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Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Sangfor SSL VPN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

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
50
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
6
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
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco IOS SSL VPN9.6%
Sangfor SSL VPN5.1%
Other85.3%
SSL VPN
 

Featured Reviews

VM
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.
MW
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.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is reasonably priced, and its technology is flexible."
"The solution is very stable."
"The most valuable features of the solution are its ease of use, management, and support."
"The product is great because it is easy and simple."
"It's a stable solution."
"The solution is very easy to work with. This is its most valuable feature. They also did a good job surrounding how you configure the devices."
"The product's most valuable features are security, stability, and troubleshooting capabilities."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN is stable, and once we connect, we don't face any issues and can do our work."
"Sangfor SSL VPN is a secure and user-friendly solution."
"It is a stable solution...The initial setup of the product is very easy."
"The platform is easy to use."
"Sangfor SSL VPN provides secure encryption for communication."
"The most valuable feature is our ability to limit access by user, IP address, or MAC address."
"Sangfor SSL VPN has a user-friendly user interface."
 

Cons

"It would be helpful if Cisco IOS SSL VPN could help us set up devices on our iPads and phones."
"The product costs a lot of money."
"The product's RPA tools need enhancement for simplified business process automation."
"Cisco IOS SSL VPN should improve its pricing."
"The system needs to be upgraded to replace the Token Authentication software, which will no longer be supported."
"Improvements could be made in terms of connectivity for applications."
"The solution's graphical user interface is not very user-friendly."
"I think the administration can be improved to include web interfaces."
"Sangfor SSL VPN should provide advanced protection against ransomware and better data analysis."
"The technical support team takes around two months to respond to queries. It is very time-consuming."
"The solution's integration with other firewall vendors could be improved."
"I think Sangfor can provide a web-based SSL VPN version."
"No solution is perfect, so there is room for improvement."
"In redundancy mode, when the firewall goes off, the VPN should be able to connect to the secondary firewall automatically."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco IOS SSL VPN comes with a cost-effective subscription."
"The solution is reasonably priced, and we have around 50% to 60% discounts from Cisco."
"The licensing fee is expensive."
"Users have to pay a yearly licensing fee for Cisco IOS SSL VPN."
"The licensing cost of the solution is on a yearly basis, and it is expensive compared to other solutions in the market."
"The platform is expensive."
"FortiGate does not charge the client a licensing fee, although Cisco charges clients a couple of dollars per year for each license."
"Price flexibility could be improved in comparison to other vendors."
"Sangfor SSL VPN is a cheap solution."
"The product is inexpensive."
"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."
"The pricing is good and the standard license allows for 30 users."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise24
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SSL VPN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST Systems
Investcorp, Central Bancorp, Griffiths & Armour
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs. Sangfor SSL VPN and other solutions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.