Riverbed SteelHead vs Wanos

Riverbed SteelHead9.4Visit Wanos8.3Visit

Higher score Riverbed SteelHead #1 in WAN Optimization Software 9.4/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Riverbed

vs

Wanos #8 in WAN Optimization Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Wanos

• Riverbed SteelHead fits best

  Enterprise-wide WAN optimization

• Wanos fits best

  Budget-conscious WAN optimization

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Riverbed SteelHead 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Wanos 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.3
Ranking	#1 in WAN Optimization Software	#8 in WAN Optimization Software
Best for	Enterprise-wide WAN optimization	Budget-conscious WAN optimization
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	—
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Linux
Support	Docs	Email, Phone, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Riverbed SteelHead 5/5 · Wanos 5/5
Application acceleration	✓	✓
Data deduplication	✓	✓
Traffic compression	✓	✓
TCP optimization	✓	✓
Cloud workload support	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Hybrid	Hybrid
Our review
Pros	Combines data reduction, compression, TCP, and application acceleration Supports AWS, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and major enterprise workloads Adds QoS, secure transport, and path selection for hybrid networking	Free Express includes compression, deduplication, QoS and NetFlow analytics Covers TCP acceleration, caching, FEC, traffic shaping and packet-loss recovery Supports web, Linux and self-hosted hybrid deployments
Cons	Pricing requires contact with Riverbed sales channels Broad capabilities may exceed the needs of narrow-use deployments Not offered as an open-source product	Most paid plans use annual per-instance licensing Perpetual licensing is listed only for Plus 10 / 100 Hardware appliances are priced separately from software licenses
Our verdict	Riverbed SteelHead is a WAN optimization and application acceleration product for organizations operating across data centers, branch offices, cloud networks, and distributed workforces. It is designed to reduce transferred data and… Read the review →	Wanos is WAN optimization software for organizations connecting branches, data centers, VPNs and broadband links. It targets distributed networks handling backup and replication, cloud applications, high-latency links and multi-site… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Riverbed SteelHead — where it wins

  • Combines data reduction, compression, TCP, and application acceleration
  • Supports AWS, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and major enterprise workloads
  • Adds QoS, secure transport, and path selection for hybrid networking

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contact with Riverbed sales channels
  • Broad capabilities may exceed the needs of narrow-use deployments
  • Not offered as an open-source product

• Wanos — where it wins

  • Free Express includes compression, deduplication, QoS and NetFlow analytics
  • Covers TCP acceleration, caching, FEC, traffic shaping and packet-loss recovery
  • Supports web, Linux and self-hosted hybrid deployments

  Where it doesn't

  • Most paid plans use annual per-instance licensing
  • Perpetual licensing is listed only for Plus 10 / 100
  • Hardware appliances are priced separately from software licenses

• Riverbed SteelHead9.4/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad hybrid WAN optimization suite for distributed enterprise environments.

  Visit RiverbedFull verdict →
• Wanos8.3/10 · Free plan

  A budget-conscious WAN optimizer with a free plan and transparent per-instance licensing.

  Visit WanosFull verdict →