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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (5th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd), WAN Edge (2nd)
Meraki SD-WAN
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined Networking (SDN) (1st)
 

Featured Reviews

MOHAMEDELSHERIF - PeerSpot reviewer
Good centralization and manageability for edge routers but quite expensive
The setup is quite straightforward and the solution is easy to deploy. Deployment time depends on the size the customer or enterprise. Each customer has its own use case so it is difficult to give a time estimate. In any case, the work is straightforward with no obstacles or challenges.
Premnath Jaganathan - PeerSpot reviewer
Manage enterprise network traffic seamlessly but security features need enhancement
The security integration in Meraki SD-WAN is not as good as the competition, such as Fortinet. Customers are moving away due to this reason, as Meraki lacks in offering advanced security features, which is crucial for many enterprise clients. Cisco's AI capabilities and Meraki are about seventy percent caught up with competitors like Juniper Mist in terms of AI integration.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."
"Cisco SD-WAN's collaborative features are unique and sustainable. I also like the protocols, which use two SD-WAN."
"The best feature of this technology that is available to us is the ability to do better load-balancing."
"I like creating policies. This way, we can better utilize our WAN circuit and get better rates. Its GUI is user-friendly, and the CLI is also great."
"There is minimum blind space in this solution."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco SD-WAN is its compatibility and integration with the rest of the infrastructure."
"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."
"Huge companies use SD-WAN. It is largely scalable."
"Meraki can react fast to emerging trends."
"I'm not directly involved in SD-WAN monitoring and maintenance, but based on what I've heard from our infrastructure team, it's working well."
"The most valuable feature for me is the security functionality."
"The solution is very stable."
"We have found the scalability to be good."
"The solution is stable."
"The most valuable feature is the single management plane dashboard. Our organization has a global site, we have separated the area, and we have more than five hundred small sites around the world."
"The solution's ability to prioritize traffic is its most valuable feature."
 

Cons

"The product's application delivery feature needs improvement."
"One of the major areas that Cisco can improve on with their SD-WAN offering is their security features. When compared with Fortinet, who have what they call their 'security pillars' (e.g. firewall and security features built-in to their SD-WAN solutions), Cisco generally comes up short. With Cisco, if you need a security component, you have to pay more to get it done. So if they could add more security features that come part and parcel with their existing solutions, then I think Cisco could be very aggressive in the market."
"Since most user-data is going through the solution, we are concerned about security, as all the information is in the cloud and not on-premises. The user data authentification should be higher to better prevent malicious attacks."
"Cisco's router and voice gateway has not been available since the launch of SD-WAN."
"The integration of Cisco SD-WAN with cloud solutions could improve. For example, if any of the applications are hosted in the Amazon AWS cloud we can use a virtual transit gateway for integrating Cisco SD-WAN."
"The solution is a bit complicated."
"The solution should not be so bound to ISPs."
"We need them to start focusing on the SD-WAN compatibility with other environments and not being so vendor locked with Cisco environments."
"You need to have internet access to configure the solution. You cannot do it locally, there should be a local option."
"If Meraki obtains the technology to provide network assistance, then it can implement it manually in Meraki SD-WAN."
"Meraki offers the client basic security, it is not the same as what FortiGate is offering."
"The only area for improvement in Meraki SD-WAN is its licensing model, as well as its cost structure."
"A run optimization feature is needed to reduce the bandwidth for any uploaded content."
"The solution needs a multi-use provider portal."
"The interface in the VPN management system can be a bit complex for users to understand."
"There are currently issues with NAT-Unfriendly situations on G4 networks that should be resolved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SD-WAN as a service is probably something in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 a month per location."
"It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract."
"The price of the solution is the only negative factor, it is much more expensive compared with the Cisco Meraki SD-WAN solution."
"It's expensive. If you compare Cisco with Fortinet and Juniper, you'll find that Cisco is more expensive than other vendors."
"You have to pay between 3000 and 10,000 euros, or something in that range. The core switches Nexus cost me between 10,000 and 20,000 euros."
"For 600 links, the license for Cisco SD-WAN costs us US$250k a year."
"Cisco's pricing is not entirely satisfactory when you compare the SD-WAN solutions in Asian markets — like the South Asian market in Sri Lanka — because there are several competing brands including Fortinet and Citrix, who provide much the same product for a generally lower price. And when it comes to firewall vendors like Palo Alto and SonicWall, they're also selling here. It's the same with VMware, too; they have much the same features."
"In the Russian market where we operate, this solution is expensive."
"From the perspective of the customer, the price is not terribly cost-effective."
"The license model may need improvement."
"For a pure SD-WAN solution, the pricing is competitive. However, our clients are on the lower tier in terms of budget, viewing IT more as a necessary expense rather than integral to their business. While Meraki's solution might be pricey for them, there aren't many cheaper, reliable options."
"They have a baseline software license, and then they've got an SD-WAN software license, and then they've got an advanced security software license. They're low cost, and they'll provide any amount of flexibility that you want from a modeling perspective for payment. Typically, it's either annually or multi-year, but they are a lower-cost company. They're not the most expensive by far."
"I am not aware of the licensing fees."
"The solution offers yearly licenses and product lines or prices are readily available on their website."
"Meraki's pricing is on the higher side, which may limit who can afford to use them."
"The tool offers term licenses. You have the same term licensing model available for all of your equipment, which is good for management."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
44%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The product pricing is high. Fortinet is cheaper than Cisco. I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What do you like most about Meraki SD-WAN?
The auto VPN feature is important because it automates many tasks, making things simpler and faster. It helps with setting up devices and changing configurations without manual effort.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki SD-WAN?
Even though it is more expensive than other options, it's reasonable when factoring in the remote management capabilities which eliminate the need for additional staffing.
What needs improvement with Meraki SD-WAN?
From a dashboard perspective, identifying issues can be challenging if one or two individuals experience trouble. Another area for improvement is in wireless management, where external tools might ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
École Jeannine Manuel
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Fortinet, HPE Aruba Networking and others in Network Management Applications. Updated: November 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.