Compare Cisco Umbrella Pricing & WebTitan

How do you choose a DNS filtering (also known as a web filtering) solution? The most important features are the filter's security effectiveness, ease of use, cost, customer support, and integration capabilities to ensure that it meets your organization's needs.

This article examines Cisco Umbrella DNS, part of the more extensive Cisco Umbrella suite of security tools. We’ll also compare this solution with TitanHQ’s WebTitan, another web filtering solution growing in popularity among managed service providers and enterprise IT departments.

What is Cisco Umbrella?

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-based security platform that acts as a first line of defense against internet threats, such as malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. It functions as a DNS (Domain Name System) security service, creating a protective layer between devices and the internet. Its primary role is to prevent users from accessing malicious websites and online resources.

Think of Cisco Umbrella as a secure internet gateway built to detect malicious traffic before it accesses corporate resources. Cisco Umbrella runs in the cloud and can be integrated into any environment. As traffic reaches the Cisco Umbrella internet gateway, the technology analyzes it and determines if it’s malicious and should be blocked.

Cisco Umbrella provides a range of security features, including web filtering, threat intelligence, and malware protection, all delivered from the cloud. The platform can be deployed across devices, networks, and platforms, making it a flexible solution for organizations of all sizes. Additionally, Umbrella can be integrated with other Cisco security solutions, such as the Cisco Security Suite and Cisco AMP for Endpoints.

Cisco Umbrella Announcements

Cisco Umbrella has seen various announcements, including End-of-Life for legacy pricing and mandatory transitions to other products. The latest development is the impending End-of-Life for the Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client. Software maintenance will end on April 2, 2025. No patches or maintenance releases will be provided for Umbrella Roaming Client after that date. For users with the Roaming Client installed, migration to Cisco Secure Client is unavoidable; this means potential price increases and labor-intensive client replacements.

The imminent Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client End-of-Life has left many users uncertain about their next steps and exploring alternative DNS protection. Whether considering the fate of Cisco Umbrella Roaming Clients or contemplating a switch, now is the opportune moment to transition to a reliable protective DNS solution.

If you face migration, consider WebTitan as a trustworthy and affordable alternative. WebTitan DNS filter is the number one Cisco Umbrella alternative in the market, specializing in protecting managed service providers and small and medium-sized businesses from advanced security threats, such as malware, phishing, viruses, ransomware, malicious sites, and malicious content at the source. 

What Our Customers Who Have Migrated From Cisco Umbrella Have to Say: 

Overall, our ability to spot and remediate security issues has improved greatly. We can block malicious activity, protect the network and users, and safely manage web usage across the organization.

Todd Russell, IT Director.

When we decided to trial WebTitan, we were happily surprised. Straightaway, we dropped Cisco Umbrella and moved to WebTitan, which impresses us daily.

Ryan Lochhead, Technical Director.

End-of-Life Notice Regarding Managed Service Provider (MSP) Contracts With OpenDNS.

Another notable announcement that affected MSP customers was the end-of-life notice regarding Managed Service Provider (MSP) contracts with OpenDNS, took effect in 2022. This is a crossroads for MSPs and an opportunity to evaluate what aspects should be considered when choosing an alternative to Cisco OpenDNS.

Cisco Umbrella and WebTitan are DNS layer filters with best-of-breed advanced AI-driven threat protection built on the same core principles. For a detailed comparison between Cisco Umbrella and WebTitan, visit the article here.

Migrating from Cisco Umbrella to WebTitan is straightforward and offers a smooth transition. Explore WebTitan and decide on your organization's DNS protection needs.

Interested in learning more? Please chat with us today.

What is the Difference Between Cisco Umbrella and Cisco Umbrella DNS?

At the time of this writing, Cisco Umbrella is available through several plans that help tailor utilization to an organization’s needs. These plans include:

Cisco Umbrella DNS: This plan offers only the DNS security service component of the Cisco Umbrella platform. The DNS feature protects your environment during the DNS lookup process in a web request. Users with access to the public internet benefit the most from this product. It protects against threats on the internet, including malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks. This plan suits small businesses requiring a simple and effective DNS security solution.

Cisco Umbrella Professional: This plan offers more advanced security features, including web filtering, cloud-delivered firewall, and threat intelligence. Cisco’s security researcher, Talos, builds threat intelligence. Cisco Talos is a dedicated threat intelligence team that constantly searches the web for new threats. New research is then built into Cisco Umbrella Professional. It protects users on and off the corporate network and is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Cisco Umbrella Insights: This plan offers more extensive threat intelligence and visibility, allowing organizations to gain insight into threats and potential risks to their network. It also includes customizable reports, API access, and integrations with other security solutions. For organizations with remote users or several employees who travel for work, Insights gives you better access to information to detect potential threats.

Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway: This plan offers a comprehensive cloud-delivered secure internet gateway that combines the features of Cisco Umbrella Professional and Cisco Umbrella Insights. It provides advanced threat protection, safe access to cloud applications, and a secure web gateway to protect users on the internet. Cisco’s internet gateway benefits organizations that want to consolidate multiple appliances without losing the same cloud-based security with analytics for further review.

Cisco Umbrella Pricing vs. WebTitan Pricing

TitanHQ is now offering special pricing on WebTitan until the end of 2024 for all customers wishing to migrate from an alternative solution.

Managed Services Providers Pricing for WebTitan is:

• 100 – 5000 users: $0.40c per user per month
• >5000 users: $0.25c per user per month

*Offer valid until Dec 30th, 2024.

Additionally, WebTitan offers a range of add-on features and services that can be purchased separately.

Cisco Umbrella pricing is also based on the number of users and the subscription length, but it offers more flexible pricing plans with different service tiers. The basic plan starts at $2.50 per user per month for 1000-9999 users, and the most advanced plan can go up to $28 per user per month for 1-99 users. There are also discounts available for longer term commitments.

Overall, the pricing of WebTitan and Cisco Umbrella can vary depending on the number of users and the length of the subscription. Both offer a range of features and services that can affect the overall cost. However, in general, WebTitan tends to be more affordable than Cisco Umbrella for smaller organizations or those with fewer users.

Are Special Plans/Pricing Available for Managed Service Providers?

Cisco Umbrella offers special pricing for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who want to provide Umbrella to their customers. The MSP program is designed to help MSPs expand their business and provide their customers with a scalable and flexible cloud security solution.

To participate in the MSP program, MSPs must meet specific eligibility criteria and sign a partner agreement with Cisco. Once approved, MSPs can begin purchasing Umbrella licenses at the discounted MSP pricing and start offering the solution to their customers.

WebTitan also offers special pricing for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who wish to resell their services to their clients. The MSP program offers flexible pricing models and volume discounts, allowing MSPs to customize their pricing based on their specific needs and clients' needs. WebTitan provides competitive pricing for MSPs so that they can resell services to their customers and discounts for volume clients.

MSPs can also take advantage of WebTitan's cloud-based management console, which allows them to manage multiple client accounts from a single dashboard. This makes it easy for MSPs to deploy and manage the WebTitan solution across their entire client base while also providing centralized reporting and analytics to help them better understand their clients' security needs. WebTitan’s internet protection secures MSP clients so that they can better service them, and it offers MSPs a more convenient way to manage hundreds of clients at once.

Additionally, WebTitan offers a range of resources and support for MSPs, including training and onboarding, technical support, and marketing materials to help MSPs promote and sell their services. WebTitan customer service is rated one of the best in the industry, and it is always available to help with deployment and troubleshooting.

How Does Cisco Umbrella Compare to WebTitan?

WebTitan and Cisco Umbrella DNS are both DNS-based security solutions that protect against internet threats like malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. Here are some of the key differences between the two solutions:

Features: Both solutions offer DNS-based security, but WebTitan primarily focuses on web filtering, threat intelligence, and URL categorization. Higher-tier Cisco Umbrella DNS plans can also include secure access to cloud applications and a cloud-delivered firewall.

Deployment: Cisco Umbrella and WebTitan are both cloud-based solutions, meaning they can be deployed quickly and easily across devices, networks, and platforms without any additional hardware or software.

Pricing: The pricing for the two solutions varies depending on the number of users and features required. However, WebTitan is generally more cost-effective than Cisco Umbrella DNS. Check both vendors before determining your budget for web security and filtering.

Why Are More MSPs and IT Departments Turning to WebTitan’s Threat Intelligence?

WebTitan's malicious detection solution employs a crowd-sourced approach to obtaining a constant stream of URLs for analysis. The continuous stream of active web URLs comes from our global network of over 650 million end users across several high-traffic markets. We leverage an integrative, multi-vector approach to detect, monitor, and accurately categorize new threats as they occur. Threat intelligence allows WebTitan to detect and filter zero-day threats with few false positives and false negatives.

WebTitan uses AI-based services, human-supervised machine learning techniques, and verification methods to achieve unmatched coverage (99.9%) and accuracy (over 99%) for active web domains, sub-domains, full-path URLs, and IP addresses. That includes 100% coverage of the Top One Million most visited sites and support for 200 languages.

