Cisco IOS Security vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT comparison

Cisco IOS Security and Cisco Sourcefire SNORT are both solutions in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category. Cisco IOS Security is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.5, while Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.7. Cisco IOS Security holds a 1.5% mindshare in ID, compared to Cisco Sourcefire SNORT’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Cisco IOS Security users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT users who would recommend it.

Cisco IOS Security

Read 49 Cisco IOS Security reviews

1,328 Views
425 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Read 20 Cisco Sourcefire SNORT reviews

1,096 Views
921 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS Security

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT and Cisco IOS Security compete in network security, offering unique strengths. Based on data comparisons, Cisco IOS Security holds the advantage with its comprehensive features that provide excellent value despite its higher cost.

Features: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT offers threat detection, network visibility, and intelligent security automation. Cisco IOS Security provides features like VPN support, firewall protection, and intrusion prevention, offering a broad range of security measures.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT could enhance ease of setup, technical documentation, and user support. Cisco IOS Security can improve integration capabilities, reduce complexity in configuration, and lower costs for better competitiveness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS Security benefits from seamless integration with Cisco's network equipment, praised for its easy deployment and robust customer service. Sourcefire SNORT stands out for platform flexibility but often demands higher technical expertise for optimal installation.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is a cost-effective solution with excellent ROI, leveraging its open-source nature for lower initial expenses. Conversely, Cisco IOS Security, while higher in setup cost, offers substantial long-term value, supporting extensive features and network integration benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

September 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

Cisco IOS Security

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

14th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (24th)

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

16th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 1.5%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is 2.8%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Sourcefire SNORT	2.8%
Cisco IOS Security	1.5%
Other	95.7%

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

Featured Reviews

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection

We are a Gold Partner with Cisco. Our customers come from various industries, including service providers, and we target service providers and enterprise customers.We do not extensively use Zone-Based Firewalls in Cisco IOS Security, instead typically deploying standalone firewalls such as Cisco FTDs or Cisco ASA devices. For threat analytics and vulnerability scanning, we utilize third-party vendors with dedicated devices and software. We use products such as Tenable from Nessus for this type of analysis. We have implemented Secure Access Control Server in Cisco IOS Security, which combines multiple security mechanisms including AAA, 802.1X for network access control with Cisco ICE, TrustSec for identity-based segmentation, and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco IOS Security's VPN support is comprehensive and increasingly important in daily communication, from basic site-to-site tunnels to remote access VPNs and SD-WAN secure VPNs. Protecting and encrypting communication is essential in modern networks. The challenges with Cisco IOS Security are more operational than product-related. There is an understaffing issue, making automation and orchestration capabilities particularly valuable. For the products themselves, we only encounter routine operational matters such as addressing new vulnerabilities and patching. For those considering Cisco IOS Security, it is important to understand that Cisco offers a complete ecosystem. When embracing the Cisco ecosystem fully, customers receive excellent products and comprehensive solutions. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cisco IOS Security a 9.

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Jack Poon

Treasury Specialist at Dah Sing Bank

Offers ease of setup and good documentation

When it comes to the product's deployment phase, we have a lot of vendor support. We have a lot of skills here in Hong Kong. Our company doesn't find any problem deploying Cisco solutions. The solution is deployed on an on-premises version. Speaking about the time required to deploy the solution, I would say that we have quite a lot of previous experience with deploying Cisco products. We have our company's standard design document, which we need to follow. We have a standard testing procedure for all those features. We just take out some appropriate parts and then compile them into one document for an individual project. It is actually quite easy for us to do the documentation, so it just takes one or two hours, and we can do the implementation because all the materials and testing procedures are already in our company standard documents, so it is not that difficult for us.

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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

"The stability of this solution is excellent."

"One of the main features is that the hardware is extremely reliable."

"Cisco Technical Assistance Center works on a follow-the-sun concept and gives real 24x7 customer support, which is a great advantage when you have a service contract with them."

"There is a positive impact on security, particularly the intrusion feature, which helps keep the solution concealed and secure."

"We use Cisco IOS Security mostly for routers to route off the firewall. It's a next-generation device."

"The most valuable features are DNS service and shell self-service within a network."

"In Pakistan, we only use Cisco because they have good local support infrastructure. Huawei and Fortinet don't offer direct support in Pakistan."

"The Intrusion Firewall is a valuable feature."

More Cisco IOS Security pros

"The solution is rather easy to use."

"It simplifies the configuration process by offering pre-defined base configurations, including security and connectivity settings."

"The solution is stable."

"I like most of Cisco's features, like malware detection and URL filtering."

"It is quite an intelligent product."

"The product is inexpensive compared to leading brands such as Palo Alto or Fortinet."

