Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs SonicWall SMA comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cisco and SonicWall are both solutions in the SSL VPN category. Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.1, while SonicWall is ranked #6 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 8.5% mindshare in SV, compared to SonicWall’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Cisco Secure Client (includ...

Read 79 Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) reviews

8,850 Views
1,593 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SonicWall SMA

Read 15 SonicWall SMA reviews

2,987 Views
1,284 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Cisco Secure Client (includ...

SonicWall SMA

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

SonicWall SMA and Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) compete in the network security space, providing secure remote access solutions. Cisco Secure Client appears to have the upper hand due to its robust features and comprehensive support, which justifies its cost.

Features: SonicWall SMA is prized for its ease of customization, seamless integration with various enterprise applications, and competitive pricing. Cisco Secure Client delivers a seamless multi-platform experience, advanced security features, and greater adaptability and compatibility.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall SMA could improve its scalability and offer more advanced security features. Additionally, enhancing its documentation would be beneficial. Cisco Secure Client could simplify its deployment process, reduce its overall costs, and improve its user interface for easier navigation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall SMA is praised for straightforward deployment and responsive support, advantageous for businesses with limited IT resources. Cisco Secure Client, while more complex to deploy, benefits from extensive documentation and a vast support network, offering superior long-term scalability and troubleshooting services.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall SMA offers attractive initial pricing and delivers quick ROI due to lower setup costs. Cisco Secure Client, despite higher initial expenses, is seen to deliver significant ROI over time due to its comprehensive feature set and robust security capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 913,806 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 Secure Client (includ...

Ranking in SSL VPN

3rd

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

6th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

ZTNA as a Service (13th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)

SonicWall SMA

Ranking in SSL VPN

6th

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Universal Access Gateways (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is 8.5%, down from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 6.9%, up from 5.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SSL VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)	8.5%
SonicWall SMA	6.9%
Other	84.6%

SSL VPN

Featured Reviews

AJAY SARPAL

Manager - Projects at airtel

Offers work-from-anywhere flexibility but navigates occasional proxy confusion

The analytics I downloaded from your site as a free download did not carry the information that was actually required. I was looking at the market segmentation and market share, along with some USPs which differentiated them from each other. The free download had two issues: many things were repetitive, and it was designed to not release any relevant information. Only headers were present, so I was not able to determine whether the final report would be worthwhile. I have not worked with enterprise tools that I could share feedback on for website publication. I see benefits from using Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect). However, I would not recommend it because future adoptions will be towards Zscaler, as SSC is a better model than VPN. On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 7.

Read full review

Barry Arendt

Owner at ThinkEzIT

Security enhances through autonomous protection and strong support while multi-factor authentication secures access

I haven't utilized the high availability and scalability features of SonicWall SMA yet because I've never had a need to. I don't know where they can focus their energy on continuous improvements, as I haven't been looking at what they're releasing. We're a small shop, so we drop stuff in and manage it and do what we need to do to maintain it. If we run into an issue, we contact support. There's a learning curve, but it comes down to getting support to train you on the product, and then once you have the training you need, you're able to make the changes and updates that you need to.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years."

"AnyConnect is extremely useful because we are working from home and need to connect to various systems within the organization."

"Support does solve our issues."

"The installation process is not difficult."

"The solution is secure and has a lot of benefits."

"The best feature is the Cisco IPsec, that is the encryption, it's providing integrity for your data and you can use it from anywhere, you just need to have the Internet, that is the best part, the availability."

"This solution is stable. There have been no technical issues."

"The most valuable features of the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is the reliability and scalability."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) pros

"I like the load balancing capability, it is very fast and it has a simple interface."

"The performance is good."

"This solution has many options for remote desktop and access."

"I am very satisfied with the technical support."

"Secure remote access is now available from home offices."

"I like the load balancing capability."

"The SonicWall SSL-VPN solution offers the best protection with the least effect on services."

"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."

More SonicWall SMA pros

Cons

"One improvement could be ensuring better backward compatibility."

"Usability could be improved, as the look and feel of it is somewhat dated. More generally, Cisco's security portfolio, including Secure Client and the firewalls, is falling behind."

"If you're just turning on your laptop, it should connect automatically without keying in the credentials."

"At times, the login process takes a lot of time."

"The deployment of the agent software for the final customer could be simpler and more helpful."

"The solution could improve the setup, it is complex."

"The cost could always be a bit less."

"There is a speed limit for VPNs because of the encryption."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) cons

"The solution has 2FA, it will generate a token and send it to an email, but multifactor authentication is not available. I would suggest that there should be MFA integration and provided with the appliance."

"The only thing that they could try to improve is the support for enterprise customers. Normally enterprises and SMBs can create a ticket, but for enterprises, SonicWall SMA needs to provide a global view, and this is what's currently missing. It's not even a question of timing. It's a question of the global vision because currently, it's lacking. They concentrate on the topic, but not on the means and not on the global picture. In most cases, there's something wrong with the integration of SonicWall SMA with other products, so that could also be improved."

"This is an expensive solution and I think that the price could be improved."

"There are some features that are available on Palo Alto or Cisco that don't exist. The solution could integrate better with other platforms."

