Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL] comparison

Palo Alto Networks and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 96% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 29, 2024

Both WatchGuard XTM [EOL] and Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are prominent in the firewall market. Users report that while WatchGuard XTM [EOL] has competitive pricing and solid support, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are viewed as superior in terms of advanced features and overall value.

Features: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is recognized for its straightforward management, diverse security policies, and integration capabilities. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls receive praise for their advanced threat detection, application visibility, and comprehensive security suite.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] users suggest enhancements in hardware performance and reporting capabilities. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls users point out the necessity for more intuitive configuration options and lower latency.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is known for its simple deployment process and reliable customer support. On the other hand, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, though having a steeper learning curve during deployment, offer extensive documentation and professional support services.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is commended for its affordable pricing and satisfactory ROI. However, users believe that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, despite higher costs, deliver superior value due to enhanced security features and better long-term returns.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

December 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 824,067 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Featured Reviews

DineshKumar28

Senior Manager at Cognizant

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…

Read full review

Simon Webster

Security Architect at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

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

Read full review

it_user233817

Sr IT Security Consultant at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

I found this device to be one of the most stable platforms that I have worked with, but paying a yearly maintenance fee for firmware updates is not worth it in my opinion.

I feel that paying a yearly maintenance fee for firmware updates is not worth it in my opinion. I would rather see the yearly fee go for updates to the add-ons and live security, but I think as time goes on firmware updates should be free since the price tag of some of these devices is difficult for some small businesses to swallow. While I hold the company in high regard the learning curve on these devices can be tough right out of the box. I've had to contact support on numerous occasions due to little quirks in the system that needed to be ironed out.

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

"One of the valuable features is a standardized OS."

"Fortigate is very scalable to serve our customers' needs. We have scaled already from fifty to more than a hundred instances of Fortinet FortiGate. Around 20 staff are required for deployment and maintenance, mostly engineers."

"I like Fortinet FortiGate's antispam filter, SPN, and clustering features."

"The IPsec tunnels are very easily created, and quite interoperable with devices from other vendors."

"All of the features of Fortinet FortiGate are useful and the security protection is good."

"It's quite comfortable to handle the FortiGate firewall."

"I like several features that this product has, such as antivirus and internet navigation inspection. It is also simple to use."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is the simple configuration."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable aspect of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is the performance."

"Their Prisma log collection is pretty great. Our product collects the logs, and it definitely makes the configuration of log collection easier."

"The stability of the product has been good over the years."

"When we put it on the border, it was blocking everything that we were getting ahead of time, and we weren't getting any hits. This includes URL filtering, spam prevention, and anti-virus."

"I like all the threat alerts and WildFire. I also like scanning because everything that comes into our network via customers is scanned. We're an electric company, so every one of the bills is scanned and emailed in and out of our network."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls helped reduce our downtime."

"The most valuable feature is threat prevention."

"Technical support is proactive in letting us know when there are updates that need to be made to the system."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pros

"Application Control is fantastic with over 2,500 applications and the granularity that we can either allow people to view but not be able to log on to Facebook; or view it and log onto it if they're in the marketing department, but not play Facebook games. There are all sorts of different options like that. So it's highly granular."

"It configures in all-in-one place."

"I like the hostwatch because I can see what traffic uses the most bandwidth and I can block that site."

"There is a site-to-site VPN configuration between others people."

"Monitoring of network activity is included in the box."

"They have a reporting system which can store data over a very long period of time. Not many other firewall vendors provide a reporting system, but if they do, like Fortinet does, then you've got buy that as an additional product and that can be more than twice as expensive as the initial investment in the firewall. And without reporting over a long-term period, you're just about wasting your time."

"It is stable and does not require you to reboot all the time."

"After installing the product, we achieved awareness of our data protection needs and email misuse."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"The platform's compatibility with Wi-Fi equipment needs improvement."

"The improvement is related to logs. Instead of the CLI, we should be able to have more insights into the logs of the firewall in the GUI."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having a frequent ask questions(FAQ) area for people to receive quick answers to popular questions. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have an SMS notification feature. For example, if you cannot access your email you could receive an SMS message."

"The support we receive when we need to upgrade is not satisfactory and has room for improvement."

