Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs SonicWall Netextender comparison

Microsoft and SonicWall are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Microsoft is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.7, while SonicWall is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.0. Microsoft holds a 3.8% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 70% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Read 28 Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway reviews

3,480 Views
3,445 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

SonicWall Netextender

Read 14 SonicWall Netextender reviews

2,746 Views
2,746 Comparison Views

70% willing to recommend

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

SonicWall Netextender

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

SonicWall Netextender and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway are competing products in the VPN market. SonicWall Netextender offers better pricing and customer support, while Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is preferred for its comprehensive features and perceived better value.

Features: SonicWall Netextender is praised for its robust security features, straightforward connectivity options, and user-friendly interface. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is highlighted for its broader integration capabilities, scalability, and advanced feature set, making it suitable for larger enterprises.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall Netextender users mention occasional connectivity drop-offs, an outdated interface, and limited scalability. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway users report complexity in configuration, management challenges, and a steep learning curve as primary areas for improvement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall Netextender is noted for its quick setup and highly responsive customer service. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway's deployment is seen as more complex but well-documented. Azure's customer service is satisfactory yet not as quick to respond.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall Netextender has lower initial setup costs and faster ROI, appealing to smaller businesses or those with budget constraints. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is more expensive but offers higher scalability and advanced features, leading to potentially higher long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs. SonicWall Netextender Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs. SonicWall Netextender

April 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

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall Netextender

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

12th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 3.8%, down from 6.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Netextender is 2.6%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway	3.8%
SonicWall Netextender	2.6%
Other	93.6%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Srinivas A

Director- Head of DevOps, security, and Complaince at Rightdata

Secure data links from on-premise sources have enabled private access to client databases

The best feature of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is its sophisticated security mechanism for transmitting data between on-premise to Azure or Azure to Azure. The process of building the VPN gateway is user-friendly, making it easy to configure. Additionally, it supports various options to establish connections between on-premise to Azure or other sources to targets. Using pfSense as a firewall and VPN at our on-premise allows us to establish connections between Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway and our on-premise pfSense VPN easily. This streamlined connection process occurs within a few steps. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway has positively impacted our organization because it is core to our system and crucial for establishing private connections to our customer's data sources. Their databases lie in a private network with no communication with the outside world. Our customers trust Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, and by extension, trust us because of this efficient networking establishment process.

Read full review

Rich Darress

Chief Operating Officer at Darress Tech

Has provided secure remote access to multiple client networks with consistent performance

When buying the appliance itself, there is one downside that isn't exclusive to SonicWall. When you apply all the security settings, many people have one gig connections for internet ISP. If you're bringing in a one gig connection, you have to have a more robust SonicWall to handle that throughput with all your security settings turned on. It gets pretty pricey upfront if you're bringing in a one gig connection. If the customer starts with a two, three, four, or 500 meg connection and has a small unit, they have to replace the whole box when upgrading to a gig, so scalability there is atrocious. However, this issue exists with pretty much any appliance.

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

"It works perfectly for me. It is very user-friendly in terms of the configuration and the setup process."

"The solution is very quick to connect."

"The most valuable feature is the networking. I didn't have a good experience with the networking that Sophos has."

"The Azure tool is useful and powerful and availability for clients. The updates are very good and reliable."

"I like the stability, HA, and performance of the product."

"The best feature is the ability to connect from anywhere."

"What I like best about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that it's a managed VPN, so it's one of the most powerful VPNs I've ever found. It also provides point-to-site VPNs configurable within a few minutes."

"It sends us a lot of detections when we have any anti-virus updates. It provides the extended time needed to update a set of time needs and notifications."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pros

"My company opted for this solution because it can individually perform. Basically, we don't require load balancers and all those additional feature sets or additional devices that might be required. The solution can handle the certificate, DNS queries, and all that stuff individually."

"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"It can support multifactor authentication. Also, it is a very basic application."

