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Aviatrix vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN comparison

 

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

Aviatrix
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined Networking (SDN) (4th)
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
97
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (6th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd), WAN Edge (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Aviatrix is designed for Software Defined Networking (SDN) and holds a mindshare of 4.6%, up 4.6% compared to last year.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, on the other hand, focuses on Network Management Applications, holds 2.8% mindshare, up 0.3% since last year.
Software Defined Networking (SDN) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aviatrix4.6%
Meraki SD-WAN18.8%
Cisco ACI13.0%
Other63.6%
Software Defined Networking (SDN)
Network Management Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN2.8%
Cisco DNA Center19.5%
Cisco Catalyst Center9.8%
Other67.9%
Network Management Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Govinda Mengji - PeerSpot reviewer
Has multiple capabilities which are not present in other products in the market
This tool resolves the overlapping of CIDR’s IP addresses in a multi-cloud environment, which is its best feature. The product also gives packet-level details on the data that has been put from one cloud to another. Currently, no other solution in the market can give this kind of detail. There is also the high VPN connectivity which gives high throughput. Internet service providers have a limitation on large migrations like 10 Gigabytes or 2 to 2.3 GBPS. However, this tool gives you a functionality where you can bundle multiple tunnels into one tunnel. Thereafter, you can transfer the data from one environment to another or from on-prem to the cloud.
Henry Rosenstiehl - PeerSpot reviewer
Comprehensive support and ease of implementation enhance operational efficiency
With Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, I have centralized orchestration and management. The transport independence of MPLS or connectivity and internet connectivity is another excellent feature. End-to-end segmentation is also provided. I use the application-aware routing feature. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports dynamic police-based routing decisions based on application type or different performance metrics such as jitter or latency. The benefit of that feature is that it improves user experience. The principal benefit of application-aware routing is that critical applications are prioritized or routed over the best performing paths to reduce outages and service degradation. There is full visibility of applications. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN has integrated security features which include base firewall, URL filtering, IPS, and secure segmentation, and it supports integration with other Cisco products such as Umbrella or Snort. This feature is beneficial for the client because the information is secure. It is important that Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN supports cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments for my organization because it allows for scalability and faster deployment in the cloud. It reduces operational needs because I don't need to manage physical controller hardware, and updates and maintenance can be centralized and automated. The zero-touch provisioning feature is very important for the speed of deploying new branch locations. I can deliver the device to the branch, and it is important because simplified deployment makes the implementation start more easily since devices are auto-configured and authenticate without manual intervention.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product has greatly improved our organization by saving costs for multiple direct connections and simpler cloud configurations."
"The most valuable feature of Aviatrix is that it saves us a lot of time."
"Within the Aviatrix ecosystem, you could connect different clouds, and the intricacies of low-level commands and configurations were abstracted away."
"Its exceptional capability to seamlessly integrate with various cloud services makes it the preferred choice for multi-cloud deployments."
"The connections are seamless, and we can access the static clouds on the platform itself. We are also able to trace the issues. The most valuable features of the solution are security, user interface, and performance."
"This tool resolves the overlapping of CIDR’s IP addresses in a multi-cloud environment, which is its best feature. The product also gives packet-level details on the data that has been put from one cloud to another. Currently, no other solution in the market can give this kind of detail. There is also the high VPN connectivity which gives high throughput. Internet service providers have a limitation on large migrations like 10 Gigabytes or 2 to 2.3 GBPS. However, this tool gives you a functionality where you can bundle multiple tunnels into one tunnel. Thereafter, you can transfer the data from one environment to another or from on-prem to the cloud."
"SD-WAN is very stable - once it's deployed, you can just forget about it, it runs by itself."
"The regular net routing is a good feature."
"With other routing protocols, we have had to send team members to perform installations and configurations. There is a lot of work involved. However with SD-WAN, once it is installed it is fully automated, and we can do all other tasks remotely. We don't have to send staff out to the client's location. It's very independent, and we can establish SD-WAN connectivity easily. It is secure as well."
"Installation is easy."
"I have found the solution's main features are its ability to be customized, network traffic classification, and has a wide range of features that can be set."
"From my observations, Cisco has been rolling out new features every other day, so I would say their speed of innovation is one of the most valuable aspects for me."
"It's a complete solution with many security features."
"I would consider Cisco support a 10 out of 10."
 

Cons

"There is room for improvement regarding enhancing its security features in response to modern cybersecurity challenges."
"The tool has a very limited local presence in the GCC market. I am based in Dubai, UAE and it would be very difficult for me to reach out to US staff for technical discussion during the tool’s implementation. The tool needs to focus on the GCC market which includes UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc. There is nobody to help you out in this region."
"There could be an easy availability of multiple features in the profile."
"The solution needs to improve the onboarding architecture."
"Aviatrix should include more integrated security features like intrusion detection and lateral movement detection."
"There can be a steep learning curve for users who are not familiar with it or multi-cloud networking concepts"
"The client portal needs to be improved in order to make the solution much better."
"The price could be better. From a technical side, and everything's working smoothly. Cisco SD-WAN could be cheaper."
"The product's application delivery feature needs improvement."
"The solution should be more user-friendly."
"When it comes to adding more security features, you need to add more RAM."
"Cisco's router and voice gateway has not been available since the launch of SD-WAN."
"The user interface needs to be more friendly."
"Cyber security should also be implemented in the solution, along with maybe implementation of AI/ML."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"During the initial phase, it operates as an open-source and it's a free tool."
"The tool is quite expensive."
"It operates on a consumption-based model and the expenses depend on factors such as the number of virtual machines you use and the resources consumed."
"Aviatrix is a pretty expensive solution."
"The initial cost is quite significant, but the investment is worthwhile."
"The license consists of an annual fee."
"The license model is too complex with too many flavors and options. You might not be able to see it from an end user's point of view, but from a telco point of view, their license model is too complex. They should have a flexible license model. If you want to have good pricing, you need to buy it for a two-year, four-year, or five-year license immediately. Some other vendors have much more flexible license models."
"It's costly. The cost is high compared to competitors."
"We can only buy three-year licenses, not monthly. The cost seems high for us, especially since we're in Vietnam, which isn't a rich country. But we still like the product because it is good."
"Cloud subscription management must be paid for, although this does not incur a perpetual fee."
"It is going to be on a yearly basis. There are no additional costs."
"I give the price a seven out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business44
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise43
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aviatrix?
The most valuable feature of Aviatrix is that it saves us a lot of time.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aviatrix?
The cost should be compared to the pricing of native services, which often include a data processing component.
What needs improvement with Aviatrix?
One area that could use improvement is IPv6 support.
What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The pricing of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is rated between eight and nine out of ten, where ten is the most expensive.
What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
Cisco can improve Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN by simplifying licensing and platform integration with other Cisco products such as Catalyst Center or solutions with Meraki. A license needs to be permanent...
 

Also Known As

Aviatrix Enterprise Contract
Cisco SD-WAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hyatt, Robert Half, GREE
Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, TP-Link, Aviatrix and others in Software Defined Networking (SDN). Updated: October 2025.
872,869 professionals have used our research since 2012.