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Aruba Remote Access Points vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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

Aruba Remote Access Points
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (2nd), ZTNA as a Service (10th), Cisco Security Portfolio (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Aruba Remote Access Points is 0.8%, down from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 7.1%, down from 8.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Prashant-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution can be used from home or any remote office to access office resources like printers and servers
With Aruba Remote Access Points, I can create my own private office. I don't have to go to the office to have my extension and all the resources that I have in the office. I can use the solution from my home or any remote office to access printers, servers, etc. I can use Aruba Remote Access Points by plugging the internet cable into it. Remote Access Points (RAP) is not one particular model. All Aruba access points can be an RAP because the access points or the unified access points can be converted to an RAP. It can be a controller-based solution or without a controller. So, any access point can act as a RAP. Aruba Remote Access Points is an out-of-the-box solution.
Wouter Beer - PeerSpot reviewer
Generates revenue through service offering while needing additional safety features
The primary use case for Cisco Secure Client, including AnyConnect, is as a VPN for remote access I use AnyConnect because I have Cisco infrastructure. It utilizes certificates, which allows for automatic setup. The security features are beneficial, and the whole idea of the app is that it should…

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 of Aruba Remote Access Points is the manageability from the central cloud platform."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is experienced by those working at home since they get a secure Wi-Fi connection."
"The product is very flexible. So far the stability of the solution has been good."
"Once we got things set up properly, we just need to do updates, and it just runs."
"Once configured and operational, they tend to function reliably, with few reported issues from clients or customers."
"It provides good Spectrum Analysis and troubleshooting."
"It is a very stable tool."
"This solution is widely adopted and involves both technology and non-technical devices. It is robust, except in cases of significant power outages."
"The ability to add multiple two-factor authentication options for the user to choose from when they log in has helped increase the security of our network, especially with so many people working remotely."
"Easy to deploy and has good NAC integration."
"The installation process is not difficult."
"This is a secure product that has had zero stability issues since I started using it in 2019."
"The most valuable features are that it is really secure and very easy to use."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is the consistency, I have not had any issues with the performance."
"Technical support is always helpful."
"This solution gives you double security because it uses both hard and soft tokens."
 

Cons

"I use the controller when using Aruba Remote Access Points, particularly during configuration. Hence, room for improvement in Aruba Remote Access Points is for its web UI to be easier to control."
"I don't really have any critiques at this time."
"The solution is costly for medium-sized companies."
"It would help if the remote APs had some kind of SoHo environment with built-in firewall features. That way it could connect directly in a client-to-site type of environment, or a site-to-site VPN environment. That way users could have a complete office setup without coming to the private cloud."
"The product is not user-friendly."
"The remote access point coverage should be bigger than it is now."
"I would rate stability as five out of ten. Sometimes it is stable, and sometimes it is not."
"Our difficulty with Aruba is that the product and the license are two different items. So, if we are adding an access point, we have to pay for two items. We have to pay to add the access point in the controller and we have to pay for the license."
"I'm not noticing any missing features."
"Even when your internet speed is good, once you connect to the VPN the speed gets automatically reduced, which is worrisome."
"There is nothing they need to improve at this moment."
"Sometimes if we're always having some network issues, or maybe the client is having some network issues, we might get disconnected."
"Setting up Cisco Secure Client, especially when using certificates, is quite a job and complicated."
"The various licensing options make it challenging to manage, and the cost is a significant issue for customers."
"Improvements could be made in terms of pricing and ease of setup."
"It would be good to have some improvements to the quality of service."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You require no separate licensing to convert an access point to RAP."
"There are no other expenses than standard licenses for the product."
"Aruba Remote Access Points' pricing is good and affordable."
"Price-wise, Aruba Remote Access Points is in the middle, so my rating for its pricing is three out of five."
"In terms of pricing, we've found Aruba's offerings to be very competitive."
"Aruba pricing is not very high. They offer competitive pricing for what they provide."
"The price of Aruba Remote Access Points could be better. It is a little expensive."
"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."
"I would rate the pricing for the license of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client around four to five out of ten. It's not the cheapest option, but it's also not overly expensive."
"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 am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."
"The price is okay."
"One thing I've noticed is the price in comparison to other VPNs."
"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
14%
Healthcare Company
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Educational Organization
41%
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Government
4%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Remote Access Points?
This solution is widely adopted and involves both technology and non-technical devices. It is robust, except in cases of significant power outages.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Remote Access Points?
The pricing is adequate. It is available in every range, from medium range to high range and enterprise level. Thus, it is not an issue.
What needs improvement with Aruba Remote Access Points?
They can add more graphical reporting systems so that network admins and system admins get more information about user usage, such as which user, what they use, and when they use it.
What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The price of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is acceptable. I do not have detailed information about the cost per user or per year.
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The deployment process should be improved, specifically making it easier. Fully automated deployments are quite challenging. I am using Intune ( /products/microsoft-intune-reviews ) for deployments...
 

Also Known As

Aruba RAP
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Trafford Metropolitan Borough
MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Remote Access Points vs. Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.