SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs SonicWall SMA comparison

SonicWall Connect Tunnel and SonicWall SMA are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. SonicWall Connect Tunnel is ranked #17 with an average rating of 9.0, while SonicWall SMA is ranked #16 with an average rating of 9.5. SonicWall Connect Tunnel holds a 1.3% mindshare in EIV, compared to SonicWall SMA’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of SonicWall Connect Tunnel users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of SonicWall SMA users who would recommend it.

SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Read 2 SonicWall Connect Tunnel reviews

658 Views
658 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SonicWall SMA

Read 15 SonicWall SMA reviews

1,373 Views
1,153 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

SonicWall Connect Tunnel

SonicWall SMA

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

SonicWall SMA and SonicWall Connect Tunnel are robust VPN solutions offering distinct advantages. User reviews indicate a preference towards SonicWall Connect Tunnel for its comprehensive features, while SonicWall SMA is noted for competitive pricing and support.

Features: SonicWall SMA offers secure remote access, advanced threat protection, and competitive pricing. SonicWall Connect Tunnel integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, provides superior scalability, and aligns well with enterprise needs.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall SMA needs to enhance performance during peak loads, simplify configuration processes, and improve documentation. SonicWall Connect Tunnel could offer more intuitive management options, better documentation, and enhanced peak performance.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall SMA provides straightforward deployment but needs more responsive customer service. SonicWall Connect Tunnel's deployment is seamless with higher satisfaction in customer service and overall support.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall SMA has competitive setup costs and favorable ROI. SonicWall Connect Tunnel, though more expensive initially, is justified by its advanced features and long-term ROI, making it a worthwhile investment.

To learn more, read our detailed SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs. SonicWall SMA Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs. SonicWall SMA

December 2025

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Helped 881,733 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

SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

17th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SonicWall SMA

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Universal Access Gateways (2nd), SSL VPN (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of SonicWall Connect Tunnel is 1.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SMA is 2.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
SonicWall SMA	2.4%
SonicWall Connect Tunnel	1.3%
Other	96.3%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Raghuram K M

Chief Technology Officer at Prognosys Medical Systems

Offers advanced security features and is easy to install

The product's feature to secure remote access needs is an area that is looked after by the IT team in our company. I work in a healthcare organization where we need to protect certain private information. My organization does not focus on network or database protection. I know about the VPN encryption in the tool. My company has not faced any problems with the product's performance, speed, and connectivity. Performance-wise, my company is satisfied with the product. I will tell those who plan to purchase the product that they need to look at the level of security or encryption they expect for their environment. If there is a requirement for the different networks in the domain of those who planned to purchase the product to be isolated, then it should be done. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

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

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the advanced security features it offers."

"The best features are security and ease of use."

"Secure Mobile Access (SMA) is easy to configure and the deployment is straightforward. However, this is mostly because of the AWS setup."

"The management and the dashboard are the solution's most valuable features."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is they have IT consultants that know SonicWall."

"I am very satisfied with the technical support."

"I like the load balancing capability."

"The performance is good."

"SonicWall SMA has the most valuable feature of proprietary security technologies like Capture ATP."

"SonicWall SMA allows us to provide CML-based access to any user."

More SonicWall SMA pros

Cons

"The product's configuration, administration, and user interface are areas of concern."

"An improvement would be to update the look and feel of the interface, which is very traditional and doesn't fit the current market trend."

"SonicWall SMA is difficult to use and it does not provide easy access to different parts of the network."

"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."

"The solution could integrate better with other platforms."

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

"Enhancing live tracking capabilities could improve the product, particularly in monitoring user activity and request statuses in real-time on the web interface."

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

More SonicWall SMA cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive. Two or three years ago, when the solution was purchased for our company, I remember that it was not the cheapest compared to the tools offered by competitors."

"Connect Tunnel is expensive."

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

University

Marketing Services Firm

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about SonicWall Connect Tunnel?

The most valuable features of the solution stem from the advanced security features it offers.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Connect Tunnel?

The product is expensive. Two or three years ago, when the solution was purchased for our company, I remember that it was not the cheapest compared to the tools offered by competitors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall Connect Tunnel?

The product's configuration, administration, and user interface are areas of concern. From an improvement perspective, the configuration, administration, and user interface must be simplified. The ...

See all answers

What do you like most about SonicWall SMA?

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

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

Comparisons

SonicWall Netextender vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Compared 42% of the time

AWS Direct Connect vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle VPN Connect vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Compared 12% of the time

Tailscale vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel

Compared 7% of the time

More SonicWall Connect Tunnel Competitors

Citrix Gateway vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 13% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 11% of the time

SonicWall Netextender vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 11% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 11% of the time

Tailscale vs SonicWall SMA

Compared 3% of the time

More SonicWall SMA Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

January 2026

Download SonicWall Connect Tunnel product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall SMA

January 2026

Download SonicWall SMA product report

Also Known As

No data available

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

Overview

SonicWall Connect Tunnel enhances secure remote access with high-level encryption to protect sensitive data and ensure a seamless connection experience for enterprises.

SonicWall Connect Tunnel offers a robust platform for enterprises looking to secure remote networks. It provides dynamic solutions focusing on protecting against sophisticated cyber threats. This service reduces downtime through reliable connections and addresses security concerns with its advanced encryption techniques. Ideal for IT administrators and security experts, SonicWall Connect Tunnel improves operational efficiency and keeps networks secure.

What are the key features of SonicWall Connect Tunnel?

Advanced Authentication: Offers multi-factor authentication for enhanced security.
High Encryption Standards: Utilizes strong encryption to secure data over networks.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with existing security infrastructure.
Scalability: Supports a growing number of users without compromising performance.

What are the key benefits or ROI of SonicWall Connect Tunnel?

Improved Security: Protects data against unauthorized access.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces the need for additional security hardware.
Increased Productivity: Ensures user productivity through stable connections.
Scalable Deployment: Offers flexibility to adapt to business growth.

SonicWall Connect Tunnel is widely implemented in industries such as finance, healthcare, and education. In finance, it ensures secure remote transactions; in healthcare, it protects patient data; and in education, it facilitates remote learning by providing secure access to educational resources, proving its versatility and reliability.

SonicWall

SonicWall SMA is a unified secure access gateway that enables organizations to provide anytime, anywhere and any device access to mission critical corporate resources. SMA's granular access control policy engine, context aware device authorization, application level VPN and advanced authentication with single sign-on empowers organizations to embrace BYOD and mobility in a hybrid IT environment.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs. SonicWall SMA

December 2025

Free Report: SonicWall Connect Tunnel vs. SonicWall SMA

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