Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

SonicWall SMA vs Surfshark One 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

SonicWall SMA
Ranking in SSL VPN
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (15th)
Surfshark One
Ranking in SSL VPN
10th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 7.0%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Surfshark One is 3.3%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SonicWall SMA7.0%
Surfshark One3.3%
Other89.7%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

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.
WK
Head of Information Security at K2 Baseline Sdn Bhd
Offers ease of use and has an initial setup phase that is straightforward
The tool's performance is quite good till now, so I have no complaints about it. The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements. This may be because some websites don't accept VPN connections from non-VPN servers, so sometimes, users are blocked from accessing certain sites.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Secure Mobile Access (SMA) is easy to configure and the deployment is straightforward. However, this is mostly because of the AWS setup."
"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."
"I think they ask for a fair price."
"I like the load balancing capability."
"It is faster than other security options when using remote connections."
"What I like best about SonicWall SMA is the relationship between its features and its price, because the solution is both affordable and functional."
"The solution is reliable and has good overall performance."
"SonicWall SMA has the most valuable feature of proprietary security technologies like Capture ATP."
"It did what I needed it to do. It was easy to use."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of use."
 

Cons

"The product's technical support services could be improved."
"The solution has 2FA, it will generate a token and send it to an email, but multifactor authentication is not available. I would suggest that there should be MFA integration and provided with the appliance."
"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."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."
"Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface."
"User interface could be improved."
"The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements."
"There is room for improvement in stability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"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."
"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."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"There is a need to pay towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is reasonably priced."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which SSL VPN solutions are best for your needs.
880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Retailer
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?
Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security.
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 do you like most about Surfshark One?
The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Surfshark One?
There is a need to pay towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product is reasonably priced.
What needs improvement with Surfshark One?
The tool's performance is quite good till now, so I have no complaints about it. The tool still blocks IP addresses for certain websites, making it an area of concern that requires improvements. Th...
 

Also Known As

SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about SonicWall SMA vs. Surfshark One and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.