SD-WAN vs MPLS: Which option is better for your corporate network?
For years, MPLS has been the standard for reliably connecting branch offices. But the landscape has changed: organizations are now growing in number of locations, relying on critical cloud applications, and requiring visibility and control that traditional architectures can no longer provide.
That’s why many companies are migrating to SD-WAN — a solution that combines connectivity, security, and centralized cloud-based management. Is that your case?
In this article, we compare both models from a technical and operational perspective, with a focus on business outcomes.
What is MPLS and what is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN vs MPLS: Technical and Operational Comparison
| Feature | Enterprise SD-WAN | Traditional MPLS |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility and management | Central console with policy-based control | Little or none, depends on provider |
| Scalability | High, flexible and progressive | Limited, costly and slow |
| Traffic prioritization | Based on application, user, or site | Preconfigured (not flexible) |
| Deployment times | Fast, within weeks | Slow, within months |
| Cost per site | Low, adaptable | High (fixed fee + limited bandwidth) |
| Redundancy and high availability | Multilink, automatic load balancing | Requires additional investment |
| Cloud / SaaS integration | Native (Office 365, Azure, AWS, etc.) | Limited or nonexistent |
What if you’re not ready for SD-WAN yet?
If your network requires very specific conditions (such as ultra-low latency, dedicated circuits, or critical legacy environments), maintaining part of the MPLS backbone can still be a valid option.
That’s why, at Instel, we also design hybrid SD-WAN + MPLS architectures, allowing for a progressive migration with no impact on users.