"The problem is that when combined with what the client already has, there are two different logins and two different management systems, and these should be consolidated into a single interface."

"The overall menu is not very user-friendly and it could be easier."

"The product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."

"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."

More SonicWall SMA cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing costs are reasonable."

"My company has a three-year or a four-year license. In scenarios attached to a solution where the product may be reaching an end-of-support or end-of-life phase, Cisco provides OS support in such environments."

"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."

"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."

"One thing I've noticed is the price in comparison to other VPNs."

"We have yearly licensing and it's very affordable."

"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 initial cost is the ASA and other items, but after that, it is relatively inexpensive."

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) pricing and cost advice

"All the costs are included in a bundled license."

"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."

"I don't know about the pricing of the SSL-VPN box. I know the SSL-VPN software is free. Global VPN client, by comparison, is licensed for around $150 or something like that. But the SSL-VPN software is free. It is already built-in with the box."

"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."

"The platform has medium pricing."

"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Construction Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	28
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	49

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

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...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?

There are no features that I wish Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) had that it does not currently provide. If I could change one thing about it, I would have no changes to suggest.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?

I primarily use Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) for VPN connections and network-related activities. We have Cisco APIs and Cisco VPN that serve as the foundation for our operations. As a...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall SMA?

The pricing for the solution could be a lot less.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall SMA?

I have experience with the SonicWall SMA; we have rolled it back into our stack. We use SonicWall SMA for all of our clients that need VPNs, including doctor's offices and lawyer offices. Our clien...

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 7% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 5% of the time

Tailscale vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 4% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) Competitors

Citrix Gateway vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 13% of the time

OpenVPN Access Server vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 11% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 10% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 4% of the time

More SonicWall SMA Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect)

September 2026

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) report

Download Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall SMA

August 2026

Download SonicWall SMA product report

Also Known As

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access

Overview

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) delivers reliable, stable connectivity and seamless integration with Active Directory, ensuring secure remote access through a one-click VPN capability. It's lightweight, user-friendly, and supports major operating systems, enhancing remote work flexibility.

Cisco Secure Client, including AnyConnect, is designed for secure remote connectivity, offering multi-factor authentication, advanced malware protection, and automatic error diagnostics. Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, it provides an intuitive setup and a clean interface. While it excels in ease of use, issues such as the outdated Linux build and the need for modern UI enhancements persist. Users also face connectivity challenges with frequent updates and high prices, alongside the need for better endpoint security and system integration. Popular for remote work, it facilitates secure access to corporate networks, allowing seamless interactions with resources like emails, documents, and applications.

What key features does Cisco Secure Client offer?

Reliable Connectivity: Provides stable, dependable VPN access with a one-click connection.
Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhances security through additional user verification steps.
Advanced Malware Protection: Safeguards against threats with proactive protection measures.
Automatic Error Diagnostics: Identifies and fixes errors promptly.
Cross-Platform Support: Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux for broad accessibility.

What benefits or ROI can users expect?

Increased Remote Work Efficiency: Facilitates secure, fast access to necessary resources.
Improved Network Security: Provides robust protection against external threats.
Ease of Use: Features simple setup and user-friendly interface for quick deployment.
Enhanced Data Protection: Keeps sensitive information secure through encryption and authentication.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers a good balance of features against pricing, though further improvements could enhance value.

Cisco Secure Client is widely implemented across industries for secure remote connectivity, especially in sectors requiring constant access to servers, data centers, and research labs. It supports remote work by enabling employees in diverse fields to access internal resources efficiently, maintaining productivity and security.

Cisco

SonicWall SMA provides fast and secure remote access, serving remote desktop needs with flexibility and ease of management. Its proprietary technologies assure reliable performance and integration capabilities, ideal for scalable and diverse environments.

Renowned for its efficient remote desktop options and robust security features, SonicWall SMA is designed to streamline secure connections to internal networks. It supports home offices, mobile integrations, and multisite connectivity. Its management tools and setup ease ensure seamless operations, bolstered by advanced threat protection and endpoint control. Compatibility with federal markets adds to its scalability. Suggestions for improvement include refining menu structures, pricing competitiveness, and enhanced security like multifactor authentication, improved network handling, and better support services.

What are key features of SonicWall SMA?

Efficient Remote Desktop: Provides seamless remote desktop access with minimal delay.
File Sharing: Simplifies secure file transfer and collaboration.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with existing systems for streamlined operations.
Advanced Threat Protection: Protects against modern threats with proprietary technologies.
Scalability: Supports growing businesses with flexible and scalable solutions.
Federal Market Compatibility: Adheres to standards required for federal use.

What benefits should users consider?

Ease of Use: User-friendly interface for simplified management and operations.
Performance: Reliable network performance with efficient load balancing.
Flexibility: Supports diverse environments and connectivity needs.
Affordability: Offers cost-effective remote access solutions.
Improved Security: Enhances data protection through advanced technologies.

SonicWall SMA's secure VPN connections are crucial for industries needing robust data protection. Cooperative banks leverage it for safe access to core banking systems. Service providers rely on it to secure web and desktop applications for clients.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService

UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA

September 2026

Free Report: Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. SonicWall SMA and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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