Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Citrix are both solutions in the WAN Optimization category. Additionally, 100% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Citrix users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 12, 2025

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform and Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] compete in the SD-WAN solutions category. Aruba EdgeConnect appears to have the upper hand with its robust features and deployment flexibility, along with responsive customer service.

Features: Aruba EdgeConnect offers zero-touch provisioning, advanced security, and comprehensive deployment flexibility, alongside robust routing capabilities and integrated WAN optimization. Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is known for its reliability and load balancing abilities, customization options, and seamless failover mechanisms.

Room for Improvement: Aruba EdgeConnect can improve on documentation regarding feature deployment, integration with other vendor solutions, and advanced security features similar to competitors like Fortinet. Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] users suggest improvements in reporting, knowledge base materials, and network security features, as well as address pricing concerns and licensing model adjustments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba EdgeConnect is noted for its simple deployment across various infrastructure types and receives praise for its responsive customer support. Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] also offers easy deployment and strong technical support; however, Aruba's efficient ticketing system and quick engineer assignment provide an advantage.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba EdgeConnect is considered aggressively priced compared to competitors, and users report significant ROI through enhanced network performance and reduced bandwidth costs. Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is regarded as more expensive with higher licensing costs, yet delivers ROI through cost savings on internet circuit usage. Strategic pricing negotiation is crucial for both solutions, with Citrix users facing challenges related to its higher pricing tier.

To learn more, read our detailed WAN Optimization Report (Updated: March 2026).

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WAN Optimization

March 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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SatishKumar13

Deputy Manager at Savex Technologies Pvt Ltd

Reliable features and exceptional tech support enhance user experience

The Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is a fantastic solution based on my experience. The Zero-Touch Provisioning feature is one of the best features I have seen so far. While there are some aspects that need improvement on the technical side, when comparing it with other products and solutions, it performs well but still has room for enhancement.

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Rohit Ghorpade

Cloud Network Engineer at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees

A scalable solution for MCN controller but lacks technical supports, upgrades

There are a few things that can be improved, are domain-based routing and the slowness of virtual parts, and it may be due to the wrong configuration, which we have been unable to find out. Previously, we faced some issues with the slowness part. Apart from that, feature like end gateway level antivirus. We are currently using a NetFlow proxy to establish a virtual position for the NetFlow. Our current environment has many use cases, but we are not using them on the Citrix SD-WAN. When I navigate the NCL part, it involves configuration. I want to highlight this disadvantage. Sometimes, when we push the configuration, it tries to push it to all branch locations. This process takes a lot of time, nearly 30 minutes, to push a single change from the NCL. Overall, I don't think Citrix meets our use cases what we have. This is based on my feedback after using it for the past year and working on this Citrix SD-WAN. However, from my experience, it is the worst solution I have seen. There's no domain-based routing, which is horrible. That's why we are moving to other products. We have checked our use case requirements with Fortinet, Palo Alto, and they meet them. I will consider the PoC or another OEM. There are many things in the area you need to be prompt, like the automation part. If any link or device goes down, alerting notification, etc. We need to perform and highlight so many things to your management. This should be improved.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Fortigate 300c is a very robust product, unlike Cisco ASA Firewall, you have already the web gui interface inside the device."

"The internet filtering feature has really benefited my organization because we have a lot of things that go on illegal sites like auto torrents sites and a lot of streaming and downloads."

"SSL VPN, Site to Site VPN, UTM features and web override are nice features."

"The main benefits that Fortinet FortiGate brings to customers include that if you're going for a single fabric with core switches, access switches, and APs, compared to legacy Cisco or Aruba, the Fortinet FortiGate does not require a controller for the access points."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall's design is good...I am very impressed with the product's stability."

"The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring."

"Fortinet FortiGate protects against internet-based threats, both internal and external. It is scalable, stable, easy to use, and easy to install."

"The license management is very valuable. You can get a new license each year, or you can enroll every two to four years. You can get the logs, and you will get the information on the risk in your network and the entire organization. With this information, you can take action on your actives, computers, or devices. You can bring your own device as an SSE."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The initial setup is very easy and not confusing."

"Aruba EdgeConnect has an inbuilt next-generation firewall, advanced routing capabilities, and one compression capacity."

"First and foremost, it enables the customer to deploy high availability connections. This kind of solution enables them to deploy these HA connections for policies mostly automatically. It's a more automated approach than with other vendors."

"The most valuable features of Silver Peak VX is the flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the long-distance performance of the application storage is easy and effective."

"The most valuable feature of Silver Peak VX is the overall performance."

"The most valuable feature of Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect is the boost."

"At the moment, for us, it is a very good solution because it has all the features we need and it is not so expensive."

"The tool's most valuable feature is bandwidth optimization."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform pros

"It allows you to combine two asymmetrical connections."

