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SonicWall SMA vs Symantec VIP Access Manager comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (6th), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (15th)
Symantec VIP Access Manager
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Authentication Systems (16th), Access Management (31st)
 

Mindshare comparison

SonicWall SMA and Symantec VIP Access Manager aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. SonicWall SMA is designed for Universal Access Gateways and holds a mindshare of 37.9%, down 47.7% compared to last year.
Symantec VIP Access Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Authentication Systems, holds 2.0% mindshare, up 1.7% since last year.
Universal Access Gateways Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SonicWall SMA37.9%
Citrix Gateway38.7%
Other23.400000000000006%
Universal Access Gateways
Authentication Systems Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Symantec VIP Access Manager2.0%
Microsoft Entra ID5.6%
Okta Platform4.5%
Other87.9%
Authentication Systems
 

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.
Berk Onur - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Consultant at Cyberwise
With its mobile application, this tool offers a convenient and user-friendly experience to its users
To improve the tool, I think that the solution should consider integrations with other cybersecurity and IT technologies, such as Privileged Access Management and Site Integration. Additionally, the implementation of second-factor authentication via Symantec VIP Access Manager, CyberArk, and Delinea, among other technologies, could be best for the product. While the existing technology is okay, improving the integration capabilities for Symantec VIP Access Manager would benefit the product. I would like to see the solution meet the integration needs at our company. While many cybersecurity solutions can function independently, they often lack integration with our systems due to missed integration points. Improving the solution's integration feature would be beneficial.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is faster than other security options when using remote connections."
"I am very satisfied with the technical support."
"These are very nice appliances and they give us all that we need for our work in the hospital."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is they have IT consultants that know SonicWall."
"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."
"My advice to others is this solution is reliable, feature-rich, and reasonable-priced."
"What I like best about SonicWall SMA is the relationship between its features and its price, because the solution is both affordable and functional."
"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."
"Mostly from a product expert's point of view, it provides solutions for my clients."
"It offers more platform support, like Apple, Android, and Microsoft."
"The tool has been very stable, in my experience. Also, I haven't faced any issues or problems with integration or connectivity."
"The two-factor authentication is most definitely valuable and moves us closer to being able to check off those important boxes for compliance."
"VIP is a strong, cloud-based authentication service that enables organizations to secure access to networks and applications to prevent unauthorized logins to company resources, even when passwords have been compromised or shared."
"In this version 9.1, lots of changes are done for the dashboard, User Store etc."
"The main benefit of Symantec VIP is that it provides strong authentication while keeping it as a very user friendly experience."
"The VPN we are using is good and working quite well."
 

Cons

"The user interface could be improved."
"This is an expensive solution and I think that the price could be improved."
"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"The problem is that when combined with what the client already has, there are two different logins and two different management systems, and these should be consolidated into a single interface."
"There are some features that are available on Palo Alto or Cisco that don't exist. The solution could integrate better with other platforms."
"The pricing for the solution could be a lot less."
"There are some shortcomings on the reporting side, such as how many connections you can get per month."
"In the next release, I would like the ability to work offline with remote access."
"The reporting on the VIP Manager is not correct."
"Every time that I have a new phone or computer, it takes a little longer to deploy it."
"The User Store synchronization part needs to improve. Also, the logs, reports, and dashboard can be improved."
"If they had dashboards or a report for managers or executives, then it would allow them to see the status and have it make sense to them."
"At times, the relay server could not contact Symantec; it would fail open and allow access without a passcode."
"The VIP Manager can be accessed from the outside which is a security vulnerability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"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."
"Licensing and pricing seems very fair."
"There is a one-time setup fee plus the licenses are provided as per the number of users. For SMS and voice calls, the costs are separate."
"There are additional costs for maintenance."
"I can say that the solution is worth the money."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Construction Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

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 is your primary use case for SonicWall SMA?
I have experience with the SonicWall SMA; we have rolled it back into our stack. We use SonicWall SMA for all of our clients that need VPNs, including doctor's offices and lawyer offices. Our clien...
Ask a question
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Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Maine Medical Center, Aria S.p.A
Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix, SonicWall and others in Universal Access Gateways. Updated: September 2026.
914,938 professionals have used our research since 2012.