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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Surfshark One 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:
 

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 (14th)
Surfshark One
Ranking in SSL VPN
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 10.1%, up from 9.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Surfshark One is 3.3%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN10.1%
Surfshark One3.3%
Other86.6%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

VM
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.
WK
Head of Information Security at K2 Baseline Sdn Bhd
Offers ease of use and has an initial setup phase that is straightforward
The tool's performance is quite good till now, so I have no complaints about it. The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements. This may be because some websites don't accept VPN connections from non-VPN servers, so sometimes, users are blocked from accessing certain sites.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a product that is very robust and durable."
"The feature I find most valuable, is the management portal."
"It helps us access networks from anywhere."
"Cisco has been tested and used widely so there are virtually no issues in terms of selecting Cisco."
"It's been stable for as long as I've been using it."
"The product is very stable."
"Overall performance and features of the device are great."
"The user interface is user-friendly."
"It did what I needed it to do. It was easy to use."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of use."
 

Cons

"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."
"The performance could be improved."
"The flexibility of configurations could be improved."
"Cisco ASA system doesn't provide interface with radius based user mapping, other than the standard schema of users and groups."
"The company sets the policies for the default location and destination which the VPN connects to; if there is a problem with one of those locations, which happens sometimes when I travel, I need to have an option to select a different available location."
"I think the management of the design of the console or portal needs to improve because when you compare it to other vendors, you find that the graphical interface is old."
"The product's RPA tools need enhancement for simplified business process automation."
"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."
"There is room for improvement in stability."
"The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price."
"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"The tool is expensive."
"The product costs less."
"The platform is expensive."
"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."
"There is a need to pay towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is reasonably priced."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which SSL VPN solutions are best for your needs.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
15%
Marketing Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise26
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your primary use case for Cisco IOS SSL VPN?
Currently, I use Cisco IOS SSL VPN to VPN in, but not with high frequency. We use Cisco IOS SSL VPN as our VPN client to connect to our network. This is for health.
What do you like most about Surfshark One?
The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Surfshark One?
There is a need to pay towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is reasonably priced.
What needs improvement with Surfshark One?
The tool's performance is quite good till now, so I have no complaints about it. The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements. Th...
 

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. Surfshark One and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.