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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, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Citrix users who would recommend it.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Read 92 Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN reviews
  • 11,290 Views
  • 7,111 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]
Read 22 Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] reviews
    90% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 29, 2024

    Citrix SD-WAN and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN compete in the software-defined networking market. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN generally seems to have the upper hand in terms of comprehensive security features and scalability.

    Features: Citrix SD-WAN offers HDX WAN Optimization, application acceleration, and robust load balancing. It also provides reliable connectivity and cloud management. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is known for its extensive application routing, centralized management tools, and strong security capabilities.

    Room for Improvement: Citrix SD-WAN users report high costs and a complex licensing model, along with a need for enhanced security and better reporting/documentation. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is criticized for its high costs and complicated licensing. Users seek improved security integration, better integration capabilities, and a simpler management interface.

    Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Citrix SD-WAN supports on-premises setups with cloud management, although customer service quality varies. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN offers support for hybrid and cloud deployment environments, providing simplified deployment for complex infrastructures. Generally reliable technical support is noted, but both products could improve first-line support and deployment processes.

    Pricing and ROI: Citrix SD-WAN is pricey but offers flexible licensing models with a potential for long-term savings. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is also perceived as expensive, with a complex subscription-based pricing structure. While both are considered good investments for their feature sets, there's room for cost optimization to attract budget-conscious organizations.

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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

    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
    Average Rating
    8.0
    Reviews Sentiment
    7.0
    Number of Reviews
    92
    Ranking in other categories
    Network Management Applications (5th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd), WAN Edge (2nd)
    Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]
    Average Rating
    8.2
    Reviews Sentiment
    7.4
    Number of Reviews
    22
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
     

    Q&A Highlights

    OT
    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.
    See all answers
     

    Featured Reviews

    Igor Van Den Ouden - PeerSpot reviewer
    Enables secure and flexible branch connectivity with application-aware routing
    The valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN include its security policies and zone-based firewall that are applied to every site, as well as application-aware routing. Security is standard compliant, eliminating config drift that was prevalent before manual configurations. Application-aware routing offers flexibility in using different lines for traffic, depending on the policy implemented.
    Read full review
    Rohit Ghorpade - PeerSpot reviewer
    A scalable solution for MCN controller but lacks technical supports, upgrades
    There are a few things that can be improved, are domain-based routing and the slowness of virtual parts, and it may be due to the wrong configuration, which we have been unable to find out. Previously, we faced some issues with the slowness part. Apart from that, feature like end gateway level antivirus. We are currently using a NetFlow proxy to establish a virtual position for the NetFlow. Our current environment has many use cases, but we are not using them on the Citrix SD-WAN. When I navigate the NCL part, it involves configuration. I want to highlight this disadvantage. Sometimes, when we push the configuration, it tries to push it to all branch locations. This process takes a lot of time, nearly 30 minutes, to push a single change from the NCL. Overall, I don't think Citrix meets our use cases what we have. This is based on my feedback after using it for the past year and working on this Citrix SD-WAN. However, from my experience, it is the worst solution I have seen. There's no domain-based routing, which is horrible. That's why we are moving to other products. We have checked our use case requirements with Fortinet, Palo Alto, and they meet them. I will consider the PoC or another OEM. There are many things in the area you need to be prompt, like the automation part. If any link or device goes down, alerting notification, etc. We need to perform and highlight so many things to your management. This should be improved.
    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

