Check Point Quantum Force vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.7, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.9. Additionally, 100% 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 Feb 22, 2026

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls and Check Point Quantum Force are well-known competitors in the network security category, offering advanced solutions. Check Point Quantum Force has an advantage due to its robust features, while Palo Alto Networks stands out with compelling pricing and customer support.

Features: Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls boast integrated intrusion prevention systems, identity-based control, and GlobalProtect for secure remote access. Check Point Quantum Force provides advanced threat intelligence, extensive encryption capabilities, and SandBlast for comprehensive threat management.

Room for Improvement: Palo Alto Networks could enhance deployment flexibility, improve scalability options, and refine user interface intuitiveness. Check Point Quantum Force might focus on reducing complexity in management, streamlining setup procedures, and addressing cost concerns to remain competitive.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point Quantum Force excels with a flexible deployment model and broad support channels. In contrast, Palo Alto Networks offers a straightforward deployment process, detailed documentation, and quick support responses, distinguishing their customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls deliver attractive setup costs and promise high ROI with efficient operations and reduced downtime. Check Point Quantum Force, though higher priced, offers good value through comprehensive security and lower vulnerability risks.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point Quantum Force vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

April 2026

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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

Fortinet FortiGate

Featured Reviews

Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Unified security and sd-wan have improved uptime and cut wan costs for multi-site branches

Users report stability issues in certain versions, which requires regular updates. Real-world attacks have also highlighted the need for urgent patching of vulnerabilities.Fortinet FortiGate, while a powerful and feature-rich web firewall, could improve in areas like firmware stability, documentation, and ease of use. The learning curve can be steep for some users. For beginners, support quality can vary, and frequent updates with occasional vulnerabilities call for careful patch management. However, once Fortinet FortiGate is configured, it remains highly reliable and efficient. Customer support needs improvement, as I find it very slow, with reports from other users reflecting that customer support is inadequate.

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Abnet Tsegaye Belay

Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Has strengthened perimeter security through AI-driven protection and unified management

I have noticed some limitations with Check Point Quantum Force. There is a limitation in integrating with existing infrastructure, such as orchestration and logging, specifically with VPNs. VPNs are hard and sophisticated to deploy on this firewall. However, it is improving currently. Some performance aspects need higher resources. If you do not give it higher resources, it will slow down your network. It is a trade-off - if you have higher resources, you will have good performance. The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs. It has to be simpler to understand.

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Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at a consultancy with 51-200 employees

Advanced visibility has transformed security policies and provides proactive threat prevention

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are powerful, but there are areas for improvement that could enhance their effectiveness, such as cost and licensing models. One of the main challenges we face is the high cost, especially for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), with licensing for features such as threat prevention, URL filtering, and WildFire being quite expensive. Additionally, centralized management with Panorama is a dependency for managing multiple firewalls, leading to added costs and complexity, and the built-in centralized management features could be made more user-friendly. Moreover, the learning curve associated with the initial setup and advanced configuration including NAT, decryption, and routing can be complex for new users, and enhancements in logging and reporting could also improve the user experience. There are a few more areas where improvements could streamline operations, such as optimizing commit times. Sometimes committing changes takes a noticeable amount of time, particularly for larger configurations, so a faster commit option would significantly help during urgent troubleshooting. Easier policy troubleshooting is necessary as well. Even though logs are detailed, finding the exact rule match and issue can still be time-consuming in complex environments, so having automated policy simulation and a recommendation tool would expedite troubleshooting. Additionally, better default templates and best practices for SMB data centers and branch offices would speed up deployment and reduce errors. Enhancing integration visibility through a unified dashboard would simplify monitoring, and improving the firmware upgrade process to allow for a more seamless zero downtime upgrade would also enhance operations, as upgrades are stable but typically require careful planning and downtime.

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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

"Typically, we use Fortinet FortiGate with edge devices for businesses, we also use them to integrate with a SIEM product and we use it for detailed analytics."

"Routing and reporting are two areas where the product has an added advantage compared to any other product."

"The solution is used in my company since its management is very comfortable"

"Fortinet Secure SD-WAN delivered the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) per Mbps among all other vendors."

