Cisco Umbrella vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense comparison

Cisco and Infoblox are both solutions in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.2, while Infoblox is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.3. Cisco holds a 20.8% mindshare in DS, compared to Infoblox’s 4.8% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Infoblox users who would recommend it.

Cisco Umbrella

Read 123 Cisco Umbrella reviews

19,468 Views
6,035 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Def...

Read 18 Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense reviews

2,018 Views
1,635 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Cisco Umbrella

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Def...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Cisco Umbrella and Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense compete in the DNS protection market. Cisco Umbrella seems to have the upper hand with its ease of use and comprehensive integration capabilities, making it a preferred choice for many users.

Features: Cisco Umbrella offers DNS-level security, malware blocking, and phishing protection with a focus on maintaining low network resource overhead. Users appreciate its comprehensive blocking capabilities and seamless integration with other systems. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense excels in detailed threat analytics, providing insights into DNS query behaviors and threats. It offers granular control over DNS traffic, aiding in dynamic threat detection and integration with other security tools.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Umbrella could enhance integration with external threat feeds and improve reporting capabilities. Users express the need for more intuitive management and enhanced malware protection. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense requires improvements in documentation, better integration of detailed threat intelligence, and a more user-friendly UI for administration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Umbrella's cloud-based nature simplifies deployment, making it ideal for hybrid environments, and is supported by robust customer service, though problem resolutions could be quicker. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense provides strong support for both cloud and on-premises options, with particular praise for its technical support and setup documentation. Both products are noted for excellent customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Umbrella offers multiple licensing options, noticed for its high price compared to rivals, but delivers ROI through reduced malware and operational efficiency. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is more expensive but justified by its advanced capabilities and threat defense. Users see ROI in strengthened security posture and lowered operational risks.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Umbrella vs. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella vs. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

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 Umbrella

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

123

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (1st), Internet Security (1st), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (2nd), Cisco Security Portfolio (1st)

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Def...

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

7th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category, the mindshare of Cisco Umbrella is 20.8%, down from 25.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is 4.8%, up from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Domain Name System (DNS) Security Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Umbrella	20.8%
Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense	4.8%
Other	74.4%

Domain Name System (DNS) Security

Featured Reviews

Bryan Bettencourt

Senior Network Engineer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Ensures comprehensive protection with seamless threat logging and efficient policy management

My favorite feature of Cisco Umbrella is probably just the DNS and the fact that when a security threat happens, all of that gets logged in their Umbrella portal, and it's very easy to find who's been accessing the site and how many people have accessed it, so that we can go to them and make sure they're not compromised. The features of Cisco Umbrella benefit my company by providing less time to search for things through logs, to look for what we need. It's just one place to go, and we just search for it, and we find it really fast. The fact that there's a virtual database that has all that information is great on our portal.

Read full review

reviewer2703357

Analyst at a educational organization with 10,001+ employees

Valuable analytics integration improves data insights but needs fewer restrictions

What is valuable about the Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is especially the monitoring and reporting, which provides valuable information. The integration with any SIEM is very valuable for getting DNS query analytics, and this is very important. The threat analytics tools in the Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense improve security response through integration with another platform, allowing you to gain insights on your own data happening within your own Infoblox BloxOne.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Umbrella has helped my IT staff in two ways. First, our security team was able to get more insights into the users, their devices, and the sites they browse. Second, our system administration team was able to manage DNS resolutions in a way that is more accessible and less intrusive to our domain system."

"Cisco Umbrella is the first layer of security that protects me while surfing the net, identifying untrusted websites to prevent access."

"When we have laptops that leave the building, they could connect to public WiFi before they establish a VPN connection back into the company. For that duration or that period of time when they're not docked in the network or on a VPN, they effectively don't have that full layer of security that I provide inside the building. This tool stands in during that period of time, and we extend the security settings through their basic firewall or their cloud-based firewall at that time. So, we do content filtering and control access, but they also are looking at new domains, IP addresses, and bad requests. They're blocking them on my behalf when a laptop is not sitting behind our security appliances."

"Cisco Umbrella is specifically designed for DNS protection, with features including a user-friendly console and the easiest installation, and it offers very prominent threat feeding from different Talos sources, securing multiple platforms while helping protect from malware and unsafe sites and mitigating DNS attacks to ensure secure browsing for end users."

"Overall, it is a very good solution. It is a simple solution and very easy to set up."

"The single-pane-of-glass management is really important. In today's era, administration costs and operational expenses will cost you a lot, and it reduces that as well. You don't need extra resources to manage all your parameter firewalls, looking at every single device to allow resources internal access. By just introducing the single-pane-of-glass management, it has lifted the burden off of management, especially the network management."

