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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (3rd)
SonicWall Connect Tunnel
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
19th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Connect Tunnel is 1.3%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure 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.
Raghuram K M - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers advanced security features and is easy to install
The product's feature to secure remote access needs is an area that is looked after by the IT team in our company. I work in a healthcare organization where we need to protect certain private information. My organization does not focus on network or database protection. I know about the VPN encryption in the tool. My company has not faced any problems with the product's performance, speed, and connectivity. Performance-wise, my company is satisfied with the product. I will tell those who plan to purchase the product that they need to look at the level of security or encryption they expect for their environment. If there is a requirement for the different networks in the domain of those who planned to purchase the product to be isolated, then it should be done. I rate the overall tool a nine 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 product is very stable."
"The platform provides value and benefits to our organization through efficient and effective communication."
"The solution's environment is stable and doesn't get disconnected every now and then."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."
"It is a product that is very robust and durable."
"Cisco certainly has a really strong support team."
"The split panel functionality is much better in the Cisco IOS SSL VPN than in the Aruba VPN."
"The product is great because it is easy and simple."
"The best features are security and ease of use."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the advanced security features it offers."
 

Cons

"Enhancing the client certificate deployment process could be a valuable improvement, ensuring smoother and more reliable certificate renewal experiences in the future."
"I have no notes in terms of areas of improvement."
"It would be nice if we could use this not just on mobile, but on laptops and desktops as well."
"Sometimes the connection drops, and we don't like that. I'm not sure the reason, but sometimes it will take time to connect or it will disconnect fast."
"The solution needs to integrate password-less technology so that you don't have to remember passwords each time that you log in, which is otherwise tedious. We should be able to log in as long as our system is connected to the internet."
"The product’s dashboard is not good enough."
"Cisco has a history of problems with the area of web filtering, because of which my company sometimes had to change the vendor and the appliance."
"It can be difficult to find service and at times we cannot connect with the internet easily."
"An improvement would be to update the look and feel of the interface, which is very traditional and doesn't fit the current market trend."
"The product's configuration, administration, and user interface are areas of concern."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN comes with a cost-effective subscription."
"I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price."
"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 pricing of the solution is reasonable"
"With Cisco, there is a free solution or a licensed version of the solution with a set of endpoint services."
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is more expensive than the Aruba VPN, but it is worth the money."
"The product is expensive. Two or three years ago, when the solution was purchased for our company, I remember that it was not the cheapest compared to the tools offered by competitors."
"Connect Tunnel is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Healthcare Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
19%
Real Estate/Law Firm
9%
Retailer
9%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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 SonicWall Connect Tunnel?
The most valuable features of the solution stem from the advanced security features it offers.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Connect Tunnel?
The product is expensive. Two or three years ago, when the solution was purchased for our company, I remember that it was not the cheapest compared to the tools offered by competitors.
What needs improvement with SonicWall Connect Tunnel?
The product's configuration, administration, and user interface are areas of concern. From an improvement perspective, the configuration, administration, and user interface must be simplified. The ...
 

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. SonicWall Connect Tunnel and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.