Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Ivanti Connect Secure comparison

Cisco and Ivanti are both solutions in the SSL VPN category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.0, while Ivanti is ranked #1 with an average rating of 6.8. Cisco holds a 9.6% mindshare in SV, compared to Ivanti’s 16.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 79% of Ivanti users who would recommend it.

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Read 50 Cisco IOS SSL VPN reviews

1,295 Views
686 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Ivanti Connect Secure

Read 29 Ivanti Connect Secure reviews

3,726 Views
1,155 Comparison Views

79% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Ivanti Connect Secure

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Cisco IOS SSL VPN and Ivanti Connect Secure are prominent competitors in the VPN market. Users favor Cisco for user management and multifactor authentication, whereas Ivanti excels with its structured security compliance and VPN tunneling capabilities.

Features: Cisco IOS SSL VPN is recognized for its encryption support, versatile configuration, and scalability. It integrates effectively within Cisco's ecosystem, providing seamless connectivity and secure data access. Ivanti Connect Secure is praised for its robust VPN tunneling and compliance checks, ensuring secure remote access with a focus on ease of use.

Room for Improvement: Cisco IOS SSL VPN should improve integration capabilities and address pricing concerns. Enhancements in user interface flexibility and resolving connectivity issues are needed. Ivanti Connect Secure must focus on improving stability and connection speed, with attention to vulnerability management and timely security updates in line with Windows changes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers stable on-premises deployment with hybrid cloud support and is backed by robust customer service through its local partner network. Ivanti Connect Secure provides seamless deployment across public and private clouds with reliable technical support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS SSL VPN is considered relatively expensive, yet users often find it justifiable due to its security and stability. Demand exists for discounts and flexible pricing. Ivanti Connect Secure is noted for high license costs, though recognized for its effectiveness. Both solutions report high ROI; however, Cisco's perceived higher expense contrasts with its feature set, while Ivanti offers competitive licensing for diverse needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Connect Secure Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Connect Secure

January 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 IOS SSL VPN

Ranking in SSL VPN

2nd

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Ivanti Connect Secure

Ranking in SSL VPN

1st

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

9th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS SSL VPN is 9.6%, up from 8.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ivanti Connect Secure is 16.9%, down from 23.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Ivanti Connect Secure	16.9%
Cisco IOS SSL VPN	9.6%
Other	73.5%

SSL VPN

Featured Reviews

Viktor Masnyy

student at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

Cost efficiency and ease of setup define network management while potential improvements in complexity handling are noted

Optimizing and configuring for network segmentation is the biggest thing for helping with segmenting traffic management. Configuring QoS on Linksys is pretty easy, especially compared to Cisco QoS, which I am certified in, as it helps ensure that the bandwidth for voice or other applications doesn't bleed over into the data links. In the past, Linksys has been pretty good at network protection, segmenting off that protection for unauthorized access or cyber threats. Cost savings and ease of use are the benefits I've seen from Linksys. It's a little bit less complex to set up and configure compared to Cisco switching. I utilized the VLAN support feature in the Linksys switches. A lot of the networks I have were broken up by VLAN, and I definitely configured them for different VLANs. The best feature of Linksys in my opinion is cost, as they tend to be more cost-effective compared to larger switches or Cisco switches.

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Kaushlendra Singh

Manager - IT Infrastructure and Network at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Provides secure and simple remote access but needs improved reporting capabilities

Ivanti Connect Secure is simple and secure, making it valuable for our organization. Ivanti Connect Secure's access control feature provides global protect, which allows country-wise blocking. There are many access controls available, and policies can be created on a host basis and on the MAC address of assets that will connect. Firewall versions and OS versions can be defined, and only devices meeting these criteria can connect to the VPN. These features are effective, along with MFA. Ivanti Connect Secure is a client-based, agent-based solution, so if the agent is installed, users are able to connect to the network. Ivanti Connect Secure utilizes identity-based LDAP authentication. Ivanti Connect Secure is very effective for remote access for remote workers.

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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

"The best feature of Linksys in my opinion is cost, as they tend to be more cost-effective compared to larger switches or Cisco switches."

"The valuable features of Cisco IOS SSL VPN are the ease of use and the speed; it is pretty fast and easy to use, definitely helps with our efficiency as it is one of our primary VPN solutions, and helps with maintaining security."

"The setup and installation was easy."

"The solution is pretty fast."

"Stability-wise, it is a very good solution."

"The most valuable features of the solution are its ease of use, management, and support."

"A reliable and stable solution for remote network access."

"The multicast feature is useful for us."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pros

"This is a very secure and stable tool."

"Ivanti Connect Secure provides the feature to check and ensure that employee devices are compliant before allowing them to access the VPN."