"FortiGate tech support is very good because we get immediate support from them; for example, whenever we raise a ticket, we get an immediate response, and someone attends to help."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are its SD-WAN capabilities, such as dynamic routing, and other features, including security options such as antivirus, IPS, and IDS—all integrated into one device."

"It's features are highly customizable."

"We find it's good for managing the network and offers good defense against attacks."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable features I find in Check Point Quantum Force are the security policy features, including all security features that are provided by firewall, IPS/IDS."

"The security features and layered security features are better compared to others."

"In performance and threat prevention, it has benefited my cybersecurity strategy."

"The outcomes from Check Point Quantum Force firewall gave us the ability to be fit and secure from the cyber world."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities."

"The best features of this solution are URL filtering and traffic visibility."

"The most valuable features of this solution are all of the services it provides."

"The application control portion of the solution is its most valuable aspect."

"The most valuable features are IPS and stateful inspection."

"It's a next-generation firewall and it's pretty stable. You don't have to worry about if you restart it for some maintenance. It will just come back."

"The most valuable features are web filtering and application filtering."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, combined with Cortex XDR, provide comprehensive threat intelligence and detection capabilities, ensuring superior security coverage."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pros

Cons

"Regarding stability, I have experienced performance issues with Fortinet FortiGate. Sometimes it does not work correctly in certain situations, such as DNS or URL categories, where it might block incorrectly."

"The pricing could be a bit better, especially when you consider how they have the most basic offering priced."

"I would like to see more advanced developments of a wireless controller in the future."

"Some features of Fortinet FortiGate are actually fee enabled that are inconvenient for deploying in production. Other issues relate to isolation with Cisco products and your server."

"I prefer Palo Alto over Fortinet FortiGate. Its IPS engine is not better than the Palo Alto version. The monitoring tool needs improvement, and the syslog configuration needs enhancement."

"Fortinet FortiGate can improve by integrating the web application firewall and the DDoS protection part of the solution. Having a WAF feature, web application firewall, and proxy together would be a good benefit."

"The solution lacks sufficient filtering."

"They need faster serviceability and more security features."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs."

"I see good competition which is less expensive."

"Check Point Quantum Force does not have strong local support. We are based in India, and Check Point Quantum Force does not have extensive local support in our region."

"I have observed weaknesses in Check Point Quantum Force, particularly when configuring tunnels from any point product to a peer, which has very complex configuration requirements."

"We use ACC which is a tool for verifying the activity or traffic within your network. Currently, in ACC, the time of the samples that they offer is about five minutes; when you try to go down to a shorter duration, you can't."

"The pricing of the solution is quite high. It's too expensive, considering there's so much competition in the space."

"Over the past one or two years, Palo Alto Networks has added a lot of features into the NG Firewall products. I think this is becoming more complicated for our customers."

"The interface could be improved visually and simplified."

"Its price can be better."

"Support should be improved, wait times can be long."

"The SD-WAN feature needs improvement."

"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."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool is a bit pricey for small businesses, but it is still bearable in terms of cost."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto. In terms of pricing, it's probably a better-priced firewall solution overall."

"The price is fine."

"The licensing costs are very low."

"Work through partners for the best pricing."

"Its licenses cost the same for different subscription plans."

"The price is okay, so far so good."

"The price of FortiGate support is too expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The solution is expensive."

"We always aim to reduce the pricing, as it is currently a bit high and needs to be lowered."

"I would assume that it's still within mid-range given its company structure and everything else. My guess is it's still okay."

"I don't know about the price of the platform or the license fees, as the finance department deals with that. I only bill for the materials involved in the design."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are very expensive compared to other firewalls such as Fortinet. As a result, Palo Alto is losing some of its market share."

"The tool is expensive, especially considering all the necessary licenses for centrally managing firewalls. For medium-sized companies like ours, it's often not feasible within our budget constraints. We pay around €200k yearly for all our firewalls. Additionally, we received a quote of over €1 million per year for Prisma Access. There is a significant cost difference compared to other options, where it's around €200k per year."

