.

Features: Juniper WLC Series is known for high performance, robust AI integration, and scalability to support up to 256 wireless access points, providing a stable configuration environment. ExtremeCloud IQ is distinguished by its controller-less architecture, comprehensive cloud management, and a flexible dashboard that aids quick troubleshooting.

Room for Improvement: Juniper WLC Series needs enhancements in traffic monitoring, security, and integration, with pricing and support being areas of concern. ExtremeCloud IQ requires improvements in its user interface, reporting features, and documentation, with noted concerns in technical support and licensing fees.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Juniper WLC Series offers straightforward deployment and comprehensive documentation, though support for certain segments is lacking. ExtremeCloud IQ provides extensive cloud deployment options and responsive technical support with simple implementations.

Pricing and ROI: Juniper WLC Series, though pricey, delivers good ROI through performance over time despite high licensing costs. ExtremeCloud IQ has a flexible yet costly pricing model, with highlighted savings from eliminating controller costs. Both require yearly licensing, making pricing transparency vital.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Management Applications Report (Updated: February 2026).

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Network Management Applications

February 2026

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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

ExtremeCloud IQ

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (14th), Network Access Control (NAC) (10th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (18th)

Juniper WLC Series

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Wireless LAN (18th)

Mindshare comparison

ExtremeCloud IQ and Juniper WLC Series aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. ExtremeCloud IQ is designed for Network Management Applications and holds a mindshare of 2.7%, down 2.8% compared to last year.
Juniper WLC Series, on the other hand, focuses on Wireless LAN, holds 1.5% mindshare, up 0.8% since last year.

Network Management Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
ExtremeCloud IQ	2.7%
Cisco DNA Center	13.1%
Cisco Catalyst Center	7.2%
Other	77.0%

Network Management Applications

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Juniper WLC Series	1.5%
Aruba Wireless	13.4%
Ruckus Wireless	12.4%
Other	72.7%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Ufuk KINDAP

Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University

Cloud-based deployment eases IT workload and supports network management

I struggled with the documentation. I expected comprehensive documentation and videos but found them to be too simple. I needed deep details and more thorough resources. Although there were costly courses available, the lack of budget was a hindrance. Improving documentation with more detailed videos and resources would be beneficial.

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RobNelson

National Marketing Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

AI-driven optimization enhances network management and reduces hardware needs

In my region, access to the product is very difficult and presents a logistical nightmare. Also, pricing is a big problem and a barrier to entry when selling Juniper against competitors. Furthermore, the knowledge of the product's capabilities is not understood properly by those selling it, leading to overselling and overquoting.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What's most valuable for me in ExtremeCloud IQ is easy management. It also has centralized administration, so you don't have to go to the customer site to program it. It can be programmed remotely."

"Integrated Firewall in every AP (with DPI inspection) is a killer feature and it is included already in the price of licence (with others, this feature is an add-on licence)."

"App and firewall security at the AP."

"I like ExtremeCloud IQ's unified single-pane-of-glass dashboard. It offers a lot of visibility of performance, and it's great for troubleshooting. You don't have to go to 55 different places. You can get the information you need with just a few clicks."

"Extreme is transitioning to 802.11ax facilities running the 2G and the 5G cloud, allowing for higher density in education use cases, and ExtremeCloud IQ provides you with novel ways to manage everything. In the old days, you used to have a controller on-site for your access points, but everything is easier now."

"The cloud management gives us the tools and reports that we need to monitor and troubleshoot the network."

"The cloud-based management interface allows us to fully manage all our wireless radios, ensuring consistency and ease of access."

"It allows me to see APs and clients that are having issues, allowing for faster support response and less downtime."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

"The tool has given us more visibility, but I'm not very technical, so I can't comment on specific features. However, the diagnostic tools for identifying system issues have greatly improved, which we appreciate. We still use Cisco ICE for authentication on the Juniper network, as we did before. We've seen cost benefits with the Juniper WLC Series, which was a key factor in our decision-making during the proof of concept. Besides cost improvements, we've also noticed better resolution of issues and faults in our help desk, thanks to the enhanced features."

"Juniper Wireless is reasonable, with a bit of complexity compared to Alibaba and SQL."

"It prevents a large number of unauthorized modifications of access point devices."

"The installation process is very easy."

"Juniper WLC Series is a very high-performance device designed for indoor wireless deployment."

"The AI integration with Marvis is very valuable."

"It's easy to set up, and I feel it's very secure. I also prefer its reporting feature. The devices are quite good."

"There weren't any scalability issues, the product did what it had to do."

More Juniper WLC Series pros

Cons

"I struggled with the documentation. I expected comprehensive documentation and videos but found them to be too simple."

