Cisco Umbrella vs GoodAccess comparison

Cisco and GoodAccess are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.2, while GoodAccess is ranked #21 with an average rating of 9.5. Cisco holds a 15.1% mindshare in WSG, compared to GoodAccess’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of GoodAccess users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Cisco Umbrella and GoodAccess compete in the network security and VPN market. Cisco Umbrella holds an edge with its robust security layers and SecureX integration, while GoodAccess is favored for its user-friendly interface and strong point-to-point security capabilities.

Features: Cisco Umbrella offers comprehensive DNS-based attack protection, granular web filtering, and cloud-based deployment. It integrates well with Cisco SecureX, enhancing threat visibility and response. GoodAccess provides strong point-to-point security through dedicated IPs, seamless cloud connector integration, and OpenVPN support, facilitating easy communication within private networks.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Umbrella could enhance user-specific policy management, integrate deeper with SIEM tools, and improve reporting analytics. Better malware protection is also needed. GoodAccess could benefit from interface enhancements, more detailed threat detection, and improved app stability, according to user feedback.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Umbrella is praised for its straightforward deployment in various cloud environments and excellent customer support, despite needing faster ticket responses. GoodAccess is recognized for its simple setup, competitive pricing, and robust support, especially for AD synchronization, although direct communication for license purchasing could be improved.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Umbrella, while considered high in price, offers significant ROI by reducing firewall costs and streamlining security management. Its pricing models cater to different organizations but can be complex. GoodAccess provides flexible and economically priced plans, delivering ROI through enhanced network security and productivity. It emphasizes cost-effective licensing customization for varied team sizes.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Umbrella vs. GoodAccess Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella vs. GoodAccess

December 2025

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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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.4%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Umbrella is 15.1%, down from 19.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GoodAccess is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Umbrella	15.1%
iboss	2.4%
GoodAccess	0.3%
Other	82.2%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

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Emilio Montoya

CTO at PROA

Ensures internet navigation safety and boosts productivity

The features of Cisco Umbrella I prefer most are DNS protection and traffic redirect. With Cisco Talos's threat intelligence, we reduce the impact of malware traffic in our network, and we currently see the behavior of equipment and choose the correct sites. Cisco Talos has helped us reduce the impact of malware traffic. We can see the behavior and choose the correct sites. We're currently testing secure access with Umbrella in order to secure access to core applications. It's a product that the user doesn't even know is there, even though it is protecting them. It's not hard on the equipment. And, for us, it centralizes everything, which improves productivity. With the Experience Insights feature of Cisco Secure Access, we've seen impacts on the management of user connectivity by allowing us to deliver safe connectivity. We are testing the Secure Access product with Cisco Umbrella to improve our connectivity with our users in order to secure access to the corporate applications. Cisco Umbrella is in the cloud, which is nice.

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Gytenis Borusas

Director, Information Technology at Veriheal

Limits outside access and secures internal systems through straightforward setup

The best features GoodAccess offers are that it is very simple to use for users and very simple to set up for administrators.When I say it is simple to set up, I mean it has a simple interface with not many options to explore, and it is very straightforward.GoodAccess has positively impacted my organization as we have fewer IPs to whitelist and limited access for anybody outside of our organization into our internal systems.This has definitely increased security, but I do not have a measurable number to indicate how much it improved in percentage or absolute terms.

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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

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."

"Valuable features: Within the filter: Controls (Web categories, applications, and Allow/Block list) and Network (local Subnets). Within the reporter: Logs (Event Log) and Reports."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

"The console is cloud-based, which is something I really appreciate."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."

More iboss pros

"The feature that we find most valuable is to be able to filter out those web requests that you don't want."

"I have found the malware protection feature valuable. It is helpful and deliverable and is able to protect my entire organization from getting compromised. It also prevents us from visiting any malicious sites which are not visible to the users."

"Using this solution has meant that we've needed to make fewer firewall changes."

"The most valuable feature is that it secures our network against blacklisted or malicious websites."

"The weekly reportings are great. The investigation is super and the application management is equally great."

"The most valuable features are the dashboard, visibility, and reporting capabilities. Our customers can see how much Umbrella is protecting their organization. If you don't know what you've got, you can't protect it. With Umbrella, you get the visibility and see the protection that it's providing. We can get PDF reports on a weekly basis of any malware activities and any denial of service or command-and-control-type activities."

"The single-pane-of-glass management is really important. In today's era, administration costs and operational expenses will cost you a lot, and it reduces that as well. You don't need extra resources to manage all your parameter firewalls, looking at every single device to allow resources internal access. By just introducing the single-pane-of-glass management, it has lifted the burden off of management, especially the network management."

