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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Ivanti Secure Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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 Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (1st), ZTNA as a Service (9th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
Ivanti Secure Access
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
25th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 7.0%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ivanti Secure Access is 2.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Wouter Beer - PeerSpot reviewer
Generates revenue through service offering while needing additional safety features
The primary use case for Cisco Secure Client, including AnyConnect, is as a VPN for remote access I use AnyConnect because I have Cisco infrastructure. It utilizes certificates, which allows for automatic setup. The security features are beneficial, and the whole idea of the app is that it should…
BabarShahbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
A cloud solution to access the corporate network with BYOD policy
Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ. Ivanti Secure Access offers granular control over network access, allowing for on-demand VPN connections when accessing corporate resources. This means users may not need to initiate a VPN connection manually but can access resources seamlessly when accessing corporate websites or applications. This granular feature helps enhance security and user experience by providing secure access only when needed.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is the consistency, I have not had any issues with the performance."
"The solution is a super product that works as designed."
"I like the ability to share the connections or simply to be able to pass the credentials for a connection to other colleagues without bothering too much about the connection being tracked or about security, because each and every user will require a secret password, so I don't really care about sending the details. It's very secure."
"The solution provides secure and easy access to corporate network resources."
"It is an easy system to set up."
"Technical support is always helpful."
"AnyConnect SMC's best features are that it's secure and connects seamlessly to clients' networks."
"For our company's needs, AnyConnect is sufficient and very easy to use."
"The most valuable feature of Pulse Client is integration with Google authenticator for two-factor authentication."
"The scalability of Pulse Client is good."
"It also provides an auto-connect feature. When you turn on your laptop and put it on auto-connect, it automatically connects."
 

Cons

"You do need technical expertise to set up the product."
"Frequency of updates could be reduced."
"In the next release, Cisco should add a chat feature."
"The deployment process should be improved, specifically making it easier. Fully automated deployments are quite challenging."
"I believe that the authentication component may be enhanced. SAML, more specifically user authentication."
"There are times the WiFi connectivity has disruptions and you have disconnections. It doesn't work with two connections. I have two switches back and forth sometimes. It doesn't have a failback scenario feature. However, on the gateway side, it does, but on the user device, it doesn't have that kind of option. It would be nice to have this feature."
"The security could be improved."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client can be improved by having better speed and reliability. However, the speed and reliability are already really good."
"Pulse Client could improve the system tokens for authentication."
"Pulse Client could improve the reports. The reports are not in PDF and we can't check the details in the reports of users who are using the VPNs."
"Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."
"One thing I've noticed is the price in comparison to other VPNs."
"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."
"The solution is based on an annual licensing model and is expensive."
"There is a license needed to use this solution. There are different licensing models available, such as a three-year license."
"Sometimes there is a problem with the number of licenses for the end-user. The number of concurrent users is limited due to a valid license."
"The pricing depends on the requirement, so proper planning and an RF analysis help to properly size the solution and get the best pricing."
"We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight."
"Pulse Client has two types of licenses. One is subsistence-based and the second is perpetual-based. The license cost is good, it is not very costly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
34%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
13%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is somewhat expensive compared to others such as Fortinet or Palo Alto, which provide free VPN when the firewall is purchased. Palo Alto and Fortinet prov...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
At times there is confusion regarding when to keep the proxy on or off, a problem faced by some users.
What needs improvement with Pulse Client?
Ivanti Secure Access and Zscaler provide secure access to corporate networks, their methods and features may differ. Ivanti Secure Access offers granular control over network access, allowing for o...
What is your primary use case for Pulse Client?
We use the solution to access the corporate network.
What advice do you have for others considering Pulse Client?
The tool is a preferred option for making the tunnel from these cloud VPNs. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
 

Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
Pulse Client
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. Ivanti Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.