"The SSL-VPN encryption has been fantastic for my organization's data confidentiality and integrity; we've done extensive testing with third-party cybersecurity testing while connected and it has passed with flying colors."

"The solution provides high availability."

"NetExtender works very well; I have never had an issue with it, and it has been working well for me."

"It allows us to work remotely."

"The best feature is that employees can connect to our LAN, and have access to our network from home."

More SonicWall Netextender pros

Cons

"Their technical support could be better. If you don't have a support contract, it takes longer."

"The price of the solution should be more affordable"

"There is a need to improve the paperwork and management approval process, which is currently painful, though not directly related to the VPN Gateway itself."

"Regarding pricing for Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, it could be more cost-effective."

"Microsoft could work on having micro VPNs to integrate with mobile devices."

"Connectivity could be improved in Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway because it's not as stable, particularly when connecting a device tunnel."

"The cost could be lower."

"Considering my past interactions with Microsoft's support team, it is difficult to get the right support unless you find the right person to speak with from the customer support team."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway cons

"Right now, you have to load each license on to an appliance. You can't pool across multiple appliances."

"NetExtender did nothing to improve my organization - in fact, it was quite the opposite. Users constantly complained of lag and unbearable sluggishness (with a max speed of 10-30kbps) through the VPN, even though we have relatively high bandwidth for a small office (400mbps)."

"SonicWall can be difficult for some people, but I don't find it difficult. Some companies provide a VPN client for free, but you have to pay for NetExtender."

"The product does not work well."

"The Netextender application itself doesn't really look pretty, however, we can still use it. We don't care what it looks like. That said, if they did a cosmetic update, that would be fine."

"The only concern I do have is with the zero trust, and the solution is not coping with the newer technologies as much as it needs to do on that particular factor."

"The initial setup of SonicWall Netextender is straightforward. The only issue we encountered was with relocating the VPN appliance. If we needed to move it from an on-premise to an on-cloud architecture, we had to start over and redeploy it from scratch. Unfortunately, it is not portable and any changes to its physical location often result in the need for a fresh deployment to ensure everything functions properly."

"Sometimes you can get bounced around through the departments until you find the right one. Sometimes if you don't have the most current support contract or your license is out of date, they won't even talk to you."

More SonicWall Netextender cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's an expensive product"

"There is a monthly license and the price depends on how many users are using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. The price could be less expensive."

"The software has good pricing compared to other vendors."

"Payment for licensing the solution is part of the operating model. So, one needs to keep on paying while consuming the solution. In short, the payment is based on the solution's capacity."

"It's saved us money compared to getting a third-party appliance."

"Its price is reasonable for new technology."

"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is the cheapest way for us to connect to our cloud infrastructure. Other solutions, such as ExpressRoute are very expensive."

"The solution is subscription-based and very cheap."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pricing and cost advice

"Compared to others, it is cheaper. When we compare it with Palo Alto, Check Point, or Fortinet, it is a little cheaper."

"The solution has a pretty good price."

"The price of SonicWall Netextender is reasonable. Whether it's a small shop with only five users or a larger operation with 130 users, we have received no complaints or objections regarding cost from any of the clients we are looking to deploy it with."

"After a certain number of users, you require extra licensing."

"The solution is cheap itself, not too costly."

"You have to pay for its license. There are some other companies that provide a VPN client for free. When you buy NetExtender, its license is available for one, three, or five years."

"Cost wise, it would be a few hundred dollars for the base appliance with the first five clients. Then from there, your cost per seat depends on how many you're getting. It's a one-time cost, and then you have a few hundred dollars a year for the maintenance contract once you get the one-time seat costs out of the way."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

The logging mechanism could use improvement. More detailed logging would help in troubleshooting any failures during connection establishment or monitoring Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. Otherwise, e...

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What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

For those considering using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, read the documentation thoroughly. Create an Excel sheet outlining tasks for both the source and target sides, especially when establishing ...

