Cisco AnyConnect review: score, privacy and prices

1.24

out of 10not in the main ranking (too little published data)
Business VPN / ZTNA median 2.5

  • Business VPN / ZTNA
  • Jurisdiction:USA, 5 Eyes
  • Owner:Cisco Systems, Inc.
  • Data completeness60%
  • Checked2026-10-15
  • Trial without a card

In 10 seconds

Strongest against its segment

  • Platforms and support5.0 vs 3.9
  • Censorship bypass0.5 vs 0.5
  • Security and protocols1.8 vs 1.8

Weakest against its segment

  • Privacy and jurisdiction0.0 vs 2.3
  • Network and streaming0.6 vs 2.8
  • Price and fair terms1.7 vs 3.4
  • Jurisdiction in the 5 Eyes alliance
  • Stores session times

Compare Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client side by side with other VPNs

How the score adds up

Six sub-scores, each against the median of Business VPN / ZTNA services in the main ranking (None services). Open a line to see which published facts earned points and which were missing or not disclosed.

Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Clientsegment median

  • Privacy and jurisdiction30% of the score · segment median 2.30.0
    What earned points
    • No-logs policy +2
    • Independent no-logs audit +3
    • No-logs confirmed in court +1
    • Warrant canary +1
    • Transparency report +1
    • Sign-up without email +1.5
    • Account number sign-up +0.5
    • Stores connection IP (penalty) −3
    • Public incident (penalty) −2
  • Security and protocols20% of the score · segment median 1.81.8
    What earned points
    • Kill switch +2
    • DNS leak protection +1.5
    • RAM-only servers +1
    • Post-quantum encryption +1
    • Perfect forward secrecy +0.5
    • Security audit +2
    • Open-source clients +1.5
    • 2FA +1
    • Multi-hop +1
    • Bug bounty +1
    • Only PPTP / L2TP (penalty) −2
  • Price and fair terms15% of the score · segment median 3.41.7
    What earned points
    • Free plan +1.5
    • Free trial +1
    • Trial without a card +1
    • Crypto payments +1
    • Cash payments +0.5
  • Censorship bypass15% of the score · segment median 0.50.5
    What earned points
    • Stealth / obfuscation +2
    • VLESS / Reality +1.5
    • Trojan +1
    • Hysteria2 +1
    • Shadowsocks +1
    • AmneziaWG +1
    • obfs4 +0.5
    • TUIC +0.5
    • NaiveProxy +0.5
    • Mirrors or Telegram channel +0.5
    • VoIP in the UAE (claimed) +0.5
    • Manual configs +0.5
  • Network and streaming10% of the score · segment median 2.80.6
    What earned points
    • 10 Gbps servers +1
    • Dedicated IP +0.5
    • Port forwarding +0.5
    • MENA locations +0.5
    • Torrenting allowed +1
  • Platforms and support10% of the score · segment median 3.95.0
    What earned points
    • Routers +1
    • Browser extensions +0.5
    • Split tunneling +1
    • Ad / tracker blocker +1
    • 24/7 live chat +2
    • live chat +0.5
    • Support on Telegram +0.5
    • Status page +0.5

Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client pricing

Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client does not publish a paid price we could read. Free plan: No client complimentary with Secure Connect, Secure Endpoint, Umbrella. Market median across the main ranking: €3.13 a month.

Refunds, trial and payment

Refund window
Not stated
Free trial
28 days, Cisco license portal (Demo and Evaluation)
Card needed for trial
No
Auto-renewal
Not stated
How to cancel
via Cisco/partner
Payment methods
Cisco Commerce / partners
Renewal note
term subscriptions 12-60 months; perpetual needs separate SWSS support contract

Everything Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client publishes

Every fact we collected about Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client, as the provider and reviewers state it. Empty fields are left out; key fields we could not find say “Not stated”. “Partial”: only on some platforms, servers or plans.

Company
Legal entity
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Registered in
USA
Related brands
  • Cisco Duo
  • Umbrella
  • Secure Access (SSE)
  • Meraki
  • Secure Firewall/ASA
Surveillance alliance (5/9/14 Eyes)
5
Website languages
EN-US selector (multi-country site)
Currencies on the site
none

Plans, prices and add-ons
Plans
  • Advantage (ex-AnyConnect Plus)
  • Premier (ex-Apex)
  • VPN Only
Billing terms
  • Advantage: 12-60 mo subscription or perpetual
  • Premier: 12-60 mo (default 36)
  • VPN Only: perpetual per headend
Cheapest price a month
Not stated
Monthly plan
Not stated
Lifetime plan
Not stated
Renewal
term subscriptions 12-60 months; perpetual needs separate SWSS support contract
Family plan
Not stated
Business price per user
not public, per Unique User
Business minimum seats
25 users (VPN Only: 25-10,000 concurrent per SKU)
Other add-ons
ISE Premier/Apex posture, Secure Endpoint, Cloud Web Security, SWSS support — licensed separately

