Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN comparison

Cisco and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.8, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Read 90 Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN reviews

14,777 Views
9,960 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Prisma SD-WAN

Read 18 Prisma SD-WAN reviews

2,975 Views
1,520 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Prisma SD-WAN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Prisma SD-WAN and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN are two leading solutions in the market. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN seems to have the upper hand due to its robust features despite its higher price.

Features: Prisma SD-WAN reviews highlight easy integration, effective bandwidth management, and extensive security measures. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN reviews emphasize advanced routing capabilities, comprehensive analytics, and seamless scalability.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest that Prisma SD-WAN could improve its reporting functions and range of third-party integrations. For Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, the feedback points to a need for better documentation and more user-friendly setup processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma SD-WAN is praised for its straightforward deployment model and responsive customer service. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, although noted for a steeper learning curve during deployment, receives high marks for its knowledgeable support team.

Pricing and ROI: Prisma SD-WAN is noted for its lower setup costs and positive ROI, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, despite its higher initial investment, is viewed as delivering substantial long-term ROI due to its extensive feature set and scalability.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN Report (Updated: September 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN

September 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

2nd

Ranking in WAN Edge

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (4th)

Prisma SD-WAN

Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

4th

Ranking in WAN Edge

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (7th)

Featured Reviews

ShafiHaider

Network Engineer at 0

Jul 22, 2024

A router solution with customer-friendly support but is expensive

We use the solution as a router Cisco is very secure and very fast, and its work is ongoing. They give the commands to what they want. Everything is on one disk. I need to do anything from one end. The solution could be cheaper. I have been using Cisco SD-WAN for about two months. The product…

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reviewer2198622

Network Team Lead at Wipro Limited

May 30, 2023

A cost-effective and easy to manage solution

We have a single dashboard to view all kinds of analytics. If we make Prisma SD-WAN as analytics, we can only see what kind of traffic is going and how much bandwidth it is utilizing. We can also see if there is high utilization from any particular link or application. Otherwise, we can configure Prisma SD-WAN as a control mode to use it as a routing protocol and for analytics. It gives you more insights about what kind of traffic is going, how much the consumption was, how we can reduce that consumption, and how we can apply that quality of service. If one of the sites is accessing more teams, our bandwidth will be utilized as a platinum application so that most of the bandwidth will be utilized for the team. Unlike traditional networks, it is very flexible, and based on the kind of application we are using, our bandwidth will be utilized.

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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

"This solution comes with comprehensive technical support."

"The tool is stable, and its troubleshooting capabilities are good. It helps us identify and fix any issues. It simplifies VPN setup for both side-to-side and multisite connections. This allows for easier data sharing between main and branch offices, creating a local network feel even for distant sites."

"We would recommend this solution to customers looking to implement it on a global scale. We recommend the solution, not only because of the functionality or the technical support, but also because of the delivery of the solution, and the docking and upgrading capabilities."

"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."

"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to deploy."

"It is very stable."

"The initial setup is quite simple."

"The regular net routing is a good feature."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pros

"I like that the integration with Palo Alto is easy."

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

"The dynamic routing in Prisma SD-WAN is high-speed and valuable because it quickly adjusts, so users do not realize the link is down."

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

"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."

"I like the link monitoring and analytics. These are the features that set Prisma apart from other products. Prisma works well with large, complex networks. One of my clients is a top bank in the United States, and Prisma has performed well for that customer."

"When it comes to supporting large, complex, network architectures, it's a very simple architecture. The main component is the fabric. It's very easy to troubleshoot if there is an issue happening in the underlying network."

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

More Prisma SD-WAN pros

Cons

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

"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."

"Cisco could do more to offer bundling of the SD-WAN and other solutions."

"The solution should not be so bound to ISPs."

"One area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is reporting. The report needs to give more visibility to the customer. The security feature in Cisco SD-WAN also needs improvement, particularly if Cisco wants to challenge other brands, such as Fortinet."

"Cisco SD-WAN's clustering mechanism needs to be improved. If there are more than five milliseconds of latency time between installations of the VM manager, the cluster automatically breaks down."

"Cisco products are a little bit complicated, so making them a little bit easier would be an improvement."

"The product's application delivery feature needs improvement."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN cons

"I'd like to see them move more towards CASB."

"The pricing model could be improved to make it more affordable for smaller companies."

"Customer support is our biggest pain point. The quality of support has gone down a little since we initially deployed this product. I don't know if this is due to turnover at Palo Alto or a lack of training. It is now taking one or two days to get an initial response that says, "Hey, we've looked into this, can you pull this data for us?" In the past, we'd immediately get a response."

"The pricing for Prisma SD-WAN needs improvement."

"Accessibility could be improved. Any new person attempting to access Prisma will have difficulty. It doesn't have CLI available."

"Event correlation and analysis capabilities do not help minimize the number of alarms from a single event. That is the problem. We are getting a lot of incidents, and there is some issue with the correlation. That is still a drawback."

"There are two parallel things that we want Palo Alto to work on. First, customers want a unified appliance that does the work of all firewalls in addition to SD-WAN. Second, the cloud presence should be completely automated. If I purchase the SASE architecture, I shouldn't worry about deployments in Prisma Access or on Prisma SD-WAN. It should be deployed in one go."

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

More Prisma SD-WAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is not a cheap option but if you move from Capex to Opex, I expect you should have lower costs."

"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."

"The pricing of this solution is very expensive."

"The license consists of an annual fee."

"The costs are a bit on the high side."

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

"Cisco SD-WAN is more expensive than its competitors."

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

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

"It is more expensive than Fortinet."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

40%

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

25%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

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 product is expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?

Customers collaborate with ISPs and currently work with three ISPs, using options like LSM VPN and MPLS VPN to reduce line costs. They are considering moving from their current setup to an MPLS VPN...

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?

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Prisma SD-WAN?

The solution should include custom ports and group voice connections.

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 20% of the time

Meraki SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 13% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 10% of the time

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

Compared 7% of the time

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

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Competitors

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 29% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Meraki SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 15% 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 6% of the time

More Prisma SD-WAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

September 2024

Download Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma SD-WAN

August 2024

Download Prisma SD-WAN product report

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN

CloudGenix

Learn More

Cisco

Palo Alto Networks

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.

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.

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates

Open Networking User Group, Columbia Sportswear Company, Coca Cola

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN

September 2024

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.

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