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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Ivanti Secure Access Client (ISAC) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 20, 2026

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 Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (2nd), ZTNA as a Service (11th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
Ivanti Secure Access Client...
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
26th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 5.4%, down from 7.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ivanti Secure Access Client (ISAC) is 1.7%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)5.4%
Ivanti Secure Access Client (ISAC)1.7%
Other92.9%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Thatchapon Wongsri - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer Specialist at Zenith Comp Co.,Ltd.
Smooth integration enhances user experience and boosts productivity
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is sufficient now after the update to version five or later, and I believe there's nothing to improve. I would prefer the cost to be reduced by about 20% because the vendor increases the price every year, so if they increase it, they should add more features.
Kaushlendra Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager - IT Infrastructure and Network at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Integrates well, highly reliable, but lacking reporting
Pulse Client is used as a client VPN or an SSL VPN The most valuable feature of Pulse Client is integration with Google authenticator for two-factor authentication. Pulse Client could improve the reports. The reports are not in PDF and we can't check the details in the reports of users who are…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is a secure product that has had zero stability issues since I started using it in 2019."
"AnyConnect SMC's best features are that it's secure and connects seamlessly to clients' networks."
"This is absolutely a product that I can recommend."
"The product is easy to use."
"Given that we work from home, the value of the solution is the ability to connect to the VPN remotely."
"Advanced malware protection helps us to prevent any virus from contaminating computers. We also have DLP for prevention. And AnyConnect has a feature that lets us do some sandboxing to evaluate files that arrive from the outside. So before opening them, we can check them with the sandbox."
"The installation process is not difficult."
"You don't have to think about it very much. It just works."
"Pulse Client is a very good solution; it is very easy to manage, and very stable."
"The scalability of Pulse Client is good."
"It also provides an auto-connect feature. When you turn on your laptop and put it on auto-connect, it automatically connects."
"The most valuable feature of Pulse Client is integration with Google authenticator for two-factor authentication."
 

Cons

"Sometimes when you disconnect or switch from one wireless network to another, it's necessary to re-login."
"If user authentication has already been done on a device, maybe there could be connectivity directly without needing to log in each time I access the service."
"The notifications need to be improved. If the VPN is disconnected for a long period of time, they should push out notifications. We need to manually check if the VPN is connected or not. Sometimes it automatically disconnects, but the user doesn't get notifications, and we need to troubleshoot or open the client to manually reconnect. Auto-reconnection would be an improvement."
"There are times the WiFi connectivity has disruptions and you have disconnections."
"Every time you need to key in the credentials, it'll generate an OTP, and you need to check the OTP and need to key in the OTP."
"The hotspots give me connectivity issues occasionally. It could be easier to use if it allowed me to choose the hotspot."
"We'd like the product to be cheaper."
"The various licensing options make it challenging to manage, and the cost is a significant issue for customers."
"Pulse Client could improve the reports. The reports are not in PDF and we can't check the details in the reports of users who are using the VPNs."
"Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ."
"Pulse Client could improve the system tokens for authentication."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"My company has a three-year or a four-year license. In scenarios attached to a solution where the product may be reaching an end-of-support or end-of-life phase, Cisco provides OS support in such environments."
"We pay for an annual subscription. Additionally to the subscription, we thought in order to connect this solution to the Active Directory we had to purchase a Cisco ACS, Access Control System. It turns out we did not actually need it."
"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."
"Sometimes there is a problem with the number of licenses for the end-user. The number of concurrent users is limited due to a valid license."
"We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight."
"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"The price is okay."
"Pulse Client has two types of licenses. One is subsistence-based and the second is perpetual-based. The license cost is good, it is not very costly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Construction Company
6%
Performing Arts
14%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise49
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is somewhat expensive compared to others such as Fortinet or Palo Alto, which provide free VPN when the firewall is purchased. Palo Alto and Fortinet prov...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
There are no features that I wish Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) had that it does not currently provide. If I could change one thing about it, I would have no changes to suggest.
What is your primary use case for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
I primarily use Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) for VPN connections and network-related activities. We have Cisco APIs and Cisco VPN that serve as the foundation for our operations. As a...
Ask a question
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Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
Pulse Client
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. Ivanti Secure Access Client (ISAC) and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
903,996 professionals have used our research since 2012.