Discounts and programmes
Discount shown
discounts for 3-5 year terms (no %)
Discount compared with
vs shorter term
Sale running when checked
No
Student discount
Not stated

Limits and restrictions
Devices at once
Not stated
Speed limit
headend-dependent
Features locked to higher plans
Premier only: SAML (vs Advantage), NVM, ISE posture, Suite B, management tunnel, ASA multicontext

Free plan
Free plan
No client complimentary with Secure Connect, Secure Endpoint, Umbrella
Free data
Not stated
Ads in the free plan
Not stated

Payment and subscription
Payment methods
Cisco Commerce / partners
PayPal
No
Apple Pay / Google Pay
No
Cryptocurrency
No
Cash
Not stated
Gift cards
Not stated
Auto-renewal by default
Not stated
How to cancel
via Cisco/partner
Email needed to sign up
Yes Cisco ID
Account-number login
No
Identity check (KYC)
Yes contract number linked to Cisco ID to download
Money-back guarantee, days
Not stated

Free trial terms
Trial length
28 days
Where the trial is offered
Cisco license portal (Demo and Evaluation)
Trial limits
4-week Premier evaluation licence
Instead of a trial
Trials and demos page
Card needed for the trial
No

Server locations
Countries
Not stated
Servers
Not stated
Server countries
Not stated
Middle East and North Africa
Not stated
Virtual locations
Not stated
Own servers
Yes customer headends (Secure Firewall/FTD, ASA, ISR, Meraki MX)
P2P servers
Not stated
Obfuscated servers
No

Network features
RAM-only servers
Not stated
IPv6
Not stated
Dedicated IP
Yes customer headend
Static IP
Yes customer headend
Residential IP
Not stated
Double VPN / multi-hop
Not stated
Tor over VPN
Not stated
SOCKS5 proxy
No
Smart DNS
Not stated

Protocols and encryption
  • WireGuard✕ No
  • OpenVPN✕ No
  • IKEv2IPsec IKEv2, incl. third-party IKEv2 clients✓ Yes
  • L2TP/IPsecNo
  • SSTPNo
  • SoftEther✕ No
  • Own protocolAnyConnect SSL/TLS + DTLS✓ Yes
  • VLESS / Reality✕ No
  • VMess✕ No
  • Trojan✕ No
  • Shadowsocks✕ No
  • Hysteria2✕ No
  • TUIC✕ No
  • NaiveProxy✕ No
  • obfs4✕ No
  • AmneziaWG✕ No
  • PPTP✓ No
Other protocols
DTLS; TCP-based TLS
Encryption
Suite B next-gen encryption (Premier/VPN Only); FIPS compliant
Perfect forward secrecy
Not stated
Post-quantum encryption
Not stated
Manual configuration files
Yes admin XML profiles
Open-source apps
No

Censorship and blocking
Obfuscation (stealth mode)
No
Countries it claims to work in
Not stated
Mirror sites or Telegram channel
No
Calls in the UAE
Not stated

Security
Kill switch
Partial always-on VPN (claimed never off duty; details not on pages read)
DNS leak protection
Not stated
Own DNS servers
Yes Umbrella Roaming (DNS security)
Split tunnelling
Yes per-app VPN (yes)
Ad and malware blocker
Yes via Umbrella/Secure Endpoint modules
Two-factor sign-in
Yes SAML auth (MFA via IdP)
Security audits
Not stated
Bug bounty
Not stated
Certifications
FIPS compliance

Privacy
No-logs policy
Not stated
Independent no-logs audit
Not stated
Data retention
customer-controlled
Trackers on the website
Cookies / Do not sell or share link
Transparency report
Not stated
Warrant canary
No
Anonymous sign-up
No

What the privacy policy says is collected

Yes: collected. No: not collected. Partial: kept briefly or only in part. Not stated: the policy does not say.

  • Connection IPNot stated
  • Session timescustomer-controlled✕ Yes
  • Bandwidthcustomer-controlled✕ Yes
  • Device infoendpoint context, NVM✕ Yes
  • App analyticsNetwork Visibility Module, Premier✕ Yes

Apps and devices
  • Windows✓ Yes
  • macOS✓ Yes
  • LinuxNot stated
  • iOSNot stated
  • Androidcertain Android platforms✓ Yes
  • Android TV✕ No
  • Fire TV✕ No
  • Apple TV✕ No
  • ChromebookNot stated
  • Smart TV✕ No
  • Routersheadends: ISR/ASR/Meraki MX✓ Yes
  • NAS✕ No
  • Raspberry Pi✕ No
  • Game consoles✕ No
Browser extensions
No

Speed, streaming and gaming
Claimed speed
No
10 Gbps servers
Not stated
Fastest protocol (claimed)
DTLS (adaptive tunnelling)
Speed test in the app
No
Netflix
No
BBC iPlayer
No
Disney+
No
Prime Video
No
DAZN
No
beIN Sports
No
Shahid
No
OSN+
No
Gaming features
Not stated
Torrenting
Not stated

