Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN comparison

The compared Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Meraki SD-WAN solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN is ranked #6 in NMA , with an average rating of 8.1. Meraki SD-WAN is ranked #1 in SDN , with an average rating of 8.8, and holds a 23.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Meraki SD-WAN users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Read 94 Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN reviews

129 Views
67 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Meraki SD-WAN

Read 77 Meraki SD-WAN reviews

1,592 Views
1,029 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Prisma SD-WAN

Read 21 Prisma SD-WAN reviews

2,541 Views
1,267 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Meraki SD-WAN

Prisma SD-WAN

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, Meraki SD-WAN, and Prisma SD-WAN based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetScaler and others in Network Management Applications.

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Network Management Applications

April 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:

Featured Reviews

Igor Van Den Ouden

Engineer at Routz

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

Martyn Walker

Business development manager at Virgin Media

Enables productivity in terms of users and has ease of management

Scalability could be improved. Yes, you can add more than 300 or 400 sites onto it, but because it's not a true SD-WAN and, effectively, it's just a Multi-VRF, it's all hub and spoke at that point. That's the nature of the design, but that's what keeps it simple to administer. So, it's a trade off.

Read full review

Engineerinfosec67

Senior Information Security Engineer at Westcon-Comstor

Centralized management streamlines global network traffic control

Prisma SD-WAN requires a more seamless integration with other Palo Alto solutions, like Prisma Access. Although there has been improvement, further steps can be taken. Additionally, it would be beneficial if the solution integrated the SD-WAN features of Prisma SD-WAN with the security features of Palo Alto's next-generation firewalls, as they currently do not align.

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

"The best feature of this technology that is available to us is the ability to do better load-balancing."

"The technical support is very responsive."

"Cisco SD-WAN has separate OMP routing."

"Load balancing is a feature that allows us to take the best of our links and distribute the load intelligently, always with an eye on the end-customer experience."

"The product is stable."

"You can easily scale the product."

"There have been no issues with stability."

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

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pros

"Meraki Solutions setups make it one of the best products I have ever worked with."

"This product has a simple configuration that can be accessed through a web interface or the API."

"The product does have a variety of features we can work with."

"The most valuable feature is application performance monitoring and being able to browse packets dynamically based on priorities."

"The features of SD-WAN are very appealing because you have a centralized dashboard and multiple options to terminate. You have an internet leased line, which means that you can connect your broadband and 3G and 4G cellular networks on the same router. This makes it easy for us to manage everything on a single dashboard. That is, you can integrate multiple stacks in such a way that you do not have to maintain any other dashboard. You get single-pane-of-glass accessibility with Meraki."

"We have found the scalability to be good."

"Using Meraki just solves a lot of problems."

"I appreciate the cloud-based management feature the most. It's a crucial aspect for me because it allows me to manage the configuration remotely without having to visit the on-premise location. The ability to do this from my home is a major benefit. Additionally, security is good."

More Meraki SD-WAN pros

"The gateway is available on the cloud which allows you access from anywhere and still connects to your home gateway."

"The implementation of the solution is easy."

"The security offered by the solution is pretty good."

"It is flexible to use the internet connection via local breakouts without going to data centers."

"Prisma SD-WAN is intuitive. We have a better idea of the different tools we can use and jump between the menus quickly."

"The solution's most valuable feature is the visibility of the logs."

"The most valuable feature is the single pane of glass, especially since we have Palo Alto firewalls."

"Prisma's analytics provide a lot of valuable data. I like the internet health chart that shows latency, dropped packets, MOS for data quality, etc. It also runs a continuous speed test in the background. I've used it multiple times to troubleshoot internet connections when the service provider has attempted to claim nothing is wrong with the circuit. It gives me data to send them showing we're not getting the speed we should, or there is constant packet loss."

More Prisma SD-WAN pros

Cons

"Simplifying the definition and implementation could add significant value, as it can be complex due to multiple product integrations and customization requirements."

"The solution could be more secure. Security is always a priority for us."

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

"The process of onboarding the vSmart, vBond, and vManage should be improved to make it easier to manage in general."

"Integration with other OEMs and the API part needs improvement to be more user-friendly, especially in terms of GUI."

"The solution is expensive and could be cheaper."

"The licensing model needs to be improved."

"The initial setup could be a bit less complex."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN cons

"The VPN client could be improved."

"The interface in the VPN management system can be a bit complex for users to understand."

