GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls comparison

GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

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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

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 16.0%, down from 21.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GajShield Next Generation Firewall is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is 5.1%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	16.0%
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls	5.1%
GajShield Next Generation Firewall	0.3%
Other	78.6%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd

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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Nazish Sameer Shaikh

Senior Network Security Engineer at UNITE HERE HEALTH

Simplifies the management of complex data networks, but its technical support could be improved

Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services. The solution can adapt some of the tools where we, as network engineers, can adjust to the changing application needs. Also, the solution can provide us with multiple support, allowing us to create a network segment. The solution’s technical support could be improved.

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Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd

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

"Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization by significantly improving our network security, as we have seen a substantial drop in security incidents and unauthorized access attempts, and it also saved us time because managing and monitoring the network is much faster and easier now compared to before."

"The Fortinet FortiGate local partners were good. I did not have direct contact with Fortinet support."

"FortiGate is on the cheaper end, and it offers good value."

"The most useful features are application control, web filtering, and SD-WAN."

"If you are looking for a lifestyle solution, then FortiGate is my choice."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto."

"It's a firewall that secures our internal network. I have been using it since 2013, and I find that most of the features are advanced, and very user friendly."

"The biggest reason I went with Fortinet is that it felt like it has got Palo Alto type of functionality at a much more reasonable price point."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Once it is configured, it is very stable, and we don't get any calls from our clients unless they have some specific requirement, like port forwarding or something."

"It is an easily scalable solution...The initial setup was very easy."

"The most valuable feature of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is the user-friendly settings, dashboards, and anti-threat protection. Additionally, the solution upgrades frequently which is good because we receive new features."

"GajShield has improved our mobile device-based connectivity."

"It is a stable solution."

"Gajshiled's enterprise cloud and DLP-level features give it an advantage over other products."

"If people are looking for a good solution that is priced well this solution is best."

"The solution's outcome is very high, and we often use it in a very high-traffic environment."

More GajShield Next Generation Firewall pros

"From my experience, comparing it to other products, the granularity you can have in the application is very good, the application detection is excellent, and it's certainly one of the best."

"In terms of application filtering and threat analysis, it's a little bit better as compared to the other UTM boxes, such as Sophos or other brands."

"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."

"Some of the valuable features in this solution are traffic monitoring, GUI functionality, and it is very easy to troubleshoot if there is any problem that happens."

"From my experience, comparing it to other products, the granularity you can have in the application is very good. The application detection is excellent. It's certainly one of the best."

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is Cortex Data Lake."

"The most valuable features include the different security zones and the ability to identify applications not only by port numbers but by the applications themselves... And with the single-pass architecture, it provides a good trade-off between security and network performance. It provides good security and good network throughput."

"It has a unique approach to packet processing. It has single-pass architecture. We can easily perform policy lookups, application decoding, and integration or merging. This can be all done with a single pass. It effectively reduces the amount of processing required to perform multiple actions. This is the main advantage of using Palo Alto."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pros

Cons

"I see room to explore its integration with Secure Service Automation for a more comprehensive security view."

"They should do a better job in testing when they put out a new release because when a new software version is released, it is not always stable or does not always have all the previous features working correctly."

"We would like to see an upgrade to the VPN feature, we are using the VPN from outside of our office and there is a limitation to 10 connections, more connections would be suitable."

"They need faster serviceability and more security features."

"Customer service is poor."

"There are SD-WAN network monitoring, SD-WAN features, Industrial Databases, Internet of Things, Detection, etc., however, we do have not licenses for those features. We thought that if you bought a product, you should have all of the features it offers. Why should you need to make so many extra purchases to enable features? They should have one price for the entire offering."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"There are too many updates coming for VPN, and the VPN keeps disconnecting frequently, which I find problematic. It does what it's supposed to do, but I practically face reconnection issues with the VPN."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"We face issues with some configuration parts that we don't understand in the solution, and sometimes we face issues with the VPN connection."

"Gajshield can improve SD-WAN compatibility at an enterprise cloud level."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall would be improved with the addition of a load-balancing feature."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall could improve the flow of the settings. If somebody's using a Cisco firewall or any other brand and they want to use GajShield Next Generation Firewall the platform's UI is a bit different. If it was more similar to the others it would be better."

"Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services."

"We raised a support ticket, and the project didn't get a proper response. There was a skill issue in TAC support."

"The firewall configuration and administration screens could use some improvement."

More GajShield Next Generation Firewall cons

"It's too expensive."

"The performance of the Panorama interface needs to be improved. It tends to be very sluggish at times."

"Having a better pricing model would make this product more competitive, and more affordable for our customers."

"The biggest thing that needs to be improved with them is their training."

"Enhancing support teams' capability to handle cases without much delay would be beneficial."

