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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs SonicWall SMA 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 Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in SSL VPN
3rd
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
ZTNA as a Service (12th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
SonicWall SMA
Ranking in SSL VPN
6th
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 8.7%, down from 15.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 6.8%, up from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)8.7%
SonicWall SMA6.8%
Other84.5%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

AS
Manager - Projects at airtel
Offers work-from-anywhere flexibility but navigates occasional proxy confusion
The analytics I downloaded from your site as a free download did not carry the information that was actually required. I was looking at the market segmentation and market share, along with some USPs which differentiated them from each other. The free download had two issues: many things were repetitive, and it was designed to not release any relevant information. Only headers were present, so I was not able to determine whether the final report would be worthwhile. I have not worked with enterprise tools that I could share feedback on for website publication. I see benefits from using Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect). However, I would not recommend it because future adoptions will be towards Zscaler, as SSC is a better model than VPN. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 7.
BA
Owner at ThinkEzIT
Security enhances through autonomous protection and strong support while multi-factor authentication secures access
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, as I haven't been looking at what they're releasing. We're a small shop, so we drop stuff in and manage it and do what we need to do to maintain it. If we run into an issue, we contact support. There's a learning curve, but it comes down to getting support to train you on the product, and then once you have the training you need, you're able to make the changes and updates that you need to.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most useful feature of Cisco Secure Client is the capability for any kind of VPN, facilitating remote connections in the network."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"My advice to those considering the product is to just do it because the solution is very good, very scalable, and very easy to maintain."
"It is a reliable solution, and the users face no problems or errors."
"AnyConnect is more stable than any other VPN connection, in my experience."
"It works for millions of people, so it will work for you."
"We use the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for all the enterprise VPNs, and our system is primarily based on a VPN with three-factor authentication to log into the applications that we work on for development."
"Cisco Secure Network Analytics has impacted our organization by securing each endpoint device properly through VPN usage, enabling us to understand what end users are using and what they are trying to access, and filling the gap between the monitoring and management side by allowing us to check end user activity clearly from the Cisco Secure Network Analytics console."
"The advanced threat protection and the endpoint control features of SonicWall SMA have helped improve security measures tremendously."
"The product is extremely flexible, the program is easy to use, the performance is good, and the solution is very stable."
"The solution is reliable and has good overall performance."
"I like the load balancing capability, it is very fast and it has a simple interface."
"Secure remote access is now available from home offices."
"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."
"I am very satisfied with the technical support."
"My advice to others is this solution is reliable, feature-rich, and reasonable-priced."
 

Cons

"Improvements could be made in terms of pricing and ease of setup."
"Cisco Secure Client is quite solid, but the license terms are complex and could be improved."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client could improve by optimizing the use of the system resources, it is heavy on the resources. Additionally, there could be more transparency."
"We have faced some connectivity issues."
"The security of the product has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The GUI really needs to be upgraded."
"The company should try to catch up with their competitors like Palo Alto and Check Point, because they're falling behind."
"I haven't found there are any shortcomings in the product. For how I use it, it works well."
"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."
"The user interface could be improved."
"The pricing for the solution could be a lot less."
"The problem is that when combined with what the client already has, there are two different logins and two different management systems, and these should be consolidated into a single interface."
"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is okay."
"One thing I've noticed is the price in comparison to other VPNs."
"The solution is based on an annual licensing model and is expensive."
"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."
"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."
"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"I don't know about the pricing of the SSL-VPN box. I know the SSL-VPN software is free. Global VPN client, by comparison, is licensed for around $150 or something like that. But the SSL-VPN software is free. It is already built-in with the box."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Construction Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise49
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
 

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...
What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, a...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall SMA?
I have experience with the SonicWall SMA; we have rolled it back into our stack. We use SonicWall SMA for all of our clients that need VPNs, including doctor's offices and lawyer offices. Our clien...
 

Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.