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Cisco Web Security Appliance vs GoodAccess comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 2024

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
Sponsored
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Internet Security (3rd), Web Content Filtering (1st), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (7th), ZTNA as a Service (7th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (8th)
Cisco Web Security Appliance
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
17th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
GoodAccess
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
21st
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (19th), ZTNA (15th)
 

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 Web Security Appliance is 2.1%, down from 2.3% 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
ProductMarket Share (%)
iboss2.4%
Cisco Web Security Appliance2.1%
GoodAccess0.3%
Other95.2%
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851 - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Vusa Ndlovu - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Advanced protection features offer robust security while integration process presents challenges
With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAND and wireless policies. The challenge arises when traffic is blocked from either wireless or wired connections. Although implementing it as a standalone is quicker, integrating BYOD with Cisco I and FTB can be tiring. Once it is done correctly, the functionality and reports become valuable, although the implementation part can still be challenging.
Gytenis Borusas - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."
"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."
"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device. It operates on the network side and is not device-based. This feature was one of the main reasons why we stayed with them for so long."
"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."
"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."
"I would definitely recommend iboss for web filtering purposes to other organizations or individuals."
"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."
"We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times."
"The solution offers content filtering and micro-content controls, such as regulating the types of images and their resolution."
"This appliance gives me good visibility in the userbase and their activities."
"This solution offers categorization for YouTube and other specific applications from Facebook to WhatsApp, which can be controlled whether it's on mobile or PC."
"The product is stable."
"Cisco Web Security Appliance can integrate with Active Directory, enabling us to manage all the end-users within AD. It's helpful for setting rules based on individual users and groups. For example, you can configure policies for inbound and outbound traffic."
"Cisco is the best in giving technical support. There is no doubt about that."
"What we liked best about it was the ability to apply policy to either a user ID or an IP-based network."
"It's a scalable product."
"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."
"No extra hardware is needed, and it is very easy to set up"
"We love the simple interface and speed and reliability of the system."
"GoodAccess offers a very available professional support service - it can be via chat service, email, or phone."
"The dashboard is pretty sleek and complete."
"GoodAccess simplified our infrastructure and how we interact with clients."
"The most valuable aspects of the solution are the static IP and speed."
"The task of managing security and auditing for unauthorized entries has been substantially diminished."
 

Cons

"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."
"One thing I would like to see differently with their Zero Trust platform is that some of the AI aspects related to high-risk activities have more false positives."
"The reporting feature needs improvement. It doesn't give you the expected results. It is quite difficult to get the specific reports needed, and it is not as intuitive as the rest of the platform."
"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."
"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."
"The reporting feature needs improvement."
"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."
"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."
"This solution could be more secure."
"The support for this solution could be improved. We have experienced issues with their SMARTnet support system."
"With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAND and wireless policies."
"Cisco lacks a GUI-based troubleshooting feature compared to products by other vendors."
"The tool needs to improve cloud-based decryption."
"They need a better graphical interface, and they need a better ISE mechanism."
"There are certain shortcomings related to the product's management capabilities, where improvements are required. The solution needs to provide better management of the category of web pages."
"The tool needs to provide logs. They need to improve firewall threat defense."
"The interface could provide more extensive information regarding the occurrence of threats. Currently, it only displays rudimentary threat data."
"The price tier is not suited for small teams."
"I've found some bugs."
"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 interface information could show more information about how threats have occurred. Right now, it only shows basic threat information."
"The installable app's occasional bugs have caused disruptions for some users, impacting smooth usage."
"GoodAccess can be improved by providing more editable options on the admin side. I would like to see more options and more granular controls for users who know what they are doing as an administrator."
"Enhancing the user interface and experience could make it more intuitive for all users."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."
"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."
"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."
"This is an expensive solution."
"At the time, licensing fees were paid on an annual basis."
"I rate the product price a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"I know from the manager that the price is too high and that other solutions offer the same features for less."
"I rate Cisco WSA a seven out of ten since it is costly."
"There is a subscription-based license needed to use this solution."
"The pricing is too high."
"When you compare the price of this solution to the price of FortiGate, it's high."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Financial Services Firm
23%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?
For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...
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...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Web Security Appliance?
Comparing with other products, Cisco has more functionality, but pricing is a challenge. Cisco is not a product for s...
What needs improvement with Cisco Web Security Appliance?
With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAN...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Web Security Appliance?
The user interface that I usually provide for the web app includes malware protection, URL filtering, data loss preve...
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...
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 ...
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...
 

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform
Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security
No data available
 

Overview

 

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.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Caixa Seguradora
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. GoodAccess and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
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