NordLayer vs SonicWall SMA comparison

Nord Security and SonicWall are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Nord Security is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.0, while SonicWall is ranked #18 with an average rating of 10.0. Nord Security holds a 1.2% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall’s 1.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Nord Security users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

NordLayer

Read 1 NordLayer review

612 Views
337 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SonicWall SMA

Read 14 SonicWall SMA reviews

770 Views
156 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

NordLayer

SonicWall SMA

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between NordLayer and SonicWall SMA based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, OpenVPN, Cisco and others in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN.

To learn more, read our detailed Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Report (Updated: May 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

May 2025

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Helped 856,278 peers since 2012

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

NordLayer

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

23rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (28th), Network Access Control (NAC) (15th), Internet Security (12th), ZTNA as a Service (20th), ZTNA (16th), Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) (14th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (22nd)

SonicWall SMA

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

18th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of NordLayer is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Christophe Derdeyn

Partner delaware Singapore at delaware Singapore

A convenient and easy tool with an incredibly high number of dialing points

The solution is convenient and easy. It has an incredibly high number of dialing points for pretty much every single country in the world. It has a few additional security features. It has a function that prevents unsecured access if my connection were to drop for any reason. It’s something I like. It has threat protection features. It can protect my web connection and files against malicious downloads and trackers.

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Maheshbabu T

Project Manager at CGG

It allows us to provide CML-based access to any user, but the reporting could be better

I rate SonicWall SMA seven out of 10. If you're planning to implement this solution, I suggest checking the version to ensure it's compatible with your other technology. I say go for it if it's suitable for your use case. Multifactor authentication technologies are built into the product, whereas some products lack multifactor authentication. We need only one or two. They provide authentication, gateway integration, OTP integration, etc.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is convenient and easy."

"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."

"I am very satisfied with the technical support."

"It is faster than other security options when using remote connections."

"The performance is good."

"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."

"The solution is reliable and has good overall performance."

"I think they ask for a fair price."

"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."

More SonicWall SMA pros

Cons

"The tool is not perfectly stable."

"The product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."

"The solution could integrate better with other platforms."

"SonicWall's reporting isn't good. Reports should be part of a data plan. The login mechanism should be improved. It would be helpful if the client could use an agent to log in. An agent-server model would improve the performance of the RDB, which consumes a lot of bandwidth."

"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."

"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."

"User interface could be improved."

"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers. Normally enterprises and SMBs can create a ticket, but for enterprises, SonicWall SMA needs to provide a global view, and this is what's currently missing. It's not even a question of timing. It's a question of the global vision because currently, it's lacking. They concentrate on the topic, but not on the means and not on the global picture. In most cases, there's something wrong with the integration of SonicWall SMA with other products, so that could also be improved."

"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."

More SonicWall SMA cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The platform has medium pricing."

"All the costs are included in a bundled license."

"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."

"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."

"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."

"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

31%

Comms Service Provider

Legal Firm

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

18%

Construction Company

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about NordLayer?

The solution is convenient and easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NordLayer?

It is a paid solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NordLayer?

The tool is not perfectly stable.

See all answers

What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?

Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall SMA?

The platform has medium pricing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?

Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface.

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs NordLayer

Compared 38% of the time

Tailscale vs NordLayer

Compared 17% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs NordLayer

Compared 12% of the time

Cloudflare One vs NordLayer

Compared 10% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs NordLayer

Compared 9% of the time

More NordLayer Competitors

Peplink SpeedFusion vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 21% of the time

SonicWall Netextender vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 17% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 15% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 12% of the time

More SonicWall SMA Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

May 2025

Download NordLayer product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall SMA

May 2025

Download SonicWall SMA product report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access

Overview

NordLayer, developed by the high standards of NordVPN, offers flexible and easy-to-implement cybersecurity tools for companies of any size or work model.

It safeguards Wi-Fi access, masks IP addresses, and prevents cyber threats.

Beyond that, NordLayer enables network and resource access management with segmentation, remote device connection, and remote access to hybrid resources.

Additionally, NordLayer aids with compliance, providing you with VPN monitoring, network device overview, identity and access management, and data encryption.

NordLayer is a modern, secure remote access solution ready to be your Security Service Edge (SSE) vendor.

Nord Security

SonicWall SMA is a unified secure access gateway that enables organizations to provide anytime, anywhere and any device access to mission critical corporate resources. SMA's granular access control policy engine, context aware device authorization, application level VPN and advanced authentication with single sign-on empowers organizations to embrace BYOD and mobility in a hybrid IT environment.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

Hostinger, Shutterstock, USMobile, Soundcloud, Calendly, whatagraph.

UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

May 2025

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