Check Point NGFW vs Palo Alto Networks NGFW comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.6, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.8. Check Point Software Technologies holds a 3.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 3.3% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 29, 2024

Check Point NGFW and Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls compete in the network security category. Based on user reviews, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are superior in features and user satisfaction despite pricing concerns favoring Check Point NGFW.

Features: Check Point NGFW users value scalability, comprehensive threat intelligence, and advanced IPS capabilities. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are praised for comprehensive application controls, integrated advanced threat prevention, and user-friendly policy management. Palo Alto stands out for advanced threat detection and more integrated features.

Room for Improvement: Check Point NGFW users mention complexity of configuration, performance impact during high traffic, and occasional false positives. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls users point out high cost, steep learning curve, and occasional software bugs. Check Point could improve ease of use, while Palo Alto could address pricing and stability issues.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point NGFW deployment is noted as straightforward by some users but complicated by others. Customer service receives mixed reviews, with some users citing slow responses. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are reportedly challenging to deploy, requiring skilled personnel, but users praise their responsive and knowledgeable support team. Palo Alto's customer service is rated higher despite deployment hurdles.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point NGFW is often seen as more cost-effective with a quicker ROI. Users value its balanced pricing structure. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, while considered expensive, are deemed worth the investment due to their high security and functionality. Check Point is favored for lower setup costs, while Palo Alto is valued for long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point NGFW vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point NGFW vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 19.8%, up from 17.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Check Point NGFW is 3.2%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is 3.3%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Q&A Highlights

Mashrur Sakib

Senior Assistant General Manager at CDBL

Dec 12, 2023

Is Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls better than Check Point NGFW?

Both of them are expensive when it comes to hardware or support. For me, Check Point is more focused on Cyber Security threats, IPS, application visibility, and malware detection. The interface really gives more insights when it comes to cybersecurity than Palo Alto, however when it comes to Network capability in the Environment "Routing, Switching, VRF, NAT" Check Point can't compare with Palo Alto, Palo Alto has more routing and design flexibility than checkpoint. So to Wrap up: Check Point- more threats and prevention-focused but for Network Capability it doesn't exceed a Linux server capability. Palo Alto- also has good threats and prevention capability "Less Than Checkpoint". But provide more Network Flexibility than Check Point.

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Featured Reviews

DineshKumar28

Senior Manager at Cognizant

Sep 25, 2024

Effective threat prevention with responsive customer support

We are using Fortinet FortiGate as a firewall Fortinet FortiGate has been invaluable. It has helped save costs due to its various features, reliable performance, very good UI, low latency, and stability. The Threat Intel engine in Fortinet FortiGate is highly rated for its effectiveness in…

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Pratik-Savla

Security and Compliance Architect at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Jul 22, 2024

Filters internet access and controls applications

Before choosing Check Point NGFW, we used Palo Alto Networks. We switched because of issues with Palo Alto. Their customer support wasn't very responsive. Some policies weren't working right, letting things through that should've been blocked. We compared different pricing options and features before deciding on Check Point NGFW. The main differences between Palo Alto and Check Point NGFW were mostly in how they worked for us. They both offer good next-gen firewalls, but we had some problems with Palo Alto. Sometimes it wouldn't notify us quickly when something got through. Its prevention wasn't always as strong as we wanted. We felt Palo Alto's traffic inspection was only partial, not checking everything thoroughly. Check Point NGFW seemed to offer better inspection. Check Point NGFW also had better threat intel and application control. With Palo Alto, we couldn't see all our applications, only some of them. This caused shadow IT problems. Cost was also a factor in our decision.

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Simon Webster

Security Architect at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Aug 16, 2022

We get reports back from WildFire on a minute-by-minute basis

The biggest thing that needs to be improved with them is their training. I took a training class for the 8.0 build, then I took it again for the 9.0 and 10 builds. They add new features every time that they do a new major release, but the training doesn't keep up. It is the same basic training that probably was with the 3.0 build, and they just change the screenshots. I would love to see them do some more work since they have all these bells and whistles, but we don't know how to use those features on a large scale. I know this little section here about the firewall, but I know there is a huge amount that still could be done with it. I am not touching enough of it because I just don't know how. It seems like the more I learn about it, the more I learn that there is to learn

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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

"Advanced routing (RIP, OSPF, BGP, PBR). It gives you a seamless and simple integration into a large network."

"The scalability is good in Fortinet FortiGate."

"Easy to implement, and it is also reliable."

"The main benefit is the grouping of our security monitoring."

"The most valuable features of the solution are SD-WAN, filtering testing applications, web filtering, and the new VPN."

"Provides good firewall security and has great VPN features."