Breakdown of WebTitan’s Advanced Threat Intelligence:

• Real-time URL threat protection powered by 650 million end users and growing.
• Our real-time Database contains 3 million malicious URLs, phishing sites, and IP addresses.
• Every single day, we identify 100,000 NEW malicious threats and URLs. 
• Real-time categorization and Malicious Detection for Domains, Full-Path URLs, and IPs
• Crowd-sourced coverage and protection powered by over ​650​ million end users
• Industry-leading ​99.9% Coverage​ and over ​99% Accuracy​ of ActiveWeb URLs & IPs
• 100%​ coverage of the Top 1 million most visited websites (ActiveWeb)
• Highly granular categories, which include malicious, objectionable, and topic-based groups
• 10​ ​Malicious​ categories, including Botnet, Phishing/Fraud, Malware Distribution Point, Command and Control, Cryptocurrency Mining, Ad Fraud, and more.
• Malicious URLs are revisited daily to determine whether infected, abandoned, or cleaned. This ensures our malicious database stays as “fresh” and accurate as possible.
• Support for over ​200 ​languages.
• Real-time continuous updates​ provide up-to-the-minute protection against newly identified malicious sources.

WebTitan And Cisco Umbrella On The G2 Grid

The G2 Grid for Secure Web Gateways and Cloud Security is a software and services review platform that ranks and rates technology solutions based on user reviews and feedback. The G2 Grid report ranks the top secure web gateway and cloud security solutions based on user satisfaction, market presence, and other vital factors.

The G2 Grid ranks solutions in each category based on user satisfaction ratings and market presence. Based on user reviews, solutions are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with higher ratings indicating higher user satisfaction. The report provides additional information on each solution, including features, pricing, and customer support.

WebTitan and Cisco Umbrella compare as follows in the Winter 2023 G2 Grids:

• In the Mid-Market Grid® for Secure Web Gateways, WebTitan scored ~10% higher than Cisco Umbrella.
• In the Momentum Grid® Report for Secure Web Gateways, WebTitan is listed as a Momentum Leader and shows a higher projected growth rate than the Cisco alternative.
• In the Grid® for Secure Web Gateways, WebTitan scored within ~5% of Cisco Umbrella on satisfaction-ranked performance.

View the Grids at G2

Why Do I Need DNS Filtering?

DNS Filtering is Essential for Several Reasons:

Protection Against Malware: DNS filtering can prevent users from accessing websites that are known to distribute malware, viruses, or other malicious content. By blocking connections to these sites, DNS filtering can help protect devices and networks from infection and damage.

Phishing Protection: DNS filtering can help prevent phishing attacks by blocking website connections designed to steal user credentials or sensitive information. By identifying and stopping these malicious sites, DNS filtering can help prevent users from falling victim to phishing scams.

Content Filtering: DNS filtering can block access to inappropriate or unwanted content, such as adult websites, gambling sites, or social media sites. This can help enforce internet usage policies and prevent users from accessing content that could be harmful or distracting.

Compliance: DNS filtering can help organizations comply with industry-specific regulations and standards by blocking access to websites that are known to violate these requirements. For example, healthcare organizations can use DNS filtering to block access to websites that violate HIPAA regulations. In contrast, financial institutions can use DNS filtering to block access to websites that violate PCI DSS requirements.

Improved Network Performance: DNS filtering can improve network performance by blocking connections to websites that consume excessive bandwidth or are known to be slow or unreliable. By optimizing internet usage, DNS filtering can help improve network speed and reliability.

Ransomware Protection: Users requesting access to known ransomware hosts will be blocked using DNS-based filtering. WebTitan's cloud-based filters also block sites known for hosting malware, including ransomware and other malicious content.

Overall, DNS filtering is essential for organizations looking to protect their devices and networks from security threats, enforce internet usage policies, and comply with industry regulations and standards.

Ready To Try Out WebTitan From TitanHQ?

If you’re considering trying WebTitan, we’d love to help you get started! You can begin with a free demo, allowing you to experience our feature set firsthand, including:

• DNS Security: WebTitan offers a range of security features, such as DNS filtering, content filtering, malware protection, and phishing protection.
• Pricing: WebTitan offers flexible pricing options based on your needs, and it may be more cost-effective than other solutions depending on your requirements.
• Ease of Use: WebTitan is known for its easy-to-use interface and intuitive navigation, which can save you time and simplify the management of your web filtering and security solution.
• Support: WebTitan supports its customers through various channels such as email, phone, and online chat. Additionally, their customer support is available 24/7, which can be helpful if you encounter any issues. Our support team is rock solid and responsive. We routinely receive great feedback (98% customer satisfaction) for our post-sales support.
• Integration: WebTitan integrates with various other security solutions and platforms, such as Active Directory, to provide a comprehensive security solution.
• Sales, Billing and Support: Easy, simple billing. Easy to adjust user counts, etc, with no hassle. Easy to set up new clients with basic policies/deployments. 

Switch to WebTitan - the number one Cisco Umbrella alternative today. Book a demo with one of our experienced security experts, who will show you why it is the best choice for protecting against malware, phishing, ransomware, data breaches, and more.