"I have found the malware protection feature valuable. It is helpful and deliverable and is able to protect my entire organization from getting compromised. It also prevents us from visiting any malicious sites which are not visible to the users."

"There is much differentiation within the licensing so if anyone wants DNS security from the DNS security log, we are there already, and if anyone wants to go to a secure internet gateway, that is also available. We can get the integrated cloud DLP license keys. That is a good benefit with Cisco Umbrella. You can get a complete solution in a single licensing."

More Cisco Umbrella pros

"The product is stable."

"When it comes to helping to detect DNS threats, BloxOne is good on all fronts. The number of false positives is very low, close to none. More than once it has detected new names or lookalike names and protected us and saved us from bad characters."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the granularity for which you can categorize what you want to block versus what you don't want to block."

"Our ability to detect data exfiltration was minimal before Infoblox and the cloud portal was instituted for us. In terms of DNS security as a whole, we had some capability with our firewalls, but this is a lot more specialized because we're sending all of our DNS requests to Infoblox. I'd say we improved 100%."

"The automatic blocklists are most valuable. A box can maintain several lists from which we can choose if we need to block more or less. We don't have to manually manage the lists ourselves. They're automatically updated."

"The stability of Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is near perfect at a rating of ten."

"The reporting ability is helpful. It allows us to control what our users are able to resolve, and then be able to see reports on that."

"Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense furthers the existing security posture rather than replacing or trying to replace any existing products."

More Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense pros

Cons

"The major issue is that sometimes when you install the client, it shows you protected and displays that it is live with the backend servers and everything; however, in reality, it was not getting any feed from the main client and is just sending your traffic to open DNS, which sometimes causes an issue because the protection you have implemented can be breached by users."

"The integration with Cisco could be better."

"Sometimes there are some lags, and I have to refresh multiple times to access parts of the dashboards. Sometimes the dashboard pages crash and I'm not sure why, so that's one area for improvement."

"It would be better if there was a little bit of flexibility for organizations that don't have SD One in their environment. Because of the complexity of the environment, it's not easy to actually turn on the feature of the secure internet gateway for our users. We have not been able to explore that option yet."

"There should be a way to monitor traffic at the user level."

"Its on-prem rollout is quite challenging. It needs better coordination with the Internet Service Provider. It is a cloud-based solution, and any endpoint that connects to it has to go through all the gateway ISPs, but some of the ISPs block HTTPS-based DNS. That's where the challenge occurs with Umbrella."

"The design of the screens could be improved. Sometimes you're trying to look for information, for what you think is critical that should be on that first screen of the dashboard so that you can quickly take screenshots to have people help out, but you have to hop between screens to find little pieces of evidence."

"I don't have an answer for how Cisco Umbrella can be improved, as it has been some time since I've worked with it."

More Cisco Umbrella cons

"The initial setup is not a simple "click-click-next" installation. It requires some level of experience ."

"Endpoint solutions need to improved."

"The research side and the reporting side need improvement. Both of those are items on the menu. They could use a little bit of cleanup to make their respective information more easily understood."

"The setup was horrible. About a year ago, Infoblox made us re-enroll all our on-prem DNS servers by a set date to a specific version, or it would stop working. I told my colleague, "Oh, here, we have to upgrade the servers and reconnect them to the CSP." That did not go well at all."

"A lot of their documentation needs improvement."

"The product could be cheaper."

"Within the past two years, we discovered certain bugs in their products. The resolution of these bugs took a little too much time, especially if our production environment is down for a certain amount of time, then we are losing money. That is hard to convey to Infoblox support, e.g., we actually need the system up and running again within two or three hours. The awareness of these so-called production down incidents is not really easy to convey."

"Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense is quite expensive, especially due to the significant increase in the subscription fee after the first year. This unexpected increase was a problem for us."

More Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price for us is quite expensive because it's a subscription, and we just use it for the DNS log. So, for us, it's quite expensive."

"Our licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"The pricing was marvelous."

"When talking about Cisco solutions in general there pricing model is horrible. For example, you can sell a Meraki-based solution, but if the customer starts shopping around, someone is going to have access to the pricing at a level that you cannot compete because they do not have uniform pricing. Not everybody gets fair pricing. Unless you are one of the real major corporations selling the solution your ability to compete is impossible. Cisco will acknowledge the situation and assure you next time it will be in your favor but it never becomes favorable for you. Cisco is not very good in this regard. However, Umbrella is good."

"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."

"I rate the tool's pricing a five out of ten."

"There is room for improvement when it comes to the cost."

"It needs a better price point."

More Cisco Umbrella pricing and cost advice

"It's a pricey solution because it's for the advanced kind of customer."

"The licensing is set up such that you pay for the number of active users that you're defending at the moment."

