AWS Direct Connect vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN comparison

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Cisco are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is ranked #13 with an average rating of 9.0, while Cisco is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.1. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 1.8% mindshare in EIV, compared to Cisco’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Amazon Web Services (AWS) users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

AWS Direct Connect

Read 12 AWS Direct Connect reviews

1,022 Views
1,002 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Read 50 Cisco IOS SSL VPN reviews

1,530 Views
1,316 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

AWS Direct Connect

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Cisco IOS SSL VPN and AWS Direct Connect compete in the networking solutions category. AWS Direct Connect has the upper hand due to its performance and integration capabilities.

Features: Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers comprehensive security measures, ease of access management, and strong support. AWS Direct Connect provides high reliability, seamless integration with AWS services, and superior performance features.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest Cisco IOS SSL VPN should enhance its scalability options, improve user documentation, and streamline updates. AWS Direct Connect could improve the initial setup process, enhance customer support responsiveness, and refine deployment procedures.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS SSL VPN boasts straightforward deployment processes and responsive customer service but has cumbersome updates. AWS Direct Connect is seen as more complex to deploy initially, but operates efficiently post-deployment with slower customer service response times.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS SSL VPN is valued for reasonable setup costs and clear ROI from enhanced security. AWS Direct Connect has higher initial costs, but offers long-term value through performance and integration, providing satisfactory ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN

December 2025

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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

AWS Direct Connect

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

12th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SSL VPN (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of AWS Direct Connect is 1.8%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 2.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN	2.4%
AWS Direct Connect	1.8%
Other	95.8%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

reviewer2231871

Product Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Offers secure high-bandwidth connectivity without internet-related risks

Regarding the benefits from the multiple virtual interfaces in the product, there is no interface for the product; it is just a connection that we have. It is an ethernet connection we offer. The customer, from the customer side to AWS, receives an ethernet point-to-point connection, and that is it. The interface and everything along with the communication with AWS, the customer has to do by themselves to build the routes and everything. The connection speed that our clients are using ranges from 100 megabits up to 10 gigabits. The main concern is the port costs. Clients do not report technical problems, so it is mainly always an issue of money. The solution is nice, but sometimes they avoid it because the port costs are high. This is not a problem AWS has exclusively; Azure has the same costs, and these port costs are quite expensive. I would rate this review as an 8 out of 10.

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Viktor Masnyy

student at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

Cost efficiency and ease of setup define network management while potential improvements in complexity handling are noted

Optimizing and configuring for network segmentation is the biggest thing for helping with segmenting traffic management. Configuring QoS on Linksys is pretty easy, especially compared to Cisco QoS, which I am certified in, as it helps ensure that the bandwidth for voice or other applications doesn't bleed over into the data links. In the past, Linksys has been pretty good at network protection, segmenting off that protection for unauthorized access or cyber threats. Cost savings and ease of use are the benefits I've seen from Linksys. It's a little bit less complex to set up and configure compared to Cisco switching. I utilized the VLAN support feature in the Linksys switches. A lot of the networks I have were broken up by VLAN, and I definitely configured them for different VLANs. The best feature of Linksys in my opinion is cost, as they tend to be more cost-effective compared to larger switches or Cisco switches.

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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

"AWS Direct Connect allows me to connect our on-premise infrastructure directly with AWS infrastructure."

"The most valuable feature of Direct Connect is its low latency to the users."

"Direct Connect provides an improved connection quality and a diversified link, which contributes to high availability and failover capabilities."

"Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten."

"AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet."

"The most valuable feature of Direct Connect is its low latency to the users."

"AWS Direct Connect is highly secure and much faster compared to normal network infrastructure."

"It is a highly scalable solution."

More AWS Direct Connect pros

"The feature I find most valuable, is the management portal."

"The setup and installation was easy."

"I like to work with the CMD command line because it's easy and it doesn't take very long to configure."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN provides fast connectivity and the option to connect through multiple servers."

"The platform provides value and benefits to our organization through efficient and effective communication."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."

"The user interface is user-friendly."

"The customer service and support are the best. When it comes to support, Cisco is the best vendor ever."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pros

Cons

"There is no room for improvement in Direct Connect right now."

"Having more locations could improve the convenience of using the service."

"I would like to see better traffic visibility and higher throughput security, especially for organizations that require more than what the current limit allows."

"It can be difficult to configure compared to cloud-based GUIs."

"Its terminologies are challenging to interpret."

"AWS Direct Connect should support cross-cloud connections, such as migrations between Azure and AWS, for disaster recovery purposes on different cloud platforms."

