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 7.7, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6. 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

12,450 Views
8,044 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Prisma SD-WAN

Read 19 Prisma SD-WAN reviews

2,874 Views
1,440 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: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Prisma SD-WAN

December 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

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (5th)

Prisma SD-WAN

Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

4th

Ranking in WAN Edge

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (8th)

Featured Reviews

MOHAMEDELSHERIF

Senior Technical Consultant at International Turnkey Systems - ITS

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.

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CarlosNascimento

Senior Cyber Security Consultant at Compwyre

Has high-speed dynamic routing and a good traffic shaping feature for managing bandwidth

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. The traffic shaping feature is also handy. In branches with poor internet connections, traffic shaping allows us to restrict and manage bandwidth effectively. This ensures no single user can consume all the bandwidth, and it reserves equal parts of the link for all users. For example, we can share the link equally in a small office with ten people. Prisma SD-WAN is highly effective in handling network failovers and ensuring business continuity. It includes redundancy, failover capabilities, and extensive monitoring tools. If one customer experiences an attack, updates are provided to all other customers to prevent similar threats.

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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

"One of the most valuable features is that they have multiple SD-WAN options: you have Meraki for simple management solutions, you have Viptela, and you have the option of having any type of WAN interfaces. Presently, you can also have a single combined solution for both WAN as well as for voice, so you can have a voice bundle as well. These are major unique points of this solution."

"Cisco SD-WAN's best features are the development of network links, application control, and bandwidth monitoring."

"You get security, all of the service you need, and it's easy to deploy."

"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."

"The segmented traffic it provides is the best in the industry right now."

"When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly."

"If I have to give a neutral view of all the SD-WAN platforms that I have known so far, Cisco is good in routing."

"This solution can scale from SMB to the enterprise level. It is very impressive."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pros

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

"Prisma supports all of the applications we're currently using."

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

"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."

"If the MPLS goes down, there is a really smooth transition for a branch site to take traffic over the Internet. It will advertise the routes of that site in a jiffy."

"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."

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."

"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."

More Prisma SD-WAN pros

Cons

"The deployment is complex."

"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."

"It's an expensive solution."

"Cisco needs to improve the technical support for this solution."

"Some competitors are much faster in providing out-of-the-box solutions, more innovative solutions. In terms of innovation, in many cases, they're lagging behind."

"Cyber security should also be implemented in the solution, along with maybe implementation of AI/ML."

"The initial setup is really complex."

"The solution could be a bit cheaper."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN cons

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

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

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

"They could add more advanced security features to the product."

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

"Prisma SD-WAN can be built on top of a couple of hardware platforms, including the Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewall or the CloudGenix infrastructure."

"Prisma SD-WAN should provide more flexibility and scalability on the hardware."

More Prisma SD-WAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Cisco SD-WAN could improve, it is expensive. The cost of the solution is approximately 30 percent higher than competitors."

"Cost-wise, Cisco SD-WAN is comparatively high."

"It is expensive."

"The solution is quite expensive so it is important to enhance its cost efficiency."

"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."

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

"In the Russian market where we operate, this solution is expensive."

"The initial cost is quite significant, but the investment is worthwhile."

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

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

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

44%

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

27%

Computer Software Company

10%

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 significantly.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?

It is expensive.

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 price for Prisma is a bit high, but it is a premium service. The higher tier provides flexibility and scalability benefits.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Prisma SD-WAN?

If Palo Alto could open the platform to manage other SD-WANs, it would be beneficial. Currently, it only manages Palo Alto. Also, if there were an option to extend management to other firewalls, us...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 16% of the time

Meraki SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 12% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

Compared 12% 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 7% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Competitors

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 24% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 17% of the time

Meraki SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 13% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 11% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Prisma SD-WAN

Compared 7% of the time

More Prisma SD-WAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

December 2024

Download Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN product report

Buyer's Guide

Prisma SD-WAN

December 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

December 2024

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

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