"Pulse Connect Secure is a stable solution."

"I can safely say this is one of the best solutions I have seen for VPN access. It can achieve what other vendors may not be able to. This product will train you about exactly what an SSL should be. You can leverage it to do whatever you wish, the way you wish to do it. This is the solution if you want a perfectly scalable product for your enterprise that can help your mobile users and integrate with the latest technologies."

"The most robust and reliable feature of Ivanti Connect Secure is the VPN tunneling, using both the Pulse and the Ivanti client."

"The new UI that they are providing right now is very good."

"The tool's most valuable feature is remote access."

"What I like the most about Pulse Connect Secure is that it's user-friendly. It's easy to use. You just need to connect, and that's it."

More Ivanti Connect Secure pros

Cons

"Sometimes the connection drops, and we don't like that. I'm not sure the reason, but sometimes it will take time to connect or it will disconnect fast."

"Improvements could be made in terms of connectivity for applications."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN should improve its pricing."

"The graphical interface is old and needs to improve."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN doesn't support the configuration of multiple VPNs."

"The product costs a lot of money."

"Cisco device management is quite difficult. They should work to simplify this."

"The only issue with Cisco IOS SSL VPN is on the price point. Price is an area of the solution where improvements are required."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN cons

"I would like the solution to be more secure and compatible. It also needs to improve integration with other systems."

"Ivanti needs improvement in its seamless upgrade and migration procedures, particularly with the browser components, which are fragile and sometimes cause issues depending on the Windows version, the browser version, and the different modules being used."

"The stability could be better. There are sometimes bugs in the system."

"We want to switch to another solution because there are some challenges with the support from Pulse. The quality of documentation is also not good. It is sometimes very hard to find documentation that provides a solution and describes how all this works."

"The user experience has room for improvement."

"This solution normally works but at times, we have had trouble with connectivity."

"The solution must be more user-friendly."

"Ivanti Connect Secure needs to have faster connections. It also needs to improve the stability."

More Ivanti Connect Secure cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would say it is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth the price."

"It stands as the priciest solution available in the market."

"There are no pricing programs for non-profit organizations and the product is otherwise expensive by comparison."

"The licensing cost of the solution is on a yearly basis, and it is expensive compared to other solutions in the market."

"It is an expensive product."

"With Cisco, there is a free solution or a licensed version of the solution with a set of endpoint services."

"The solution is reasonably priced, and we have around 50% to 60% discounts from Cisco."

"The pricing of the solution is reasonable"

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is quite nominal. We pay on a yearly basis."

"A license is required for you to use Pulse Connect Secure, but I'm not aware of how much it costs."

"I rate the product price a six to seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."

"The cost of the product is high, but worth it because of the utility and great product support."

"The price of Pulse Connect Secure is expensive."

"The pricing for Pulse Connect Secure is not low and not high, so it's good. It's a six out of ten for me, price-wise."

"Pulse Connect Secure is relatively cost-effective."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	19

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

The solution is pretty fast.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

I am not sure about the pricing of Cisco IOS SSL VPN.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS SSL VPN?

I have not found any areas that could be improved so far. I am not sure how Cisco IOS SSL VPN can continue their improvements for the future, but I think it is a great product. To stay on top, they...

See all answers

What do you like most about Pulse Connect Secure?

From an end-user perspective, the setup phase is easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pulse Connect Secure?

Ivanti has always been known to be pricey, making it a rather high-cost solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Pulse Connect Secure?

The reporting capabilities of Ivanti Connect Secure are not strong; the format is simple, and obtaining a detailed report is difficult and requires manual work. Regarding points for improvement, th...

See all answers

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Compared 11% of the time

Ivanti Secure Access vs Ivanti Connect Secure

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Ivanti Connect Secure

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs Ivanti Connect Secure

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

January 2026

Download Cisco IOS SSL VPN product report

Buyer's Guide

Ivanti Connect Secure

January 2026

Download Ivanti Connect Secure product report

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN

Pulse Connect Secure

Overview

Cisco SSL VPN solutions help you easily and securely extend the network to users who have access to the Internet and a web browser. You can customize access and extend the reach of your corporate network to individuals based on their roles, including teleworker contractors and business partners.

Cisco

Ivanti Connect Secure provides a seamless, cost-effective SSL VPN solution for remote and mobile users from any web-enabled device to corporate resources— anytime, anywhere.

Ivanti

Sample Customers

MST Systems

Axcient, Baloise Group, Cygate, Catholic University of America, Datec Inc, Revlon, Santa Monica Networks, 7-Eleven

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Connect Secure

January 2026

Free Report: Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Connect Secure

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Ivanti Connect Secure and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.

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