Barracuda Web Security and Filtering vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway comparison

Barracuda Web Security and Filtering vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.5%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Barracuda Web Security and Filtering is 0.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is 2.4%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
iboss	2.5%
Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway	2.4%
Barracuda Web Security and Filtering	0.8%
Other	94.3%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

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Sam Cheung

Assistant Product Manager at Mentholatum (Asia Pacific) Limited

Efficient email blocking safeguards our communication, though advanced features remain needed

They need to provide a Sandbox to safely examine phishing links within emails without infecting our network. Also, I would like more end-to-end email tracing for a clearer understanding of why an email was blocked or not blocked. The current version is somewhat outdated, and I am looking for advanced features in the premium version.

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Ernst (Eric) Goldman

Owner at Antares Joint Development

Designed to enforce architecture governance, ensuring traceable SaaS traffic

Netskope provides vigorous policy enforcement for SaaS platforms based on how we configure it, but its vulnerability management and threat intelligence capabilities could be stronger. We rely on external sources to become aware of vulnerabilities in major SaaS platforms, which highlights a gap. It would be beneficial if Netskope offered more robust vulnerability management or integrated threat intelligence through in-house development or partnerships. This would allow for a better policy setup without needing external threat intelligence to configure Netskope. Adding these features would enhance its overall value. I would suggest making some minor improvements to the interface to make it more intuitive, but those are primarily cosmetic. In terms of actual features, the only significant enhancement I could think of, besides better threat intelligence, would be for Netskope to assess the general SaaS landscape. This could include a scorecard showing the security posture of various SaaS platforms based on their track record with breaches and vulnerabilities. I understand this could create friction with SaaS providers if some receive poor scores, which might impact their relationship with Netskope. If Netskope were to harness machine learning more effectively and share those models transparently with enterprise customers, this could include making traffic data they already collect available for deeper analytics, allowing customers to gain better insights into employee traffic patterns. It could also assist with network operations by helping to fine-tune performance based on traffic flow, even though the primary purpose of analyzing that data is security-related. Providing more advanced analytics using existing data could significantly enhance its value to enterprises.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Its initial setup was straightforward."

"Technical support is pretty sharp and very responsive."

"The solution has massively improved our security posture, giving us full visibility into what our staff does online."

"We chose iboss for both zero trust and proxy (SWG) because their SWG was superior."

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"iboss is definitely very good in terms of service."

"The console is cloud-based, which is something I really appreciate."

More iboss pros

"I have found the most valuable the ability to have insight into our web traffic and control its flow."

"The support is fantastic, which is one of the reasons that I love the solution."

"The Barracuda solution has improved the way we function by consolidating threat management and network optimization in one standalone appliance."

"The overall performance of the product is great."

"The solution is very simple to use and implement."

"It is straightforward to deploy and manage."

"I would recommend this product to others as it has been serving its purpose in our environment and we never had any major issues with it."

"The ease of use. It's pretty easy to use and navigate the UI... to either block or whitelist a web address."

More Barracuda Web Security and Filtering pros

"As Netskope is a cloud-based application, it is possible to analyze and distinguish personal and enterprise instances."

"We've found the solution to be quite stable."

"My advice for others looking into implementing the solution it is easy to use, and it is one of the best solutions on the market."

"The ROI is in the security I'm getting for my users, which is also beneficial for me."

"Overall, the product is nice, and I like the URL filtering, CASB, and other security stacks like threat prevention."

"Web filtering and DLP are good features."

"So far, the solution has been excellent."

"There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are already relevant to any industry. So grouping the policies is the easiest part and a valuable feature."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway pros

Cons

"The endpoint-type solution is an area that needs some improvement."

"Sometimes the agent stops working in iboss, and we have to reinstall the agent."

"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company ExxonMobil."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

"SSL decryption: We had issues with learners using apps instead of using web browsers. This type of encryption is tough for any appliance in a BYOD environment."

"One thing I would like to see differently with their Zero Trust platform is that some of the AI aspects related to high-risk activities have more false positives."

More iboss cons

"The price could be better."

"Our problem is that it's a virtual appliance and we're moving to a new platform and, for whatever reason, we can't move it as it is... When we were migrating our virtual machines from the old to the new system, we determined rather quickly that it wouldn't migrate over."

"Barracuda products are cheap."

"The AD agent is an issue which my customers and I have encountered. Sometimes it refuses to start and, only as time goes by, does it become apparent that things are not working the way they should."

"This solution is substantially more expensive than the competitors out there, including Titan HQ or Limecast."

"Considering other tier-one applications, like Next-Generation Firewall, they also have web security in-built within their appliances or applications. Barracuda is still lagging behind in features like that, so they need to update if they want to be in the top spot."

