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 #14 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

1,181 Views
1,004 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

ExtremeCloud IQ

Read 77 ExtremeCloud IQ reviews

2,776 Views
250 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: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

December 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 Sourcefire SNORT

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

14th

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 (13th), Network Access Control (NAC) (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is 3.1%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeCloud IQ is 0.9%, up from 0.3% 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 features of Cisco Sourcefire SNORT are the dashboard for monitoring events."

"The tool's most valuable feature is threat detection, which is important because we have multiple layers not only in Cisco."

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

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

"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."

"It is quite an intelligent product."

"It has a huge rate of protection. It's has a low level of positives and a huge rate of threat protection. It's easy to deploy and easy to implement. It has an incredible price rate compared to similar solutions."

"Cisco Sourcefire SNORT is easy to configure and the reporting is great. It's also very user-friendly."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT pros

"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."

"The tech who handles Extreme IQ tells me it's easy to use and learn. He felt like it was pretty intuitive. It comes with solid training materials. He also has talked about the security features that give you as much or as little control as you want."

"Everything can be seen from the dashboard."

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

"It is a scalable solution."

"ExtremeCloud IQ is a complete package with the pilot and the co-pilot feature that gives me full visibility of the network."

"ExtremeCloud IQ is integrated with the Ekahau tool so that you can log in to the ExtremeCloud IQ portal, upload the cloud plans, draw all the interiors, and plan the APs with the real-time AP position."

"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."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pros

Cons

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

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

"To be frank, the product is not really stable, although they're working on that. Whenever I go to the technical community with an issue, they will usually say that it is not there yet, but the technical team are working on it. The issues are not insolvable. I think they should just keep working on the product to make sure that the product can become very stable. The technical support is great. I appreciate that. We have a lot of communities supporting Firepower now, so you can find help for whatever issue you have."

"The customization of the rules can be simplified."

"The implementation could be a bit easier."

"I did not experience any pain points that required improvement. Maybe a couple of false-positives, but that's about it."

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

"While the alerts they offer are good, it could improve it in the sense that they should be more detailed to make the alerts more useful to us in general. Sometimes the solution will offer up false positives. Due to the fact that the alerts aren't detailed, we have to go dig around to see why is it being blocked. The solution would be infinitely better if there was just a bit more detail in the alert information and logging we receive."

More Cisco Sourcefire SNORT cons

"The solution's performance needs to be enhanced because of a very high delay."

"We'd like to have a cloud dashboard from which we can see all devices."

"The tool has simplified things, but it also adds a complexity that sometimes stumps some users."

"They can improve just the onboarding process. More user information about the introduction to the product would be helpful. It would be good if they have a better user introduction to the new product because it is different than the prior version."

"The dashboard and stability need to be improved."

"I struggled with the documentation. I expected comprehensive documentation and videos but found them to be too simple."

"There can be an improvement by incorporating two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication for security. Advanced network access control features and application control features should be added to manage applications. Many customers are interested in managing data, such as setting data quotas for individual users."

"Integrating the network access control solution can be complex, as it essentially combines two separate products."

More ExtremeCloud IQ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

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

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

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

"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."

"Although the pricing is a bit high, I consider Aerohive to be well worth the money."

"Start small and grow big. You can choose the basic Aerohive Connect free subscription solution and, later, if needed (in terms of functionality) you can upgrade to Aerohive Select."

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

"Customers need to pay a yearly licensing fee for ExtremeCloud IQ, which is a little bit expensive."

"Previously, ExtremeCloudIQ provided free licensing for all the basic requirements of their customers. An advanced cloud user had to purchase advanced licenses for automation and advanced country features at the enterprise level. They have restricted the licensing, allowing only up to ten units for testing, which is challenging. This limitation becomes problematic, especially in countries like Sri Lanka or other Asian countries, where customers face economic challenges and have limited budgets. The previous free option was beneficial, but it has become tougher to manage with these new changes. They should revise their pricing structure, offering the basic features free of charge for up to 50 AP. Larger entities with more than 50 APs have the budget to support them. Still, it becomes more difficult for small and medium-sized businesses with less than 50 APs to allocate a significant budget for control and management features."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

"Bring the cost down."

More ExtremeCloud IQ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

10%

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 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 13% of the time

Zscaler Cloud IPS vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 7% of the time

Darktrace vs Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

Compared 7% of the time

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Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 10% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 8% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs ExtremeCloud IQ

Compared 4% of the time

More ExtremeCloud IQ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Sourcefire SNORT

January 2026

Download Cisco Sourcefire SNORT product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeCloud IQ

January 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

December 2025

Free Report: Cisco Sourcefire SNORT vs. ExtremeCloud IQ

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