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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs SonicWall Mobile Connect comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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 SSL VPN
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (4th)
SonicWall Mobile Connect
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
27th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 2.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Mobile Connect is 1.2%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN2.4%
SonicWall Mobile Connect1.2%
Other96.4%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

VM
student at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Cost efficiency and ease of setup define network management while potential improvements in complexity handling are noted
Optimizing and configuring for network segmentation is the biggest thing for helping with segmenting traffic management. Configuring QoS on Linksys is pretty easy, especially compared to Cisco QoS, which I am certified in, as it helps ensure that the bandwidth for voice or other applications doesn't bleed over into the data links. In the past, Linksys has been pretty good at network protection, segmenting off that protection for unauthorized access or cyber threats. Cost savings and ease of use are the benefits I've seen from Linksys. It's a little bit less complex to set up and configure compared to Cisco switching. I utilized the VLAN support feature in the Linksys switches. A lot of the networks I have were broken up by VLAN, and I definitely configured them for different VLANs. The best feature of Linksys in my opinion is cost, as they tend to be more cost-effective compared to larger switches or Cisco switches.
Rich Darress - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Operating Officer at Darress Tech
A straightforward tool with high adoption rate due to its user-friendliness
SonicWall Mobile Connect’s marketing efforts are commendable; they may not be perceived as the most secure player compared to Fortinet or Meraki. SonicWall Mobile Connect should focus on positioning itself as a strong contender in the mid-market segment to improve its standing. Many high-end engineers dismiss it in favor of Fortinet or Meraki, often due to a lack of firsthand experience.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"IOS is user-friendly and simple. You connect to a particular VPN, and that's it. You become seamless after that."
"The product is very stable."
"It is stable."
"With Cisco IOS SSL VPN, you can access your corporate data safely and securely."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."
"Stability-wise, it is a very good solution."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN provides fast connectivity and the option to connect through multiple servers."
"The solution is quite transparent."
"The solution offers multiple OS support."
"I can say that it's stable and the performance is acceptable."
"The solution benefits IT managers in backend programming. The ease of configuring and securing it while ensuring security measures is crucial. The tool is easy in terms of user experience. It is straightforward."
"The ease of use is great. It's pretty easy for users to get on the tablet or whatever and select the bookmark they need and just take it over."
 

Cons

"It can be difficult to find service and at times we cannot connect with the internet easily."
"The solution's configuration could be made easier."
"The configuration is critical and complex."
"The pricing is a stumbling block to scaling our utilization of Cisco products and we would prefer to use more of them."
"The solution does not give us options if the connectivity to one server is not available."
"The servers should be more user-friendly."
"They could provide the cloud-based as-a-service model with monthly rental payments."
"I have no notes in terms of areas of improvement."
"Licensing includes things that my customers don't need."
"SonicWall Mobile Connect’s marketing efforts are commendable; they may not be perceived as the most secure player compared to Fortinet or Meraki. SonicWall Mobile Connect should focus on positioning itself as a strong contender in the mid-market segment to improve its standing. Many high-end engineers dismiss it in favor of Fortinet or Meraki, often due to a lack of firsthand experience."
"Lacks multiple cloud integration."
"Technical support can always get better. Any time you have to call in for any certain thing, it can be difficult."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"With Cisco, there is a free solution or a licensed version of the solution with a set of endpoint services."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is more expensive than the Aruba VPN, but it is worth the money."
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."
"The licensing fee is expensive."
"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"
"The solution is reasonably priced, and we have around 50% to 60% discounts from Cisco."
"It is an expensive product."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
Healthcare Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise24
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS SSL VPN?
I have not found any areas that could be improved so far. I am not sure how Cisco IOS SSL VPN can continue their improvements for the future, but I think it is a great product. To stay on top, they...
What do you like most about SonicWall Mobile Connect?
The solution benefits IT managers in backend programming. The ease of configuring and securing it while ensuring security measures is crucial. The tool is easy in terms of user experience. It is st...
What needs improvement with SonicWall Mobile Connect?
SonicWall Mobile Connect’s marketing efforts are commendable; they may not be perceived as the most secure player compared to Fortinet or Meraki. SonicWall Mobile Connect should focus on positionin...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall Mobile Connect?
The tool helps with secure connectivity for remote workers. Introducing the new NetExtender with SSL connectivity has been particularly beneficial. It simplifies administrative tasks by allowing pr...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST Systems
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. SonicWall Mobile Connect and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.