    "It's a complete solution with many security features."
    "I have found the performance and the Zero-Touch provisioning helpful which makes it easier for us to develop."
    "This solution comes with comprehensive technical support."
    "It is really easy to deploy and use. It is also easy to use for failovers and designing solutions. The rollout is really quick. It is easy to adjust and roll out."
    "Application-aware routing offers flexibility in using different lines for traffic, depending on the policy implemented."
    "When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly."
    "Using SD-WAN to combine services can result in better up time, higher speeds, and much lower costs."
    "The first part that we like is that we can reuse certain hardware, which is a valuable asset. You can use hardware SKUs that already exist in the network. The second part that we like is the integration with the cloud and the measurement of the cloud's quality. These are the two values that this solution gives as compared to other implementations that we have seen."
    More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pros
    "The most valuable feature is its reliability."
    "The solution is brilliant, the way it calculates its paths and trails is great."
    "It allows you to combine two asymmetrical connections."
    "The tool is quite cost-effective because it replaces the need for MPLS, which is a bit expensive...Citrix SD-WAN doesn't need much maintenance."
    "The VPN and the load balancing are the most valuable features."
    "The best feature is the backup capability, where all of the users' computers are tied into a central data repository."
    "We are using it widely for the local record for SaaS-based applications. Another valuable feature is a local breakout."
    "The solution's most valuable feature is load balancing."
    More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pros
     

    Cons

    "I would like to see revision cycles to be more stable."
    "Cisco products are a little bit complicated, so making them a little bit easier would be an improvement."
    "The main area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is the lack of documentation, which often lags behind the software releases."
    "I would like them to add some more SD-WAN ports. We have seen one implementation where there were four ISPs. Currently, we have a maximum of two ports for ISP in this device. Therefore, we cannot connect directly, and we need other switches. There should be some option to have more than two ports for SD-WAN."
    "The tool is very expensive."
    "Some configurations or procedures could be more user-friendly. Adding a bandwidth management feature would make Cisco SD-WAN more scalable and less resource-intensive."
    "The solution is very costly."
    "The main area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is the lack of documentation, which often lags behind the software releases."
    More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN cons
    "Citrix should continue to offer a perpetual licensing model because it is very important to us."
    "Overall, network security and next-generation firewall features are areas that they can improve on."
    "I am happy with this product. If anything, its price can be reduced. It is a bit expensive."
    "Given that Citrix SD-WAN solved all our problems by providing us with everything we needed to unify communications with our branches and data centers, I cannot suggest anything further in terms of improvements."
    "Enhancements are needed to improve the stability."
    "Citrix SD-WAN does not have the SD-WAN with one optimization in a single license. Other competitors have this option and it should be added to this solution."
    "The solution's licensing model could be improved."
    "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 of Cisco SD-WAN could improve, it is expensive. The cost of the solution is approximately 30 percent higher than competitors."
    "Licensing is on a subscription basis."
    "The price of Cisco SD-WAN is expensive. We pay approximately $50 monthly for the use of the solution."
    "When purchasing, there are so many features available that it's quite confusing deciding which to choose. And some of the devices force you to buy licenses you don't want."
    "The product is not too expensive."
    "The pricing of this solution is very expensive."
    "SD-WAN as a service is probably something in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 a month per location."
    "On a scale of one to five, I would rate Cisco's pricing as a three."
    More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pricing and cost advice
    "As NetScaler is now, I find it quite pricey."
    "It's a little bit on the high side compared to the other products."
    "The price of the subscription should be cheaper."
    "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."
    "Citrix SD-WAN is quite an affordable product."
    "The license was a one-time purchase. It's expensive."
    "I'm not quite sure of the price ranges. Roughly, the hidden devices can scale up to $20K for one appliance. However, the branch CPs are USD $1,000 to $2,500."
    "I believe that Citrix SD-WAN is a good investment, but I do not have the information to be more specific."
    More Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Educational Organization
    46%
    Computer Software Company
    12%
    Financial Services Firm
    6%
    Manufacturing Company
    4%
    Computer Software Company
    26%
    Real Estate/Law Firm
    8%
    Financial Services Firm
    8%
    Retailer
    5%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
     

    Questions from the Community

    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.
    See all answers
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
    The pricing for Cisco SD-WAN is rated eight out of ten, with some variability depending on the reseller discounts and the size of the enterprise. It is also relatively cost-effective for smaller bu...
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
    The main area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is the lack of documentation, which often lags behind the software releases. This is especially notable since Cisco acquired the solution and is still ...
    See all answers
    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 approximate cost for the Citrix SD-WAN license is around $150 per user per year. However, ...
    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. However, when you compare its licensing with the prices of competitors, you will se...
    See all answers
     

