

Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.
I have seen a return on investment with Cisco Meraki MX because of the time saved through cloud management.
You can eliminate some positions because it manages itself.
It greatly helps out when I am moving away from the expensive MPLS circuits or MPLS hardware.
My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.
The support is excellent, earning a rating of ten out of ten.
Every time I got a hold of someone, I was always able to resolve my issues.
When we raise a ticket with Meraki MX, they instantly become available to support us for configurations or troubleshooting.
When you have hundreds of thousands of people it is very difficult to scale in Meraki.
The scalability of Cisco Meraki MX is rated 10 out of 10; you can scale up and scale down with no effort.
Cisco Meraki MX scales with my growing needs for my organization very well because they are easy to deploy.
We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.
I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.
There have been no outages, no stability issues, and we have not found any vulnerabilities during security audits.
I have had zero downtime at all with Cisco Meraki MX.
I assess the stability and the reliability of Cisco Meraki MX as good, and I have experienced no downtime, crashes, or performance issues.
Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.
It should automatically remediate and find out the issue and then resolve it on its own without interrupting the work of the employees.
Data is the only path, so optimization is essential.
An improvement would be to use Cisco Meraki MX as a software solution as well, which might reduce the cost.
The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.
I get it for $25,000, a device that can connect up to 75-100 users, whereas in Meraki MX, it goes to 75,000-80,000 per access point.
The price could be reduced by around 30% to make it more comfortable.
If Cisco can make the pricing less, customers can purchase more licenses.
This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.
The best features of Cisco IOS Security are its integration with software management tools such as Cisco DNA Center and Cisco ICE, which provide centralized policy and network access control.
Meraki MX is among those top solutions in their exceptional approach towards VPN-less, Zero Trust client access to office private networks.
Advanced security is the second tier of Cisco Meraki MX. It brings you the main next-generation firewalling features such as URL filtering, advanced malware protection, and threat protection.
Cisco Meraki MX API makes it really easy for me to automate a lot of changes over several thousand devices.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki MX | 3.8% |
| Cisco IOS Security | 0.6% |
| Other | 95.6% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 20 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 14 |
| Large Enterprise | 18 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 50 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 24 |
| Large Enterprise | 24 |
Cisco IOS Security integrates advanced VPN capabilities, IPsec security, and firewall features, ensuring scalable and reliable protection suitable for enterprise networks.
Cisco IOS Security offers comprehensive firewall integration, robust AAA capabilities, and encryption, empowering organizations with a reliable network environment. EEM provides flexibility and programmability, while integrated threat detection, intrusion prevention, and centralized management enhance its security profile. Despite its reliability, challenges include complexity in configuration, high pricing, and confusing licensing policies. Performance issues and the need for enhanced integration, automation, and better monitoring tools are areas for improvement.
What are the key features of Cisco IOS Security?Industries leverage Cisco IOS Security to protect against zero-day attacks, deploy secure VPNs, and facilitate network access control and compliance checks. Organizations utilize its features for firewalls, routing, and switching, integrating technologies like Cisco ICE and TrustSec to enhance security across enterprise environments.
Cisco Meraki MX offers centralized management for network security and SD-WAN, featuring advanced threat protection, VPN capabilities, and seamless integration with other Cisco products. It enhances operational efficiency through cloud management and intuitive interface.
Cisco Meraki MX is designed for ease of use with a user-friendly cloud management platform that provides real-time insights through a centralized dashboard. It includes AutoVPN for secure remote connections and advanced threat protection to ensure consistent policy enforcement. Its integration capabilities with Cisco products streamline network administration. Users highlight the need for improvements in advanced reporting, detailed alerts, and enhanced API flexibility. Cost concerns are noted, alongside desires for better security analytics and improved customer support.
What are the key features of Cisco Meraki MX?Cisco Meraki MX is implemented in industries like telecommunications and healthcare for secure network management and centralized control. It supports zero-touch deployment, dynamic routing, and traffic shaping, making it ideal for ISPs and multi-site environments, as well as managing Wi-Fi networks and guest security for wireless users.
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