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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Norton Small Business 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers strong security with high ROI, easy installation, minimal resource impact, and positive user feedback.
Sentiment score
8.6
Norton Small Business reduces security threat downtime, enhancing productivity, efficiency, and ROI by allowing focus on critical tasks.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is praised for its responsive, skilled customer support and clear documentation, reducing direct contact needs.
Sentiment score
8.1
Norton Small Business's technical support is rated excellent for its efficiency, helpfulness, and responsiveness, though some see room for improvement.
When Cisco first took over, it was a bit more difficult to get support, but they now integrate it without differentiating the support for Linksys versus full-blown Cisco switches.
We contact support regularly, especially for deployments, and they are very responsive.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is scalable and integrates well with Cisco's ecosystem but may need improvements in pricing and licensing.
Sentiment score
8.1
Norton Small Business is highly scalable, allowing easy license expansion and adaptability for diverse business sizes and device platforms.
It integrates well with Cisco's ecosystem, providing flexibility and options to connect to diverse environments.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is highly rated for stability but can experience intermittent issues and requires frequent updates.
Sentiment score
8.2
Norton Small Business is highly rated for its stability, with minor password manager issues on mobile devices.
Linksys can be fairly stable for easy environments, but in more complex network environments, Cisco is definitely a lot more stable.
Cisco IOS SSL VPN is extremely stable.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco IOS SSL VPN needs better integration, usability, compatibility, language support, and simplified licensing to enhance user experience.
Norton Small Business requires better pricing, enhanced features, and fewer notifications to improve user experience and market availability.
There have been issues with operating systems where newer updates cause problems with backward compatibility.
I believe Cisco could support easier configuration and having tools that allow for easier management and configuration.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco IOS SSL VPN is expensive but valued by enterprises; pricing is $60 per seat for over 100 users.
Norton Small Business offers affordable yearly licenses but frequent upsells for additional features can be a drawback for some.
For more than one hundred users, it costs about $60 per seat.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers strong encryption, reliable connectivity, seamless integration, multi-factor authentication, and practical management for secure remote access.
Norton Small Business offers comprehensive virus protection, secure features, multi-platform compatibility, and 24/7 support via a user-friendly dashboard.
The solution is also very scalable, offering up to one hundred licenses for free, and can integrate well with Cisco's ecosystem, such as Cisco ISE and NAC.
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.
The valuable features of Cisco IOS SSL VPN are the ease of use and the speed.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco IOS SSL VPN
Ranking in SSL VPN
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (8th)
Norton Small Business
Ranking in SSL VPN
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Backup (18th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (24th)
 

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 Norton Small Business is 1.1%, up from 0.6% 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%
Norton Small Business1.1%
Other89.8%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

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.
William_Bowers - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a secure and hassle-free environment
One area where Norton 360 could improve is the constant push for upselling. The notifications urging me to buy additional services, like dark web monitoring or a secure browser, can be overwhelming. It feels like they are trying to sell me more than I actually need. I would prefer a more straightforward approach where essential features are included in the base license without constant prompts to purchase extras. While notifications about actions taken for my security are good, they could be more informative, letting me know exactly what they did to protect me without the upsell pitches. Simplifying the user experience and providing clearer information about the actions taken would make Norton 360 more user-friendly for me.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
23%
Educational Organization
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What do you like most about Norton 360?
The product offers all the essential licenses compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and mobile platforms.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Norton 360?
I have a yearly licensing plan. The cost is not that high. The solution is cost-effective.
 

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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