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

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.9. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 1.1% mindshare in EIV, compared to Cisco’s 6.3% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Remote Access Points

Read 20 Aruba Remote Access Points reviews

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714 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Cisco Secure Client (includ...

Read 78 Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) reviews

5,486 Views
3,840 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Aruba Remote Access Points

Cisco Secure Client (includ...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Aruba Remote Access Points and Cisco Secure Client are both powerful solutions in the networking and security space. User reviews show that Cisco Secure Client often edges out in features and capabilities but comes at a higher price.

Features: Aruba Remote Access Points are praised for their reliable connectivity, extensive network coverage, and ease of setup. Cisco Secure Client stands out for its robust security features, comprehensive integration capabilities, and advanced analytics.

Room for Improvement: Users suggest Aruba could improve on integration with third-party tools, user administration, and customer support responsiveness. Cisco users point out the setup process complexity, configuration options, and cost of deployment.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Remote Access Points are noted for their straightforward deployment process, though customer service could be more responsive. Cisco Secure Client takes longer to deploy due to its complexity, but benefits from superior customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba Remote Access Points are generally seen as more cost-effective, with lower initial setup costs and quicker ROI. Cisco Secure Client, while more expensive, is considered worth the investment for its advanced features and security, delivering ROI over a longer period.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Remote Access Points vs. Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

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

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

Aruba Remote Access Points

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Secure Client (includ...

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

6th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

SSL VPN (3rd), ZTNA as a Service (9th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Aruba Remote Access Points is 1.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 6.3%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)	6.3%
Aruba Remote Access Points	1.1%
Other	92.6%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Theesula Majuwanagamage

Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd

Efficient Setup and Strong Performance Highlight Versatile Capabilities

In terms of areas for improvement in Aruba Remote Access Points, when planning for the customer's end, you need to highlight the precautions against EMF emissions and environmental emissions, as well as power management limitations. If the user is in one direction and you're transmitting everywhere, that's not good power management. Currently, all access points provide the same power requirement to the client, but we should explore what extra mile we can go. We are facing energy crises and climate issues, along with GHG and SDGs protocols. If we highlight the alignment with these protocols, it can enhance the product quality as an environmentally friendly option. Apart from that, service-wise, every unit is the same. Users can only distinguish those requirements using spectrum analyzers; otherwise, minor data delays of one or two seconds do not matter, but for high-security or high-speed needs, it becomes significant.

Read full review

AJAY SARPAL

Manager - Projects at airtel

Offers work-from-anywhere flexibility but navigates occasional proxy confusion

The analytics I downloaded from your site as a free download did not carry the information that was actually required. I was looking at the market segmentation and market share, along with some USPs which differentiated them from each other. The free download had two issues: many things were repetitive, and it was designed to not release any relevant information. Only headers were present, so I was not able to determine whether the final report would be worthwhile. I have not worked with enterprise tools that I could share feedback on for website publication. I see benefits from using Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect). However, I would not recommend it because future adoptions will be towards Zscaler, as SSC is a better model than VPN. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 7.

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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

"There are no bad features in Aruba Remote Access Points. Every feature is customized to meet customer requirements according to their limitations, and we can make use of all features to benefit us as needed."

"This solution is widely adopted and involves both technology and non-technical devices. It is robust, except in cases of significant power outages."

"It is a very stable tool."

"The stability and performance of Aruba Remote Access Points with minimal issues in an IT environment are worth a recommendation."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Remote Access Points is the manageability from the central cloud platform."

"Aruba Remote Access Points provide a level of protection for our IPs."

"What I like best about Aruba Remote Access Points is that it's pretty easy to set up."

"Aruba works well in large spaces, especially for manufacturing. That's when you start seeing the effectiveness of Aruba."

More Aruba Remote Access Points pros

"For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use."

"The initial setup is easy."

"Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is established in our network with no teething issues."

"I think Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is stable."

"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is very stable."

"It is an easy system to set up."

"What I like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is that it's easy to use, and that is its main advantage. You can use it without the need for any setup because it's centrally pre-installed, so you just need to log in with your username and password. I didn't experience any problems with the solution in terms of losing connectivity. It works very well every time."

"The system is reliable, simple and secure."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) pros

Cons

"The remote access point coverage should be bigger than it is now."

"It could have better monitoring features."

"The security side of Aruba Remote Access Points could be improved."

"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."

"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."

"One thing that would be beneficial is for the Aruba Central mobile app to work more effectively. Currently, it does not function as expected when I really need it."

"To make the solution better, the cloud solution should be more integrated as it has too many different menus, and it would be preferable to have it more cohesive in one solution."

"I don't really have any critiques at this time."

More Aruba Remote Access Points cons

"The cost could always be a bit less."

"The solution could offer tighter integration with endpoint protection to make it easier to use when routing security applications from other vendors."

"The only problem is that if you want to download it somewhere else, you cannot; you cannot download it unless you have a valid Cisco account."

