Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs ExtremeCloud IQ comparison

Cisco and Extreme Networks are both solutions in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category. Cisco is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.0, while Extreme Networks is ranked #18 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 3.1% mindshare in ID, compared to Extreme Networks’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of Extreme Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Read 20 Cisco Sourcefire SNORT reviews

1,284 Views
1,104 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 77 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

3,064 Views
306 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

ExtremeCloud IQ

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT and ExtremeCloud IQ compete in the network security space. Cisco Sourcefire SNORT appears to have the upper hand in robust security features, while ExtremeCloud IQ leads in ease of use and integration capabilities.

Features: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT offers advanced intrusion detection, open-source flexibility, and real-time threat management. ExtremeCloud IQ provides seamless network management, intuitive configuration, and easy scalability.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT could improve with a more user-friendly setup, enhanced customer support, and simplified deployment processes. ExtremeCloud IQ can benefit from cost reduction, more robust security features, and better integration with third-party services.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT requires a technical setup with expertise for effective deployment, with reliable customer support requiring technical knowledge. ExtremeCloud IQ provides streamlined cloud-based deployment with user-friendly configuration and responsive support, reducing setup complexity and simplifying maintenance.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is cost-effective due to its open-source nature, offering high long-term ROI for security customization. ExtremeCloud IQ has a higher upfront cost, delivering substantial ROI through enhanced network management and operational efficiencies, justifying the initial investment with comprehensive features and reduced resource expenditure over time.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

February 2026

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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 Sourcefire SNORT

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

ExtremeCloud IQ

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

18th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (14th), Network Access Control (NAC) (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is 3.1%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 0.9%, up from 0.4% 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	3.1%
ExtremeCloud IQ	0.9%
Other	96.0%

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2772102

Cloud Architect at a consultancy with 1-10 employees

Logging and customizable rules have helped improve threat monitoring and detection

The logging is mainly what I consider one of the best features with Cisco Sourcefire SNORT. Being able to log and store it in a file allows you to push it to a centralized repository. The logging and reporting help improve incident response. You should always be logging threats, any sort of misconfiguration, and anything that could be an issue. It's important to at least log and monitor it. The basic rules provide a good baseline in assessing Cisco Sourcefire SNORT's ability in providing real-time analytics for threat detection, but as a professional, you should look to constantly modify that baseline. They provide extensive customizability so you can define your own rules. The customizability allows it to be adaptable in protecting against diverse network threats to the constant change.

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Ufuk KINDAP

Technical Coordinator at Yildiz Technical University

Cloud-based deployment eases IT workload and supports network management

I struggled with the documentation. I expected comprehensive documentation and videos but found them to be too simple. I needed deep details and more thorough resources. Although there were costly courses available, the lack of budget was a hindrance. Improving documentation with more detailed videos and resources would be beneficial.

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

"The logging is mainly what I consider one of the best features with Cisco Sourcefire SNORT; being able to log and store it in a file allows you to push it to a centralized repository."

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

"Solid intrusion detection and prevention that scales easily in very large environments."

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

"Cisco technical support is unbeatable. It offers a premium service every time."

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

"The solution can be integrated with some network electors like Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco ISE, and Active Directory to provide the client with authentication certificates."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT pros

"The support organization behind this product is extremely professional."

"It's extremely easy to deploy. Even our access points are behind the net, not using real, public IP. We can easily add to the cloud. For deployment, we just need to let the access point take the DSCP from IP and then, even if it's not a requirement, we can see the serial number from the access points and add the serial number to the cloud directly."

"Extreme is transitioning to 802.11ax facilities running the 2G and the 5G cloud, allowing for higher density in education use cases, and ExtremeCloud IQ provides you with novel ways to manage everything. In the old days, you used to have a controller on-site for your access points, but everything is easier now."

"What's most valuable for me in ExtremeCloud IQ is easy management. It also has centralized administration, so you don't have to go to the customer site to program it. It can be programmed remotely."

