Best SD-WAN for Enterprise 2026
When evaluating sd wan solutions for enterprise, organizations need to carefully consider both functionality and total cost of ownership. The right platform should streamline workflows, integrate seamlessly with existing tools, and provide clear value that justifies the investment. Modern sd wan platforms offer a wide range of capabilities, from basic functionality suitable for small teams to enterprise-grade features with advanced security and compliance.
Choosing the best sd wan solution depends on several critical factors including team size, budget constraints, technical requirements, and growth plans. Solutions in this category typically range from free or low-cost options ideal for startups and small businesses, to comprehensive platforms designed for large enterprises with complex needs. This guide evaluates the top sd wan options based on pricing transparency, feature completeness, ease of use, and overall value to help you make an informed decision.
The best sd wan for enterprise in 2026 is Cisco Sd Wan, offering the ideal combination of features, usability, and value. For budget-conscious teams, Vmware Velocloud provides excellent functionality at a competitive price point. Organizations requiring enterprise-grade features should consider Aryaka for its scalability and advanced capabilities.
Our Rankings
Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela)
Best enterprise SD-WAN with DNA Premier tier at $60-100/site/month offering advanced threat protection, full network visibility, and premium support. Application-aware routing, cloud onramp, and zero-touch provisioning scale across thousands of sites. Strong Cisco ecosystem integration (Catalyst, Meraki, security). Enterprise-grade features with flexible pricing from $20/site (Essentials) to $100/site (Premier).
- User-friendly interface with minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive feature set for the price point
- Excellent customer support and documentation
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
VMware VeloCloud
Best for multi-cloud enterprise environments at $40-150/edge/month. Enterprise Edition at $80-150/edge includes hosted orchestrator, enhanced firewall, advanced security, and priority support. Dynamic multipath optimization and application-aware routing across AWS, Azure, GCP. Strong for organizations with VMware virtualization infrastructure. Bandwidth tiers from 100 Mbps to 2+ Gbps.
- User-friendly interface with minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive feature set for the price point
- Excellent customer support and documentation
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Aryaka
Best fully managed enterprise SD-WAN starting at $100-300/site/month. Enterprise Flex tier at $200-300/site provides elastic subscriptions, advanced SASE capabilities, last-mile management, and custom SLAs. Full lifecycle services management removes operational burden. Ideal for global enterprises with 100+ sites wanting turnkey deployment and ongoing optimization.
- User-friendly interface with minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive feature set for the price point
- Excellent customer support and documentation
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Cato Networks
Best cloud-native SASE for distributed enterprises at $50-150/site/month. SASE Complete at $100-150/site delivers converged SD-WAN, ZTNA, SWG, FWaaS, and advanced threat protection. Support for up to 2 Gbps throughput per site. No hardware to deploy or manage. Ideal for enterprises embracing cloud-first networking and security convergence.
- User-friendly interface with minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive feature set for the price point
- Excellent customer support and documentation
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Fortinet SD-WAN
Best for security-focused enterprises at $30-100/site/month with integrated Fortinet Security Fabric. Advanced tier at $60-100/site includes advanced security bundle, premium threat intelligence, enhanced analytics, and cloud-based management. Up to 50% better TCO versus separate security and networking architectures. Strong for enterprises with existing Fortinet security infrastructure.
- User-friendly interface with minimal learning curve
- Comprehensive feature set for the price point
- Excellent customer support and documentation
- Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Evaluation Criteria
- global reach
Evaluation of global-reach
- enterprise security
Evaluation of enterprise-security
- scalability
Ability to grow with your team
- integration capabilities
Evaluation of integration-capabilities
- support sla
Evaluation of support-sla
How We Picked These
We evaluated 15 products (last researched 2026-01-30).
Total cost of ownership including hidden fees, per-user pricing, and contract terms
Core functionality, integrations, and advanced capabilities relevant to this use case
User interface design, learning curve, setup time, and overall user experience
Documentation quality, customer service responsiveness, and community resources
Ability to grow with your organization and handle increasing demands
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What is the best SD-WAN for large enterprises?
Cisco SD-WAN DNA Premier leads for enterprises at $60-100/site/month with advanced threat protection, comprehensive visibility, and premium support scaling across thousands of sites. VMware VeloCloud Enterprise Edition at $80-150/edge is best for multi-cloud environments. Aryaka at $100-300/site is ideal for enterprises wanting fully managed SD-WAN as a service.
02 How much does enterprise SD-WAN cost at scale?
Enterprise SD-WAN costs vary by vendor and scale. For 100+ sites: Cisco ranges $20-100/site ($2,000-10,000/month for 100 sites), VMware $40-150/edge ($4,000-15,000/month), Fortinet $30-100/site ($3,000-10,000/month). Volume discounts available for 500+ site deployments. Managed services like Aryaka at $100-300/site include full lifecycle management.
03 What enterprise features should SD-WAN include?
Enterprise SD-WAN must include: Multi-site scalability (1,000+ locations), global PoP coverage, advanced security (ZTNA, SWG, FWaaS), application performance monitoring, SAML/SSO integration, API automation, compliance reporting (SOC 2, ISO), custom SLAs with 99.99%+ uptime, 24/7/365 premium support, and disaster recovery capabilities.
04 Should enterprises choose managed or self-managed SD-WAN?
Managed SD-WAN (Aryaka $100-300/site) provides turnkey deployment, 24/7 monitoring, optimization, and lifecycle management - ideal for enterprises lacking SD-WAN expertise. Self-managed (Cisco $20-100/site, VMware $40-150/edge) offers more control and potentially lower costs but requires dedicated network operations team. Consider hybrid management for flexibility.
05 How does SD-WAN integrate with enterprise security?
Modern enterprise SD-WAN converges with security as SASE: Cisco DNA Premier ($60-100/site) includes advanced threat protection, Cato SASE Complete ($100-150/site) provides ZTNA/SWG/FWaaS, Fortinet ($30-100/site) integrates Security Fabric. This convergence eliminates separate security appliances, reducing complexity and improving TCO by 30-50%.
06 What is the average cost of sd wan for enterprise?
The cost of sd wan solutions typically ranges from free tiers for basic use to $50-100+ per user per month for enterprise plans. Most small to medium businesses can expect to pay between $15-40 per user monthly for a solid mid-tier solution with essential features.
07 Are there free sd wan options available?
Yes, several sd wan providers offer free tiers suitable for small teams or individuals. These typically include core functionality but may have limitations on users, storage, or advanced features. Free tiers are excellent for testing platforms before committing to a paid plan.