

SonicWall TZ and Cisco Meraki MX are both strong contenders in the network security category. Based on the data comparisons, Cisco Meraki MX seems to have the upper hand due to its cloud-based management and superior ease of use.
Features: SonicWall TZ excels in firewall configurability and VPN features, particularly with its easy-to-use VPN fail-over, high availability at a competitive market price, and granular control for IPS and firewalls. In contrast, Cisco Meraki MX stands out with its cloud-based deployment and management, offering seamless site-to-site VPN setups, advanced security features, and robust SD-WAN capabilities.
Room for Improvement: SonicWall TZ needs enhancements in mail security, application detection, and support systems. Users cite outdated hardware and a less intuitive interface as areas needing improvement. Cisco Meraki MX can improve its security features, including HTTPS encryption, and enhance client VPN capabilities. Users also wish for more competitive pricing and expanded configuration options.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall TZ is predominantly deployed on-premises, with varied experiences in technical support, sometimes citing responsiveness issues. Cisco Meraki MX frequently utilizes public cloud deployment and is praised for its straightforward setup process and effective remote management capabilities, though faster support response is desired.
Pricing and ROI: SonicWall TZ offers competitive pricing but may incur extra costs for support and license renewals. Despite higher initial setup costs, it provides a solid ROI due to its security performance. Cisco Meraki MX demands higher pricing for its advanced cloud-managed solutions, but users acknowledge its value given the ease of use. Licensing costs can significantly impact overall expenses.
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.
That is a reason to buy a firewall, and it is challenging to put a monetary value on security.
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.
Customer service is excellent.
SonicWall Sentry team will manage our firewall.
I would rate SonicWall TZ's technical support as good but not at the level of other enterprise-level firewall vendors out there.
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.
Whenever we want to change the licensing, we can do it at any time.
There are some problems with the scalability of SonicWall TZ with the firmware.
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.
In terms of stability, SonicWall doesn't have performance issues.
SonicWall TZ rates 10 out of 10 for stability.
SonicWall TZ is definitely stable and offers a good value for money.
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.
Integration with other vendors, especially with VPNs, can be challenging and requires more effort when configuring.
What could be improved about SonicWall TZ is the threat intelligence, which by far is not at the level of vendors such as Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, and Check Point.
SonicWall TZ could benefit from newer technology.
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.
More licenses are required to purchase the perpetual license for SSL VPN and Global VPN.
When comparing similar products across vendors, there may be a small difference in cost.
I would also position its pricing as a three, where one is the lowest price and ten is the highest.
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.
For SMB segments, SonicWall performs well.
It was beneficial during COVID for remote work through its VPN functionality.
The advanced gateway security features such as web filter, application control filter, IPS, ideas, gateway antivirus, anti-spyware, and botnet filter are valuable.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki MX | 3.5% |
| SonicWall TZ | 1.7% |
| Other | 94.8% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 43 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 22 |
| Large Enterprise | 19 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 64 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 15 |
| Large Enterprise | 14 |
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.
SonicWall TZ provides robust network security with ease of use and VPN integration, favored for its scalability and performance optimized for small to medium businesses.
SonicWall TZ is known for its comprehensive network security features, including advanced threat prevention, VPN integration, and content filtering. It is seen as reliable due to its scalability, performance, and thoughtful integration capabilities, tailored for small to medium businesses. Its cost-effectiveness and easy setup make it attractive, though users note that improvements could be made in pricing and the graphical interface. Reporting functions need enhancement to include more insightful and user-friendly options, and compatibility issues need addressing for advancement alongside competitors like Fortinet. The system supports site-to-site VPNs, deep packet inspection, and unified threat management, offering high security with dependable technical support.
What are the key features of SonicWall TZ?SonicWall TZ is widely implemented in sectors needing strong security measures such as finance, healthcare, and retail, where its firewall capabilities and network security facilitate robust protection and efficient traffic handling. It is particularly useful for businesses needing to secure multiple branch connections and ensure efficient remote access.
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