"LinkGreat firewall capabilities"

"We purchased Fortinet because of the pricing, its functionality, because it met our requirements, and the total cost of ownership over five years was quite reasonable. In the market, Fortinet is rated quite well."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The packet inspections have been a strong point."

"Extracting data from the logs and utilizing the log analyzer tool provides valuable insights and enhances the product's overall effectiveness."

"The solution provides better stability and some interesting features such as the ease of throughput expansion."

"They utilize various gateway features, including Identity as a Service (IDaaS), anti-spam, antivirus, and other security measures, effectively creating a robust defense against a wide range of potential risks."

"The console or the single interface on the blades is most valuable."

"The packet inspection capabilities are great."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The feature I like the most is their central management, the Smart controller which you can use to manage all the firewalls from one location... Being able to access almost everything in one location — manage all your gateways and get all your logs — for me, is the best feature to work with."

More Check Point NGFW pros

"We like the fact that this product can provide multiple layers of protection depending on our clients requirements, and can be configured to whatever level of protection and the specific protocols that they want."

"I love the Policy Optimizer feature. I am also completely happy with its stability."

"The most valuable feature is the security provided by the ATP."

"Palo Alto NG Firewalls offer an efficient interface that simplifies log checking, troubleshooting connection issues, and firewall policy configuration."

"All the features are valuable, but my main one is the straightforward and well-designed GUI. I'm over 50 and have been in this business since the internet started. I'm not a GUI guy; I prefer using the command line. The product's GUI is excellent, and so is the threat intelligence. It's also straightforward to configure and flexible. The solution even has good networking, such as VLAN and subinterfaces, which is great because, in my experience, if the firewall is good, then the router usually isn't and vice-versa, but Palo Alto has both."

"I like to install Palo Alto mainly on the data center side to have visibility into all VLANs. That gives full visibility into the core."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have a very nice interface for logging and monitoring. I find it easy to navigate and use, and the interface is organized as well. I can find answers within a couple of hours and have seen time savings."

"I like that Palo Alto does a good job of keeping the firewall updated with the latest threat signatures."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pros

Cons

"I think they need to improve more in order to be a competitor with the leaders of the field."

"I think that the infrastructure for the VPN could be improved. The way that it is bundled also made it difficult to use and sell as it is too expensive."

"Technical support for this solution can be improved."

"The inability to scale the FortiAnalyzer to match our growth necessitates the purchase of new hardware."

"There are some license issues. Not every feature must have a separate license. There must be some of kind synergy between the license so we don't have to pay for every individual license that we would like to have."

"The support team for Fortinet FortiGate needs to be more customer friendly."

"Their software support needs improvement. I would prefer to have better support for bug fixes. Sometimes, we open a ticket, and it is very difficult to get a solution. Specifically, we are not at all happy with their support for load balancing."

"One area for improvement is the performance on bandwidth demands for smaller devices, as well as better web filtering."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The API support is good. However, Check Point needs to focus on more prepared scripts for some tiresome actions."

"In the past year, we faced severe downtime that lasted many days due to a misconfiguration."

"My customers complain that the interface isn't user-friendly."

"The web UI for VSX could be better."

"If you want to make a rule for a specific connection, like assigning some users to one ISP and other users to another ISP, you have to use another device, like a third-party firewall intervention."

"Geo-blocking would be very useful. There are too many attempts to infiltrate by non-country users. I can block access by IP address or IP network, however, a country-level blocking would be more useful and much quicker to implement."

"Sometimes there are security bugs, which is frustrating."

"Check Point's support, at all levels, needs a complete overhaul."

More Check Point NGFW cons

"Palo Alto's various products need better integration to ensure they work harmoniously."

"The customer-facing side needs to be improved in terms of the engagement and involvement of support staff."

"One area for improvement with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall would be customer support. Currently, in regions like India, customer support is handled by third-party partners. Unfortunately, the support provided by these partners has not been satisfactory. It would be beneficial if the tool handled customer support directly, similar to how Cisco maintains high-quality customer care. This would ensure that customers receive the level of support they expect."

"The solution could be more cost-effective."

"The built-in machine learning features provide some automation, but I think there should be an option for manual review because nothing replaces the human eye."

"I don't deal with it from a day-to-day perspective, but I can say that the evidence that I typically need is there, but sometimes, it's a task to actually get it and pull it out. They can make it easier to gather that evidence."

"I like the reports, but I wish the reporting was a little better. When I set up the automatic reports to come in, they're pretty basic. I would like them to be a little more advanced at the ACC monitoring and things like that. I still enjoy all the daily alerts that I get and all the daily PDFs and reports, but I just feel that it could expand upon the visualization of the reports."