"The most valuable feature is the visibility that we have across the virtual environment."

"The whole solution is very good, and stable."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT pros

Cons

"Cisco IOS Security could improve its security features. There are competitors that have some additional security features, such as Fortinet FortiGate. Additionally, there should be better synchronization with Cisco IOS Security and other vendors, and improved AI features would be beneficial."

"Cisco IOS Security could improve by having more compatibility with other Cisco solutions."

"There could be a bit more functions on offer that could make it easier to use."

"There's a technology called SD-WAN that we would like to see. We are unable to handle multiple connections or to automatically load balance. I would like to have a feature that enables us to automatically prepare for load balancing."

"The configuration should be easier in the solution."

"I would love it if it has a link-by-link feature, integration with Unified Threat Management (UTM), and load balancers. They haven't got any link-by-link feature right now, which can be a very attractive option. This link-by-link feature can also be made available for Cisco's UTM firewalls. The link-by-link feature is available in some of the other firewalls. Currently, integration with UTM is missing. Cisco IOS Security also doesn't have the load balancers and a few things that need to be done to get a good UTM firewall. Normally, other firewalls have UTM. As a next-generation firewall, it's good, but as a UTM, it has to do some work."

"It would be ideal if the solution had more capacity."

"Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten."

More Cisco IOS Security cons

"I would like to have analytics included in the suite."

"With the next release, I would like to see some PBR, so that you can do the configuration with the features."

"If the price is brought down then everybody will be happy."

"There are problems setting up VPNs for some regions."

"Cisco Sourcefire SNORT can scale, but if you have too much, you could fill up your log files, which I consider when discussing scalability."

"The implementation could be a bit easier."

"Integration with other components — even Cisco's own products — can be enhanced to improve administrative experience."

"The solution's approach to managing traffic blocking is confusing and impractical."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for Cisco IOS Security is reasonable compared to other Cisco products."

"The product is expensive."

"The pricing is expensive."

"The price of the solution should be cheaper, and the license is purchase annually."

"They have smart licenses that can be provided for one year, two years, three years, five years, and seven years. Alternatively, they have perpetual licenses available."

"The cost of the license, to the best of my knowledge, is approximately two thousand dollars."

"It is necessary to pay for a license in order to use the solution. It is on a yearly basis and the price is high."

"The licensing is on a subscription basis, and it is fairly costly. I would prefer a one-time payment."

More Cisco IOS Security pricing and cost advice

"Licensing for this solution is paid on a yearly basis."

"The cost is per port and can be expensive but it does include training and support for three years."

"I don't know the exact amount, but most of the time when I go to a company with a proposition, they will say, "This thing that you are selling is good, but it's expensive. Why don't you propose something like FortiGate, Check Point, or Palo Alto?" Cisco device are expensive compared to other devices."

"If one is an extremely expensive product, and ten is cheap, I rate the tool's price as a five."

"We have a three-year license for this solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

28%

Government

Outsourcing Company

Manufacturing Company

University

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Thr...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.This can be a major issue as enterprise customers are o...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

Regarding improvements in Cisco IOS Security, what consistently confuses me is the inability of Cisco to maintain a clear licensing policy.This is an issue that I have observed for years now. Cisco...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Sourcefire SNORT?

The product is inexpensive compared to leading brands such as Palo Alto or Fortinet.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Sourcefire SNORT?

If one is an extremely expensive product, and ten is cheap, I rate the tool's price as a five. There are some other tools in the market that are more expensive than Cisco. There are no additional c...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Sourcefire SNORT?

Cisco offers the Cisco DNA Center, which is a source that provides crucial information for us to monitor performance, and see whether there is any trouble. We are using Cisco DNA center, but again,...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 11% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 9% of the time

Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 18% of the time

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 17% of the time

ExtremeCloud IQ vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 11% of the time

Zscaler Cloud IPS vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 9% of the time

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security

October 2025

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

October 2025

Download Cisco Sourcefire SNORT product report

Also Known As

IOS Security

Sourcefire SNORT

Overview

Cisco IOS Software delivers a sophisticated set of security capabilities for a comprehensive, layered security approach throughout your network infrastructure. Cisco IOS security technologies help to defend critical business processes against attack and disruption, protect privacy, and support policy and regulatory compliance controls.

Cisco

Snort is an open-source, rule-based, intrusion detection and prevention system. It combines the benefits of signature-, protocol-, and anomaly-based inspection methods to deliver flexible protection from malware attacks. Snort gained notoriety for being able to accurately detect threats at high speeds.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

CareCore, City of Biel, Dimension Data, LightEdge, Lone Star College System, National Rugby League, Port Aventura, Smart City Networks, Telecom Italia, The Department of Education in Western Australia

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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