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Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Palo Alto Networks WildFire comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Fortinet FortiGate's customer service is praised for problem-solving but criticized for inconsistent response times and language barriers.
Sentiment score
7.6
Customer service for Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls varies, with feedback ranging from excellent to subpar, influenced by regional differences.
Sentiment score
7.5
Palo Alto Networks WildFire customer service is praised for expertise but criticized for slow regional responses and handling critical cases.
The response time for a critical priority one issue was over four hours and they only responded because we threatened legal action for them violating our support contract.
They say they will respond in 24 hours, but I have received responses in a maximum of one hour, which is impressive.
The technical support from Fortinet FortiGate is 24 hours a day seven days a week, and 365 days a year.
Their response time is within one hour.
They offer fast and competent assistance.
Palo Alto offers multiple tiers of support, including basic, premium, and premium plus.
There is a lack of SLA adherence, and third-party partners do not provide prompt responses.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
4.6
Fortinet FortiGate needs improvements in stability, usability, integration, cost-effectiveness, and documentation for enhanced user satisfaction and performance.
Sentiment score
4.9
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls need improvements in usability, pricing, features, and customer support to enhance competitiveness and user experience.
Sentiment score
5.1
Palo Alto Networks WildFire needs enhanced protocol inspection, better integration, improved threat intelligence, intuitive interface, and automation with AI.
FortiWAN supports OSPF but does not support the BGP protocol.
Fortinet VPN and DDoS capabilities are great, yet we need to provide a solution that enables CASB and integration to the cloud.
The relationship between their accounts team and my leadership team seems to be the reason for phasing out FortiGate.
When performance degrades due to full packet inspection, the solution should be to increase the computing power within the same firewall, not to recommend upgrading to a larger, more expensive model.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls lack built-in multi-factor authentication, requiring the purchase of a third-party tool to implement this essential security feature.
Configurations related to different operating systems can be complex, and we have encountered issues with Linux systems.
The dashboard should provide better visibility, especially in showing how many files are sent to Wildfire and their findings.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable, flexible, and adaptable, though some face hardware upgrades and licensing challenges during deployment sizes.
Sentiment score
7.4
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer flexible scalability for businesses, though hardware replacement may be needed for higher performance.
Sentiment score
8.0
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is praised for its scalability, adaptability, and versatility in diverse environments and network sizes.
The devices will usually fail way before reaching the capacity advertised in the data sheets, especially when you activate several of the features the device can handle.
The solution is working and it is still stable even across all of these devices and servers.
We have over 10,000 users behind it.
Cloud deployments benefit from auto-scaling, allowing for automatic adjustments to firewall capacity based on demand.
It is important to assess the infrastructure size before choosing a model.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are scalable and reliable.
Wildfire is highly scalable.
 

Setup Cost

Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiGate offers competitive pricing with varied costs; affordable long-term licenses, though renewal complexity can accumulate costs.
Sentiment score
7.0
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer premium security, with flexible licensing, perceived as costlier than competitors due to advanced features.
Sentiment score
6.2
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is costly but valued for strong threat detection, with pricing varying by features and region.
The cost of the original deployment fell below £5,000, and licenses are priced at around £3,000.
Every time you upgrade your license, you also get insurance for the equipment.
Overall, FortiGate is affordable.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are expensive.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls come at a premium, exceeding the cost of most competitors by 45 percent.
While Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls may be considered expensive, their quality justifies the cost.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability and reliability, with occasional issues improved by updates and configurations.
Sentiment score
8.3
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer reliable performance with minimal downtime, strong resilience, and are preferred over competitors like Cisco.
Sentiment score
8.4
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is praised for its stability, reliability, seamless integration, and superior threat handling performance.
All of these issues were resolved in v5.2.
Stability has dramatically improved over the previous main version branch of FortiOS; 5.2.x and 5.4.x are stable enough for critical environments.
Overall, the devices have been very stable.
After the upgrade, we are experiencing performance issues.
I have not experienced any outages or issues.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are stable and reliable when deployed and configured correctly.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiGate offers advanced security features, user-friendly configuration, and comprehensive management tools, valued for robust protection and flexibility.
Sentiment score
8.5
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer robust security, intuitive management, and enhanced malware protection through WildFire and GlobalProtect integration.
Sentiment score
7.9
Palo Alto Networks WildFire offers robust malware protection with sandboxing, threat detection, real-time updates, and seamless Palo Alto integration.
The two most valuable features are VPN and firewalling.
WiFi network for visitors isolated from our corporate WiFi network using only one unit
Allows for firewall rules to be programmed and named in a way that makes it 'readable'
The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are DNS sync calls, enabled security features, and Wildfire.
Threat Vault allows us access to a comprehensive threat database, enabling us to get detailed information on threats and how to mitigate them.
These next-generation firewalls are application-centric, identifying specific applications to provide enhanced security against a wider range of attacks.
The most valuable feature of Wildfire is its sandboxing capability for examining suspicious files or locations.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
317
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (2nd), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
Palo Alto Networks NG Firew...
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
186
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (7th)
Palo Alto Networks WildFire
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
67
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Firewalls
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user728382 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 03, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

DineshKumar28 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Simon Webster - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Mario Lacroix - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides seamless automation functionality and has a straightforward setup process
The platform's most valuable feature is its seamless automation within the broader Palo Alto ecosystem. Its ability to function autonomously, with automatic updates and integration with tools like Panorama, significantly reduces manual intervention. Additionally, its threat detection capabilities allow us to respond quickly to potential incidents, and the system is self-sufficient, managing itself once configured.
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Comparison Review

it_user206346 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 11, 2015
Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto Networks
Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto: Management Goodies You often have comparisons of both firewalls concerning security components. Of course, a firewall must block attacks, scan for viruses, build VPNs, etc. However, in this post I am discussing the advantages and disadvantages from both vendors concerning…
 

Answers from the Community

it_user728382 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 3, 2017
Oct 3, 2017
I’m not an expert on Palo-Alto but what I do know is that they do offer of the top 3 IT security solutions in the world today. Most companies offer a very good firewall solution and one I can recommend is Check Point. Check Points Next generation firewall goes beyond the standard security protocols a lot of us as used to (Anti-Virus. Anti-Bot, URL filtering, Application control etc) and take it...
2 out of 5 answers
it_user263451 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 2, 2017
Dears I really have same project and same recommended, my question is: what is impact of NSS Lab in my decision? last report of nss lab, palo alto get 40% of security effectiveness .!!! where is the firewall location ? core,edge.... what is throughput of the firewall after enable URL filtering ? not mention in sheets. what is throughput of the firewall after enable ssl decryption ? best regards
it_user337929 - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 2, 2017
You can also check http://www.gartner.com, And make sure are you looking for UTM or NGFW
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
22%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

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...
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?
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...
How does Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks Wildfire?
The Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall is a very powerful and very complex piece of anti-viral software. When one conside...
Which is better - Wildfire or FortiGate?
FortiGate has a lot going for it and I consider it to be the best, most user-friendly firewall out there. What I like...
How does Cisco ASA Firewall compare with Palo Alto's WildFire?
When looking to change our ASA Firewall, we looked into Palo Alto’s WildFire. It works especially in preventing advan...
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall
Palo Alto NGFW, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
SkiStar AB, Ada County, Global IT Services PSF, Southern Cross Hospitals, Verge Health, University of Portsmouth, Austrian Airlines, The Heinz Endowments
Novamedia, Nexon Asia Pacific, Lenovo, Samsonite, IOOF, Sinogrid, SanDisk Corporation
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