"The scalability compared to other products is not good. You need to change the box whenever you want your number of connection sessions to increase."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be lower."

"Fortinet is competitive price-wise."

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"Its pricing is fine. It is on a yearly basis. Other than the licensing fee, there is no extra fee."

"It is quite affordable for our customers. There is a separate cost for IPS, antivirus, web filtering, and other features. They have a great choice of licenses. You can go for the license that you want, which is quite useful."

"It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles."

"The pricing for the product is alright."

"Their licensing costs are annual. The UTM feature license along with their support is called FortiCare. We include that as a part of the annual maintenance cost. Palo Alto or Juniper also have an annual subscription charge for UTM. Price, of course, can always be more competitive, but it is not the most expensive product. The price-performance ratio is quite high for FortiGate."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Check Point is a little more expensive than FortiGate."

"Check Point solutions are very expensive here. They're good, but they're expensive... Check Point is only useful for customers that have a big IT budget."

"The pricing is good. It is less than Palo Alto's firewalls. Check Point has the same features as Palo Alto, but the licensing and cost of these firewalls are not too expensive. It is one of the best firewalls in the market in this range."

"Though we did not take issue with the price of Check Point NGFW, we felt that it was providing us with inadequate support here in Uganda."

"There are three types of licensing: Threat Prevention, NGTP, and Next Generation Threat Extraction. Before, it used to be you would just enable the license of whatever blade you wanted to buy. Nowadays, Threat Prevention would be sufficient for most clients, so I would think people would go for the NGTP, license which includes all the blades."

"Pricing is a little high compared to competitive firewalls, but it is easy to go through the licensing steps."

"The pricing and licensing part is something that could be improved. Check Point license and pricing are a bit higher compared to competing firewalls. I think they can work on that."

"They offered more features for a lower cost than competitors, and the licensing model was easy to understand."

More Check Point NGFW pricing and cost advice

"Paul Alto is the most expensive solution in this category."

"Cost-wise, I don't see much difference in network-related costs, but this is a premium-grade firewall. There is a cost involved, and you must pay for that to get the most out of it. Its licensing costs are straightforward. There aren't any hidden costs."

"The pricing is straightforward with no hidden costs."

"I rate the product’s pricing an eight out of ten."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are expensive compared to other solutions."

"This solution is quite expensive because along with the license there is premium partner support that has to be purchased as a default addition. There is also a specific Threat Prevention License that has to be requested and purchased separately. However, licenses can be purchased for specific periods as opposed to just an annual offering."

"Unfortunately, Palo Alto Networks products aren't cheap, but you have to pay the price for good security technology. I don't know the exact price, but it's about $10,000 to $15,000 without a subscription. Cisco is priced similarly. FortiGate is inexpensive in Poland, so a lot of customers prefer that. Though it's pricey, customers ultimately realize Palo Alto is the best security solution because it's stable and the network security functions are practical. Cisco has some problems from time to time, but I feel comfortable with Palo Alto Networks."

"The Palo Alto solution is actually not expensive. It was comparable to the old firewall manufacturers that we were using. From the benefits that we have gotten out of the Palo Alto products, it is well worth the difference in cost, even though the difference in cost is not much at all."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pricing and cost advice

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Answers from the Community

Mashrur Sakib

Senior Assistant General Manager at CDBL

Dec 12, 2023

Is Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls better than Check Point NGFW?

Hi, I would suggest going for Checkpoint, the suitability depends on your specific security needs, budget constraints, network infrastructure, Integration capabilities, cloud integration, compliance and reporting, user-friendly interface but the support and the specific behavior for some solutions for routing, networking balance or specific connectivity is better known constraints, Checkpoint M...

2 out of 3 answers

Ajenthan Aiyathurai

Manager - IT at NVCL Group

May 22, 2023

Hi, I would suggest going for Check Point.I'm with Check Point now, for more than 2 years. IPS, threat prevention, antibot identification, and antivirus notification are up to the mark. Moreover, it has a friendly user interface where anyone can create policies and work on it.

Read full answer

MOHAMEDELSHERIF

Senior Technical Consultant at International Turnkey Systems - ITS

May 23, 2023

Read full answer

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

57%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

See all answers

How does Check Point NGFW compare with Fortinet Fortigate?

I have experience on both from Disti and channel experience. Please find below my comments (nothing new as such). -Ch...

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Which would you recommend - Azure Firewall or Check Point NGFW?

Azure Firewall is easy to use and provides excellent support. Valuable features include integration into the overall ...

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What do you like most about Check Point NGFW?

Check Point NGFW provides essential security, featuring no-obligation access for secure connections, strong intrusion...