"The solution could be improved if it added more features, especially monitoring and reporting features."

"The solution needs to enact more advanced protections."

"Meraki SD-WAN had trouble prioritizing traffic for VoIP calls."

"An area for improvement would be to add 4G bonding and allow Meraki devices to support dual 4G SIM cards."

"Meraki could make better use of virtual connect."

"Overall, we are satisfied with the support, although I cannot state this unequivocally."

More Meraki SD-WAN cons

"If Palo Alto could open the platform to manage other SD-WANs, it would be beneficial."

"The solution should include custom ports and group voice connections."

"I would also like to see improvement in the product training for customers. Palo Alto has not initiated very much training but they have to do so because this is a new product. If you have experience in a legacy environment, and you are moving to Prisma SD-WAN, you don't have a training framework. That is one of the disadvantages."

"Sometimes, during the product's initial setup phase, bypass pair or couple ports don't come up normally, and it requires an hour and a half to troubleshoot to reset the box from Prisma SD-WAN to factory default."

"Prisma SD-WAN requires a more seamless integration with other Palo Alto solutions, like Prisma Access."

"Prisma SD-WAN's technical support should be improved."

More Prisma SD-WAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's costly. The cost is high compared to competitors."

"The product is not too expensive."

"The pricing for Cisco SD-WAN is more expensive than other brands or solutions, such as Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks, so it's one out of ten."

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

"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."

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

"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 price of Cisco SD-WAN is expensive. We pay approximately $50 monthly for the use of the solution."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

"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."

"If you purchase a Meeraki box, you have to purchase a license, and it's already the basic license, you will have you SD-WAN included."

"Regarding pricing, Meraki SD-WAN is quite competitive, especially compared to solutions like Fortinet. However, it's essential to consider that Meraki requires cloud orchestration, which adds to the overall cost. Overall, it's one of the most competitive solutions from Cisco for SD-WAN."

"I am not aware of the licensing fees."

"like everything else, it's negotiable."

"The solution offers yearly licenses and product lines or prices are readily available on their website."

"The product's price falls under the mid-range category, especially if we consider the new licensing model. The tool is not cheap anymore."

"The tool offers term licenses. You have the same term licensing model available for all of your equipment, which is good for management."

More Meraki SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

"If you're already invested in a Palo Alto product, it would be logical to use this solution. If not, there might be some other solutions that are more viable in terms of pricing."

"Prisma SD-WAN is a pretty expensive solution."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It is more expensive than Fortinet."

"This solution stood out because it cost considerably less than the other SD-WAN solutions out there from Cisco."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

43%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Retailer

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

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 significant...

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...

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 rele...

See all answers

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 se...

See all answers

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

The price is a little bit higher than local vendors, for example, Huawei ZTE or H3C. However, some customers require ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Meraki SD-WAN?

They have to ask us many questions about configurations. It could be improved with some automation to trigger, for ex...

See all answers

What do you like most about Prisma SD-WAN?

The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.

See all answers

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

The product could be a bit cheaper for the services it provides.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Prisma SD-WAN?

I think the product could be a bit cheaper, but otherwise, I am satisfied with it.

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 14% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 12% of the time

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

Compared 7% of the time

Peplink SpeedFusion vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 7% of the time

Juniper Session Smart Router vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Competitors

Omada Cloud SDN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 20% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Cradlepoint NetCloud vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 8% of the time

Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco ACI vs Meraki SD-WAN

Compared 4% of the time

More Meraki SD-WAN Competitors

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 22% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 10% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 7% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Prisma SD-WAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

April 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Meraki SD-WAN

April 2025

Download Meraki SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma SD-WAN

April 2025

Download Prisma SD-WAN product report

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN

No data available

CloudGenix

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

Software-defined WAN is a new approach to network connectivity that lowers operational costs and improves resource usage for multi-site deployments, allowing network administrators to use bandwidth more efficiently and ensure the highest possible level of performance for critical applications without sacrificing security or data privacy. For more information on deploying and configuring SD-WAN on the Meraki MX Security Appliance, see the Meraki SD-WAN Deployment Guide.

Cisco

Simplify management, enable app-defined SD-WAN policies and deliver a secure, cloud-delivered branch today with the Industry’s first next-generation SD-WAN.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates

École Jeannine Manuel

Open Networking User Group, Columbia Sportswear Company, Coca Cola

Buyer's Guide

Network Management Applications

April 2025

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