Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series comparison

Cisco and Hillstone Networks are both solutions in the SSL VPN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6, while Hillstone Networks is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 9.1% mindshare in SV, compared to Hillstone Networks’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Hillstone Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Read 49 Cisco IOS SSL VPN reviews

1,052 Views
579 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Hillstone E-Series

Read 10 Hillstone E-Series reviews

1,403 Views
126 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Hillstone E-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Cisco IOS SSL VPN and Hillstone E-Series compete in the network security space, specifically focusing on VPN technology. Cisco IOS SSL VPN appears to lead due to its comprehensive security and integration capabilities.

Features: Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers robust encryption, versatile remote access, and integration with multifactor authentication, enhancing security and usability. Hillstone E-Series enhances innovation with features like ransomware protection, virtual routing, and a user-friendly interface, marking its strengths in threat intelligence and application filtering.

Room for Improvement: Cisco IOS SSL VPN could improve in network compatibility, user mapping, and pricing models to increase operational flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Hillstone E-Series faces challenges in pricing structure, reporting granularity, and support efficiency, with a need for area-specific support and more frequent updates.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS SSL VPN supports hybrid cloud deployments with strong technical support via local and partner networks, offering broader deployment model flexibility. Hillstone E-Series focuses on on-premises and public cloud setups, receiving positive feedback for its technical support, comparable to Cisco.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS SSL VPN is often viewed as expensive due to its enterprise-grade security, providing solid ROI with potential partner discounts, yet overall licensing costs remain high. Hillstone E-Series is economically positioned, offering competitive pricing while maintaining value, appealing to cost-conscious buyers.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Hillstone E-Series Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Hillstone E-Series

September 2025

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Helped 868,759 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

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Ranking in SSL VPN

4th

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Hillstone E-Series

Ranking in SSL VPN

10th

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

27th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (38th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 9.1%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 3.0%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN	9.1%
Hillstone E-Series	3.0%
Other	87.9%

SSL VPN

Featured Reviews

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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TahirMahmood

IT Manager at Zubair Feeds

Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users

We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

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

"A reliable and stable solution for remote network access."

"The solution is pretty fast."

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

"It helps us access networks from anywhere."

"It is very simple to use, and it allows me to get into the university's network from my home, which is very useful for me."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is reasonably priced, and its technology is flexible."

"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."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pros

"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."

"The most valuable features of the Hillstone E-Series are its hardware capacity, innovation, and the throughput that the hardware can take."

"The initial setup was straightforward. It only took a few hours to deploy."

"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."

"Five out of five ROI."

"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."

"Working with the Hillstone E-Series has, from a remote perspective, allowed me to give my clients a secure connectivity."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ransomware protection that the tool offers."

More Hillstone E-Series pros

Cons

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

"The Secure Plus Connect product could be improved with many enhancements in any price license, especially for licensing. Cisco could simplify the licensing; it could make it easier to order and use the features."

"The administration should be improved."

"The solution does not give us options if the connectivity to one server is not available."

"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."

"Enhancing the client certificate deployment process could be a valuable improvement, ensuring smoother and more reliable certificate renewal experiences in the future."

"The pricing needs to be better."

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

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN cons

"The tool needs to improve its price."

"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."

"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."

"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."

"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."

"The tool provides just a general report. It does not provide a granular report. Hence, the tool should work on its reporting feature."

"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."

"The tool only had some memory-related problems."

More Hillstone E-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product costs less."

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

"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"

"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."

"The platform is expensive."

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

"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."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."

"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

23%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

15%

Computer Software Company

Non Profit

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

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

What do you like most about Hillstone E-Series?

The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Hillstone E-Series?

I use the solution in my company for site-to-site VPN, SSL VPNs, URL filtering, IPS, IDS and all the other features which are available in the firewall.

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 36% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 21% of the time

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

Compared 16% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 11% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 9% of the time

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 31% of the time

OpenVPN Access Server vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 21% of the time

Hillstone A-Series vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 15% of the time

Sophos XG vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 8% of the time

A10 Networks Thunder CFW vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 6% of the time

More Hillstone E-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

September 2025

Download Cisco IOS SSL VPN product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

September 2025

Download Hillstone E-Series product report

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN

No data available

Overview

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

Hillstone E-Series is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It offers a range of features including a firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), virtual private network (VPN), and application control.

With its advanced threat intelligence capabilities, E-Series can detect and prevent sophisticated attacks, ensuring the security of critical data and systems. It also provides granular control over applications, allowing organizations to enforce policies and optimize network performance.

E-Series is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized management console. It offers high-performance throughput and scalability, making it suitable for small businesses to large enterprises. With its robust security features and ease of use, Hillstone E-Series is an ideal choice for organizations looking to enhance their network security posture.

Hillstone Networks

Sample Customers

MST Systems

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Hillstone E-Series

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Hillstone E-Series

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Hillstone E-Series and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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