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.
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to deploy."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"If I have to give a neutral view of all the SD-WAN platforms that I have known so far, Cisco is good in routing."
"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."
"Cisco products are rated to handle the heat and are very rugged, making them a good corporate standard."
"The most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN are reliability and scalability."
"I have found the performance and the Zero-Touch provisioning helpful which makes it easier for us to develop."
"This solution can scale from SMB to the enterprise level. It is very impressive."
"Increases the performance of applications and is easy to deploy."
"I have found the dynamic multipoint protocol(DNPO) most useful because it can tell you which is the best circuit to use for different types of traffic."
"Initially, we had a scattered environment, but VMware SD-WAN helped us achieve centralization, which was beneficial."
"They make use of a combination of different internet lines, which improves quality."
"VMware has been chosen by many of our customers who do not want to do a lot of complex routing in their environment and want a very easy-to-use solution. The most valuable features are simple troubleshooting, Dynamic Multipath Optimization (DMPO), and cybersecurity."
"It's easy to deploy and manage. Even a small group of people can manage a large environment. It's stable, easy to deploy, easy to install—all the stuff."
"The most valuable feature of VMware SD-WAN is the virtualization platform. You can use the software on any hardware. Additionally, the solution is easy to use."
"Feature-wise, VMware SD-WAN is a really strong cloud web security product."
"It is the best solution that I ever had, but there might be something better than this in the future."
"The solution needs to be more flexible around legacy devices."
"The bandwidth limitations would be good to remove, but it is a policy and license situation for Cisco because the cost is very high. It would be good to have OTP implemented with VRF. It can have support for EIGRP Over the Top (OTP) VRF. I saw some limitations in regards to the VRF protocol and the advertisement between VRF configuration. EIGRP Over the Top basically was quite limited with the VRF configuration. If you wanted to do rollback in VRF by using the EIGRP OTP protocol, the formation was not populated across. Cisco got back and confirmed that it is a configuration that I need to wait for until the next release, which is going to happen in one year. Cisco documentation is not the way it used to be before. It just gives an easy way to configure, but it doesn't go into the details of the configuration. The information that you need is there, but sometimes you want to go further and get more information, but the information is quite limited. It would be good to cover a few business cases or configuration cases. They used to be there in the past."
"The inexpensive Viptela hardware may be replaced with overpriced Cisco routers. This would be a tragic mistake for Cisco as the lightweight commodity platform built by Viptela is the reason to own this solution."
"When it comes to adding more security features, you need to add more RAM."
"We have found that their SD-WAN has a lot of scope for improvement."
"One area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is reporting. The report needs to give more visibility to the customer. The security feature in Cisco SD-WAN also needs improvement, particularly if Cisco wants to challenge other brands, such as Fortinet."
"Cisco needs to improve the technical support for this solution."
"Reporting is an area that can be improved, as there are some features that are lacking with the reporting aspect."
"VMware SD-WAN could improve by having more partnerships with other vendors."
"Can't execute commands quickly when troubleshooting. The graphic user interface is slow."
"VMware SD-WAN is harder than Cisco. It is complex, and we must take many steps to get the service. I think it would be beneficial if obtaining licenses could be simplified. Currently, numerous options and integrations are bundled together, which can make it quite complex."
"If you don't have an Internet connection, you can’t control it."
"There is still room for improvement in support and security, especially in enhancing the SASE aspect of the platform."
"The solution needs improvement on security features and should include two firewalls. Cloud VPN can’t support any link. The solution needs to also improve the availability of centralized internal management. It needs to have debug detection and Deep Packet Detection features as well. The documentation for VMware is also hard to find."
"Implementing VMware is much more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive than implementing Fortinet or Check Point."
Cisco SD-WAN is ranked 1st in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 86 reviews while VMware SD-WAN is ranked 4th in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 51 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, Juniper Session Smart Router, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform 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.