Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Cisco Meraki SD-WAN

Core difference
Cisco (Catalyst): Viptela-based SD-WAN platform you operate; deepest policy, routing, and segmentation on Catalyst 8000/ISR/ASR/virtual edges.
Meraki: Cloud-managed SD-WAN on MX/vMX; prioritizes simplicity, fast rollout, and lean operations via the Meraki Dashboard.

Who it fits
Cisco (Catalyst): Complex enterprises needing granular control, multi-domain segmentation, and advanced routing.
Meraki: Distributed branches/retail/clinics with lean IT that want “configure once, replicate everywhere.”

Management model
Cisco (Catalyst): You run it via Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (ex-vManage); full control and APIs.
Meraki: You run it in the Meraki Dashboard; streamlined UI, strong templates, robust APIs.

Policy depth & segmentation
Cisco (Catalyst): Very granular app/QoS/route policies; hierarchical segmentation and multi-topology at scale.
Meraki: Solid app-aware policies and segmentation for branches; fewer deep-tuning knobs.

Routing depth & integrations
Cisco (Catalyst): Advanced BGP/OSPF, traffic engineering, complex interop with IOS-XE/Cisco security stack.
Meraki: Modern routing for branch needs; fewer advanced routing scenarios than Catalyst.

Security / SASE options
Cisco (Catalyst): Integrates with Umbrella, Secure Firewall, ISE; flexible on-prem/ cloud security designs.
Meraki: License-tiered security (L7 FW, IDS/IPS, content filtering, Umbrella integration); consistent, simplified policies.

Underlay / circuits
Cisco (Catalyst): Any ISP mix (broadband/5G/leased lines/MPLS) — you choose per site.
Meraki: Any ISP mix as well; cellular failover is simple and common.

Cloud & SaaS performance
Cisco (Catalyst): App-aware routing, cloud on-ramps/gateways, deep telemetry for tuning.
Meraki: vMX in AWS/Azure/GCP + app/performance-based steering; easy to extend to cloud.

Deployment speed
Cisco (Catalyst): Zero-touch + templates; speed depends on your operational maturity.
Meraki: Zero-touch + templates + Auto VPN; typically fastest for many small/medium sites.

Incident response (Day-2)
Cisco (Catalyst): Your team triages and escalates to Cisco TAC/ISPs as needed.
Meraki: Your team triages with Dashboard tools; Meraki Support assists; co-termination/notifications are easy.

Change management
Cisco (Catalyst): You push policy/QoS/routing/segmentation changes on demand with change control.
Meraki: You change centrally in Dashboard or via APIs; templates keep sites consistent.

Upgrades / patching
Cisco (Catalyst): You plan and execute software/firmware upgrades across controllers/edges.
Meraki: Cloud-managed firmware scheduling; upgrades are simple and uniform.

Security upkeep
Cisco (Catalyst): You own firewall/IDS/DNS/URL policies and updates; highly customizable.
Meraki: You manage license-tier features and rules in Dashboard; straightforward to keep consistent.

Visibility & data access
Cisco (Catalyst): Deep telemetry (vAnalytics), logs, and APIs under your control.
Meraki: Clean, consolidated Dashboard views; API access and optional Meraki Insight for troubleshooting.

Licensing & TCO
Cisco (Catalyst): Hardware + subscriptions; model multi-year TCO, training, and ops effort.
Meraki: Subscription licensing (per-device or co-term); predictable OpEx, strong speed-to-value.

Scale patterns
Cisco (Catalyst): Excels in large, diverse networks with strict segmentation and compliance needs.
Meraki: Excels in large counts of relatively uniform branches needing fast, repeatable rollout.

Compliance posture
Cisco (Catalyst): You control data paths, residency, and maintenance windows end-to-end.
Meraki: Simplifies standardized controls; rely on Dashboard governance and vendor attestations.

Blunt decision rule:

Cisco (Catalyst): Choose when you need to run and finely tune the WAN with maximum control.
Meraki: Choose when you want cloud-managed simplicity and rapid, consistent branch rollout.

Contact Ubilynx for a structured deployment plan: contact@ubilynx.com