Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Sangfor SSL VPN comparison

Cisco and Sangfor are both solutions in the SSL VPN category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 9.0, while Sangfor is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 9.6% mindshare in SV, compared to Sangfor’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sangfor 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

Sangfor SSL VPN

Read 6 Sangfor SSL VPN reviews

1,025 Views
236 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Sangfor SSL VPN

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Sangfor SSL VPN and Cisco IOS SSL VPN compete in the secure remote access market. Cisco IOS SSL VPN is perceived as superior due to its robust feature set, although Sangfor scores better in pricing and customer service.

Features: Sangfor SSL VPN provides seamless remote access, robust encryption, and comprehensive network protection. Cisco IOS SSL VPN offers advanced security protocols, high customization options, and integration with multi-factor authentication systems.

Room for Improvement: Sangfor SSL VPN could enhance its features with more customization options and deeper integration with third-party security tools. It could also expand its scalability to accommodate larger enterprises. Cisco IOS SSL VPN could improve by simplifying its technical deployment and reducing initial setup complexities, along with offering more cost-effective pricing for smaller businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sangfor SSL VPN is known for its easy deployment and responsive customer service. This makes it accessible for a broad range of organizations. Cisco IOS SSL VPN requires more technical expertise but compensates with extensive support and comprehensive documentation.

Pricing and ROI: Sangfor SSL VPN offers a cost-effective setup with better upfront ROI, ideal for budget-conscious organizations. Cisco IOS SSL VPN entails a higher initial investment, justified by its comprehensive features and long-term benefits, making it attractive for businesses seeking expansive capabilities.

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Sangfor SSL VPN

January 2026

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Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

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

Sangfor SSL VPN

Ranking in SSL VPN

8th

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

18th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

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 Sangfor SSL VPN is 5.1%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN	9.6%
Sangfor SSL VPN	5.1%
Other	85.3%

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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MuhammadWaqas

IT & Statistical Officer at THQ Hospital Choubara

Easy-to-use platform with an efficient user authentication process

There is an area of improvement related to the configuration of specific numbers required for compatibility with banks in our country. The platform initially had limited numbers available for configuration, which posed a challenge as banks operate on different numbers. To address this, we had to request Sangfor Management to add the required numbers, which they later accommodated.

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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

"It is very simple to use, and it allows me to get into the university's network from my home, which is very useful for me."

"IOS is user-friendly and simple. You connect to a particular VPN, and that's it. You become seamless after that."

"It helps us access networks from anywhere."

"The feature I find most valuable, is the management portal."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is integrated with domain controller, SSO and MFA."

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable, and once we connect, we don't face any issues and can do our work."

"The most valuable features are that it's reliable, convenient, and easy. It always works if configured well."

"The product is great because it is easy and simple."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pros

"The most valuable feature is our ability to limit access by user, IP address, or MAC address."

"It is a stable solution...The initial setup of the product is very easy."

"Sangfor SSL VPN has a user-friendly user interface."

"The platform is easy to use."

"Sangfor SSL VPN provides secure encryption for communication."

"Sangfor SSL VPN is a secure and user-friendly solution."

Cons

"The flexibility of configurations could be improved."

"The pricing is a stumbling block to scaling our utilization of Cisco products and we would prefer to use more of them."

"I believe Cisco could support easier configuration and having tools that allow for easier management and configuration, as Linksys switches are a little bit easier to manage and set up compared to Cisco switches."

"It would be nice if we could use this not just on mobile, but on laptops and desktops as well."

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

"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."

"The company sets the policies for the default location, and destination, which the VPN connects. If there is a problem with one of those locations, which happens sometimes when I travel I need to have an option to select a different available location. Currently, I am unable to see that from a user's point of view."

"Enhancing the client certificate deployment process could be a valuable improvement, ensuring smoother and more reliable certificate renewal experiences in the future."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN cons

"No solution is perfect, so there is room for improvement."

"The solution's integration with other firewall vendors could be improved."

"Sangfor SSL VPN should provide advanced protection against ransomware and better data analysis."

"In redundancy mode, when the firewall goes off, the VPN should be able to connect to the secondary firewall automatically."

"I think Sangfor can provide a web-based SSL VPN version."

"The technical support team takes around two months to respond to queries. It is very time-consuming."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is more expensive than the Aruba VPN, but it is worth the money."

"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."

"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."

"The tool is expensive."

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

"The platform is expensive."

"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."

More Cisco IOS SSL VPN pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is good and the standard license allows for 30 users."

"The product is inexpensive."

"Sangfor SSL VPN is a cheap solution."

"The first 30 licenses are free, and you have to purchase the rest if required."

"My company has a three-year license for Sangfor SSL VPN."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

Healthcare Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

No data available

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...

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What do you like most about Sangfor SSL VPN?

The platform is easy to use.

See all answers

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

Sangfor SSL VPN is a cheap solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor SSL VPN?

The solution's integration with other firewall vendors could be improved. Its interoperability matrices and different configurations with other vendor products also need improvements. Our client ha...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

Array AG Series vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 8% of the time

Zyxel VPN Client vs Cisco IOS SSL VPN

Compared 7% of the time

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OpenVPN Access Server vs Sangfor SSL VPN

Compared 28% of the time

Sangfor EasyConnect vs Sangfor SSL VPN

Compared 14% of the time

SonicWall SMA vs Sangfor SSL VPN

Compared 11% of the time

Hillstone E-Series vs Sangfor SSL VPN

Compared 10% of the time

Symantec VIP Access Manager vs Sangfor SSL VPN

Compared 7% 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

SSL VPN

January 2026

Download Sangfor SSL VPN product report

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN

No data available

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

Sangfor SSL VPN provides support for remote user to access the enterprise network from anywhere as long as you are connected to the Internet. Remote access is provided through a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) enabled by a SSL VPN gateway. The SSL VPN gateway allows remote users to establish a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel using a web browser. This feature provides a comprehensive solution that allows easy access to a broad range of web resources and web-enabled applications (e.g.: Easy Connect) using native HTTP over SSL (HTTPS) browser support.

Sangfor SSL VPN provides SSL VPN remote-access connectivity from almost any Internet-enabled location using a web browser or a APP that natively support SSL encryption. This feature allows your Company to extend access to its secure enterprise network to any authorized user by providing remote-access connectivity to corporate resources.

Sangfor

Sample Customers

MST Systems

Investcorp, Central Bancorp, Griffiths & Armour

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Sangfor SSL VPN

January 2026

Free Report: Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Sangfor SSL VPN

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

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