"The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment."

"Regarding challenges, customers initially faced issues like internet dropping, but after firmware upgrades, everything worked well."

"The license renewal process, annual renewal price, and the web application firewall features should be improved."

"It would be nice if backups could more easily migrate between different models."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"People sometimes find it more expensive as compared to other solutions. There are also fewer training opportunities for Palo Alto than Cisco and other vendors."

"The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us."

"If you enable SSL you will face a problem. The throughput of the firewall will be degraded. SSL is a big issue on all firewalls. All products suffer from issues with SSL, but Palo Alto firewalls suffer more from it."

"Palo Alto Firewalls could improve by introducing more features, particularly in load balancing."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls need better training modules. You have to do a lot of reading prior to watching the training videos, and it's good for people who are really into it. However, often you want to use a video for a TID. You want to see how to do something rather than spend 30 minutes reading and then another 30 minutes watching the class. As a result, I take third-party training classes rather than Palo Alto's training because they are a lot better."

"Maybe they could add some tools and more competing services, like servers, but that would increase the cost of the solution."

"Its price can be better. They should also provide some more examples of configurations online."

"We would like to see improvement in the web interface for this solution, so that it can handle updates without manual intervention to put the data in order."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls cons

"WatchGuard doesn't have a product that allows them to get into the data center. And that's just because there is no hardware to do the job. The software could do it, but there's no hardware that allows that to happen at the moment. So it doesn't scale as well as some other products, that's for sure."

"Syslog (Dimension) is focused on presentation, but needs more focus on utility like SonicWall syslog (GMS/Analyzer)."

"The initial setup is neither simple nor complex. If you know the base in networking and how the firewall works, you will be able to figure it out."

"One huge issue with WatchGuard XTM is that I'm not getting reports in a readable format. Readable means, I don't want Excel online. We repeat auditing when we trigger the report or setup calendar. That functionality is what we are looking for from WatchGuard XTM here."

"The VPN errors are not helpful when troubleshooting."

"The setting policies need improvement. It needs an easier way to do static NAT and check on what policy is being used for that specific traffic."

"I would like them to improve the product's overall protections. This would be good for all product users."

"Sometimes we have had issues with stability of the product."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Here in Brazil, we're going through difficult economic times and the tax on the dollar is high. All the solutions from minor competitors are growing in the market. The prices have come more competitive."

"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 of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable."

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

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

"If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable for an SME."

"It's an expensive solution."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is competitive."

"Pricing is yearly, but it depends. You could pay on a yearly basis, or every three years. If you want to add a device or two, there would be an additional cost. Also, if you want to do an assessment, or other similar add-on, you have to pay accordingly for the additional service."

"It's an expensive product."

"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."

"If you compare Palo Alto with other firewalls, it's a bit expensive."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are more expensive than Cisco firewalls, but slightly less expensive than Juniper firewalls."

"The price is based on that selected package, with the lowest starting at $3,000 annually."

"Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are overpriced."

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls pricing and cost advice

"The licensing and renewal is very expensive."

"Like all other manufacturers, there are a lot of features and different pricing. The best is to talk to a representative."

"It costs less than the SO works and others (like SonicWall, Cisco, and Barracuda) without increasing so much CPU use."

"Get at least a maintenance contract for the updates and take a larger WatchGuard than you need. A WatchGuard creates new ways to secure your network."

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

No data available

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

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...

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

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

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

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

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Check Point NGFW vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 14% of the time

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

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

December 2024

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

December 2024

Download Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

November 2024

Download WatchGuard XTM [EOL] product report

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

Learn More

Fortinet

Palo Alto Networks

WatchGuard

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.

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.

Small businesses need big security, too, and the WatchGuard XTM Series firewall/VPN appliances deliver that strong protection, but without the hefty price tag. Enterprise-grade security includes full HTTPS content inspection, VoIP support, and optional security subscriptions like Application Control and Intrusion Prevention Service.

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

AVG, Cyren, Kaspersky Lab, Lastline, NCP engineering, Trend Micro, Websense

Find out what your peers are saying about Netgate, Fortinet, OPNsense and others in Firewalls. Updated: December 2024.

DOWNLOAD NOW

824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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.