Versa versus Cisco

Unified SASE platform

VERSA

SASE leader with unified, native integration of SSE, SD-WAN, and NGFW

Cisco Networks

Fragmented software stack of multiple acquired point-products; Unproven in SASE market

Enterprise SD-WAN

VERSA

Longstanding SD-WAN leader capable of handling advanced networking requirements of Fortune 100 customers

Cisco Networks

“Lacks in enterprise features and functionality. I think they have a long way to go to be a full enterprise product."

– Gartner Peer Insights

SSE and security effectiveness

VERSA

Consistent leader in Cyberratings.org’s SSE and Cloud Network Firewall comparative tests for security effectiveness

Cisco Networks

Received “Caution” ratings in Cyberratings.org’s SSE and Cloud Network Firewall tests with security effectiveness of 12.44% and 53.50% respectively

Network performance

VERSA

Path optimization for each connection for lower latency

Cisco Networks

Performance issues due to network hairpinning between various acquired services

Unified console

VERSA

Single unified console for SD-WAN, SSE, all security features

Cisco Networks

Requires multiple consoles

Versa Unified SASE versus Cisco

Proven SASE platform

Versa’s comprehensive, unified SASE platform provides natively integrated SD-WAN and SSE for thousands of enterprise customers. The solution supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployments, offering seamless digital transformation for any enterprise use case.

Cisco was not included in 2025 The Forrester Wave for SASE:

“While we have included Cisco in previous SASE Forrester Wave evaluations and the company retains a large set of offerings that make up its various SASE offerings, it hasn’t gone far enough to integrate Umbrella, Secure Access, ThousandEyes, Viptela, Meraki, Duo, and other elements into a single SASE platform.”

– Forrester, The Forrester Wave™: Secure Access Service Edge Solutions, Q3 2025

Advanced security everywhere

Versa’s full security stack is available in any deployment mode (on-premises, hybrid, and cloud) and includes network sandboxing, full anti-malware/IPS/IDS capabilities, deep packet inspection of private app traffic, and complete DLP support with built-in standards-based compliance. In addition, Cyberratings.org consistently ranks Versa’s NGFW #1 based on Security Effectiveness, Rated Throughput, and Price per Mbps.

“However, it [Cisco] lacked the required number of customers and seats for its primary SSE offering as of 31 October 2024, preventing it from qualifying for this Magic Quadrant.”

– Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Security Service Edge, 20 May 2025

Enterprise-class SD-WAN

Versa combines industry-leading SD-WAN with advanced security capable of meeting the needs of large, complex WAN deployments. Whether for small branches or global Fortune 100 companies, Versa’s architecture ensures optimized performance and effortless scalability.

"With this product, the vendor addresses clients of all sizes and in all vertical industries, with a particular focus on security and more complex use cases"

– Gartner, Critical Capabilities for SD-WAN, 30 Sept 2024

Comprehensive visibility

Unify networking and security across a single console with near real-time data and advanced analytics.

Cisco’s various solutions can require multiple consoles (up to 4). This, plus complex integration with third-party security services, create visibility gaps and operational inefficiency.

Resources

ANALYST REPORT

CyberRatings.org 2025 Comparative Test Report: Cloud Network Firewall

Versa Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) received the top Recommended rating from CyberRatings.org while scoring 99.90% for security effectiveness with the fastest throughput rate and the lowest cost per Mbps processed among all recommended solutions.

ANALYST REPORT

GigaOm Radar for SD-WAN Solutions

GigaOm evaluated the top 26 solution providers in the Software-Defined Area Network (SD-WAN) market, including Versa Secure SD-WAN. Versa was judged to be a Leader in the market and as Outperforming in terms of its execution against roadmap and vision.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 How does the Versa’s SASE platform compare with Cisco’s?

Versa delivers a fully unified SASE platform with networking and security built into a single operating system. This provides key advantages in these areas:

Integration and ease-of-use: Versa’s single-console solution provides simpler management and consistent policy enforcement across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. Cisco’s SASE offering is composed of multiple separate products that require more integration and can introduce management complexity.
Performance: Versa optimizes each connection for lower latency while Cisco’s multiple acquired products can create performance overhead due to traffic traversing different services.
Security: Enterprise security testing shows Versa greatly outperforms Cisco with a Cloud Network Firewall security effectiveness of 99.9% over Cisco’s 53.5%. (Source: Cyberratings 2025 Cloud Network Firewall Report)

02 For global enterprises, which is more scalable and simpler to manage: Versa or Cisco?

Versa is significantly simpler to manage at scale due to its unified console. Organizations can manage SD-WAN, SSE, NGFW, and all security features across all locations (branches, datacenters, cloud locations, etc.) with Versa’s single-interface console.

Cisco can require up to four consoles depending on the product being managed.

03 How does Versa’s security effectiveness compare with Cisco’s?

Versa consistently scores highly in Cyberratings.org’s comparative security tests while Cisco often receives a “Caution” score. (Check out these examples for Enterprise Firewalls, SSE, and Cloud Network Firewall.) This is due in part to Versa’s tightly integrated security platform over Cisco’s fragmented solution.

04 Which vendor provides better integration across routing, switching and security: Versa or Cisco?

Versa provides better integration due to its natively unified routing, switching (via SD-LAN), SD-WAN, and security. In contrast, Cisco’s solution typically involves stitching together several modular products (e.g., Meraki, Viptela, Umbrella), which can add complexity as well as multiple console views.

Enterprise-Class Security and
SD-WAN with Versa