"Certain features only exist or work in certain versions."

"A mobile app would be awesome."

"The initial setup of ExtremeCloud IQ is medium difficulty. It is easy with knowledge of networking protocols and SNMP solutions with the MIBs. For those without knowledge of these protocols or MIBs, it can be difficult."

"I know a school district, a big school district of mine, ripped out Extreme due to inefficiencies. It was the guest network that can be a struggle. They tried to differentiate between their primary network, and then offer a secondary."

"We'd like to have a cloud dashboard from which we can see all devices."

"Integrating the network access control solution can be complex, as it essentially combines two separate products."

"Having a wizard for customers who are just starting might be helpful."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

"The solution could offer more integration with other products."

"The network coverage of Juniper WLC Series and Cisco is different. We need to add additional access points."

"Juniper WLC Series has certain shortcomings in traffic monitoring."

"Juniper lacks a network access control agent similar to solutions like Alubakya Path and Cisco ISE."

"The biggest issue was that Juniper stopped developing, so we had to look for another solution."

"There could be a high level of security."

"In my region, access to the product is very difficult and presents a logistical nightmare."

"We would prefer it if the solution could be less expensive."

More Juniper WLC Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Bring the cost down."

"Start small and grow big. You can choose the basic Aerohive Connect free subscription solution and, later, if needed (in terms of functionality) you can upgrade to Aerohive Select."

"The pricing is so cost-effective that it leaves no room for competition with other vendors."

"For example, if you compare Aruba vs Aerohive, you need to check which licences from Aruba you need to match the functionality of Aerohive (usually you need at least three types of licences and a controller with redundancy). The same goes with Cisco, where you need buy additional licences for central management, firewall, spectral analysis, WIPS, PPSK, etc. Aerohive has a very simple model - one licence for all the functionalities - and you can believe that there are many. One licence makes it easy to maintain, scale, renew and you can plan your costs 10 years in advance."

"Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool."

"I did a multi-year license. It was a three-year license. It compares well with others in terms of the price. It is about a hundred dollars per year on a three-year scale."

"Extreme licensing is based on the number of access points. When you buy the license for the first year, everything is included, such as access to mapping, etc. If you don't renew your software assurance for the second year, the access points will still work, but you can't use the cloud management tools."

"ExtremeCloud IQ's pricing is high."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

"There is a certain amount that needs to be paid towards the licensing charges associated with the product, but though I am not sure, I feel the licenses that we have in our company are for three years."

"The product is relatively affordable for enterprise companies."

"The licensing cost is quite high, but considering it's an enterprise solution, the complexity justifies the price."

"Juniper WLC Series is a bit pricey but worth its cost."

"The solution's pricing is reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeCloud IQ?

I use ExtremeCloud IQ's real-time analytics. In the cloud solution, I get reports, and it works together with machine learning and artificial intelligence for those reports. This tool permits the c...

See all answers

What do you like most about Juniper WLC Series?

Juniper WLC Series is a very high-performance device designed for indoor wireless deployment.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper WLC Series?

Juniper lacks a network access control agent similar to solutions like Alubakya Path and Cisco ISE. There should be a network access control engine. Some customers find it challenging as they do no...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Juniper WLC Series?

I work with Juniper service provider solutions. I have a service provider customer and some enterprise customers in retail.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 6% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Cisco Wireless vs Juniper WLC Series

Compared 25% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Juniper WLC Series

Compared 18% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Juniper WLC Series

Compared 18% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Juniper WLC Series

Compared 10% of the time

Aruba Access Points vs Juniper WLC Series

Compared 7% of the time

More Juniper WLC Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Wireless LAN

February 2026

Download Juniper WLC Series product report

Also Known As

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

Juniper WLAN

Overview

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme Networks

WLC Series Wireless LAN Controllers deliver and manage wireless local area networks with the highest level of reliability, performance, security, and management in the industry. They integrate secure, wireless LANs with any size wired infrastructures, from small branch offices to the largest enterprise or university campus.

Juniper

Sample Customers

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

Apollo Hotel Papendrecht, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Bajaj Capital, Baloise Insurance, BAS Group, Borealis, Danish Crown, Deloitte Belgium, Jan Yperman Hospital, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, MercaSID, S.A., NHTV Breda University, Parklands College and Christopher Robin Pre-Primary, San Antonio Community Hospital, Sandia National Laboratories, Springfield Public Schools (SPS), St. Catherine University, TalkTalk, The Education Village, University of Copenhagen, University of the Highlands and Islands, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Valdosta State University, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), zulily

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

February 2026

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