"AWS Direct Connect is straightforward and performs well for me."

"It would be good if we could connect AWS Direct Connect from different networks."

More AWS Direct Connect cons

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN doesn't support the configuration of multiple VPNs."

"It would be nice if we could use this not just on mobile, but on laptops and desktops as well."

"The system needs to be upgraded to replace the Token Authentication software, which will no longer be supported."

"When many people are using the internet at home, which is usually right after dinner, this type of service is a little bit hard to use. The internet becomes quite slow, and sometimes, I have to stop using this application. I am not sure if this issue is because of the application or my internet provider."

"The administration should be improved."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN should add a sensor that can authenticate with a fingerprint instead of having to type the username and password every time."

"The servers should be more user-friendly."

"The high price of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."

"It has reasonable pricing in terms of the features offered."

"The licensing cost of the solution is on a yearly basis, and it is expensive compared to other solutions in the market."

"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."

"There are no pricing programs for non-profit organizations and the product is otherwise expensive by comparison."

"My company makes payments on a quarterly basis to the vendor to cover the licensing costs attached to the product. Cisco IOS SSL VPN is an expensive product. There are no additional costs apart from the licensing costs attached to the product."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN comes with a cost-effective subscription."

"The solution is reasonably priced, and we have around 50% to 60% discounts from Cisco."

"I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price."

"The platform is expensive."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

12%

University

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

11%

Marketing Services Firm

10%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AWS Direct Connect?

AWS Direct Connect provides a secure and encrypted connection over the internet.

See all answers

What needs improvement with AWS Direct Connect?

We encountered issues with the connection. The VPN was not connecting on multiple occasions.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for AWS Direct Connect?

I'm not an end user of any of those SAP products. I wanted to have a comparison between different solutions for process mining and process modeling, but I'm not an end user of any. I have Microsoft...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

The solution is pretty fast.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

I am not sure about the pricing of Cisco IOS SSL VPN.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

I have not found any areas that could be improved so far. I am not sure how Cisco IOS SSL VPN can continue their improvements for the future, but I think it is a great product. To stay on top, they...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiClient vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 20% of the time

AWS PrivateLink vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 18% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 17% of the time

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 9% of the time

More AWS Direct Connect Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 24% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 10% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 10% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 9% of the time

Array AG Series vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 9% of the time

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

January 2026

Download AWS Direct Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

February 2026

Download Cisco IOS SSL VPN product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco SSL VPN

Overview

AWS Direct Connect offers low-latency, reliable connectivity with secure data transfers between on-premise infrastructures and AWS environments. It ensures high availability and cost-effectiveness for large data transfers, integrating seamlessly with existing systems.

AWS Direct Connect is recognized for its robust network and security, providing minimal latency and reliable connectivity. It seamlessly integrates with on-premise infrastructure, enabling secure and fast data transfers. Users benefit from its high availability and low maintenance, making it cost-effective for large data transfers. Multi-account environment support is a key feature. Despite a complex configuration process compared to cloud GUIs, it enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure. Room for improvement includes the setup of credentials and terminology, upgrade process, BGP configuration, multi-network connections, traffic visibility, stability, and throughput security. Expanding data center locations and cross-cloud connections can be advantageous. Promotion is necessary for awareness. Some report VPN connection issues while some are content with its performance.

What are the key features of AWS Direct Connect?

Secure Connectivity: Enhances security by avoiding public internet exposure
Low Latency: Provides minimal latency for fast data transfers
High Availability: Ensures continuous connectivity with low maintenance
Cost-Effective: Reduces costs for large data transfers and multi-account environments
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with on-premise infrastructure

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Reliability: Sturdy and consistent connectivity minimizes downtime
Efficient Data Transfers: Cost reduction and efficiency for large data volumes
Security: Avoids exposure to the public internet, enhancing data protection
Resource Integration: Facilitates hybrid cloud environments by integrating on-premises and cloud resources

In industries like finance, healthcare, and media, AWS Direct Connect is implemented to ensure secure and efficient connectivity between on-premises data centers and AWS environments. It supports operations like database management and application deployment, facilitating data and application migration while enabling hybrid cloud connectivity.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Cisco SSL VPN solutions help you easily and securely extend the network to users who have access to the Internet and a web browser. You can customize access and extend the reach of your corporate network to individuals based on their roles, including teleworker contractors and business partners.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Expedia, Intuit, Royal Dutch Shell, Brooks Brothers

MST Systems

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN

December 2025

Free Report: AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN

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