"If you only wanted the DNS filtering and none of the other products built into Threat Defense, it would be nicer if they could do that a la carte since we are not really using a lot of the solution."

"Infoblox BloxOne offers pretty good documentation. Check its documentation, then do a PoC. Infoblox is very good at providing PoCs."

"There is a significant charge for this product but I think that it's worth it when we look at what it's able to prevent."

"When you buy the subscription, there are no additional costs to add any additional buttons."

"It is a very expensive system. You need to go over the licensing before purchase to make sure you're getting what is needed, not anything extra."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	50
Midsize Enterprise	30
Large Enterprise	51

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	12

Questions from the Community

Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Zscaler?

Cisco Umbrella and Zscaler Internet Access are two broad-spectrum Internet security solutions that I have tried. Zscaler Internet Access is a good option for carrying out multiple security functi...

See all answers

Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Microsoft Cloud App Security?

Cisco Umbrella is an integral component of the Cisco SASE architecture. It integrates security in a single, cloud-native solution, unifying multiple features like DNS-layer security, threat intelli...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Umbrella?

Cisco Umbrella is easy to monitor, manage, and deploy.

See all answers

What do you like most about Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense?

The most valuable feature is policy redirecting and security reports.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense?

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense can be expensive for the commercial sector, particularly in Egypt, as this sector does not have a huge budget compared to banking or oil and gas, as the regulations ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense?

If Infoblox invests in network observability, especially from the perspective of DNS and IP address observability, it could be a significant improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

Zscaler Internet Access vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Access vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 9% of the time

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 4% of the time

Netskope vs Cisco Umbrella

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Umbrella Competitors

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Compared 14% of the time

EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Compared 10% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Compared 6% of the time

BlueCat Edge vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Compared 6% of the time

F5 BIG-IP DNS vs Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Compared 6% of the time

More Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella

February 2026

Download Cisco Umbrella product report

Buyer's Guide

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

February 2026

Download Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense product report

Also Known As

OpenDNS

BloxOne Threat Defense, Infoblox ActiveTrust, Infoblox ActiveTrust Cloud

Overview

Cisco Umbrella provides fast-deploying DNS-layer security with powerful threat protection capabilities. Trusted by over 30,000 entities, it ranks highly in DNS security and effectively supports secure remote work environments.

Cisco Umbrella offers comprehensive DNS security, web filtering, and ease of use, enhancing network security through robust threat protection and malware prevention. It processes over 600 billion requests daily, making it a leader in its field. The seamless integration with existing infrastructures and cloud-based nature makes it suitable for remote and distributed work environments, ensuring consistent security throughout. Management is streamlined with a single-pane interface that simplifies administration, while in-depth reporting capabilities provide valuable insights for continuous monitoring.

What are the key features of Cisco Umbrella?

DNS Security: Provides leading protection by managing DNS queries and blocking malicious sites.
Web Filtering: Offers granular control over web content to safeguard internet usage.
Ease of Integration: Fits well into existing infrastructures, simplifying deployment and use.
Intuitive Management: Single-pane management streamlines administration and enhances usability.
Cloud-Based Flexibility: Supports secure remote work environments.

What benefits can users expect from using Cisco Umbrella?

Superior Threat Protection: Reduces risk by effectively detecting and preventing cyber threats.
Consistent Security: Provides uniform protection across network environments.
Efficiency and Visibility: Leverages comprehensive reporting for better security insights.
Easy Deployment: Quick and straightforward setup with minimal disruption.

Cisco Umbrella is widely adopted in industries requiring advanced DNS-level security to counteract malware, phishing, and cyber threats. Its ability to monitor and protect remote and roaming employees makes it an attractive option for sectors highly dependent on cloud services. By managing DNS queries and blocking harmful sites, Cisco Umbrella enhances cybersecurity across networks, providing an added layer of protection for businesses worldwide.

Cisco

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense strengthens and optimizes your security posture from the foundation up, giving you the visibility, control and automation to secure the hybrid workplace. Operating at the DNS level, BloxOne Threat Defense uncovers threats that other solutions do not and stops attacks earlier in the threat lifecycle. Through pervasive automation and ecosystem integration, it drives efficiencies in SecOps, increases the effectiveness of the existing security stack, secures digital and work-from-anywhere efforts and lowers the total cost for cybersecurity.

Infoblox

Sample Customers

Chart Industries, City of Aspen, Eastern Mountain Sports, FLEXcon, George Washington University, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Ohio Public Library Information Network, PTC, Richland Community College, Smart Motors, Tulane University, VeriClaim

Council Rock School District, EagleView, Schneider Electric, Baptist Memorial Health Care, American University

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Umbrella vs. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Umbrella vs. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Umbrella vs. Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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