"Cisco is a very efficient and on-point solution that controls the whole network and settings on one page. We can monitor the entire network."

More Cisco Umbrella pros

"Their user interface is intuitive as it is easy to navigate."

"Access control allows us to manage permissions efficiently, ensuring secure and tailored access."

"It has become an integral part of our remote work toolkit, as it enables us to overcome USA IP restrictions, ensuring our global teams can collaborate effectively."

"GoodAccess was the only hosted VPN solution we found for a reasonable cost that allowed us to establish a site-to-site VPN network for hundreds of locations across the country."

"The speed of the connections is excellent. We have two gateways set up, one for the East Coast US and one for West Coast. Both have excellent speed and the GoodAccess team allowed us to test several gateways to determine which worked best for us prior to locking in the gateways."

"This simple, stable, affordable VPN solution scaled with us over the first year of use, allowing for an expansion of remote/hybrid workers to remotely access key systems otherwise restricted to our internal office network."

"The best features GoodAccess offers are that it is very simple to use for users and very simple to set up for administrators."

"The VPN's role in facilitating remote work has improved internal efficiency."

More GoodAccess pros

Cons

"File integrity monitoring would be very advantageous as an additional feature."

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"If they could implement an extra security layer preventing access to iboss from the open internet, it would be great."

"Its pricing could be better."

"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

More iboss cons

"The product can be pretty expensive."

"The locks and management could be better. The product is fairly new, and it may take some time to get all the features up and running."

"It would be good if the more complex versions of Umbrella are simplified so that we can offer them in a more standardized way. We, as a telco, do not operate the same as a traditional integration partner would, who can sell all its services. We try to have a standardized approach as much as we can so that we can sell the solution with as many services added to it as possible. If you look at the structure of businesses in Switzerland, 95% of them have 10 persons or less, and they do not have a security specialist. Therefore, the higher the automated and standardized features, the better it is for them."

"I'm hoping for the conversion of Cisco ZTNA's features from Duo to Umbrella."

"One of the issues with Umbrella is as you get into endpoint detection and response, such as EDR point solutions, some of them will not integrate well with Umbrella. Sometimes when you want to use technology, such as Always On VPN, it will not work. There are some looming issues as one type of technology starts to crossover with Umbrella. That is the challenge and Umbrella should find a way to be more compatible with some of the endpoint response solutions that are coming out on the market."

"I would like them to make some videos, practical videos, the kind with steps that people can use to learn and deploy"

"It is a value for money product for sure. However, it does not have that kind of awareness plus brand within the customer, as they are influenced more by brands such as Palo Alto or Fortinet."

"There should be a way to monitor traffic at the user level."

More Cisco Umbrella cons

"The interface information could show more information about how threats have occurred. Right now, it only shows basic threat information."

"Enhancing the user interface and experience could make it more intuitive for all users."

"Adding one user at a time to the package as compared to blocks of five would be helpful. Currently, we end up with empty seats on our plans."

"The price tier is not suited for small teams."

"Currently, the pricing structure is functional yet could benefit from more refined scalability calculations."

"The product could improve by extending its chat support beyond 8-5 CET, Monday to Friday, to a 24/7 service for better accessibility and immediate assistance."

"It is worth mentioning that we do experience disconnects on rare occasions."

"There could be a better view of which type of communication is going through the system."

More GoodAccess cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"You can request an evaluation license."

"Cisco should make the solution cheaper."

"Licensing with Cisco can be a little complex, but I think it's comparable with that of other similar products. It's always hard to put a price on security, but the price is fair for the value it provides."

"In the region I'm from, that of EMAR, Europe, the Middle East, Eastern Asia and Africa, our organizations do not have many liquid cash assets, so the price could be better."

"It was a little bit expensive on a per seat basis, but the company I was running was only a midsize Australian company, and it was a reasonable budget per computer for that system. It started off being a free product, and then Cisco bought it, and it went to a reasonable price. I was using Cisco AMP as well. So, my per computer cost was reasonably high, but for a small company, it was within an acceptable level."

"Our licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"Its price for us is quite expensive because it's a subscription, and we just use it for the DNS log. So, for us, it's quite expensive."

"Its value exceeds its pricing."

More Cisco Umbrella pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	49
Midsize Enterprise	30
Large Enterprise	51

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

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What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

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Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Zscaler?

Cisco Umbrella and Zscaler Internet Access are two broad-spectrum Internet security solutions that I have tried. Zs...

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Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Microsoft Cloud App Security?

Cisco Umbrella is an integral component of the Cisco SASE architecture. It integrates security in a single, cloud-nat...

