Aruba VPN vs Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) comparison

Aruba VPN vs. Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81)

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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

Aruba VPN

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

31st

Average Rating

5.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Check Point Harmony SASE (f...

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

7th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (6th), Firewalls (15th), Anti-Malware Tools (6th), ZTNA as a Service (4th), ZTNA (2nd), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Aruba VPN is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) is 2.0%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Zoltán Nagy

Information Technology Infrastructure Manager at Provident Pénzügyi Zrt.

The appliance would crash because of the large number of connections, but its stability was fine

We purchased a relatively small Aruba VPN appliance. Unfortunately, it was not a well-designed VPN appliance product. I think the vendor did not provide us with the best solution. At that time, the world and our company faced the first COVID lockdown, and everybody had to work from home. During this time, the small VPN appliance was overwhelmed by the number of connections, and we experienced many issues. Firstly, it turned out that the firmware was buggy. When around 100 to 300 users tried to connect at the beginning of the day, the appliance would crash, and the users would not be able to connect. We had to escalate the issue to the manufacturer, and they had to release new firmware to resolve the problem, which took around one week. As you can imagine, during the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone had to work from home, and we were struggling to connect to the VPN because of the firmware bug. It took Aruba at least one week to resolve the issue. Another major pain point we faced was with the VPN client. At the time, we were using the Windows 7 operating system on the client machines. Unfortunately, we could not identify the precise circumstances in which the Aruba VPN client could not establish a connection. This was very, very disappointing for us and caused a lot of problems for our department. We had around 500 to 600 users who wanted to connect, and at least 50 to 60 users, or about 10% of the users, were unable to connect each day due to this anomaly. We were not able to identify the root cause of the problem. We collected and provided all the logs that the local support partner requested. Unfortunately, neither the Hungarian local support partner nor the Aruba headquarters could identify the root cause of how and why the Aruba VPN client could not establish a connection. So, it felt like a bad spot. Each day, users were praying to connect over the VPN and to be able to work that day. Aruba VPN sometimes worked, and sometimes it didn't. We were very disappointed and had to switch to a different supplier as soon as possible. We switched to a Cisco product and were very satisfied with the Cisco VPN.

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Nasseer Qureshi

Pre Sales Consultant at Redington Group

Delivers seamless and secure remote access while enhancing security posture

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) offers strong features, but there are areas that could be improved. One area for improvement is integration with third-party identity providers. It works with standard SAML and SSO, but we would prefer deeper integrations with solutions such as Ping for more advanced identity-based policies. Additionally, a mobile-specific client or lightweight agent would be helpful for securing access from smartphones, especially in BYOD environments. We would appreciate more granular reporting and analytics, including better drill-down capabilities to investigate specific users or app activity. The logs are comprehensive, but filtering them can sometimes feel messy. The user interface on the management portal could be more intuitive, especially when managing multiple sites or remote offices. Some of the policy configuration steps are nested and could be streamlined.

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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

"What I like the most about Aruba VPN is that it's great for companies with diverse network needs."

"Aruba VPN’s stability was okay."

"Aruba VPN is lighter on machines, and users don't feel any difference in having these items installed on their PCs or laptops."

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The product’s ability to block phishing sites is valuable."

"I find it very easy to implement and deploy in the organization."

"Harmony SASE helps us to manage compliance by regulating the amount of access to each department and user. We control the relevant apps and websites, which can be accessed from company-owned devices. Harmony SASE uses its own threat intelligence data from the cloud for threat prevention, and detect and manage threats with their own threat intelligence data and SASE firewall features."

"It helps to quickly get access to the pages I need."

"It connects quickly and stays connected. The user interface is pretty neat too. The app has in-house support with user guides that give you step-by-step walkthroughs on navigating the app. In addition, there is a live chat feature that offers prompt assistance on the go."

"The benefits are really built into the underlying protocol, however, Perimeter81 makes these available in a user-friendly way."

"Protection against threats like ransomware is very effective."

"It is a scalable solution."

More Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) pros

Cons

"They could release product updates more frequently."

"When around 100 to 300 users tried to connect at the beginning of the day, the appliance would crash, and the users would not be able to connect."

"There is room for improvement from the solution's security point of view."

"It should address issues that are vital to maintaining the company's reputation."

"Harmony lacks this ability when anything more than a vanilla access policy is used (we use layers and source user objects in our policy which make this impossible according to Check Point)."

"The solution requires you to buy a minimum of 50 licenses and that is not practical."

"I don't know if it is technically feasible, however, if the Desktop App could be used as a Web App or a Chrome Extension it would be very nice."

"Although the interface is user-friendly, further simplification and customization options tailored for non-technical users would benefit smaller firms without dedicated IT teams. Intuitive dashboards and guided setups can help in reducing the learning curve."

"Currently, I am not able to define a different country or location, which can result in negative experiences as the tool is being recognized by websites and this can make it difficult to access them or force me to disable the program temporarily."

"Offering in-app explanations detailing what each feature does, its benefits and potential use cases can help users better understand and utilize the tool to its full potential."

"I have found that the log-in/out process takes quite some time."

"The main problem with Harmony Connect is that, because it's in a new category of offerings by Check Point, there's very little marketing of the product so far, and this means that many potential users don't even know this kind of solution is available. There are also few testimonials or case studies talking about people who have used the product and fell in love with it, for example."

More Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We do not have to purchase a separate license for Aruba VPN; it is included in the ClearPass package."

"Customers need to buy a VPN client license."

"The cost of the solution's licenses depends on the particular use cases."

"I would rate Harmony Connect's pricing at six out of ten. It wasn't particularly expensive, but it wasn't super cheap either."

"The solution's pricing model may not be suitable for smaller companies, as they might find it expensive. Larger companies tend to receive more value due to many users."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"Regarding pricing, I can say that the more the number of users, the less they have to pay."

"Overall I am very happy with the solution’s flexibility and pricing."

"The pricing of Check Point is relatively high when compared to other competitors like Palo Alto and Fortinet. While Palo Alto may be on the higher side in terms of cost, Check Point's pricing is similar to that of Fortinet. In some cases, Check Point offers better value for the features it provides. We initially considered other options but ultimately decided to purchase hardware that came with three years of iOS. This approach eliminated the need for any additional costs associated with Check Point. I would rate it 10 out of 10."

"Annual licenses cost $30 to $40 each."

More Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba VPN?

The initial setup was straightforward.

What needs improvement with Aruba VPN?

They could release product updates more frequently. The lack of updates is one reason we plan to switch to another solution.

What advice do you have for others considering Aruba VPN?

Aruba VPN can be valuable for supporting network work within the company, particularly for ensuring connectivity in various signal conditions. However, occasional issues may arise, such as intermit...

What do you like most about Perimeter 81?

Even after restarting, it tries to quickly reestablish connection which is very helpful.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Perimeter 81?

It's essential to consider the organization's specific requirements and budget. Here are some general recommendations: * Evaluate your needs * Understand pricing models * Request a quote * Compare ...

What needs improvement with Perimeter 81?

In terms of improvement, Perimeter 81 could enhance its reporting and analytics capabilities to provide more detailed insights into network activity. Additionally, expanding integration options wit...

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Product Reports

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Download Aruba VPN product report

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81)

Download Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) product report

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) report

Also Known As

No data available

Check Point Quantum SASE

Overview

Aruba VPN provides secure remote access for employees working from home or remote locations. Users appreciate its ease of deployment, strong security features, and reliable connectivity, adaptable to different devices and operating systems with high performance and minimal downtime.

Aruba VPN is known for its strong security protocols and user-friendly interface, reliable performance, and seamless remote access capabilities. It integrates easily with existing systems and offers scalability and efficient technical support. Notably, it supports a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. Issues were noted during the COVID lockdown with firmware causing connection problems and compatibility problems with Windows 7, which remain under focus for improvement.

What are the most important features?

Strong Security Protocols: Ensures data integrity and protection.
User-friendly Interface: Simplifies deployment and usage for all employees.
Reliable Performance: Provides consistent connectivity with minimal downtime.
Easy Integration: Seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure.
High Scalability: Supports a large number of concurrent connections.
Efficient Technical Support: Resolves issues promptly and effectively.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Secure Remote Access: Allows employees to work securely from any location.
High Performance: Ensures a smooth and reliable user experience.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces the need for additional hardware or extensive IT resources.
Scalability: Adjusts to the growing needs without compromising performance.
Device Compatibility: Works across different devices and operating systems.

Aruba VPN is utilized across industries such as corporate sectors where secure remote access is critical, education institutions needing to provide students and faculty with reliable connections, and healthcare organizations requiring secure data transmission. Its adaptability and strong security make it a favored choice for dynamic and security-sensitive environments.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based network security and software-defined perimeter (SDP) solution designed to provide secure access to resources in the cloud, data centers, and on-premises environments. It offers a unified platform for organizations to manage and secure their network infrastructure, regardless of the location or type of resources.

Perimeter 81 Benefits:

Easy to use
Flexible access policies
Strong encryption and authentication protocols
Scalable
Compatible with various devices and platforms

Perimeter 81 Features:

Secure Network Access: Perimeter 81 provides secure access to internal resources and cloud-based applications through its client applications and gateways.
Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP): SDP is a security framework that focuses on dynamically creating secure connections between users and resources on a need-to-know basis.
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Perimeter 81 follows the Zero Trust security model, which assumes that no user or device can be inherently trusted.
Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Support: Perimeter 81 is designed to secure access to resources across multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments.
User and Device Management: The solution offers centralized user and device management capabilities, allowing administrators to define access policies, manage user roles, and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security.
Network Segmentation: Perimeter 81 enables organizations to segment their network resources, creating isolated environments based on logical groupings.
Centralized Management and Analytics: Perimeter 81 provides a centralized management console where administrators can configure and monitor their network security settings.

Reviews from Real Users

PeerSpot user, Frontend Developer at Limelight Networks, states that "We use some VPN solutions, and Perimeter 81 has the best user experience for desktop or mobile".

Daniel Goldfeld, Vice President of Customer Success at Mine - The All-in-One Privacy Suite, says that Perimeter 81 has "Great SAML and SCIM support with the ability to deploy site-2-site tunnels with specific IP restrictions".

Another PeerSpot user, Accounts Payable Specialist at Simera, writes that "The feature that I have found to be most valuable is the reputation that the company has regarding privacy. Nowadays, this is critical, especially when you do all of your work online."

Check Point Software Technologies

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Aqua Security, Cognito, Multipoint, Kustomer, Postman, Meredith

Aruba VPN vs. Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81)