Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs Sophos XG comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.5, while Sophos is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. Palo Alto Networks holds a 0.0% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 11.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Sophos XG and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series compete in the network security category. In terms of features, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced application controls and SSL inspection capabilities.

Features: Sophos XG offers features such as extensive web and application filtering, wireless integration, and email protection with a focus on Synchronized Security that integrates with network endpoints. Its customizable dashboard options and intrusion prevention features are appreciated by users. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series distinguishes itself with a strong intrusion prevention system, granular application controls, and SSL inspection capabilities, placing it ahead of many competitors.

Room for Improvement: Sophos XG requires improvements in client software for mobile management, VPN stability, and reporting enhancements. Users call for better technical documentation and improved HTTPS filtering. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is critiqued for its high costs, with suggestions for more competitive pricing and enhanced endpoint visibility. Users also desire better reporting and automation features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos XG offers various deployment options including on-premises and hybrid cloud, receiving positive feedback for its ease of use. However, its customer support experiences mixed reviews in terms of responsiveness. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series provides deployment flexibility but faces challenges with on-premises scalability and customer service responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos XG is recognized for its competitive pricing and flexible licensing plans suitable for small to medium businesses, perceived as more cost-effective than major competitors. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series, despite its advanced security features justifying its higher cost to some users, still faces criticism over pricing. Both products are acknowledged for providing substantial ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

April 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 848,270 peers since 2012

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 April 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 21.1%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.0%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XG is 11.5%, up from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

EhabAli

Sr. Cybersecurity Solutions Architect at BMB

Efficient, user-friendly, and affordable

In the past, NSS Labs was utilized to test files and verify the numbers and datasheets. It would be beneficial to have an organization or testing lab that can verify the numbers in our datasheets since changes are frequently made, which can be inconvenient for review. For instance, when comparing different competitors such as Forcepoint, Palo Alto, and Check Point, the throughput or numbers in the datasheet may be lower than the actual numbers. Conversely, Fortinet typically reports very high numbers, but they cannot be replicated in the real world. Therefore, it would be advantageous for them to partner with a neutral testing organization such as NSS Labs to validate these numbers, thus providing more credibility and comfort to everyone regarding the accuracy of the datasheets. For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial. This tool shows a lot of promise and is very good. Making it free would help many companies deliver their products in a more efficient and integrated way. It would also be more valuable to include the tool with the firewall package or license instead of having to pay extra for it. Paying extra puts more pressure on small companies to deliver the firewall and complete the configuration, especially if they have hundreds or thousands of policies. It's very painful to move through these policies line by line. The stability has room for improvement. When it comes to Secure SD-WAN, everything is fine. They are going the right way. SD-WAN is very promising. They can provide the SD-WAN solution separately, but they will not take this approach because even the smallest firewall can support the features, so there is no need to have a separate service or appliance. They are following the right steps, and there is nothing to be improved. Feature-wise, I'm really satisfied with the new release, and the features they have added. For now, it's fine.

Read full review

Krishnakumar M

enterprise architect at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

One of the best tools for the prevention of evasive threats

There is a feature called granular application controls, which I liked. Instead of relying on ports and IP addresses, they use AMP ID. This kind of solution is very good. Another valuable feature is the prevention of evasive threats, which is one of the best tools I've encountered. SSL decryption and app ID-based SSL decryption are also impressive, along with the integration with user ID. Identity-based policies ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources are excellent features. Normally, there is something called SIM or SCIM in IDA IDM, but this feature is provided on the box, which is exemplary.

Read full review

Mohamad Charara

Head of IT at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Security features improve protection while integration and resource management require enhancements

Sophos XG ( /products/sophos-xg-reviews ) is not easy to navigate and to use, and the integration capabilities are lacking. It cannot integrate properly with solutions like Darktrace ( /products/darktrace-reviews ). The VPN client on mobiles, especially Android phones, has issues. It is resource-greedy, causing performance problems even on new computers. Improvements are needed in resource management and integration with other security solutions.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is extremely reliable."

"The web tutor and automatic rules by schedule are good features."

"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."

"The ability to set up remote systems is the most valuable feature."

"The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience."

"It's great for capturing the traffic and troubleshooting it."

"The security features are about the best that I've seen anywhere."

"Fortinet FortiGate's most valuable features are ease of use, flexibility, and most of the configuration we can be done using the GUI. When we compare Fortinet FortiGate with other solutions the firewall policy are very easy to understand."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"I have found that Palo Alto Networks K2-Series has the best security. They are more user-friendly, older firewalls used to have to be configured using the command-line interface, but in this solution, it can be done in the GUI."

"Palo Alto's App-ID is what differentiates it from other competitors."

"It's easy to configure."

"This is a very reliable firewall and we have never had problems with it."

"Simple integrations with the domain controllers and other inventories"

"We've found the solution offers us good stability."

"Palo Alto firewalls are scalable enough. We have about 110 employees in our company, and we are about to expand to 130."

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is the performance which is above their competitors. The throughput they have delivered is good. When we used other solutions they failed the deployment when we were using different rules. They have a theory perform performance light and performance degradation. However, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series never fails in that scenario."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros

"I like the fact that it can self remove malware and do updates on the cloud via Sophos Central."

"The solution is very easy to use and straightforward."

"The most valuable features are the central management, the user VPN, and communications."

"The updates are helpful and add to the solution in a positive way."

"The SD-WAN feature stands out as the most valuable aspect."

"The most useful aspect of the solution is the concept of integrated security."

"The product’s most valuable feature is the user management system."

"Content blocking for websites is the most valuable aspect of the solution."

More Sophos XG pros

Cons

"It does not have key authentication for admin access."

"If they could extend their fabric towards other vendor environments for integration, that would be great."

"There are a lot of bugs I have found in the solution and it is difficult to upgrade. These areas need improvement."

"The monitor and the visibility, in this proxy, is very weak."

"I would like to see better pricing in the next release, as well as a simplification of the installation."

"Technical support needs to be improved."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by adding enhancements to FortiMail, FortiSOAR, and FortiDeceptor."

"Fortinet needs to overhaul its documentation."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Palo Alto doesn't have extended visibility to the end point in their firewalls."

"I'd like to see more data protection on the system."

"The graphical user interface is a little complex and difficult to manage. L1 engineers cannot work on the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series because it's too complex, which requires L2 and above level of engineers."

"Sometimes there are interactions with support or the provider that are not ideal."

"The licensing cost is a typical complaint with many clients. The solution is expensive."

"When it comes to renewing the solution, they tend to try to jack up the pricing."

"Higher levels of support are excellent but new users may need additional options."

"The technical support, and how they provide it to the client, needs to be improved."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons

"The time taken by Sophos XG's support team to respond to and resolve an issue is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"I would like to have better SSL decryption and HTTP decryption. There should be filtering of SSL and HTTP traffic. Sophos XG consumes a lot of endpoint resources. It consumes a lot of RAM and CPU resources, and they should look into this."

"The training manual provided to users lacks proper guidance on configuration procedures."

"I would like to next release to be able to support on-premise deployment. The construction of the rules within the firewall could also use some improvement."

"Even though things work on the back end, we have encountered bugs in the solution."

"The number of ports, especially on the entry-level appliances, should be increased."

"The firewall could be made more robust, particularly by simplifying two-factor authentication."

"When upgrading the firewalls, the process could be easier."

More Sophos XG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

"The price of FortiGate support is too expensive."

"A year or two years back, its price was competitive and reasonable. That was one of the reasons that people easily switched to Fortinet. Over the last two years, the prices have increased drastically. However, the prices of others have also increased. An advantage is there from the price point but not as much as it was previously."

"It's a very full-featured and it's priced well solution."

"The price, in comparison to other products is very cheap."

"FortiGate's pricing falls within the mid-range when compared to other leading firewall solutions."

"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."

"The price of the license and warranty can be better because it is very expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"This solution is expensive compared to other, similar products."

"It would be nice if they lowered their prices for small businesses."

"The overall price of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series could be reduced."

"The price of the solution is expensive."

"If you compare K2-Series' quality with its price, I think it is reasonable."

"This is an expensive solution, although you will get value for the price."

"When comparing Palo Alto Networks K2-Series with other solutions it is on the higher end of the price scale."

"It is an expensive solution."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice

"The cost could be lower especially if you want to add other features."

"A Sophos XG license costs approximately $45,000"

"In terms of price, it is a mid-range product."

"Sophos is very good when it comes to pricing."

"We pay licensing fees of approximately $2,000. We have a contract for three years."

"When comparing with Palo Alto and Cisco, Sophos is cheaper."

"Sophos XG is a very good solution, and it's cheaper than most of the other vendors. It is really affordable."

"The price is good for the moment."

More Sophos XG pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

848,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

21%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

28%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

It is a stable solution.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

The pricing for the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series solution is affordable and there are no complaints about the licensing.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What are the main differences in features between Sophos XG and FortiGate 80F?

Hi Arvind P , The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Fact...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sophos XG?

IPS works smoothly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 100% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Competitors

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XG

Compared 10% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos XG

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Sophos XG

Compared 5% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Sophos XG

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XG

Compared 3% of the time

More Sophos XG Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

April 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

April 2025

Download Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XG

March 2025

Download Sophos XG product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

Designed to handle growing throughput needs due to increasing amounts of application-, user-, and device-generated data, the K2-Series offers amazing performance and threat prevention capabilities to stop advanced cyberattacks and secure mobile network infrastructure, subscribers, and services.

Palo Alto Networks

Sophos XG is a versatile network security solution that offers network protection, firewall management, VPN access, web filtering, and intrusion prevention, providing comprehensive security for businesses from small offices to large enterprises.

Sophos XG stands out for its Synchronized Security, easy setup, and robust templates. It manages VPN access, protects against threats, and handles load balancing and traffic monitoring. The cloud-based management, centralized dashboard, and detailed logging make it user-friendly and reliable. Integration of features like email protection, SD-WAN, and unified threat management ensures a broad spectrum of security needs are covered. However, it could benefit from improvements in network security, user portals, technical support, and more scalable SD-WAN features.

What are the key features of Sophos XG?

Synchronized Security: Orchestrates threat intelligence sharing between endpoints and firewall.
Unlimited SSL VPN Clients: Provides extensive VPN client support for secure remote access.
Cloud-Based Management: Facilitates remote administration with a cloud-hosted platform.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and blocks potential threats in real-time.
Centralized Dashboard: Offers a comprehensive view of network security status.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Scalability: Easily adapts to growing business needs.
User-Friendliness: Simplified setup and intuitive management.
Effective Threat Protection: Provides robust security against a wide range of threats.
Comprehensive Reporting: Delivers detailed insights and analytics.
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive in pricing with flexible deployment options.

Sophos XG is implemented across industries such as healthcare, education, and finance to secure sensitive data and ensure regulatory compliance. It aids in endpoint protection, application control, load balancing, and traffic monitoring essential for these industries. Enhancing network security, simplifying VPN setup, and integrating adaptive security features remain focal points for businesses.

Sophos

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

State of North Dakota, SEGA, Alameda County Office of Education, Temple University, VERGE, CAME

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

April 2025

Free Report: Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

848,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.