"In Mexico, Palo Alto's discounts are significantly lower than Cisco's. They are also more expensive – about 15% or 20% – than Cisco, but their platforms are very similar."

"The technical support from Palo Alto could be better; I find that it can be improved. The issues are mainly with response time and quality, as their first level support used to be better a couple of years ago, but now you sometimes get support that isn't as good."

"From a documentation standpoint, there is room for improvement. Even Palo Alto says that their documentation is terrible."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is affordable and lesser than Cisco. Cisco is expensive. In terms of licensing, there is only one issue. If a customer's license has expired a month ago and they do the renewal after one month, Fortinet renews the license from the start of the previous month. The activation of the product is done from the previous month, not from the date of renewal. The customers usually shout and complain that because they are paying today, the renewal should start from today. The support contract renewals or licensing should be renewed from the date of renewal, but Fortinet starts from the day it had expired. It is a loss for customers. They might have had some problems because of which they did not take the license one month before. Fortinet should work on this. Cisco doesn't do this. Cisco always starts from the day they apply for the license."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall costs our company around $12000 per year."

"We pay for the solution annually."

"The price of FortiGate is reasonable as I plan to buy new switches. The initial gadgets are already booted, and the pricing seems normal on the market. As for additional costs, I haven't subscribed to many extra features, so I'm only using what I need. Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us."

"The main reason we chose Fortinet FortiGate was that the price was better than the competition."

"Fortinet is reasonable in pricing and licensing. Overall, FortiGate is affordable. The licensing fee can be a little high, depending on the budget for your project."

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

"The product pricing is reasonable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"GajShield is a cheaper solution as of now. The subscription is yearly."

"The price of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is very attractive when compared to other solutions."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is reasonably priced."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is not that expensive, and its pricing is better than Palo Alto."

"It was about 15% cheaper compared to Sophos."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is cheaper than the other products in the market. The licensing costs for the solution are on a yearly basis."

"It is very expensive. You pay for a year."

"Palo Alto is like Mercedes-Benz. It is quite expensive, but the price is definitely justified."

"Palo Alto is one of the most expensive firewalls in the world. Everyone knows that. But you need at least one layer from Palo Alto to protect your environment because it is the strongest company in the security field."

"It is not that expensive. I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of pricing. Other than the licensing, there are no additional costs."

"This is an expensive product and there is a subscription cost."

"The cost is quite high."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have a higher price tag, costing roughly twice as much as competing products."

"The tool's pricing is similar to that of Cisco. It's a security appliance; the cost depends on your network topology and specific requirements. The suitability of NG firewalls should be chosen based on your network and what you need. If a colleague from a different company asked for the cheapest and fastest firewall, I suggest they consider options like Sophos. Sophos took over Cyberoam, which was previously a leader in NG firewalls"

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

Construction Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Energy/Utilities Company

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	367
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	193

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	76
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...

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...

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 ...

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

Ask a question

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

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...

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...

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Comparisons

Compared 18% 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

Sophos Firewall vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 25% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 15% of the time

WiJungle vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 12% of the time

More GajShield Next Generation Firewall Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 13% 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

Azure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 4% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Competitors

Product Reports

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2026

GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Download GajShield Next Generation Firewall product report

GajShield Next Generation Firewall report

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Download Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

GajShield NGFW

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

GajShield Next Generation Firewall is renowned for its exceptional network DLP and enterprise cloud capabilities, offering superior performance in high-traffic environments with ease of management for complex networks.

GajShield Next Generation Firewall stands out by providing a comprehensive security solution with features surpassing those of competitors like Sophos and Fortinet. Users benefit from its performance in managing high-volume traffic, while appreciating its ease of learning and user-friendly management interface. Frequent upgrades introduce new features, enhancing functionality over time. It is a preferred choice for securing mobile device connections, data centers, and enterprise networks.

What are the key features of GajShield Next Generation Firewall?

Network DLP: Offers robust data leak prevention capabilities.
Enterprise Cloud: Enables seamless cloud hosting and services integration.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies configuration and management.
Anti-Threat Protection: Provides essential security against diverse threats.
Comprehensive Dashboards: Facilitates easier monitoring and reporting.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating GajShield Next Generation Firewall?

Cost-Effectiveness: Provides significant value over comparable options.
High Performance: Optimized for high-traffic environments.
Deployment Flexibility: Supports both cloud and on-premise implementations.
Security Efficiency: Strong VPN and internal traffic protection features.

Companies deploy GajShield Next Generation Firewall for securing mobile connections to ERP servers, using its VPN features to aid technical services. It serves critical roles in data centers for traffic termination and data leak prevention. Appreciated for stability and cost savings, its deployment flexibility supports operations across varied locations, including connectivity between Indian subsidiaries and headquarters.

GajShield

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

Zodiac Clothing

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

GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls