Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Juniper QFX Series Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers cost-effective solutions, though Cisco provides better long-term ROI with superior disaster management and quicker replacement.
Sentiment score
5.9
Juniper QFX Switches provide durable, cost-effective solutions, with reliable performance and favorable ROI despite pricing and license challenges.
The integration of Fortinet infrastructure, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco, especially when paired with Fortinet wireless solutions.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Other brands might break after three or four years, but with Juniper, I can use it until now, around nine years, and it's still very usable and very stable.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
The normal ROI customers work with is five years unless there is a major change in technology.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Fortinet FortiSwitch customer service is praised for reliability, though local support issues create mixed user experiences.
Sentiment score
7.5
Juniper QFX Switch support is professional and helpful, with effective problem-solving despite occasional parts delays. Rated 7.5/10.
Technical partners provide responses within a day for any technical queries.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
I gave it eight points because local support is absent.
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
Customer support needs improvement in terms of speed and reliability.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The technical support of Juniper is very helpful because if we have some big issues, we can raise P1 or P2 tickets, and the response from Juniper is very fast.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
Sometimes parts are not available in stock, then you have to wait for replacement time.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiSwitch is scalable, modular, easily integrates with networks, but could improve SPF model support.
Sentiment score
6.9
Juniper QFX Series Switches offer reliable performance, flexibility, and scalability for diverse industries, suitable for varied network sizes.
When used in a dedicated Fortinet infrastructure, FortiSwitch scalability is better than some other switches, like Cisco, Meraki, or Arista.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Scalability is generally good, with transitions from gigabit to ten giga, twenty-five giga, and forty giga.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
For any kind of environment, this scalability is extensive.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Fortinet FortiSwitch is stable and reliable, though integration and configuration challenges occasionally affect performance.
Sentiment score
6.7
Juniper QFX Series Switches are praised for stability, performance, and pricing, though some report occasional configuration issues during updates.
There is room for improvement as it sometimes takes over an hour to push configurations onto the devices from the management tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
Juniper has better performance than any other networking product as far as performance is concerned in the router area.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Room For Improvement

The Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center faces challenges in automation, UI complexity, pricing, and requires better AI and integration features.
Juniper QFX Series Switches need cost adjustment, easier UI, feature enhancements, fiber connectivity, and better market strategies.
The commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
My personal opinion is that if anyone wants to work with a Layer 3 fabric in a data center, they should choose Juniper because working with ACI and APIC is very complex in the Cisco part.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
I would like to see other cheaper plans for the license on the QFX series.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiSwitch is competitively priced compared to Cisco, with no licensing needed for some FortiGate users.
Juniper QFX Series Switches offer scalability and features, but they can be costly with potential software upgrade challenges.
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Pricing is competitive, although it's not the cheapest option.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
We are a number one, tier-one partner of Juniper. Therefore, we normally get better discounts than with Cisco because we don't have the level one partnership with Cisco.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiSwitch offers centralized management, intuitive UI, security enhancements, and control over network traffic and security.
Juniper QFX Series Switches are renowned for scalability, reliability, high port density, and innovative design with low power consumption.
The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
This feature allows the switch's ports to be used as firewall ports, enhancing network security by enabling IPS and network profiling directly on the ports.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The best feature of Juniper QFX Series Switches is the virtual chassis feature because it's very stable in my experience.
Network Engineer at DCI Indonesia
They work with EVPN solutions, providing a Layer 3 fabric, which is a very good capability.
Manager Technical at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper QFX Series Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
18th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.3%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper QFX Series Switches is 0.6%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.3%
Juniper QFX Series Switches0.6%
Other97.1%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
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.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
14%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular po...
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.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Linode, VPRO, West Chester University
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Juniper QFX Series Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.