"The VPN and the load balancing are the most valuable features."

"We are using it widely for the local record for SaaS-based applications. Another valuable feature is a local breakout."

"If you only take into consideration its features and capability, it is definitely one of the better products available in the market to date."

"Downtime for branch offices is now almost zero. We have 100% real-time visibility into all of our lines. MPLS links have been replaced with lower-cost links, saving a larger percentage of line costs. Overall, I see SD-WAN as a must. And the Citrix SD-WAN product has delivered on expectations and exceeded them. (With later firmware updates we now have good firewall capabilities in the product too)."

"The most valuable feature is security, as it gives me the port bindings that cannot be accomplished using other solutions."

"The stability is the main feature of Citrix SD-WAN. You can also upgrade the data packages or have less transmission."

"The main advantage of Citrix SD-WAN is that it enables fast communication between our branches and data centers. And, with its cloud management features, it also makes the process of adding new branches into our company network much easier."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pros

Cons

"I'm happy with the product, however the licensing fees could be lower."

"I mostly do administration, and I found Cisco to be the hardest major firewall manufacturer to deal with, with Fortinet FortiGate being the second hardest for me."

"One of the problems I was having was with user mapping, and it is an issue for which I have escalated tickets with Fortinet support."

"We have experienced a number of failures when trying to upgrade firmware and the process takes a long time. We only experienced this when doing major upgrades between versions."

"The pricing could be reduced or include the first year warranty."

"The performance can be improved."

"Small models (up to FG-90) are build on SoC (System on a Chip), so they need to be mounted in places with enough airflow and right temperature, otherwise they could hang, slow down traffic processing, but more often you just can't log in to the device's web-interface (reboot won't help you until it cools down)."

"Some of the web policy reports could be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Their WAN optimization in terms of wireless connectivity doesn't have a very good cellular capability."

"If compared with Cisco, then Aruba's pricing is very aggressive."

"In future releases, I would like to see security features, so Aruba might need some firewalls, like other vendors."

"I would like to have a physical appliance to use with the orchestrator for managing all EdgeConnect appliances. Currently, it's a virtual appliance."

"When comparing it with Fortinet and Palo Alto, which are top players in the Indian market, we are currently lacking in that aspect."

"The security can be improved, with the firewall for example, because they supply a basic one but not a UTM."

"The license features should improve in the solution. For example, when you purchase VMware, it starts at a low level that has some functionality. When you want to expand, the difference in the price is substantial. I purchased the lower functional version for $4,000, and now if I want to upgrade, they ask me for $80,000. This is a $76,000 difference, there's no logic, but this is VMware."

"One area for improvement is the Intel support integration."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform cons

"The reports need to be improved. We need to have them customized but they don't have that right now."

"The communication around the life cycle would have been really helpful. The main issue we have had is related to the life cycle because some of the things that we are using were discontinued. They were discontinued within a year after we had purchased it, which is a bit painful. If we had known that, we would've made some other decisions."

"I would like to see more customization to adjust for the WAN lock-out due to our unexpected power outages."

"Citrix should continue to offer a perpetual licensing model because it is very important to us."

"Citrix SD-WAN does not have the SD-WAN with one optimization in a single license. Other competitors have this option and it should be added to this solution."

"I am happy with this product. If anything, its price can be reduced. It is a bit expensive."

"Given that Citrix SD-WAN solved all our problems by providing us with everything we needed to unify communications with our branches and data centers, I cannot suggest anything further in terms of improvements."

"Even though the monitoring is pretty good, there is some room for improvement there."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is fair compared to the other competitors."

"Each feature costs money, so it is important to study your needs."

"The price is highly competitive when compared to other brands that offer similar functionality."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is a very cheap solution."

"It could be more competitive and cost-effective."

"It's a very full-featured and it's priced well solution."

"The price of FortiGate is good."

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"You typically will license the hardware and you license the software to access the hardware capabilities. The price will range anywhere from a hundred to $300 a month. There are no additional costs."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high, I rate the pricing around five to six."

"The licensing would be cheap if we compare it with the others, like Cisco."

"You can get both yearly and monthly options in licensing. It is not expensive."

"The price of Silver Peak VX is reasonable but could improve."

"There is an annual license required to use Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect."

"The price of Silver Peak VX is expensive compared to competitors. There are licenses, renewals, and support that need to be paid."

"The pricing for this product is good."

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform pricing and cost advice

"The license was a one-time purchase. It's expensive."

"I'm not quite sure of the price ranges. Roughly, the hidden devices can scale up to $20K for one appliance. However, the branch CPs are USD $1,000 to $2,500."

"It would be helpful to have a demo license available for customers who want to prove the concept and conduct a proof of concept (POC) before committing to the solution. This is particularly important for customers in Egypt who often require a demonstration of the solution's features and compatibility with their needs before making any investment or incurring costs. Providing a demo license would allow customers to assess whether the solution would meet their needs or not."

