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 #12 with an average rating of 9.2, while Cisco is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.7. Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds a 2.1% mindshare in EIV, compared to Cisco’s 1.2% 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 9 AWS Direct Connect reviews

1,364 Views
594 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Read 49 Cisco IOS SSL VPN reviews

760 Views
88 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: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN

June 2025

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Helped 859,129 peers since 2012

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

12th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SSL VPN (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of AWS Direct Connect is 2.1%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Flavio Gomes Figueira Camacho Junior

Network Engineer at Telecall

Establish secure and private connections between on-premise infrastructure and cloud environments

AWS Direct Connect allows me to connect our on-premise infrastructure directly with AWS infrastructure. This is particularly beneficial because it helps me use our infrastructure for databases and testing while leveraging AWS's computing power for production purposes. I also do not need to expose management of our machines to the public internet, enhancing security by using a private connection.

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Rupesh Kolhapurkar

Manager at Reliance Industries Ltd

Offers easy setup phase but needs to improve connectivity

For our company's remote workforce connectivity, the tool was very useful during the COVID-19 situation. In general, the VPN functionality offered by the product was very useful during the COVID-19 situation. In terms of the product's ability to secure third-party access, the tool works very well. The most valuable feature of the product in terms of network security stems from the fact that the tool provides access to the whole network, and even if users give access to some special applications, it is still really helpful. The clientless access feature is not available for clients. My company installed the product for its clients. If the product offers a clientless access feature, then it is okay and can be very helpful for our company. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. Cisco IOS SSL VPN is a reliable product. The product is very helpful for a work-from-home setup as the tool can be used to access our company's internal network, which Falls outside the network of our organization. I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

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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."

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

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

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

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

"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."

"It is a stable solution."

More AWS Direct Connect pros

"The split panel functionality is much better in the Cisco IOS SSL VPN than in the Aruba VPN."

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

"The most valuable features are that it's reliable, convenient, and easy. It always works if configured well."

"It is a product that is very robust and durable."

"With Cisco IOS SSL VPN, you can access your corporate data safely and securely."

"The solution's environment is stable and doesn't get disconnected every now and then."

"The user interface is user-friendly."

"The solution is very stable."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pros

Cons

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

"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."

"The platform's stability needs improvement."

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

"Its terminologies are challenging to interpret."

"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."

More AWS Direct Connect cons

"Compatibility can sometimes be a challenge. There have been issues with operating systems where newer updates cause problems with backward compatibility."

"Sometimes the connection drops, and we don't like that. I'm not sure the reason, but sometimes it will take time to connect or it will disconnect fast."

"The company sets the policies for the default location, and destination, which the VPN connects. If there is a problem with one of those locations, which happens sometimes when I travel I need to have an option to select a different available location. Currently, I am unable to see that from a user's point of view."

"The pricing is a stumbling block to scaling our utilization of Cisco products and we would prefer to use more of them."

"I would like for it to have support for the Dutch language. I typically use English in 99% of our communications but for some people, it matters."

"I believe Cisco could support easier configuration and having tools that allow for easier management and configuration, as Linksys switches are a little bit easier to manage and set up compared to Cisco switches."

"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."

"It can be difficult to find service and at times we cannot connect with the internet easily."

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

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

"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"

"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco IOS SSL VPN."

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

"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."

"The platform is expensive."

"It is an expensive product."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

University

Computer Software Company

21%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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?

AWS Direct Connect should support cross-cloud connections, such as migrations between Azure ( /products/microsoft-azure-reviews ) and AWS ( /products/amazon-aws-reviews ), for disaster recovery pur...

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What is your primary use case for AWS Direct Connect?

I have used AWS Direct Connect ( /products/aws-direct-connect-reviews ) in projects to directly connect artifacts and for setting up a call center service in a customer service project. It is used ...

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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?

The pricing for Cisco IOS SSL VPN is based on per user. For more than one hundred users, it costs about $60 per seat.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

It's hard for me to say how Linksys could be improved. I can't think of any specific improvements needed. I believe Cisco could support easier configuration and having tools that allow for easier m...

See all answers

Comparisons

AWS PrivateLink vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 41% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 30% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 15% of the time

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs AWS Direct Connect

Compared 7% of the time

More AWS Direct Connect Competitors

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 41% of the time

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 26% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 13% of the time

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

June 2025

Download AWS Direct Connect product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

June 2025

Download Cisco IOS SSL VPN product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco SSL VPN

Overview

AWS Direct Connect offers secure, low-latency, and high-speed connectivity for migrating storage, managing databases, and creating virtual interfaces, supporting users' cloud operations efficiently.

AWS Direct Connect enhances migration processes by providing a stable and encrypted connection, facilitating database management, cloud storage operations, and virtual interface creation. It supports testing connectivity and security, as well as operational tasks in QGIS, VoIP calls, instance monitoring, and application deployment across multiple AWS regions. Offering a user-friendly approach, it ensures minimal latency and reliable connectivity, making resources and communications accessible privately over the Internet.

What are the most important features?

High Security: Ensures encrypted and private connections for sensitive data transfers.
Low Latency: Provides rapid data transfer, reducing waiting periods and bottlenecks.
Stable Connectivity: Guarantees reliable access to AWS resources across regions like Ohio.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies management and configuration processes.
Slas: Offers service-level agreements to ensure performance standards.

What benefits or ROI should users look for in the reviews?

Enhanced Security: Users should expect secure data transmission with encryption.
Increased Speed: Look for feedback on faster data transfer compared to traditional networks.
Improved Uptime: Reviews should highlight consistent and reliable connectivity.
Efficient Management: Check for comments on easy configuration and control.

AWS Direct Connect is utilized across industries like GIS for QGIS operations, telecommunications for VoIP calls, and IT services for instance monitoring and application deployment. Its robust performance and security make it suitable for challenging environments requiring dependable data transfer and 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

June 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about AWS Direct Connect vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

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