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Cisco SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN comparison

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Cisco SD-WAN

Read 86 Cisco SD-WAN reviews
18,815 views|12,923 comparisons
92% willing to recommend
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Meraki SD-WAN

Read 60 Meraki SD-WAN reviews
1,986 views|1,256 comparisons
96% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
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Buyer's Guide
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
April 2024
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Fortinet, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions.
To learn more, read our detailed Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions Report (Updated: April 2024).
Download the complete report
768,857 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Sammy Njoroge
A SD-WAN solution to interconnect the branch network
Cisco's performance is very good. The branches that we installed went on smoothly. We operate with no complaints. When it comes to management, it's... Read more →
LongDang
Simple, manageable, scalable, stable, and straightforward to set up
Meraki SD-WAN improved the way my company functions because it allowed quicker time to market for connectivity, efficacy, and security. It also... Read more →
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Configuration interfaces are quite easy and intuitive. Being a part of the Cisco environment, Cisco SD-WAN is quite straightforward.""The availability of services and combining different connections is most valuable.""Cisco is an industry leader, so customers have a high level of trust with the brand more-so than with some newcomers that might have some more revolutionary solutions, but no name recognition.""Any technical support we needed was great.""It's very easy to manage and monitor the network's health and security using the solution.""There is minimum blind space in this solution.""Installation is easy.""Cisco SD-WAN's most valuable feature is the ease of transition."

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"The dashboard is user-friendly. It's very simple to use.""This is a high availability solution that is easy to configure and has a nice GUI.""The most valuable feature is application performance monitoring and being able to browse packets dynamically based on priorities.""The most valuable feature of Meraki SD-WAN is its user-friendly interface.""Meraki can react fast to emerging trends.""The most valuable feature is the single management plane dashboard. Our organization has a global site, we have separated the area, and we have more than five hundred small sites around the world.""If there are multiple network connectivities in an organization, Meraki creates an AutoVPN. It creates a channel automatically.""What I found most valuable in Meraki SD-WAN is its simplicity. I also like its manageability."

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Cons
"It should also be much more affordable for a larger number of customers.""I would like to see a better, web-based interface to make changes to the configuration or to view statistics.""The client portal needs to be improved in order to make the solution much better.""The user interface needs to be more friendly.""The main issue is that not in the technology, but it comes back comparison. When we do a comparison with other SD WAN solutions, they are priced better.""Cisco SD-WAN doesn't have automation capabilities, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and isn't IOT-based.""We recently found some bugs.""I would like them to add some more SD-WAN ports. We have seen one implementation where there were four ISPs. Currently, we have a maximum of two ports for ISP in this device. Therefore, we cannot connect directly, and we need other switches. There should be some option to have more than two ports for SD-WAN."

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"Meraki SD-WAN could improve on the lead time, but this is not a problem only with Cisco. there's a global shortage of chipsets. Additionally, the solution has limited features. It's quite a standard product and not very easily upgradeable or stackable.""People are struggling a little bit with the lead times right now. It’s hard to actually get the hardware.""The solution could be improved if it added more features, especially monitoring and reporting features.""We have had some problems doing the implementation.""You need to have internet access to configure the solution. You cannot do it locally, there should be a local option.""Overall, we are satisfied with the support, although I cannot state this unequivocally.""The product should be able to support more than three internet lines.""They need to offer proper integration of the security features."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We pay for the Cisco Customer Care support, which is a couple of hundred dollars."
  • "80 percent reduction in WAN costs. There are no MPLS or P2P circuits left in the organization."
  • "Cisco is more expensive than some competing products."
  • "SD-WAN as a service is probably something in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 a month per location."
  • "The costs are a bit on the high side."
  • "It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract."
  • "The license model is too complex with too many flavors and options. You might not be able to see it from an end user's point of view, but from a telco point of view, their license model is too complex. They should have a flexible license model. If you want to have good pricing, you need to buy it for a two-year, four-year, or five-year license immediately. Some other vendors have much more flexible license models."
  • "It is going to be on a yearly basis. There are no additional costs."

    • More Cisco SD-WAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Meraki solutions come with a choice of several different subscription options including one year, three years, five years, seven years, and ten years."
  • "The licensing fees are approximately $1,000 USD annually."
  • "The pricing is fair, but if they can make it less it would be even more attractive."
  • "Any license you buy until January 2021 gets you an extra year for that purchase."
  • "like everything else, it's negotiable."
  • "If you purchase a Meeraki box, you have to purchase a license, and it's already the basic license, you will have you SD-WAN included."
  • "This solution is more expensive than competitors."
  • "From the perspective of the customer, the price is not terribly cost-effective."