"The cost is steep, but most firewalls cost a lot."

"Overall, it is commercially competitive compared to Cisco and Fortinet."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	368
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	193

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	77
Midsize Enterprise	56
Large Enterprise	85

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

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

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point Quantum Force?

In terms of pricing, setup cost, and licensing, many users and clients say that the pricing is high. The license stru...

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What needs improvement with Check Point Quantum Force?

I would assess Check Point Quantum Force's real-time threat intelligence in guarding against ransomware as not effect...

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What is your primary use case for Check Point Quantum Force?

I am dealing mostly with firewalls and I am working with Check Point Quantum Force. I have utilized the capability to...

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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 Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Zscaler Cloud Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 21% of the time

Palo Alto Networks PA-Series vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 6% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 5% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force Competitors

Cisco Meraki MX vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 15% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 9% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 2% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

May 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

May 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Palo Alto NGFW, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Check Point Quantum Force is an advanced cybersecurity platform providing robust protection for enterprise environments. Designed for flexibility and scalability, it effectively safeguards sensitive data and ensures secure network operations.

As a next-generation cybersecurity platform, Check Point Quantum Force integrates multiple security layers to address emerging threats. It offers powerful threat prevention tools, adaptive security policies, and real-time threat intelligence. The platform caters to dynamic business needs, supporting seamless integration across technology infrastructures.

What are some of the key features of Check Point Quantum Force?

Threat Prevention: Real-time analysis and mitigation of potential cyber threats.
Adaptive Security: Automated security policy adjustments based on activity insights.
Scalability: Supports growth with seamless cybersecurity infrastructure expansion.
Threat Intelligence: Continuous updates providing insights on recent threats.

What benefits or ROI should users evaluate in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Affords long-term savings through minimized risk of data breaches.
Enhanced Security: Provides comprehensive protection against varied cybersecurity threats.
Operational Continuity: Ensures minimal disruption to business functions with proactive security measures.
Ease of Integration: Simplifies integration into existing IT systems without extensive overhauls.

Check Point Quantum Force is implemented in industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, offering tailored security solutions to meet sector-specific regulatory and operational demands. By leveraging its adaptable architecture, businesses in these industries effectively manage risk while ensuring customer data privacy and compliance with industry standards.

Check Point Software Technologies

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls deliver advanced threat protection with machine learning, enhancing security through real-time attack prevention. Known for application visibility and a user-friendly interface, they offer robust network protection and flexibility in rule creation.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are designed to secure environments with features like GlobalProtect VPN, WildFire malware detection, and unified platform integration. Their strong firewall capabilities and high-performance throughput make them suitable for perimeter and data center protection, VPN configurations, application control, and network segmentation. Users consistently highlight the ease of managing network security policies and integrating third-party tools, ensuring a comprehensive protection strategy. While enhancements in support, training resources, and configuration simplicity are needed, these firewalls are integral for securing both on-prem and cloud environments, aligning with platforms like Azure and AWS.

What are the key features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Application Visibility: Provides insight into network traffic for better control.
Threat Prevention: Uses machine learning for real-time attack prevention.
GlobalProtect VPN: Secures remote access efficiently.
WildFire Malware Detection: Detects and prevents advanced threats.
Unified Platform Integration: Enhances network security through seamless integration with other tools.

What benefits should be evaluated when considering Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Flexibility in Rule Creation: Allows customized security policies to meet specific needs.
High-Performance Throughput: Ensures efficient network operations under high load.
Comprehensive Policy Management: Simplifies overseeing and adjusting security policies.
Robust Endpoint Security: Protects endpoints against sophisticated threats.
Seamless Integration: Works well with third-party tools for a comprehensive solution.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are commonly implemented across industries for securing LAN environments, URL filtering, and ensuring Zero Trust security. They secure both on-premises and cloud infrastructures, often becoming integral parts of security frameworks within enterprises. Leveraging these firewalls in conjunction with Azure or AWS enhances the overall network protection strategies employed by organizations.

Palo Alto Networks

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

Information Not Available

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 Quantum Force vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

April 2026

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

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