We compared VMware SD-WAN and Cisco SD-WAN across several parameters based on our users' reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:
Features: VMware SD-WAN prioritizes network performance with features such as DMPO and seamless integration with virtual LAN and cloud providers. Cisco SD-WAN is praised for its service quality, real-time traffic visibility, and automation capabilities.
Room for Improvement: VMware SD-WAN could include a command line interface and offer a stronger routing Broadcom support, improved automation and integration, and smoother integration with other vendors. Cato Networks could enhance its security measures by incorporating a web application firewall feature and improving intrusion detection. Cisco SD-WAN should enhance its connectivity to prominent cloud providers and incorporate additional security features.
Ease of Deployment: Opinions on the setup process for VMware SD-WAN were mixed. Some said it was simple, but others noted it was time-consuming. Cisco SD-WAN can be more complicated and may require expert help. While some users found it to be easy, others encountered difficulties and uncertainty during the setup.
Service and Support: Some users praised VMware's prompt and efficient technical support, while others reported challenges contacting the support team. While some Cisco SD customers found the support to be outstanding, others encounter delays and challenges in connecting with the appropriate personnel.
Pricing: Users have varying opinions on the setup cost of VMware SD-WAN, with some finding it pricier compared to other brands. Cisco SD-WAN is perceived as pricier compared to its rivals.
ROI: Reviewers have reported a varied ROI for VMware SD-WAN, highlighting benefits such as improved productivity and faster time-to-market. Cisco SD-WAN offers flexibility and scalability, leading to long-term benefits and cost reduction.
Comparison Results: VMware SD-WAN is praised for its ability to optimize network performance and provide automation, stability, and good customer service. However, users suggest improvements in multitenant solutions, CLI, and security features. Cisco SD-WAN is a highly scalable solution with a comprehensive feature set and scalability, but it requires improvements in stability and native connectivity to cloud providers.
"With other routing protocols, we have had to send team members to perform installations and configurations. There is a lot of work involved. However with SD-WAN, once it is installed it is fully automated, and we can do all other tasks remotely. We don't have to send staff out to the client's location. It's very independent, and we can establish SD-WAN connectivity easily. It is secure as well."
"From my observations, Cisco has been rolling out new features every other day, so I would say their speed of innovation is one of the most valuable aspects for me."
"It is really easy to deploy and use. It is also easy to use for failovers and designing solutions. The rollout is really quick. It is easy to adjust and roll out."
"The first part that we like is that we can reuse certain hardware, which is a valuable asset. You can use hardware SKUs that already exist in the network. The second part that we like is the integration with the cloud and the measurement of the cloud's quality. These are the two values that this solution gives as compared to other implementations that we have seen."
"There have been no issues with stability."
"Load balancing is a feature that allows us to take the best of our links and distribute the load intelligently, always with an eye on the end-customer experience."
"The most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN are reliability and scalability."
"The centralized management is the most important feature. We can monitor what is going on at every location in our network with just one center."
"They have a lot of built-ins. There are so many applications defined inside the solution. It makes it so that we don't have to create some policies. Each and every application is already defined in it."
"Proactively detects where problems might arise."
"The most valuable feature is load balancing."
"The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is flexibility. It is more flexible than other vendors."
"The most valuable features are the orchestration layer, plug and play capabilities, and also the fact that you can either configure it as a full mesh or hard install."
"Some of the best features are the SD-WAN platform for VMware and the NSX network virtualization."
"The most valuable features of VMware SD-WAN are the overall capabilities and ease of use."
"The most valuable feature for one of our customers is the ability to stage cloud workloads from the local network."
"The initial setup is complex and can be improved."
"The security features could be improved."
"The whole solution needs to be re-imagined. It's quite complex right now and really needs to be simplified to make it easier for those of us using it. It should offer more simplified management as well."
"When it comes to adding more security features, you need to add more RAM."
"Cyber security should also be implemented in the solution, along with maybe implementation of AI/ML."
"The initial setup was not very straightforward, but it gets easier the more deployments you complete."
"We need them to start focusing on the SD-WAN compatibility with other environments and not being so vendor locked with Cisco environments."
"It should also be much more affordable for a larger number of customers."
"The product should have on-demand tunnels instead of fixed tunnels."
"There is no security included, which is something that should be improved."
"Technical support is in need of improvement."
"Some of the service providers that use VeloCloud as their SD-WAN should be enabled to have better global visibility."
"VeloCloud could improve its integration capabilities with other solutions."
"I would like to see more features added to increase visibility."
"Its integration with the security systems would be a nice implementation. They can also consider using a management platform for both network and security operations. This would be a great improvement."
"Better price model would be appreciated."
Cisco SD-WAN is ranked 2nd in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 86 reviews while VMware SD-WAN is ranked 3rd in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 50 reviews. Cisco SD-WAN is rated 8.0, while VMware SD-WAN is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Cisco SD-WAN writes "A solution for integrating services to enhance up-time, performance and lower costs". On the other hand, the top reviewer of VMware SD-WAN writes "To fully utilize cloud vendors' hardware networking, Microsoft and VMware support everything". Cisco SD-WAN is most compared with Fortinet FortiGate, Meraki SD-WAN, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform, Juniper Session Smart Router and Cato SASE Cloud Platform, whereas VMware SD-WAN is most compared with Fortinet FortiGate, Meraki SD-WAN, Cato SASE Cloud Platform, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform. See our Cisco SD-WAN vs. VMware SD-WAN report.
See our list of best Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions vendors and best WAN Edge vendors.
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@Diyaspino, all three are overpriced.
Depending on what are you looking for, you may look at Fortinet or even check the latest Sophos offering.
There is a number of different postings on SD-WAN in the last few years. Once people learned that SD-WAN is an old VPN with a new user interface, they moved to a new buzzword.