"When we deployed the new IP that is managed wirelessly in the cloud, it fixed the problems. Now, we don't have any more reports, and everything works fine."

"The deployment made my life very easy."

"The few times we have needed help, Aerohive has been there for us and I am confident that If I need them they will be there again."

"Its configuration and deployment are the most valuable."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

Cons

"The pricing needs to be improved. We have lots of low-budget clients around us. Budget constraints are always a deterrent in our market."

"Performance needs improvement."

"The customization of the rules can be simplified."

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

"We are unhappy with technical support for this solution, and it is not as professional as what we typically expect from Cisco."

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

"I want to see a better dashboard for the product. The dashboard can be a bit modified or enhanced."

"The main dashboard of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT could improve."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT cons

"I struggled with the documentation."

"The product could support multi-vendor infrastructures."

"Certain features only exist or work in certain versions."

"The solution will show us that there are some issues, but when we try to find those issues, we can't see them."

"I would like to see more security features such as NAC integrated to the solution. This would allow customers to be able to control all other users under one dashboard."

"Their firewall configuration gets funky and it can be difficult to understand."

"Browser load time for the cloud is long and needs improvement."

"Lacks cyber asset tracking."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

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

"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."

"Price-wise, it is a reasonable tool."

"This solution offers annual licensing that is middle of the range in terms of cost."

"Buy near the end of Q4 in order to get a deal."

"The pricing is so cost-effective that it leaves no room for competition with other vendors."

"It is not the cheapest product but I think that the price is reasonable because you get a lot of support of it's needed."

"I am not involved in the price, but I am sure that it is not cheap."

"I would advise that you be sure to compare apples with apples. Many customers just look at the price per AP and licences, and compare that against other solutions. But, they do not look at the complete picture such as: TCO - how much the equipment will cost you over, say, seven years? Will the customer need to change complete infrastructure when they want to buy the newest hardware? Does support include a lifetime warranty and RMA?"

"Extreme licensing is based on the number of access points. When you buy the license for the first year, everything is included, such as access to mapping, etc. If you don't renew your software assurance for the second year, the access points will still work, but you can't use the cloud management tools."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	24

Questions from the Community

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?

I have not had much experience with the community-driven rule set while utilizing Cisco Sourcefire SNORT. I don't have experience with recognizing zero-day vulnerabilities, but based on my knowledg...

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What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeCloud IQ?

The licensing was a challenge due to budget constraints, and I used ExtremeCloud IQ without a license for a period. The documentation and training courses were also costly, impacting how easily I c...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeCloud IQ?

I use ExtremeCloud IQ's real-time analytics. In the cloud solution, I get reports, and it works together with machine learning and artificial intelligence for those reports. This tool permits the c...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 14% of the time

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 10% of the time

Darktrace vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 7% of the time

Trend Micro TippingPoint Threat Protection System vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT Competitors

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 5% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

February 2026

Download Cisco Sourcefire SNORT product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

February 2026

Download ExtremeCloud IQ product report

Also Known As

Sourcefire SNORT

Aerohive Networks, Aerohive HiveManager, HiveManager, ExtremeCloud , ExtremeSecurity

Overview

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

ExtremeCloud is a resilient and scalable cloud-based network management solution offered by Extreme Networks as a subscription service.

The network is your platform of engagement for clients and staff. We have designed ExtremeCloud to provide superior user experience by empowering you and the applications that drive your business. The combination of Extreme Networks’ smart wired and wireless edges and the elasticity, resilience and scalability provided via state-of-the-art datacenters distributed strategically for worldwide availability allows you to respond to the changing needs of your business, at the speed of cloud, through a simple, multi-site aware user interface.

Extreme Networks

Sample Customers

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

Henry Ford Health System, Baltimore Ravens, Brandili, Federal University of Alagoas, CEDAE, Caxias do Sul, UNISC Concurrency, CenturyLink Field, Louisiana College, Cricket Tasmania Stadium, Moscow Internet Exchange

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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