    • More Meraki SD-WAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
    Read all 60 answers   →
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:The product is not too expensive. It is competitive considering security features. The licensing cost is typically based on bandwidth subscription. For example, you must purchase a corresponding… more »
    Read all 47 answers   →
    What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:Cisco should develop a clear roadmap, ensuring seamless integration between Meraki and Viptela. Simplifying the definition and implementation could add significant value, as it can be complex due to… more »
    Read all 57 answers   →
    What do you like most about Meraki SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:It's made managing our client's networks extremely easy, regardless of my location. Being able to hop on my cell phone to see what's happening on a client's network makes everything much more… more »
    Read all 42 answers   →
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:For a pure SD-WAN solution, the pricing is competitive. However, our clients are on the lower tier in terms of budget, viewing IT more as a necessary expense rather than integral to their business… more »
    Read all 27 answers   →
    What needs improvement with Meraki SD-WAN?
    Top Answer:It is effective and easy to set up, although a bit expensive, but it gets the job done with a simple configuration. However, Meraki isn't as flexible for more unique needs but works excellently within… more »
    Read all 42 answers   →
    Ranking
    1st
    out of 36 in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
    Views
    18,815
    Comparisons
    12,923
    Reviews
    29
    Average Words per Review
    533
    Rating
    7.9
    1st
    out of 22 in Software Defined Networking (SDN)
    Views
    1,986
    Comparisons
    1,256
    Reviews
    23
    Average Words per Review
    452
    Rating
    8.6
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Viptela, Cisco vEdge Cloud Router
    Learn More
    Cisco
    Cisco
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    Overview

    Cisco SD-WAN is a software-defined WAN (wide area network) solution that provides for secure stable connections to applications for enterprises and organizations. Cisco SD-WAN works to speed up the seamless movement to the cloud. A very robust and reliable solution, Cisco SD-WAN is cutting-edge in threat security and stability of the complete network and has very low latency. Cisco SD-WAN uses Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), data centers, and even the internet to smoothly advance the move to a SASE (Service Access Service Edge)-based architecture. The Cisco SD-WAN dashboard gives you a complete visual of your entire infrastructure; you can see everything in real time. You will also have simplified IT operations and gain advanced network capabilities, dependability, and security. One valued feature is the overlay management protocol (OMP), which applies to your entire network to speedily connect all your company data centers. Cisco SD-WAN has a very flexible architecture and can be deployed on premises, in the cloud, hybrid, and even has multi-cloud options. Cisco SD-WAN instantly discovers, authenticates, and provisions all devices, both existing and new.

    Cisco SD-WAN simplifies the management of multiple connections across the WAN, improves the end-user experience, improves overall application functionality and performance, and is a very cost-effective solution. Cisco SD-WAN integrates well with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and many other cloud-based business solutions. Additionally, Cisco SD-WAN optimizes connectivity and streamlines workflows for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure.

    Benefits of Cisco SD-WAN

    • Increased profitability - Cisco SD-WAN will improve performance and decrease overall connectivity costs.
    • Improved productivity - Cisco SD-WAN requires less staff to manage and secure the WANs so valuable resources can be allocated elsewhere in your organization, increasing total productivity.
    • Flexible scalability- Cisco SD-WAN’s flexible and easily scalable architecture will allow your organization to address significantly greater business opportunities, helping to consistently increase revenue.
    • Enhanced security - Cisco SD-WAN offers real-time policy enforcement, ensuring that downtime and unplanned outages are kept to a minimum.

    What real users have to say:

    Cisco SD-WAN is fast with lower costs: “Using SD-WAN to combine services can result in better up time, higher speeds, and much lower costs.”

    Cisco is a brand you can trust: “Cisco is an industry leader, so customers have a high level of trust with the brand - more so than with some newcomers that might have some more revolutionary solutions, but no name recognition.”

    Cisco SD-WAN offers load-balancing and real-time traffic monitoring: “Load balancing is a feature that allows us to take the best of our links and distribute the load intelligently, always with an eye on the end-customer experience.”

    Software-defined WAN is a new approach to network connectivity that lowers operational costs and improves resource usage for multi-site deployments, allowing network administrators to use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure the highest possible level of performance for critical applications without sacrificing security or data privacy. For more information on deploying and configuring SD-WAN on the Meraki MX Security Appliance, see the Meraki SD-WAN Deployment Guide.

    Sample Customers
    Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
    École Jeannine Manuel
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider44%
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization35%
    Computer Software Company14%
    Financial Services Firm6%
    Comms Service Provider5%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider26%
    Computer Software Company17%
    Venture Capital & Private Equity Firm9%
    Educational Organization9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company22%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Retailer6%
    Construction Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business15%
    Midsize Enterprise42%
    Large Enterprise43%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business44%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise41%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise59%
    Buyer's Guide
    Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
    April 2024
    Download Free Report
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    Cisco SD-WAN is ranked 1st in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 86 reviews while Meraki SD-WAN is ranked 1st in Software Defined Networking (SDN) with 60 reviews. Cisco SD-WAN is rated 8.0, while Meraki SD-WAN is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Cisco SD-WAN writes "A solution for integrating services to enhance up-time, performance and lower costs". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Meraki SD-WAN writes "Very stable security, great service, and the best for VPN management". Cisco SD-WAN is most compared with Fortinet FortiGate, VMware SD-WAN, Juniper Session Smart Router, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform, whereas Meraki SD-WAN is most compared with VMware SD-WAN, Omada Cloud SDN, Cradlepoint NetCloud, Prisma SD-WAN and Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform.

    We monitor all Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.