Cisco SD-WAN vs SonicWall SMA comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco SD-WAN
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (2nd)
SonicWall SMA
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (5th), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (18th)
 

Market share comparison

As of June 2024, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the market share of Cisco SD-WAN is 18.9% and it decreased by 31.5% compared to the previous year. The market share of SonicWall SMA is 0.5% and it decreased by 29.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
Unique Categories:
WAN Edge
17.4%
Universal Access Gateways
50.0%
SSL VPN
8.1%
 

Featured Reviews

EricBiederbeck - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 19, 2022
A solution with great application routing and good stability
The integration to the LAN could be improved. It should be an end-to-end solution, not only on the WAN side but also on the LAN and wifi, so a full end-to-end solution The integration of Layer 3 and application routing is great. The technical support is a bit slow. Regarding additional features,…
Maheshbabu T - PeerSpot reviewer
May 26, 2022
It allows us to provide CML-based access to any user, but the reporting could be better
We use SonicWall SMA to provide VPN. Our use is limited right now. We only have 200 users.  SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user. SonicWall's reporting isn't good. Reports should be part of a data plan. The login mechanism should be improved. It would be helpful if the…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"So far, the feature that I like best is the policy configuration manager."
"Cisco is an industry leader, so customers have a high level of trust with the brand more-so than with some newcomers that might have some more revolutionary solutions, but no name recognition."
"The most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN include the DIA and its integration with Cisco Umbrella for DNS security."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"When we have had power outages for a few hours we have had no issue with Cisco SD-WAN coming back online and functioning."
"The most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN are reliability and scalability."
"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."
"I like the load balancing capability."
"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."
"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."
"SonicWall SMA has the most valuable feature of proprietary security technologies like Capture ATP."
"It is faster than other security options when using remote connections."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is they have IT consultants that know SonicWall."
"The solution is reliable and has good overall performance."
"What I like best about SonicWall SMA is the relationship between its features and its price, because the solution is both affordable and functional."
 

Cons

"The solution could be more secure. Security is always a priority for us."
"The initial setup is really complex."
"Cisco SD-WAN's clustering mechanism needs to be improved. If there are more than five milliseconds of latency time between installations of the VM manager, the cluster automatically breaks down."
"The security features could be improved."
"We have found that their SD-WAN has a lot of scope for improvement."
"This solution is expensive so pricing is a concern."
"Since most user-data is going through the solution, we are concerned about security, as all the information is in the cloud and not on-premises. The user data authentification should be higher to better prevent malicious attacks."
"This solution could be improved with a simpler implementation process and licensing model."
"The product's technical support services could be improved."
"User interface could be improved."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"The solution could integrate better with other platforms."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."
"The product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."
"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers. Normally enterprises and SMBs can create a ticket, but for enterprises, SonicWall SMA needs to provide a global view, and this is what's currently missing. It's not even a question of timing. It's a question of the global vision because currently, it's lacking. They concentrate on the topic, but not on the means and not on the global picture. In most cases, there's something wrong with the integration of SonicWall SMA with other products, so that could also be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco SD-WAN is more expensive than its competitors."
"You can get subscriptions for three or five years."
"The Cisco SD-WAN licensing model needs to be simplified. There are currently three types of licenses: enterprise agreements, individual licenses, and DNA subscriptions. This can confuse customers, requiring a dedicated person to determine which type of license is right for their organization."
"The solution is quite expensive so it is important to enhance its cost efficiency."
"The pricing is fair, and it's on par with the market vendors. But based on the competition, Cisco could work on the pricing, go deep on discounts and provide more commercially viable solutions to customers."
"The price of the solution is the only negative factor, it is much more expensive compared with the Cisco Meraki SD-WAN solution."
"In the Russian market where we operate, this solution is expensive."
"There is a monthly subscription to use this solution."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
"I don't know about the pricing of the SSL-VPN box. I know the SSL-VPN software is free. Global VPN client, by comparison, is licensed for around $150 or something like that. But the SSL-VPN software is free. It is already built-in with the box."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
36%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Computer Software Company
19%
Construction Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The product is not too expensive. It is competitive considering security features. The licensing cost is typically based on bandwidth subscription. For example, you must purchase a corresponding su...
What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
Cisco should develop a clear roadmap, ensuring seamless integration between Meraki and Viptela. Simplifying the definition and implementation could add significant value, as it can be complex due t...
What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?
Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security.
What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?
Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface.
 

Also Known As

Viptela, Cisco vEdge Cloud Router
SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Fortinet, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions. Updated: May 2024.
787,226 professionals have used our research since 2012.