"In terms of areas for improvement in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, from my point of view, the solution works well and right now I don't see the need to improve it. Probably a better user interface could be created for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, but its core is VPN creation, and that works well, though I'm not a VPN specialist, and I'm not an expert on how to create a VPN, how the VPN gateway works, how it's implemented, and what's the architecture behind it. A two-factor authentication feature was recently added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. In the past, you only needed to log in with your username and password, but now, there's a token, and the user interface for that token isn't that good. That's another area for improvement. Cisco should also make the two-factor authentication better in the solution. What I'd like added to the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client in its next release is a better two-factor authentication, in particular, the validity of the code being shorter because sometimes when I get the code and I add it to the client, it's invalid, though I'm unsure if it's centrally set up that way or if its a characteristic of the product. Making the interface of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client more user-friendly is also what I'd like to see in the next release of the solution."

"The hotspots give me connectivity issues occasionally. It could be easier to use if it allowed me to choose the hotspot."

"Frequency of updates could be reduced."

"The logout should be automized and it should have a reminder that you have logged in into a private network."

"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is a stable solution. However, there have been times it has not worked and I needed to call our IT department. It could be more stable."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You require no separate licensing to convert an access point to RAP."

"Aruba Remote Access Points' pricing is good and affordable."

"The price of Aruba Remote Access Points could be better. It is a little expensive."

"There are no other expenses than standard licenses for the product."

"Aruba pricing is not very high. They offer competitive pricing for what they provide."

"In terms of pricing, we've found Aruba's offerings to be very competitive."

"Price-wise, Aruba Remote Access Points is in the middle, so my rating for its pricing is three out of five."

"Sometimes there is a problem with the number of licenses for the end-user. The number of concurrent users is limited due to a valid license."

"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."

"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 solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."

"There is a license needed to use this solution. There are different licensing models available, such as a three-year license."

"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."

"The initial cost is the ASA and other items, but after that, it is relatively inexpensive."

"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Healthcare Company

15%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	7

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	46

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aruba Remote Access Points?

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?

The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is somewhat expensive compared to others such as Fortinet or Palo Alto, which provide free VPN when the firewall is purchased. Palo Alto and Fortinet prov...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?

At times there is confusion regarding when to keep the proxy on or off, a problem faced by some users.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba VPN vs Aruba Remote Access Points

Compared 21% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Aruba Remote Access Points

Compared 19% of the time

Hillstone E-Series vs Aruba Remote Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Zyxel VPN Client vs Aruba Remote Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Tailscale vs Aruba Remote Access Points

Compared 9% of the time

More Aruba Remote Access Points Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 8% of the time

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

Compared 7% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 6% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point Remote Access VPN vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Remote Access Points

January 2026

Download Aruba Remote Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

January 2026

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) report

Download Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) product report

Also Known As

Aruba RAP

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Overview

emote APs connect to a controllerusing Extended Authentication and Internet Protocol Security (XAuth/IPSec). AP control and 802.11 data traffic are carried through this tunnel. Secure Remote Access Point Service extends the corporate office to the remote site. Remote users can use the same features as corporate office users. For example, voice over IP (VoIP) applications can be extended to remote sites while the servers and the PBX remain secure in the corporate office.

Secure Remote Access Point Service can also be used to secure control traffic between an AP and the controllerin a corporate environment. In this case, both the AP and controllerare in the company’s private address space.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) delivers reliable, stable connectivity and seamless integration with Active Directory, ensuring secure remote access through a one-click VPN capability. It's lightweight, user-friendly, and supports major operating systems, enhancing remote work flexibility.

Cisco Secure Client, including AnyConnect, is designed for secure remote connectivity, offering multi-factor authentication, advanced malware protection, and automatic error diagnostics. Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, it provides an intuitive setup and a clean interface. While it excels in ease of use, issues such as the outdated Linux build and the need for modern UI enhancements persist. Users also face connectivity challenges with frequent updates and high prices, alongside the need for better endpoint security and system integration. Popular for remote work, it facilitates secure access to corporate networks, allowing seamless interactions with resources like emails, documents, and applications.

What key features does Cisco Secure Client offer?

Reliable Connectivity: Provides stable, dependable VPN access with a one-click connection.
Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhances security through additional user verification steps.
Advanced Malware Protection: Safeguards against threats with proactive protection measures.
Automatic Error Diagnostics: Identifies and fixes errors promptly.
Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux for broad accessibility.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Increased Remote Work Efficiency: Facilitates secure, fast access to necessary resources.
Improved Network Security: Provides robust protection against external threats.
Ease of Use: Features simple setup and user-friendly interface for quick deployment.
Enhanced Data Protection: Keeps sensitive information secure through encryption and authentication.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers a good balance of features against pricing, though further improvements could enhance value.

Cisco Secure Client is widely implemented across industries for secure remote connectivity, especially in sectors requiring constant access to servers, data centers, and research labs. It supports remote work by enabling employees in diverse fields to access internal resources efficiently, maintaining productivity and security.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Trafford Metropolitan Borough

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService

Buyer's Guide

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

December 2025

Free Report: Aruba Remote Access Points vs. Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Remote Access Points vs. Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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