Ivanti Secure Access vs SonicWall Netextender comparison

Ivanti and SonicWall are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Ivanti is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0, while SonicWall is ranked #11 with an average rating of 9.0. Ivanti holds a 1.7% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Ivanti users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 70% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Ivanti Secure Access

Read 3 Ivanti Secure Access reviews

1,318 Views
1,305 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SonicWall Netextender

Read 14 SonicWall Netextender reviews

2,605 Views
2,605 Comparison Views

70% willing to recommend

Ivanti Secure Access

SonicWall Netextender

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Ivanti Secure Access and SonicWall Netextender are both notable products in the realm of secure remote access solutions. Ivanti Secure Access appears to have the upper hand with its robust security features, while SonicWall Netextender excels in ease of use and deployment.

Features: Ivanti Secure Access offers advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication, and endpoint compliance checks. SonicWall Netextender provides efficient connectivity, simple setup, and reliable integration capabilities. Ivanti Secure Access is ideal for handling complex network environments with high security standards. SonicWall Netextender is appreciated for user-friendliness, ensuring secure and stable remote access with minimal setup.

Room for Improvement: Ivanti Secure Access users seek an improved management console, better customer support responsiveness, and more frequent updates. SonicWall Netextender users report occasional connection issues, and suggest enhanced logging and reporting features. Ivanti's main challenge is improving support, while SonicWall needs to enhance connection reliability and reporting capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ivanti Secure Access offers a flexible deployment model but comes with a steep learning curve. Customer service is often criticized for being unresponsive and not knowledgeable enough. SonicWall Netextender has straightforward deployment and reliable customer service, making it easier to deploy and manage for most users.

Pricing and ROI: Ivanti Secure Access has higher setup costs but delivers substantial ROI due to its strong security benefits. SonicWall Netextender is recognized for its cost-effectiveness, providing value despite a simpler feature set. Users find Ivanti’s higher initial cost justified by advanced features, while SonicWall is preferred for affordability in less complex environments.

To learn more, read our detailed Ivanti Secure Access vs. SonicWall Netextender Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Secure Access vs. SonicWall Netextender

April 2026

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Helped 890,088 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

Ivanti Secure Access

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

20th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall Netextender

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

11th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Ivanti Secure Access is 1.7%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Netextender is 2.9%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SonicWall Netextender	2.9%
Ivanti Secure Access	1.7%
Other	95.4%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

BabarShahbaz

Saleas Lead at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

A cloud solution to access the corporate network with BYOD policy

Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ. Ivanti Secure Access offers granular control over network access, allowing for on-demand VPN connections when accessing corporate resources. This means users may not need to initiate a VPN connection manually but can access resources seamlessly when accessing corporate websites or applications. This granular feature helps enhance security and user experience by providing secure access only when needed.

Read full review

Rich Darress

Chief Operating Officer at Darress Tech

Has provided secure remote access to multiple client networks with consistent performance

When buying the appliance itself, there is one downside that isn't exclusive to SonicWall. When you apply all the security settings, many people have one gig connections for internet ISP. If you're bringing in a one gig connection, you have to have a more robust SonicWall to handle that throughput with all your security settings turned on. It gets pretty pricey upfront if you're bringing in a one gig connection. If the customer starts with a two, three, four, or 500 meg connection and has a small unit, they have to replace the whole box when upgrading to a gig, so scalability there is atrocious. However, this issue exists with pretty much any appliance.

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 scalability of Pulse Client is good."

"Pulse Client is a very good solution; it is very easy to manage, and very stable."

"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."

"The scalability of Pulse Client is good."

"The most valuable feature for the Netextender is the ease with which we can integrate it with SAML."

"NetExtender works very well; I have never had an issue with it, and it has been working well for me."

"When we started to change from IPsec-type clients that were predominantly built right into the firewalls to this approach or deployment style for SSL VPN, the amount of time that our techs spent helping people with VPN issues was probably cut by more than half."

"The initial setup is pretty easy."

"Productivity for my remote workers went up dramatically once we switched providers."

"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"The best features of the SonicWall Netextender were its ease of use."

"The product has two-factor authentication."

More SonicWall Netextender pros

Cons

"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 reports. The reports are not in PDF and we can't check the details in the reports of users who are using the VPNs."

"Pulse Client could improve the system tokens for authentication."

"The product does not work well."

"SonicWall can be difficult for some people, but I don't find it difficult. Some companies provide a VPN client for free, but you have to pay for NetExtender."

"In future releases, introductions of AI features would be really helpful."

"If the customer starts with a two, three, four, or 500 meg connection and has a small unit, they have to replace the whole box when upgrading to a gig, so scalability there is atrocious."

"They need to rewrite the software to make it a usable product."

"NetExtender did nothing to improve my organization - in fact, it was quite the opposite. Users constantly complained of lag and unbearable sluggishness (with a max speed of 10-30kbps) through the VPN, even though we have relatively high bandwidth for a small office (400mbps)."

