Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Citrix are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Additionally, 93% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Citrix users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 12, 2025

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN compete in the SD-WAN market. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN has the upper hand due to its strong security features, integration capabilities, and centralized management.

Features: Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] includes CIFS and HDX WAN Optimization, load balancing, and easy customization. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers centralized management, robust application-aware routing, and comprehensive security features.

Room for Improvement: Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] faces challenges with licensing costs, system lifecycle communication, and technical support quality. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN has a complex pricing model and suggestions for better integration of security features without additional costs. Simplifying pricing and deployment processes is needed.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is mainly on-premises with variable technical support, often requiring escalations. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers diverse deployment models, including hybrid environments, but requires skilled resources for deployment. Customers value Cisco's documentation.

Pricing and ROI: Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is known for high initial costs with good ROI, especially replacing MPLS solutions. It has a perpetual licensing option. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is pricier with a subscription-based model, justifying costs with robust capabilities. Both solutions result in significant ROI and network cost savings.

To learn more, read our detailed Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions Report (Updated: October 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

October 2025

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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

Fortinet FortiGate

Q&A Highlights

Omkar Tomar

Assistant Vice President - IT at Au small finance bank

May 08, 2020

What is the biggest difference between Cisco SD-WAN and Citrix SD-WAN?

Cisco is a traditional networking play and has successfully transformed from pure hardware to now software defined products. Many network engineers already use the product and makes a lot of sense for a company with Cisco history to go towards Cisco just like a company which uses citrix desktops will go for the Citrix ADC. Therefore, configuration of Cisco, while not being difficult, is more "formatted" for Engineers who have used the solution and already have deep understanding of the protocols As a relatively new comer, Citrix seems to have put more effort to make the implementation process easier in terms of GUI Now, citrix has one fourth the market share of cisco and this is crucial in terms of competency - as it is 4 times easier to get Cisco competency However, in terms of costs, I like Citrix Netscaler pooled licensing arrangement, It is a flexible licensing framework whereby there is a common pool of license regardless whether the customer performs the deployment as a physical hardware, virtual device or even a containerized solution already use the product. Therefore, Cisco has higher costs As for used cases, I have seen NetScalers used for Load Balancing, for external users to internal services and resources like XenDesktop and XenApp Finally, both Cisco and Citrix have resilient solutions and provide good support - also some dependency where you are located. As for recommendation, it depends on your specific scenario in light of above points.

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Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Henry Rosenstiehl

Solution Architect at Sonda S.A.

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.

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Sammy Mukuna

Network Admin at Naivas Ltd

Seamlessly combines Internet and MPLS

Citrix has made my work easier and more cost-effective. It lowered our Internet costs and gave me the flexibility to choose providers based on each location's connectivity. Unlike before, I'm not tied to a specific provider. The central deployment feature allows easy configuration updates for all boxes from the head office, streamlining network management. This simplification has been a big plus for our operations.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We have found the product to be scalable."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is URL filtering."

"The centralized management allowed us to manage 50 devices effectively, which I found better than Cisco."

"The multi-threat protection feature helps us secure our organization."

"It has very easy management and an amazing ETM configuration."

"The most valuable features are the enterprise modeling and the simple interface."

"It increases security posture and is helpful for firewall reporting, intrusion protection, web filtering, and SD-WAN implementation."

"It's a good product that significantly enhances security and protects organizational data."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"This solution comes with comprehensive technical support."

"Customizing SD-WAN is very easy because you can define two colors. You can define two different operators. You can deploy a partial mesh, a full mesh, or hub-and-spoke totally differently. If you want to do this on a DMVPN solution, that's really hard."

"The most valuable features in Cisco SD-WAN are the QoS, AI, and simple interface for users to access."

"Initial setup is easy."

"This solution can scale from SMB to the enterprise level. It is very impressive."

"I would recommend Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN as it is a good product."

"You get security, all of the service you need, and it's easy to deploy."

"The most valuable feature is the application-level routing."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pros

"The SD-WAN solution as it is already is quite feature-rich and the upgrade process is very simple."

"They have a zero downtime failover mechanism, where, when there's a link failure or a link weakness, or bad link conditions, they provide the ability to fail back seamlessly."

"The reliability of connectivity is most valuable."

"We are using it widely for the local record for SaaS-based applications. Another valuable feature is a local breakout."

"Downtime for branch offices is now almost zero. We have 100% real-time visibility into all of our lines. MPLS links have been replaced with lower-cost links, saving a larger percentage of line costs. Overall, I see SD-WAN as a must. And the Citrix SD-WAN product has delivered on expectations and exceeded them. (With later firmware updates we now have good firewall capabilities in the product too)."

