Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs SonicWall SMA 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

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall SMA
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 5.1%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 2.0%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway5.1%
SonicWall SMA2.0%
Other92.9%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

MatsHagberg Olsson2 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solutions Architect at EQ2 Technology
Designs subnets with high security while navigating evolving integration processes
The primary function of Azure VPN Gateway allows for designing subnets from existing networks, whether they are physical or virtual networks within Azure or other cloud instances. You can configure these networks using IP numbers and connect them using certificates or SaaS strings. It also requires Entra ID for privileged access groups, resulting in high security.
BA
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is easy to configure."
"Security is the first feature in Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway because we don't have to go through the public internet to access things."
"The Azure tool is useful and powerful and availability for clients. The updates are very good and reliable."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is its performance. It is very fast."
"It sends us a lot of detections when we have any anti-virus updates. It provides the extended time needed to update a set of time needs and notifications."
"I rate the product ten out of ten."
"You can configure these networks using IP numbers and connect them using certificates or SaaS strings."
"The product has valuable virtual machines, viability options, and enhanced VPN services, enabling the option to use it in different zones."
"Secure Mobile Access (SMA) is easy to configure and the deployment is straightforward. However, this is mostly because of the AWS setup."
"What I like best about SonicWall SMA is the relationship between its features and its price, because the solution is both affordable and functional."
"The performance is good."
"SonicWall SMA has the most valuable feature of proprietary security technologies like Capture ATP."
"Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security."
"I think they ask for a fair price."
"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."
"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."
 

Cons

"Their technical support could be better. If you don't have a support contract, it takes longer."
"The connectivity should be faster."
"I would like to see improvements in the deployment process as I faced challenges."
"The price of the solution should be more affordable"
"They should release a less expensive version of the solution."
"The instructions should have been more accessible and less time-consuming to find the best solution tailored for the customer."
"Make it completely routable, for example, if I have a gateway, I should be able to connect to whatever network I want on either side of the gateway, and the gateway should figure out which packet goes where."
"The marketing material in the portal is not very user-friendly."
"The solution could integrate better with other platforms."
"I'd like to see the product maybe polish keyboards in Bookmark."
"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 product itself is very good, but Dell needs to work on product visibility in their advertising."
"This is an expensive solution and I think that the price could be improved."
"The timed synchronization between the network appliance needs improvement."
"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."
"The product's technical support services could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product costs us $140 to $180 per month."
"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is the cheapest way for us to connect to our cloud infrastructure. Other solutions, such as ExpressRoute are very expensive."
"I pay the licensing charges associated with the tool on an hourly basis. The tool is affordable."
"The solution is subscription-based and very cheap."
"The cost could be lower."
"There is a monthly license and the price depends on how many users are using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. The price could be less expensive."
"It's an expensive product"
"Its price is reasonable for new technology."
"The platform has medium pricing."
"The cost of the licensing is based on the maximum number of concurrent users, and it costs a lot to add them."
"This solution is priced well and we currently have the maximum number of licenses allowed."
"All the costs are included in a bundled license."
"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."
"Our licenses are stackable and can be anywhere from five users to a million users."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Enterprise Infrastructure VPN solutions are best for your needs.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Retailer
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway can be improved in security points with stronger encryption. I do not have additional feedback about needed improvements regarding configuration, support, or documentation.
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?
My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that if you have a specific use case such as site-to-site VPN, then this is a perfect option for you. I rate Microsoft Azure VP...
What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?
Blocklisting and allowlisting are the most beneficial features for network security.
What needs improvement with SonicWall SMA?
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, a...
 

Also Known As

MS Azure VPN Gateway
SonicWall Aventail, SonicWall SMA SSL-VPN, SonicWall Secure Mobile Access
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
UnitedStack, Newport City Homes, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, PRIME aerostructures GmbH, Celtic Manor Resort
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs. SonicWall SMA and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.