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What is a better choice, Azure Firewall or Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Azure Firewall Vs. Palo Alto Network NG Firewalls Both solutions provide stellar stability and security. Azure Firew...

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Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...

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Which is better - Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls or Sophos XG?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have both great features and performance. I like that Palo Alto has regular threat si...

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Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 22% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs Check Point NGFW

Compared 9% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Check Point NGFW

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point NGFW

Compared 6% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Check Point NGFW

Compared 5% of the time

Meraki MX vs Check Point NGFW

Compared 4% of the time

More Check Point NGFW Competitors

Azure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 13% of the time

Meraki MX vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 10% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 9% of the time

Sophos XG vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 6% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

November 2024

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Check Point NGFW

November 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

November 2024

Download Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

Palo Alto NGFW, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall

Learn More

Fortinet

Check Point Software Technologies

Palo Alto Networks

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate enhances network security, prevents unauthorized access, and offers robust firewall protection. Valued features include advanced threat protection, reliable performance, and a user-friendly interface. It improves efficiency, streamlines processes, and boosts collaboration, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making and growth.

Check Point NGFW provides comprehensive firewall protection, managing VPNs, and securing network perimeters with advanced threat prevention techniques. It's widely used to protect businesses, data centers, and ensure secure traffic management.

Check Point NGFW offers robust security for companies, delivering security features like threat prevention, URL filtering, and intrusion prevention across both layer 3 and layer 7. It supports remote access, web filtering, application control, and safeguards against malware, botnets, and zero-day attacks. With its intuitive management console, deep packet inspection, centralized management capabilities, and sophisticated threat detection, Check Point NGFW enhances network security and productivity. The system integrates seamlessly with other technologies and provides real-time monitoring, detailed reporting, and automated policy management. Additionally, its setup is straightforward, it scales well, and offers comprehensive logging.

What are the key features?

VPN capabilities: Ensures secure remote access and encrypted communications.
Intuitive management console: Simplifies administration with an easy-to-use interface.
Application control: Provides extensive control over applications running on the network.
Deep packet inspection: Examines data packets in detail to detect and prevent threats.
Intrusion prevention system: Protects against unauthorized access and attacks.
Centralized management: Manages all security policies and devices from one location.
Automated policy management: Reduces administrative tasks through automation.
Advanced threat detection: Identifies sophisticated threats in real-time.
Real-time monitoring: Continuously monitors network traffic and security events.
Easy setup and scalability: Simplifies deployment and scales with business needs.

What are the benefits?

Enhanced security: Provides comprehensive protection against a range of cyber threats.
Increased productivity: Simplifies security management, allowing IT teams to focus on other tasks.
Improved visibility: Detailed reporting and monitoring provide insights into network activity.
Reduced risk: Automated threat detection and policy management mitigate potential risks.
Cost efficiency: Consolidates multiple security functions, reducing the need for additional solutions.

Check Point NGFW is implemented in industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, where protecting sensitive data and ensuring compliance are critical. Its advanced security features and ease of management make it suitable for large enterprises and data centers, ensuring reliable and secure network operations.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer comprehensive security, including application control, traffic shaping, threat prevention, and load balancing, designed to secure internal networks, perimeter protection, VPN services, and cloud environments.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are a key choice for managing and protecting data centers, securing remote access, network segmentation, malware prevention, and ensuring high availability and performance for business-critical applications. Known for stability and strong security, these firewalls use application-aware identifiers and IPS/IDS subscriptions to offer advanced threat protection. The unified platform facilitates seamless integration, while GlobalProtect and centralized management via Panorama enhance ease of use. However, there are areas for improvement, including pricing strategies, training, user support, and integration with third-party applications.

What are the essential features?

Stability: Reliable performance in different environments.
Application Control: Identifies applications to manage traffic.
Advanced Threat Protection: Includes DNS security, WildFire, and machine learning.
GlobalProtect: Secure remote access for users.
Centralized Management: Managed via the Panorama platform.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Security: Protects against threats with robust features.
User-Friendly: Simplified interface and easy configuration.
High Availability: Ensures performance for critical applications.
Integration: Seamless with existing systems and applications.
Support: Reliable technical support and resources.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls secure sensitive data and meet regulatory requirements. These firewalls help manage large-scale networks in these sectors, providing essential security features and maintaining high-performance standards. They are implemented to ensure compliance, protect patient information, secure financial transactions, and safeguard customer data.

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Control Southern, Optimal Media

SkiStar AB, Ada County, Global IT Services PSF, Southern Cross Hospitals, Verge Health, University of Portsmouth, Austrian Airlines, The Heinz Endowments

Buyer's Guide

Check Point NGFW vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

October 2024

Free Report: Check Point NGFW vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point NGFW vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.

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