"The most valuable feature is security, as it gives me the port bindings that cannot be accomplished using other solutions."

"The zero-touch deployment is most valuable for us."

"The most valuable feature is its reliability."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pros

Cons

"From a support perspective, I had more issues that I didn't think the person on my case handled the way I was expecting. We called them for a geolocation issue and we didn't get any proper assistance."

"One area for improvement is the performance on the bandwidth demands for smaller devices, as well as better web filtering."

"To improve Fortinet FortiGate, I think they need to improve the software and make updates more quickly, rather than taking a long time to update the software or firmware."

"I think Fortinet FortiGate is stable because previously it had a hiccup around a bug within the authentication VPN due to the firmware, but after updating, it's easier to control."

"We can't identify which users are causing challenges when we have issues."

"The web filtering categories could improve in Fortinet FortiGate IPS. There are too many websites under the category of Unknown and the other categories are not featuring all the necessary sites."

"In terms of what could be improved, the SD-WAN is quite difficult, because if you install the new box, 15 is okay, but if you change from an old configuration, if there is already configuration and a policy when you change to SD-WAN, you must change the whole policy that you see in the interface."

"The main aspect of FortiGate that could be improved is load balancing. Our management team does not want to buy another appliance for only load balancing."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The product needs to have more understanding staff in their support team. The tool needs to provide support in every stage of deployment. We did not get the expected support from their team. The product is also not easy to use."

"The installation is not easy. If you have experience and it is not your first time doing the installation, it can be easier."

"All of the configurations are based on templates, and we need to spend a lot of time doing the templates. It's good because that means that all of the configurations will be equal in the network. However, we need to spend a lot of time implementing the templates and doing the customizations."

"We don't have any issues with this solution other than the price."

"Cisco SD-WAN is not as easy to deploy as the Meraki and FortiGate solutions. The zero-touch deployment could be a lot better. The deployment and initial setup are complicated and could be better."

"I would recommend better-integrated management."

"It would be better if it provided more visibility. At present, we can't troubleshoot in real time."

"They should enhance the reporting because, as it is today, they need more executive-level reports."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN cons

"The price is the only thing that could be improved. Citrix is not a cheap solution."

"I would like to see support for additional reporting."

"I am happy with this product. If anything, its price can be reduced. It is a bit expensive."

"I would like to see more customization to adjust for the WAN lock-out due to our unexpected power outages."

"Overall, network security and next-generation firewall features are areas that they can improve on."

"Citrix should continue to offer a perpetual licensing model because it is very important to us."

"The price could be improved, it's an expensive solution."

"Even though the monitoring is pretty good, there is some room for improvement there."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is fair compared to the other competitors."

"There is a subscription-based model to use Fortinet FortiGate. We pay annually for the solution along with the support. If you want to have all the updates, and security patches you will need to renew your support."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten"

"It is somewhat expensive compared to other solutions such as Sophos."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"We find the most valuable aspect of this solution is the price. It is affordable, and cheaper than other firewalls."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

"The price of FortiGate is comparable to that of most other firewall solutions and is more affordable than Cisco."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Cisco is more expensive than some competing products."

"SD-WAN as a service is probably something in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 a month per location."

"It is going to be on a yearly basis. There are no additional costs."

"On a scale of one to five, I would rate Cisco's pricing as a three."

"The Cisco SD-WAN licensing model needs to be simplified. There are currently three types of licenses: enterprise agreements, individual licenses, and DNA subscriptions. This can confuse customers, requiring a dedicated person to determine which type of license is right for their organization."

"It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract."

"The cost is reasonable. I would rate the price as seven out of ten."

"We pay for the Cisco Customer Care support, which is a couple of hundred dollars."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

"The license was a one-time purchase. It's expensive."

"It is a bit expensive. A cheaper product would be good, but everybody likes things to be cheaper. We bought the devices up front, and then we pay for the annual support."

"I believe that Citrix SD-WAN is a good investment, but I do not have the information to be more specific."

"The price of the subscription should be cheaper."

"Citrix SD-WAN is quite an affordable product."

"It would be helpful to have a demo license available for customers who want to prove the concept and conduct a proof of concept (POC) before committing to the solution. This is particularly important for customers in Egypt who often require a demonstration of the solution's features and compatibility with their needs before making any investment or incurring costs. Providing a demo license would allow customers to assess whether the solution would meet their needs or not."