"I believe that Citrix SD-WAN is a good investment, but I do not have the information to be more specific."

"The price of the subscription should be cheaper."

"It's a little bit on the high side compared to the other products."

"As NetScaler is now, I find it quite pricey."

"It depends on the scale. In our case, it would have been better if we had known about the life cycling steps, but otherwise, it is worth the money."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Legal Firm

Marketing Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	360
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	190

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

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When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Silver Peak NX?

The pricing is on the higher side compared to the competition when discussing experience with pricing, setup cost, an...

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What needs improvement with Silver Peak NX?

The room for improvement for the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is pricing, as people are purchasing this product ...

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What is your primary use case for Silver Peak NX?

A typical use case for the Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform is high latency connectivity, which is why I or my clien...

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What needs improvement with Citrix SD-WAN?

The solution's licensing model could be improved. Citrix SD-WAN is a good product from a technical point of view. How...

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What advice do you have for others considering Citrix SD-WAN?

If a customer already has Citrix NetScaler and is not looking to change anything in their existing environment, we pr...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 26% of the time

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 12% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 5% of the time

Prisma SD-WAN vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 5% of the time

Steelhead vs Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform Competitors

Prisma SD-WAN vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

FatPipe WAN Optimization vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform

March 2026

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform report

Download Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

March 2026

Download Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Silver Peak NX, Silver Peak VX, Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect

Citrix CloudBridge, WOC, NetScaler SD-WAN

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

The EdgeConnect SD-WAN platform secures and powers a self-driving wide area network for cloud-first enterprises.

In today’s edge-to-cloud enterprise, user experience and security are not optional

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN provides a secure network foundation for Zero Trust and SASE. It includes a first-class SD-WAN paired with a next-generation firewall delivering unmatched quality of experience and advanced security.

Best-of-breed SASE with no compromise

EdgeConnect SD-WAN enables a best-of-breed SASE architecture that meets the security requirements of today’s digital organizations. It provides comprehensive SD-WAN and security services including next-generation firewall, fine-grained segmentation, IDS/IPS, and tightly integrates with many SSE (Security Service Edge) solutions.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] enhances connectivity and performance by optimizing bandwidth utilization, ensuring reliable communication across branch offices and headquarter data centers. It offers centralized management, efficient deployment options, and improved network reliability.

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is designed for businesses seeking enhanced connectivity solutions that boost application performance while reducing costs. With HDX WAN Optimization and reliable Active-Active connectivity, it assures improved bandwidth management. Tailored for both cloud and on-premise deployments, it supports fast communication and seamless integration, making it user-friendly even for those with limited technical expertise. Security features and zero-touch deployments further enhance its appeal. However, users highlight areas needing improvement, such as configuration intuitiveness, pricing alignment for specific markets, and stability. Enhanced reporting, networking features, and technical support are desired. Integration with Windows, security elements like firewalls, and licensing clarity require attention to meet user expectations.

What are the key features of Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]?

HDX WAN Optimization: Enhances application performance and traffic.
Load Balancing: Ensures efficient traffic distribution across networks.
Reliable Connectivity: Provides seamless failover and reduced costs through MPLS replacement.
Cloud Management: Simplifies deployment and management via the cloud.
Zero-Touch Deployment: Facilitates easy setup and provisioning.
Active-Active Lines: Optimizes bandwidth utilization and performance.
Backup Capabilities: Centralizes data management for security.

What benefits should users look for in Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]?

Enhanced Connectivity: Improves stability and reduces downtime.
Cost Reduction: Efficiently decreases expenses by replacing MPLS.
Network Optimization: Offers better bandwidth for diverse communication types.
Secure Interconnectivity: Ensures secure and reliable network connections.
Management Flexibility: Supports cloud or on-premise deployment options.

Industries benefit from Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] by leveraging its features to ensure stable, redundant connectivity between branches and data centers. Organizations experiencing frequent line failures or high reliance on bandwidth-heavy applications find it particularly useful. It caters to sectors needing reliable data management and enhanced networking.

Citrix

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Group Dekko, Kingston Technology, American Student Assistance, Ares Management, Charlotte Metro Credit Union, Colonial Savings, Community Bank, Denali Credit Union, Bed Bath & Beyond, Breweries of Cameroon, Carnival Australia, Coastal Beverages, Toshiba Electronics, Tru Blu Beverages, WAXIE Sanitary Supply, Charleston Area Medical Center, Community Health Plan, Healthcare Company, Mercy Health, Linklaters, Miles & Stockbridge, Thomson Snell & Passmore

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Cornerstone Home Lending Inc., Dallara, ecVision, Essar, Eurofred, Groupe Promutuel, HMSHost Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd, Royal Caribbean International

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