Cisco Meraki vMX vs Hillstone E-Series comparison

Cisco and Hillstone Networks are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Cisco is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.0, while Hillstone Networks is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Hillstone Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki vMX

Read 3 Cisco Meraki vMX reviews

230 Views
101 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Hillstone E-Series

Read 10 Hillstone E-Series reviews

1,492 Views
403 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki vMX

Hillstone E-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Meraki vMX and Hillstone E-Series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Enterprise Infrastructure VPN solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki vMX vs. Hillstone E-Series Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki vMX vs. Hillstone E-Series

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 Meraki vMX

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (17th)

Hillstone E-Series

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

23rd

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (38th), SSL VPN (11th)

Featured Reviews

Mansukh Bhesania

MD and CEO at Aster Networks

Have worked confidently across large deployments and ensured long-term reliability for critical sectors

I have used Cisco Meraki vMX dashboard's orchestration feature with this product. The Meraki dashboard helps manage our network effectively because it is quite easy; we manage ourselves very well. Performance-wise, there is no problem with Cisco Meraki vMX's integrated analytics for network performance, as my 70 to 80 customers use Cisco only. We do business with semi-enterprise customers, and there is no competition against Cisco except for the wireless solutions from Aruba. We find it easy to promote Cisco Meraki vMX because the centralized dashboard is there for management, and the customers accept it without any problem. From a sales point of view, it is easy to integrate, and nowadays, the 93 is also part of the Meraki desktop.

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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.

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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

"Cisco Meraki vMX offers sufficient features for most customers; it is very easy to handle and proves very efficient, with the main advantages being the visibility it provides and the ease of administration."

"The Meraki dashboard helps manage our network effectively because it is quite easy; we manage ourselves very well."

"The most valuable features in Cisco Meraki vMX are easy deployment, an easy-to-read dashboard for information, and automatic load balancing for two circuits in the MX, which are the most important key features for our small business customers."

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

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

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

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

"Five out of five ROI."

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

"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."

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

More Hillstone E-Series pros

Cons

"In comparison with Aruba, I find Aruba to be far better in terms of deployment, ClearPass, and everything, which is all very easy."

"Cisco Meraki vMX needs to improve its ability to configure complex policy-based routing."

"It is not the strongest security solution, so if you want to have next-generation firewall features, you always need an additional component."

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

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

"The current usage reporting is very basic."

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

"The tool needs to improve its price."

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

"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."

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

More Hillstone E-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"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."

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

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Comms Service Provider

15%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco Meraki vMX?

Cisco Meraki vMX needs to improve its ability to configure complex policy-based routing. The product can only be set up via the GUI interface and cannot perform complex tasks like a Cisco router wh...

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What is your primary use case for Cisco Meraki vMX?

I am an architect planning for our customers to plan their enterprise connectivity via Cisco Meraki vMX and SASE. This is for internet access for mobile users, and I am a reseller, not using the pr...

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What advice do you have for others considering Cisco Meraki vMX?

I have no idea about additional features that I would like to see in the next release to make it better. My customers will buy it from the AWS Marketplace and Azure. In my opinion, Cisco Meraki vMX...

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

What advice do you have for others considering Hillstone E-Series?

Our company did not use the tool's micro-segmentation features. There were no issues while integrating the tool. I have not used any AI in the tool. I recommend the tool to others. I rate the tool ...

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

Fortinet FortiGate vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 17% of the time

OpenVPN Access Server vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 16% of the time

Hillstone A-Series vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 10% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 6% of the time

More Hillstone E-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

December 2025

Download Cisco Meraki vMX product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

January 2026

Download Hillstone E-Series product report

Overview

Cisco Meraki vMX is a cloud-based virtual appliance designed for network security, VPN, and traffic management. It simplifies scalable network operations, making it ideal for businesses seeking centralized management and deployment across multiple cloud environments and branch locations.

Cisco Meraki vMX facilitates seamless connectivity and security in cloud-native environments, enabling efficient networking between sites. It integrates effortlessly with existing infrastructure, providing robust security, VPN capabilities, and traffic control. As a virtual appliance, it supports rapid deployment, helping companies optimize their cloud networks.

What are the key features of Cisco Meraki vMX?

Scalable VPN Deployment: Offers easy, scalable VPN connectivity across branch locations and cloud services.
Centralized Management: Provides a single interface for managing traffic and security settings.
Cloud Integration: Seamlessly connects with popular cloud platforms for smooth network operations.
Traffic Control: Ensures efficient management of network traffic, enhancing performance.

What benefits and ROI are common in user reviews?

Simplified Network Operations: Users note straightforward deployment and management.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces the need for physical hardware, cutting costs.
Improved Security: Provides enhanced security measures for cloud and branch networks.
Increased Flexibility: Adapts to changing network demands quickly and efficiently.

Cisco Meraki vMX sees implementation across industries requiring secure and scalable network solutions, including retail with multiple branch connections, finance needing strong security, and tech-focused organizations optimizing cloud resource usage. Its adaptability suits dynamic and expansive environments.

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

Information Not Available

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki vMX vs. Hillstone E-Series

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Meraki vMX vs. Hillstone E-Series

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