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What do you like most about Cisco Umbrella?

Cisco Umbrella is easy to monitor, manage, and deploy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GoodAccess?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is straightforward; my colleague handled it, but the pricing is...

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What needs improvement with GoodAccess?

GoodAccess can be improved by providing more editable options on the admin side.I would like to see more options and ...

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What is your primary use case for GoodAccess?

My main use case for GoodAccess is to limit outside IPs, so we whitelist only one IP.I use GoodAccess for all our int...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 13% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

FortiSASE vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs iboss

Compared 6% of the time

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Zscaler Internet Access vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Access vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 9% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 5% of the time

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Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs GoodAccess

Compared 100% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

Download iboss product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella

January 2026

Download Cisco Umbrella product report

Buyer's Guide

GoodAccess

January 2026

Download GoodAccess product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

OpenDNS

No data available

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

Cisco Umbrella provides fast-deploying DNS-layer security with powerful threat protection capabilities. Trusted by over 30,000 entities, it ranks highly in DNS security and effectively supports secure remote work environments.

Cisco Umbrella offers comprehensive DNS security, web filtering, and ease of use, enhancing network security through robust threat protection and malware prevention. It processes over 600 billion requests daily, making it a leader in its field. The seamless integration with existing infrastructures and cloud-based nature makes it suitable for remote and distributed work environments, ensuring consistent security throughout. Management is streamlined with a single-pane interface that simplifies administration, while in-depth reporting capabilities provide valuable insights for continuous monitoring.

What are the key features of Cisco Umbrella?

DNS Security: Provides leading protection by managing DNS queries and blocking malicious sites.
Web Filtering: Offers granular control over web content to safeguard internet usage.
Ease of Integration: Fits well into existing infrastructures, simplifying deployment and use.
Intuitive Management: Single-pane management streamlines administration and enhances usability.
Cloud-Based Flexibility: Supports secure remote work environments.

What benefits can users expect from using Cisco Umbrella?

Superior Threat Protection: Reduces risk by effectively detecting and preventing cyber threats.
Consistent Security: Provides uniform protection across network environments.
Efficiency and Visibility: Leverages comprehensive reporting for better security insights.
Easy Deployment: Quick and straightforward setup with minimal disruption.

Cisco Umbrella is widely adopted in industries requiring advanced DNS-level security to counteract malware, phishing, and cyber threats. Its ability to monitor and protect remote and roaming employees makes it an attractive option for sectors highly dependent on cloud services. By managing DNS queries and blocking harmful sites, Cisco Umbrella enhances cybersecurity across networks, providing an added layer of protection for businesses worldwide.

Cisco

GoodAccess is a cybersecurity platform designed for medium-sized enterprises to implement Zero Trust Architecture efficiently, offering a rapid, hardware-free deployment that integrates smoothly with existing infrastructures.

GoodAccess provides organizations a powerful means to secure their networks through a scalable zero-trust cybersecurity platform. It supports remote and hybrid work environments by protecting critical assets and enabling seamless connectivity. This platform ensures robust security, facilitating compliance with the latest standards while integrating with SaaS and legacy systems. Businesses with 50 to 5000 employees across several industries benefit from its advanced capabilities, which include device security, multi-factor authentication, and identity-based access control.

What are the key features of GoodAccess?

Remote Access and BYOD: Ensures device security through inventory checks.
Multi-factor Authentication: Provides unified MFA for all critical systems.
Identity-Based Access Control: Enables zero-trust access control by identity.
Network Encryption and Segmentation: Reduces attack surface via granular segmentation.
Full Control and Visibility: Integrates with SIEM for comprehensive security logs.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Easy Integration: Seamless with existing systems, enhancing operational efficiency.
Rapid Deployment: Quickly deploys, improving time to protection.
Improved Security: Superior security with high-speed, flexible remote access.
Cost-Effectiveness: Provides robust protection at a manageable cost.
Comprehensive Support: Reliable service supporting diverse environments.

GoodAccess is widely implemented across industries needing secure, adaptable connectivity. It is ideal for sectors prioritizing remote and hybrid workforces, like tech and professional services, ensuring seamless access and compliance with complex regulatory requirements. Companies benefit from its application in controlling geolocation requirements, facilitating secure video conferencing, and ensuring high-speed access regardless of location.

GoodAccess

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Chart Industries, City of Aspen, Eastern Mountain Sports, FLEXcon, George Washington University, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Ohio Public Library Information Network, PTC, Richland Community College, Smart Motors, Tulane University, VeriClaim

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella vs. GoodAccess

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Umbrella vs. GoodAccess

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