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    Compared 7% of the time
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    Compared 38% of the time
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    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
    February 2025
    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN reportDownload Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Citrix SD-WAN [EOL]
    February 2025
    Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] reportDownload Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] product report
     

    Also Known As

    Cisco SD-WAN
    Citrix CloudBridge, WOC, NetScaler SD-WAN
     

    Overview

    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN serves to connect remote offices, reduce MPLS costs, and facilitate cloud and internet access while providing secure connectivity and centralized management for hybrid networks.

    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is leveraged for secure connectivity, load balancing, VPN, centralized network management, and migrating from traditional networks to SD-WAN. It supports hybrid networks, enabling centralized management across branches and data centers, improving security, and optimizing bandwidth usage. Industries such as banking and retail benefit from its capabilities for secure and efficient network management.

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

    • Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations and administration.
    • Application-Level Routing: Enhances performance for critical applications.
    • Segmentation: Provides robust network segmentation for security.
    • Policy Configuration: Customizable policies for traffic management.
    • Real-Time Traffic Visibility: Enables monitoring for better insights.
    • Load Balancing: Distributes network traffic efficiently.
    • Hybrid Cloud Connectivity: Seamless integration with cloud services.
    • Deep Packet Inspection: Detailed traffic analysis for security.
    • High Security: Offers strong security protocols to protect the network.
    • Ease of Deployment: Features like zero-touch provisioning simplify setup.

    What benefits should be considered in reviews?

    • Cost Savings: Reduces operational expenses through efficient network management.
    • Reliability: Proven performance and uptime for critical operations.
    • Scalability: Grows with the organization's needs.
    • Integrated Health Monitoring: Proactively identifies and resolves issues.
    • Industry Trust: Cisco's reputation for quality and support.

    Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN's implementation in banking enhances secure transaction communication between branches and data centers. Retailers utilize it to ensure steady connectivity for point-of-sale systems and inventory management. Organizations benefit from centralized management, making it easier to handle networks across multiple locations.

    Cisco

    Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] enhances network stability, redundancy, and reliability, supporting connectivity between branches, optimizing internet access, and enabling secure, redundant networks, both on-premises and cloud-based.

    Corporations utilize Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] to improve network performance, minimize downtime, and ensure high availability. Combining communication methods and supporting interbranch internet routing, it assists businesses in transitioning from MPLS, centralizing monitoring, and optimizing bandwidth use. Its functionality includes secure connections, cost reductions, and effective management of internet access. The support for multiple communication methods, application reliability, and ease of implementation make it a valuable tool for modern network management.

    What key features does Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] offer?
    • Security: Enhanced protection to safeguard network data
    • IPv6 layering over IPv4: Ensures compatibility and future-proofing
    • Active-Active bandwidth use: Maximizes bandwidth utilization
    • Zero downtime failover: Maintains continuous operation during failures
    • Zero-touch deployment: Simplifies the installation process
    • Application reliability: Ensures high performance for critical applications
    • Cost-effectiveness: Reduces overall networking expenses
    • Central deployment: Facilitates easy configuration updates and management
    What benefits should users look for in Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] reviews?
    • Enhanced performance: Improved application and connectivity speed
    • Increased reliability: Minimized network downtime and interruptions
    • Centralized monitoring: Streamlined network oversight and control
    • Scalable security: Adaptable protection for evolving network needs
    • Cost savings: Lower operational costs compared to traditional MPLS
    • Flexibility: Ability to handle multiple network functions effectively

    Industries implement Citrix SD-WAN [EOL] to replace costly MPLS setups with more flexible VPN and NetScaler options, benefiting sectors like finance, healthcare, and retail that require robust, secure, and scalable network solutions. Organizations achieve better device management and efficient connectivity across multiple branches, enhancing their operational effectiveness.

    Citrix
     

    Sample Customers

    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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    Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
    February 2025
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