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What is your primary use case for Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

Our main use case for Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is to connect to the data sources of our clients. We establish the VPN gateway between our SaaS platform and their on-premise environment to connec...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Netextender?

The pricing for my experience with the setup cost and licensing of SonicWall Netextender is fair. The Netextender itself has no cost. It's the SSL licensing that is attached to the SonicWall. It us...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall Netextender?

SonicWall Netextender has not helped with compliance, as it is not applicable for what I'm doing. I've put several feature requests in over the years and they've implemented them all, so it current...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall Netextender?

Getting to local resources on a customer's network is my main use case with SonicWall Netextender or SonicWall SSL-VPN. As a managed service provider, all my customers have SonicWalls and I get int...

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 21% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Tailscale vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 26% of the time

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 10% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 8% of the time

AWS Direct Connect vs SonicWall Netextender

Compared 4% of the time

More SonicWall Netextender Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

May 2026

Download Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Netextender

May 2026

Download SonicWall Netextender product report

Also Known As

MS Azure VPN Gateway

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway enables secure cloud connectivity through scalable and reliable VPN solutions. It provides seamless integration with Microsoft's tools, ensuring high performance, availability, and security for businesses needing secure hybrid networking.

Leveraging Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, businesses benefit from secure site-to-site connections between on-premise networks and Azure cloud environments. It supports high availability and robust encryption for secure data management. Azure's advanced security measures, including IPSec, ensure safe data transmission. The service is designed for scalability, user-friendliness, and effective workload management across SKUs, enhancing its value for enterprises seeking efficient cloud networking.

What are the key features of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

Cloud Accessibility: Ensures seamless connectivity to Azure environments.
High Availability: Provides reliable network performance.
Security and Encryption: Uses IPSec for secure connections.
BGP Protocol Support: Facilitates dynamic routing.
Integration: Compatible with Microsoft's monitoring and management tools.
Redundancy: Offers backup for uninterrupted service.
Flexibility: Manages workloads across SKUs and locations effectively.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Cost-Effectiveness: Reduces the need for physical hardware.
Network Security: Protects data with innovative security features.
Scalability: Adapts to growing business needs.
Ease of Use: Streamlines management and monitoring processes.
Seamless Integration: Works well with existing Microsoft infrastructure.

Organizations across industries implement Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway to create secure connections for CRM, ERP databases, and financial systems. It is vital for hybrid networking, linking data centers to cloud resources, and enabling remote user VPN profiles for secure management of virtual network infrastructures.

Microsoft

SonicWall Netextender provides affordable and stable VPN connections with a focus on secure access through features like multifactor authentication and integration with Microsoft services, ensuring reliable remote connectivity.

SonicWall Netextender is a robust tool for managing VPN accounts securely while offering remote access integration with Microsoft solutions like Intune. It supports industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance, catering to remote work and hybrid arrangements. Its comprehensive documentation aids in efficient configuring and minimal latency, although it faces challenges with Mac OS support, outdated interfaces, and high bandwidth usage. Enhanced SaaS functionalities and improved support for AI features are sought after improvements.

What are SonicWall Netextender's key features?

Cost-effectiveness: Provides a budget-friendly solution for enterprise VPN connections.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing organizational needs.
SSL-VPN Encryption: Utilizes advanced encryption for data security.
Microsoft Integration: Seamlessly connects with Microsoft Intune and Identity Management.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Remote Access Security: Maintains security with multifactor authentication.
Ease of Use: Detailed documentation facilitates easy setup and management.
High Availability: Supports stable connections with minimal downtime.
Efficiency: Helpful in managing VPN accounts and access control.

SonicWall Netextender is utilized in industries such as healthcare, education, and insurance to enable remote work and access to office resources. Its integration with Microsoft 365 supports file transfers and remote management of hybrid work environments, although some find it costly compared to free options.

SonicWall

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs. SonicWall Netextender

April 2026

Free Report: Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs. SonicWall Netextender

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