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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs SonicWall SMA comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

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 Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in SSL VPN
3rd
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
ZTNA as a Service (12th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
SonicWall SMA
Ranking in SSL VPN
5th
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 9.5%, down from 15.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 6.8%, up from 5.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
SSL VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)9.5%
SonicWall SMA6.8%
Other83.7%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

AS
Manager - Projects at airtel
Offers work-from-anywhere flexibility but navigates occasional proxy confusion
The analytics I downloaded from your site as a free download did not carry the information that was actually required. I was looking at the market segmentation and market share, along with some USPs which differentiated them from each other. The free download had two issues: many things were repetitive, and it was designed to not release any relevant information. Only headers were present, so I was not able to determine whether the final report would be worthwhile. I have not worked with enterprise tools that I could share feedback on for website publication. I see benefits from using Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect). However, I would not recommend it because future adoptions will be towards Zscaler, as SSC is a better model than VPN. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 7.
BA
Owner at ThinkEzIT
Security enhances through autonomous protection and strong support while multi-factor authentication secures access
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, as I haven't been looking at what they're releasing. We're a small shop, so we drop stuff in and manage it and do what we need to do to maintain it. If we run into an issue, we contact support. There's a learning curve, but it comes down to getting support to train you on the product, and then once you have the training you need, you're able to make the changes and updates that you need to.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The dashboard and interface are fine."
"It is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years."
"AnyConnect provides a secure connection to your corporate resources."
"It is stable. We haven't had issues so far."
"What I like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is that it's easy to use, and that is its main advantage, as you can use it without the need for any setup because it's centrally pre-installed, so you just need to log in with your username and password, and I didn't experience any problems with the solution in terms of losing connectivity, as it works very well every time."
"The solution has good performance. It is a simple tool to use, once I turn on Windows it automatically starts to use the VPN."
"This is a secure product that has had zero stability issues since I started using it in 2019."
"The product makes it easy to connect remotely to machines that are remote."
"Secure Mobile Access (SMA) is easy to configure and the deployment is straightforward. However, this is mostly because of the AWS setup."
"The performance is good."
"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."
"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."
"We are in Thailand and I'm very happy with the technical support."
"I am very satisfied with the technical support."
"SonicWall SMA has the most valuable feature of proprietary security technologies like Capture ATP."
"The SonicWall SSL-VPN solution offers the best protection with the least effect on services."
 

Cons

"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client would be perfect if it weren't for the fingerprint feature."
"Sometimes when you are on the VPN, it can be a little bit slow."
"There are situations where the connection drops, and you may not even be aware of it until you try to do something critical."
"There are situations where the connection drops, and you may not even be aware of it until you try to do something critical."
"They can redesign the reset password, reset function, and user interface."
"We'd like the product to be cheaper."
"I think that the addition of single sign-on functionality would be helpful."
"At times, the login process takes a lot of time."
"Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface."
"SonicWall SMA is difficult to use and it does not provide easy access to different parts of the network."
"This is an expensive solution and I think that the price could be improved."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"The product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."
"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers."
"The product's technical support services could be improved."
"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers. Normally enterprises and SMBs can create a ticket, but for enterprises, SonicWall SMA needs to provide a global view, and this is what's currently missing. It's not even a question of timing. It's a question of the global vision because currently, it's lacking. They concentrate on the topic, but not on the means and not on the global picture. In most cases, there's something wrong with the integration of SonicWall SMA with other products, so that could also be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay for an annual subscription. Additionally to the subscription, we thought in order to connect this solution to the Active Directory we had to purchase a Cisco ACS, Access Control System. It turns out we did not actually need it."
"The solution is based on an annual licensing model and is expensive."
"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"My company has a three-year or a four-year license. In scenarios attached to a solution where the product may be reaching an end-of-support or end-of-life phase, Cisco provides OS support in such environments."
"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."
"We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight."
"The pricing depends on the requirement, so proper planning and an RF analysis help to properly size the solution and get the best pricing."
"I don't know about the pricing of the SSL-VPN box. I know the SSL-VPN software is free. Global VPN client, by comparison, is licensed for around $150 or something like that. But the SSL-VPN software is free. It is already built-in with the box."
"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business27
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise46
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is somewhat expensive compared to others such as Fortinet or Palo Alto, which provide free VPN when the firewall is purchased. Palo Alto and Fortinet prov...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) can be made better, as the product for me has not changed in the last year. The only problem is that if you want to download it somewhere else, you cannot...
What is your primary use case for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is used to make a VPN connection to work, specifically for a VPN and internet connection to my work's office.
What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?
I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, a...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall SMA?
I have experience with the SonicWall SMA; we have rolled it back into our stack. We use SonicWall SMA for all of our clients that need VPNs, including doctor's offices and lawyer offices. Our clien...
 

Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
892,487 professionals have used our research since 2012.