Support
Live chat
Yes Ask Cisco AI chat
Live chat 24/7
Not stated
Email / tickets
Yes Cisco TAC with subscription
Phone
Yes TAC
Telegram
No
WhatsApp
No
Discord or forum
Yes Cisco Community
Help articles
Yes
Server status page
Not stated

For teams and business
SSO / SAML
Yes SAML; Premier & VPN Only
Admin panel
Yes SecureX / single cloud console; ASA/FMC
Dedicated gateway
Yes customer headends
Zero-trust access (ZTNA)
Yes (ZTA module / Secure Access) + VPN
Identity providers
SAML IdPs (Duo, others)

What users say

Reviews never change our score. Ratings are smoothed: a source’s average across all VPNs counts as 50 extra reviews, so a few five-star reviews cannot outrank thousands.

  • Trustpilot

    2.73 of 5, smoothed

    From 62 collected reviews (raw average 1.98; all VPNs 3.66). Last 90 days: 1.00 from 3.

    The company replied to 0 of 45 negative reviews (1–2 stars).

  • App Store

    2.68 of 5, smoothed

    From 329 collected reviews (raw average 2.55; all VPNs 3.54). Last 90 days: 2.67 from 3.

Ratings shown on the platforms themselves: Trustpilot TrustScore 1.6 (62 reviews); App Store (US) 3.89 (2094 ratings).

Reviews per month, last 12 months

  1. Oct ’252 reviews, average 1.0
  2. Nov ’253 reviews, average 2.67
  3. Dec ’251 reviews, average 2.0
  4. Jan ’265 reviews, average 3.0
  5. Feb ’262 reviews, average 2.5
  6. Apr ’262 reviews, average 1.0
  7. May ’262 reviews, average 1.0
  8. Jun ’261 reviews, average 1.0
  9. Jul ’264 reviews, average 2.0
  10. Aug ’261 reviews, average 1.0
  11. Oct ’262 reviews, average 1.5
Bar height: number of reviews collected that month. Full-colour bars: months with an average of 4 stars or more; pale bars: below 4.

39 Reddit and forum threads mention Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client (titles and search snippets only).

Latest reviews and related rankings

Latest reviews

Short excerpts with a link to the original. We do not reproduce reviews in full.

  • App Store · 2★ · 02 Oct 2026 · US

    Blocks site on all my devices

  • App Store · 1★ · 13 Aug 2026 · US

    Can’t see the “accept” button anymore

  • App Store · 5★ · 31 Jul 2026 · US

    Nice

  • Trustpilot · 1★ · 03 Oct 2026 · US

    This is the Worst and most garbage…

    Original review

  • Trustpilot · 1★ · 28 Jul 2026 · ZA

    Basically a VIRUS

    Original review

  • Trustpilot · 1★ · 24 Jul 2026 · GB

    USELESS

    Original review

Rankings by user reviews

Reviews of similar VPNs

Questions about Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client

Answers built from what Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client publishes. Open a question to read the details.

Cisco AnyConnect alternatives: similar VPNs ranked by our score

7 alternatives to Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client (1.24) from the same segment, by features, price and owner. Highest: OpenVPN (Access Server / CloudConnexa) (2.46).

Alternatives to Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client

7 alternatives
#ServiceScoreWhy it is hereFrom
1OpenVPN (Access Server / CloudConnexa)
Business VPN / ZTNA · USA Free plan
2.46similar featuressimilar features€6.02per month
2Aryaka Unified SASE
Business VPN / ZTNA · USA
1.37similar featuressimilar features—
3Cisco Secure Client (AnyConnect)
Business VPN / ZTNA · USA
1.24similar featuressimilar features—
4LANCOM VPN
Business VPN / ZTNA · Germany
1.22similar featuressimilar features—
5WatchGuard
Business VPN / ZTNA · jurisdiction not stated
0.91similar featuressimilar features—
6Cisco Duo
Business VPN / ZTNA · USA Free plan
0.90same ownersame owner€2.58per month
7Akamai Enterprise Application Access
Business VPN / ZTNA · USA
0.87similar featuressimilar features—

In our rankings

Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client appears on 4 topic pages. Its place on each:

Similar VPNs

Same owner

Also similar to Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client

Owner and jurisdiction

Closed services Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client replaces

Services that shut down or moved, for which this is one of five live alternatives.

Tools for Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client

Sources and changes

Collected 2026-10-15. No changes recorded since the first import.

Website
https://cisco.com
Pages checked
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/anyconnect-secure-mobility-client/secure-client-og.html; https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/security/secure-client/index.html; WebSearch (Cisco Secure Client ordering guide)
  • Pricing page: none public (Cisco Global Price List; secureclient-pricing@cisco.com)
  • Privacy policy: Cisco Privacy (footer link)
  • Terms of service: Cisco Terms & Conditions (footer link)

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