

Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
With Azure Firewall on the cloud, you just need to subscribe to the firewall, configure it, and it will help you protect your environment.
I have seen a return on investment with Cisco Meraki MX because of the time saved through cloud management.
You can eliminate some positions because it manages itself.
It greatly helps out when I am moving away from the expensive MPLS circuits or MPLS hardware.
Microsoft provides excellent customer support, especially with premium support plans.
Nevertheless, the final support from Microsoft remains effective.
With Azure products, customer support is really good.
When we raise a ticket with Meraki MX, they instantly become available to support us for configurations or troubleshooting.
Cisco's TAC support for Cisco Meraki MX is excellent because no other OEM provides support at this level.
Cisco is one of the best vendors in the market.
Based on my experience, I would rate it nine out of ten for scalability.
Azure Firewall is highly scalable, and I would give it a scalability rating of nine out of ten.
When we started deploying the solution, it was not a mature product at times.
When you have hundreds of thousands of people it is very difficult to scale in Meraki.
The scalability of Cisco Meraki MX is rated 10 out of 10; you can scale up and scale down with no effort.
Cisco Meraki MX scales with my growing needs for my organization very well because they are easy to deploy.
The stability of Azure Firewall is excellent.
For our use case, Azure Firewall is stable enough.
There have been no outages, no stability issues, and we have not found any vulnerabilities during security audits.
I have had zero downtime at all with Cisco Meraki MX.
I assess the stability and the reliability of Cisco Meraki MX as good, and I have experienced no downtime, crashes, or performance issues.
If Azure Firewall can integrate identity features, it will help deliver additional next-generation capabilities.
Improvement in reporting and better visibility into network traffic would also be beneficial.
Azure Firewall could improve its reporting capabilities.
It should automatically remediate and find out the issue and then resolve it on its own without interrupting the work of the employees.
Data is the only path, so optimization is essential.
An improvement would be to use Cisco Meraki MX as a software solution as well, which might reduce the cost.
The standard functionality for API Management is at a zero level, and then the next level is one.
Azure Firewall is quite expensive, with a high cost.
Azure Firewall is subscription-based, which is advantageous as there is no need for upfront payment.
I get it for $25,000, a device that can connect up to 75-100 users, whereas in Meraki MX, it goes to 75,000-80,000 per access point.
The price could be reduced by around 30% to make it more comfortable.
If Cisco can make the pricing less, customers can purchase more licenses.
We have to combine multiple features and multiple products, and then we can say that this is more cost-effective and works properly to ensure the security posture of our cloud deployments.
With Azure Firewall on the cloud, you just need to subscribe to the firewall, configure it, and it will help you protect your environment.
The premium version includes all traditional firewall features, reducing the need for separate compute resources.
Meraki MX is among those top solutions in their exceptional approach towards VPN-less, Zero Trust client access to office private networks.
Advanced security is the second tier of Cisco Meraki MX. It brings you the main next-generation firewalling features such as URL filtering, advanced malware protection, and threat protection.
Cisco Meraki MX API makes it really easy for me to automate a lot of changes over several thousand devices.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki MX | 3.5% |
| Azure Firewall | 2.7% |
| Other | 93.8% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 12 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 12 |
| Large Enterprise | 22 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 43 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 22 |
| Large Enterprise | 19 |
Azure Firewall integrates seamlessly with Azure services, providing threat intelligence-based filtering, scalability, and simplified configuration. It secures Azure-based infrastructure, protects workloads, and filters network traffic to ensure safe internet access.
Azure Firewall is central to managing security for applications, especially in hybrid cloud environments. Its features like URL filtering, SSL/TLS inspection, and centralized security controls cater to segmentation and zero-trust policies. Users appreciate its affordability, frequent updates, and flexibility for administrators with policies and high availability. However, some users see room for improved application filtering, better Azure integration, and more comprehensive documentation. Desired advanced features include intrusion prevention, anti-virus, and URL filtering. Cost concerns and limited scalability are mentioned, with suggestions for AI use, VPN functionalities, and enhancements in firewall management.
What are the most important features of Azure Firewall?Many industries leverage Azure Firewall for secure cloud operations. Technology firms use it for hybrid cloud security, focusing on segmentation and zero-trust. Financial institutions deploy it for compliance and secure internet access, while healthcare uses it for protecting patient data and ensuring secure communications between on-prem servers.
Cisco Meraki MX offers cloud-managed security with user-friendly setup and efficient management, enhancing VPN and firewall functionalities for businesses.
Cisco Meraki MX is known for its robust cloud-based network management, featuring AutoVPN, SD-WAN, and advanced security. Its centralized control over firewall, traffic shaping, and monitoring ensures excellent connectivity and security. The interface allows easy management by non-technical staff, offering remote access and seamless network performance through real-time alerts and troubleshooting. It supports global connectivity with minimal effort, addressing needs across small to enterprise environments. Despite its strengths, users point out areas needing improvement like load balancing, VPN features, more flexible logging, and session capabilities. Pricing, integration limits, and licensing need enhancement.
What are the key features of Cisco Meraki MX?In industries like retail, finance, and education, Cisco Meraki MX provides enhanced security and connectivity. Retail chains benefit from easy VPN setups for secure multi-site networking, while educational institutions find value in its ability to manage large campuses efficiently. Financial services leverage its robust security features to protect sensitive data, ensuring compliance and trust.
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