"There must be a multi-factor authentication enabled or integrated by default with it in order to be integrated with NetExtender."

"Right now, you have to load each license on to an appliance. You can't pool across multiple appliances."

More SonicWall Netextender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"You have to pay for its license. There are some other companies that provide a VPN client for free. When you buy NetExtender, its license is available for one, three, or five years."

"The solution is cheap itself, not too costly."

"Compared to others, it is cheaper. When we compare it with Palo Alto, Check Point, or Fortinet, it is a little cheaper."

"The solution has a pretty good price."

"Cost wise, it would be a few hundred dollars for the base appliance with the first five clients. Then from there, your cost per seat depends on how many you're getting. It's a one-time cost, and then you have a few hundred dollars a year for the maintenance contract once you get the one-time seat costs out of the way."

"The price of SonicWall Netextender is reasonable. Whether it's a small shop with only five users or a larger operation with 130 users, we have received no complaints or objections regarding cost from any of the clients we are looking to deploy it with."

"After a certain number of users, you require extra licensing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Performing Arts

15%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Pulse Client?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Pulse Client?

We use the solution to access the corporate network.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Pulse Client?

The tool is a preferred option for making the tunnel from these cloud VPNs. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

See all answers

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

The pricing for my experience with the setup cost and licensing of SonicWall Netextender is fair. The Netextender itself has no cost. It's the SSL licensing that is attached to the SonicWall. It us...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall Netextender?

SonicWall Netextender has not helped with compliance, as it is not applicable for what I'm doing. I've put several feature requests in over the years and they've implemented them all, so it current...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall Netextender?

Getting to local resources on a customer's network is my main use case with SonicWall Netextender or SonicWall SSL-VPN. As a managed service provider, all my customers have SonicWalls and I get int...

See all answers

Comparisons

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 18% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 11% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 11% of the time

Tailscale vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 10% of the time

AWS Direct Connect vs Ivanti Secure Access

Compared 5% of the time

More Ivanti Secure Access Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 26% of the time

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 10% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 8% of the time

More SonicWall Netextender Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

April 2026

Download Ivanti Secure Access product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Netextender

April 2026

Download SonicWall Netextender product report

Also Known As

Pulse Client

No data available

Overview

Ivanti Secure Access delivers efficient, secure, and seamless connectivity solutions for enterprises needing robust security features and flexible access control to ensure optimal network safety.

Ivanti Secure Access caters to businesses requiring a secure infrastructure for remote access, providing consistent and safe connectivity for users across multiple devices and locations. It is designed to accommodate demanding business environments, ensuring security without compromising user experience.

What are the key features of Ivanti Secure Access?

Flexible VPN Support: Offers robust VPN support, ensuring secure remote access for users.
Access Control: Implements granular access control settings to manage and restrict user access efficiently.
Endpoint Security: Provides endpoint security measures, protecting devices from unauthorized access and threats.
Scalability: Designed to scale according to enterprise demands, allowing seamless integration as businesses grow.

What benefits can users expect from Ivanti Secure Access?

Enhanced Security: Strengthens network defense against potential threats.
Operational Efficiency: Promotes increased productivity by ensuring reliable access.
Reduced Costs: Lowers operational costs through efficient resource management.

Industries such as healthcare, finance, and education often implement Ivanti Secure Access to safeguard sensitive data and ensure uninterrupted service delivery. Its ability to provide comprehensive security solutions while managing user traffic efficiently makes it valuable in any security-conscious industry.

Ivanti

SonicWall Netextender provides affordable and stable VPN connections with a focus on secure access through features like multifactor authentication and integration with Microsoft services, ensuring reliable remote connectivity.

SonicWall Netextender is a robust tool for managing VPN accounts securely while offering remote access integration with Microsoft solutions like Intune. It supports industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance, catering to remote work and hybrid arrangements. Its comprehensive documentation aids in efficient configuring and minimal latency, although it faces challenges with Mac OS support, outdated interfaces, and high bandwidth usage. Enhanced SaaS functionalities and improved support for AI features are sought after improvements.

What are SonicWall Netextender's key features?

Cost-effectiveness: Provides a budget-friendly solution for enterprise VPN connections.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing organizational needs.
SSL-VPN Encryption: Utilizes advanced encryption for data security.
Microsoft Integration: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Intune and Identity Management.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Remote Access Security: Maintains security with multifactor authentication.
Ease of Use: Detailed documentation facilitates easy setup and management.
High Availability: Supports stable connections with minimal downtime.
Efficiency: Helpful in managing VPN accounts and access control.

SonicWall Netextender is utilized in industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance to enable remote work and access to office resources. Its integration with Microsoft 365 supports file transfers and remote management of hybrid work environments, although some find it costly compared to free options.

SonicWall

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Secure Access vs. SonicWall Netextender

April 2026

Free Report: Ivanti Secure Access vs. SonicWall Netextender

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