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Barracuda SSL VPN vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

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

Barracuda SSL VPN
Ranking in SSL VPN
14th
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
31st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco IOS SSL VPN
Ranking in SSL VPN
4th
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Barracuda SSL VPN is 2.5%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 9.1%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN9.1%
Barracuda SSL VPN2.5%
Other88.4%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Ikh-Erdene Namsrai - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides good scalability and has a simple setup process
We use Barracuda SSL VPN for network connection The product is easy to connect. There could be more security features included in the product. We are the latest version of Barracuda SSL VPN. I rate Barracuda SSL VPN's stability an eight or nine out of ten. We have 30-40 Barracuda SSL VPN…
Rupesh Kolhapurkar - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature would be that you can actually narrow down your session to one application on one server, which is really nice."
"The product is easy to connect."
"The setup is straightforward and hassle-free."
"It's a stand alone system that functions well."
"I like to work with the CMD command line because it's easy and it doesn't take very long to configure."
"The solution is very stable."
"It helps us access networks from anywhere."
"I have found that Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable."
"Stability-wise, it is a very good solution."
"It is very effective and I am satisfied with how it works and with its performance."
"The valuable features of Cisco IOS SSL VPN are the ease of use and the speed; it is pretty fast and easy to use, definitely helps with our efficiency as it is one of our primary VPN solutions, and helps with maintaining security."
"It is a stable solution. In my company, we haven't faced any issues related to the product's stability. I rate the product's stability a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"Barracuda should find other ways to stir up interest about this product."
"Reporting could be improved."
"There could be more security features included in the product."
"Since it's not going to be getting any more software updates as per the end of this year, we have to move off to a different product.."
"The product costs a lot of money."
"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."
"The pricing is a stumbling block to scaling our utilization of Cisco products and we would prefer to use more of them."
"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 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."
"In terms of what needs improvement, it should have better integration. Although, it might have already been taken care of."
"In addition to Cisco, we work with other solutions on behalf of our customers, such as Fortinet for FortiGate, but this latter solution can achieve the same results at a lower price."
"I would like Cisco IOS SSL VPN to provide a faster connection."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable and reasonably priced so it would make a lot of sense for people to use it long-term."
"Barracuda SSL VPN is inexpensive."
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"The product costs less."
"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco IOS SSL VPN."
"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."
"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 licensing cost of the solution is on a yearly basis, and it is expensive compared to other solutions in the market."
"There are no pricing programs for non-profit organizations and the product is otherwise expensive by comparison."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Performing Arts
8%
Educational Organization
8%
Computer Software Company
23%
Educational Organization
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise24
 

Questions from the Community

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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.
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...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco SSL VPN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
MST Systems
Find out what your peers are saying about Barracuda SSL VPN vs. Cisco IOS SSL VPN and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.