Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Ivanti Secure Access comparison

Cisco and Ivanti are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Cisco is ranked #8 with an average rating of 9.0, while Ivanti is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 2.0% mindshare in EIV, compared to Ivanti’s 2.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Ivanti users who would recommend it.

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Read 50 Cisco IOS SSL VPN reviews

1,295 Views
1,062 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Ivanti Secure Access

Read 3 Ivanti Secure Access reviews

1,133 Views
1,122 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Ivanti Secure Access

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Cisco IOS SSL VPN and Ivanti Secure Access are both strong contenders in the VPN market. While Cisco benefits from robust security and solid support, Ivanti is favored for its user experience and feature richness.

Features: Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers robust security protocols, extensive integration capabilities, and reliable remote access. Ivanti Secure Access provides broad application support, detailed reporting features, and a versatile user interface.

Room for Improvement: Cisco IOS SSL VPN needs a more streamlined configuration process, better documentation, and improved user interface. Ivanti Secure Access can enhance its customization of access policies, make the management interface more intuitive, and improve policy creation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS SSL VPN is complex to deploy due to extensive configuration requirements, but has highly rated customer service. Ivanti Secure Access is straightforward to deploy and has a responsive support team.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS SSL VPN users are satisfied with its pricing and see a good ROI over time. Ivanti Secure Access, though more expensive, is considered worth the investment due to its extensive features and high user satisfaction.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Secure Access Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Secure Access

December 2025

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Helped 881,114 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 Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SSL VPN (2nd)

Ivanti Secure Access

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

21st

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 2.0%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ivanti Secure Access is 2.3%, 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	2.0%
Ivanti Secure Access	2.3%
Other	95.7%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

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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BabarShahbaz

Saleas Lead at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

A cloud solution to access the corporate network with BYOD policy

Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ. Ivanti Secure Access offers granular control over network access, allowing for on-demand VPN connections when accessing corporate resources. This means users may not need to initiate a VPN connection manually but can access resources seamlessly when accessing corporate websites or applications. This granular feature helps enhance security and user experience by providing secure access only when needed.

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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

"The user interface is user-friendly."

"The setup and installation was easy."

"It is highly scalable, speedy, and reliable."

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

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

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

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable, and once we connect, we don't face any issues and can do our work."

"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

"It also provides an auto-connect feature. When you turn on your laptop and put it on auto-connect, it automatically connects."

"The most valuable feature of Pulse Client is integration with Google authenticator for two-factor authentication."

"The scalability of Pulse Client is good."

Cons

"In terms of what needs improvement, it should have better integration. Although, it might have already been taken care of."

"Multi-factor authentication in Cisco IOS SSL VPN has certain shortcomings that need improvement."

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

"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."

"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 pricing needs to be better."

"The flexibility of configurations could be improved."

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

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN cons

"Pulse Client could improve the system tokens for authentication."

"Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ."

"Pulse Client could improve the reports. The reports are not in PDF and we can't check the details in the reports of users who are using the VPNs."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"

"The platform is expensive."

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

"With Cisco, there is a free solution or a licensed version of the solution with a set of endpoint services."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is more expensive than the Aruba VPN, but it is worth the money."

"It is an expensive product."

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

"The licensing fee is expensive."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

"Pulse Client has two types of licenses. One is subsistence-based and the second is perpetual-based. The license cost is good, it is not very costly."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

No data available

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?

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...

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What needs improvement with Pulse Client?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Pulse Client?

We use the solution to access the corporate network.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Pulse Client?

The tool is a preferred option for making the tunnel from these cloud VPNs. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 25% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 11% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 10% of the time

Array AG Series vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 8% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 8% of the time

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN Competitors

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 39% of the time

Tailscale vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 10% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 8% of the time

More Ivanti Secure Access Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

January 2026

Download Cisco IOS SSL VPN product report

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

January 2026

Download Ivanti Secure Access product report

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN

Pulse Client

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

Easily secure your hybrid workforce Elevate your VPN experience with Ivanti Neurons for Secure Access—a unified platform that seamlessly integrates Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Neurons for Zero Trust Access. Harness the power of cloud-based centralization to gain real-time insights, optimize access management and enhance security across your network. Take control and thrive in today's borderless digital landscape.

Ivanti

Sample Customers

MST Systems

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Secure Access

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Secure Access

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