"It depends on the scale. In our case, it would have been better if we had known about the life cycling steps, but otherwise, it is worth the money."

"It's a little bit on the high side compared to the other products."

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

31%

Government

Educational Organization

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	44
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	43

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

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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 significant...

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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.

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What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?

Cisco can improve Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN by simplifying licensing and platform integration with other Cisco products s...

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What do you like most about Citrix SD-WAN?

It lowered our Internet costs and gave me the flexibility to choose providers based on each location's connectivity.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix SD-WAN?

It is on the expensive side. I would give it an eight out of ten in terms of costliness. In my region, the approximat...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Citrix SD-WAN?

The solution's licensing model could be improved. Citrix SD-WAN is a good product from a technical point of view. How...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 8% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 8% of the time

Meraki SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 7% of the time

Prisma SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Competitors

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 34% of the time

FatPipe WAN Optimization vs Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

Compared 34% of the time

More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

November 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

November 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]

November 2025

Download Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco SD-WAN

Citrix CloudBridge, WOC, NetScaler SD-WAN

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers centralized management and integrates seamlessly with existing Cisco ecosystems. It simplifies deployment with zero-touch provisioning, delivering robust security and optimized application routing.

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN provides essential capabilities for organizations seeking secure remote connectivity and cost reduction, notably through its support of hybrid environments. While pricing and complexity present challenges, its advanced application control and cloud compatibility make it a valuable asset for connecting branches and data centers. Users benefit from enhanced security, network assurance, and simplified management, driving operational efficiency.

What are the key features of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN?

Centralized Management: Streamlines network operations through a single interface.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Simplifies deployment, reducing manual setup efforts.
Application-Aware Routing: Enhances performance by prioritizing critical applications.
Robust Security: Integrates strong security measures for data protection.
Hybrid Environment Support: Facilitates connectivity across various environments.
Integration with Cisco Products: Ensures seamless operation within existing networks.

What benefits can users expect from Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces networking expenses by optimizing resource usage.
Operational Simplicity: Streamlines processes, reducing resource strain.
Enhanced Security: Strengthens defenses with integrated security features.
Improved Connectivity: Ensures reliable communication for remote sites.
Scalability: Supports varying enterprise sizes with tailored solutions.

In banking, retail, and enterprise sectors, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN facilitates effective network management by enhancing connectivity between branches and data centers. Its security features and zero-touch deployment are particularly valued, providing scalable solutions for locations that demand reliable, application-prioritized networking.

Cisco

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] enhances connectivity and performance by optimizing bandwidth utilization, ensuring reliable communication across branch offices and headquarter data centers. It offers centralized management, efficient deployment options, and improved network reliability.

Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] is designed for businesses seeking enhanced connectivity solutions that boost application performance while reducing costs. With HDX WAN Optimization and reliable Active-Active connectivity, it assures improved bandwidth management. Tailored for both cloud and on-premise deployments, it supports fast communication and seamless integration, making it user-friendly even for those with limited technical expertise. Security features and zero-touch deployments further enhance its appeal. However, users highlight areas needing improvement, such as configuration intuitiveness, pricing alignment for specific markets, and stability. Enhanced reporting, networking features, and technical support are desired. Integration with Windows, security elements like firewalls, and licensing clarity require attention to meet user expectations.

What are the key features of Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]?

HDX WAN Optimization: Enhances application performance and traffic.
Load Balancing: Ensures efficient traffic distribution across networks.
Reliable Connectivity: Provides seamless failover and reduced costs through MPLS replacement.
Cloud Management: Simplifies deployment and management via the cloud.
Zero-Touch Deployment: Facilitates easy setup and provisioning.
Active-Active Lines: Optimizes bandwidth utilization and performance.
Backup Capabilities: Centralizes data management for security.

What benefits should users look for in Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]?

Enhanced Connectivity: Improves stability and reduces downtime.
Cost Reduction: Efficiently decreases expenses by replacing MPLS.
Network Optimization: Offers better bandwidth for diverse communication types.
Secure Interconnectivity: Ensures secure and reliable network connections.
Management Flexibility: Supports cloud or on-premise deployment options.

Industries benefit from Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] by leveraging its features to ensure stable, redundant connectivity between branches and data centers. Organizations experiencing frequent line failures or high reliance on bandwidth-heavy applications find it particularly useful. It caters to sectors needing reliable data management and enhanced networking.

Citrix

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates

AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Cornerstone Home Lending Inc., Dallara, ecVision, Essar, Eurofred, Groupe Promutuel, HMSHost Corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd, Royal Caribbean International

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October 2025

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