Updated November 2026
The short version
- SD-WAN is about connectivity: how traffic moves between your sites, the internet and cloud apps.
- SASE is connectivity plus security, delivered mostly from the cloud instead of only from equipment at each office.
- SASE is built on SD-WAN, so many businesses start with SD-WAN and add SASE later.
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) is software that links your offices and internet connections into one network. It checks how each connection at a site is performing and sends traffic over the path that is working best, so calls, video meetings and cloud apps stay responsive even when one connection slows down.
With two or more connections at a site, SD-WAN also moves traffic to a working connection if one has a problem. Many businesses use it to connect their locations over business internet instead of, or alongside, private MPLS circuits.
On its own, SD-WAN offers limited security. Palo Alto Networks describes it as mostly encryption and basic segmentation, which is why it is usually paired with a firewall at each location.
What is SASE?
SASE (secure access service edge) is a term Gartner introduced in 2019 for networking and security combined in one service, delivered mostly from the cloud. On the networking side, it uses SD-WAN. On the security side, Cisco lists four core services:
- Secure web gateway (SWG): inspects web traffic and helps block harmful sites and risky downloads.
- Cloud access security broker (CASB): adds visibility and control over how staff use cloud apps.
- Firewall as a service (FWaaS): applies firewall rules from the cloud instead of only at each office.
- Zero trust network access (ZTNA): checks the person, device and context before granting access to a specific app.
Because these checks run in the cloud, staff connect through the same protections wherever they work, without routing every connection back through headquarters.
Key differences at a glance
- Main job
- SD-WAN: Connect sites and send traffic over the best path
- SASE: Connect and protect users, devices and sites anywhere
- What it includes
- SD-WAN: Equipment at each site, central management and routing rules
- SASE: SD-WAN plus cloud-delivered security such as SWG, CASB, FWaaS and ZTNA
- Where it runs
- SD-WAN: Hardware or software at each location, managed centrally
- SASE: Mostly in the cloud, close to users and apps
- Who it covers
- SD-WAN: Offices and other locations
- SASE: Offices plus staff at home or on the road
- Security
- SD-WAN: Basic, usually paired with a firewall at each site
- SASE: Built in, with the same rules for every location and user
- Common reasons to choose it
- SD-WAN: Faster apps, failover, reducing reliance on MPLS
- SASE: Hybrid work, heavy cloud app use, one set of rules everywhere
Which one does your business need?
Start with where your people work and what keeps going wrong today.
SD-WAN may be enough if
- Most staff work from your offices
- Your main problems are slow apps, choppy calls or outages when a connection fails
- You already have a managed firewall at each location
- You want to link several locations over business internet
SASE is worth a look if
- Staff work from home or travel
- Most of your work happens in cloud apps
- You want the same cybersecurity rules for every office and remote worker
- You would rather run networking and security as one service
It does not have to be all or nothing. Palo Alto Networks notes that many organizations deploy SD-WAN first and extend into SASE as their needs change. Because SASE is built on SD-WAN, the network you set up first becomes its foundation.
Where SSE fits
You may also see SSE (security service edge). Gartner introduced the term in 2021 for the security half of SASE (SWG, CASB, FWaaS and ZTNA) without the SD-WAN part. It suits businesses that want cloud-delivered security while keeping the network they already have.
Both depend on the connections underneath
SD-WAN and SASE both run over the internet connections at each location, so they are only as good as those connections. 5x5 offers dedicated internet access, dedicated fiber, fixed wireless, and 5G and 4G LTE.
Fixed wireless is a primary enterprise internet option with built-in redundancy and the same SLA as our fiber service. 5G and 4G LTE can serve as a primary or backup connection. For SLA-backed services, we commit to at least 99.999% network availability, subject to the SLA.
How 5x5 Telecom can help
5x5 Telecom designs, installs and manages SD-WAN, and manages SASE that combines SD-WAN with cloud-based security. The same team can provide the internet connections underneath and a managed firewall at each location, so one provider is responsible for the network, its cybersecurity and the connections. Our US-based support team is available 24/7, and every ticket is answered within 60 minutes.
Not sure which fits? Start with a free security consultation. We look at how your locations and staff connect today, ask a few questions and share general recommendations. Detailed testing and hands-on work are scoped in the plan we propose.