"We have been using the 310 model since 3 years and recently the appliance started hanging up and needs a reboot to fix."

"If they're not able to help us get their product over to a new platform, that's not very good."

More Barracuda Web Security and Filtering cons

"The solution lacks a good reporting feature."

"Netskope can only provide the high level related to threats."

"There is room for improvement in streamlining policies. So what happens is that when you apply a specific Netskope policy, you never know the kind of content it will automatically block, or it will allow."

"Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway needs to integrate IoT, which can help to control devices."

"Cost competitiveness is its area of improvement. They will have to figure out how can they strategically price it because there are a few players in the game who have been doing it for a long time."

"The solution needs to improve its on-premise detection technique."

"The solution could improve the features for Zero Trust Network Access. They should add more security components to that module."

"The solution lacks a good reporting feature."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The price could be better. Barracuda started adding more features at the end of 2022. There was no price increase if you bought the maintenance package before the end of 2022. If you signed a three-year contract, you are lucky because there won't be a price increase on those features. Their pricing has increased if you wanted to install all of their features. But they are segmenting. You can buy the whole group, or you can get pieces. But it's tedious. The cost is getting higher than it should."

"The pricing and licensing are comparatively reasonable."

"It is a cost-effective solution."

"Barracuda products are cheap."

"The solution's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive."

"The product is cheap."

"The price is average. Because the license is user-based, you can increase it as per the user quantity."

"The solution's overall cost is cheaper than regular web security solutions."

"The license model is based on the number of users. You have the possibility to have 10,000 users if you wish."

"We pay a licensing fee of $10,000 on a yearly basis."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	1

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

What needs improvement with Barracuda Web Security Gateway?

They need to provide a Sandbox to safely examine phishing links within emails without infecting our network. Also, I ...

What is your primary use case for Barracuda Web Security Gateway?

Mainly, I use it for blocking suspicious emails, such as malware or phishing emails, so they don't pass through our e...

What advice do you have for others considering Barracuda Web Security Gateway?

Those who want to use Barracuda Web Security and Filtering should look for more up-to-date and advanced functionality...

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Netscope, Zscaler if they continue route they are on now. FIrewalls needs great deal of automation on each end, datac...

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Those firewalls that allow extend the perimeter. Nowadays, there is a issue with the static perimeter and all is goin...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway?

It is fairly priced.

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Comparisons

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

FortiSASE vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 6% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Web Safety vs Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

Compared 12% of the time

Symantec WebFilter vs Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

Compared 11% of the time

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

Compared 5% of the time

More Barracuda Web Security and Filtering Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 8% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 4% of the time

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

iboss

Download iboss product report

Barracuda Web Security and Filtering

April 2026

Barracuda Web Security and Filtering report

Download Barracuda Web Security and Filtering product report

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Download Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway product report

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Barracuda Web Security Gateway, Barracuda Web Filter

No data available

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

Barracuda Web Security Gateway lets organizations benefit from online applications and tools without exposure to web-borne malware and viruses, lost user productivity, and misused bandwidth. As a comprehensive solution for web security and management, it unites award-winning spyware, malware, and virus protection with a powerful policy and reporting engine. Advanced features ensure that organizations adapt to emerging requirements like social-network regulation, remote filtering, and visibility into SSL-encrypted traffic.

Unlimited remote user licenses are included to enforce content and access policies for mobile and desktop devices outside of the corporate network. Barracuda Web Security Gateway is also available as a virtual appliance.

Barracuda Networks

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is a comprehensive cloud-based security solution that provides advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and web filtering capabilities. It offers real-time visibility and control over web traffic, enabling organizations to enforce policies and protect against web-based threats. The solution uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block advanced threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. It also provides granular control over web access, allowing organizations to block or allow specific websites and applications based on user, group, or location. With Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway, organizations can ensure compliance with industry regulations and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or exfiltration. The solution is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized policy management.

Netskope

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Citizen Farmers Finance, Osoyoos Credit Union, Supreme Services, Camden County Technical Schools, Frederick County Schools, Pine Belt Mental Healthcare, Paulsboro Public Schools, Dysart Unified School District, St. Michael's Grammar School, Southfield Schools District, Total Threat Protection - Wade Ford, Alain Pinel Realtors, Southfield Public Schools, Major League Baseball (MLB)

Arrow, Cloudrise, Sainsbury, Evalueserve, Stroock, Apria, Ather Energy, CSA, AVX Corporation Nuna, City of San Diego Case, Genomic Health Case Study, Oak Hill Advisors, MaRS Discovery District.

Barracuda Web Security and Filtering vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway