


WatchGuard Firebox and Palo Alto Networks PA-Series compete in the firewall and network security category. Based on different criteria, WatchGuard Firebox appears more user-friendly and cost-effective for SMBs, while Palo Alto Networks excels in threat detection and advanced policy enforcement, appealing to larger enterprises.
Features: WatchGuard Firebox stands out with features such as ease of setup for VPN configurations, a user-friendly GUI eliminating the need for command-line configurations, and integration with WiFi access points. It also includes WebBlocker for URL filtering and provides graphical real-time bandwidth reports. Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is recognized for its application-based policy enforcement and advanced threat detection capabilities using machine learning. It excels in providing secure network environments through automated responses and integration with other security solutions.
Room for Improvement: WatchGuard Firebox could improve in third-party vendor integration and enhance reporting capabilities. Modernizing its client-based administrative tool and offering more comprehensive cloud-based management could increase usability. While its technical support is reliable, responsiveness can be improved. For Palo Alto Networks PA-Series, high pricing and a complex user interface are points where enhancements could be made. Community support and streamlined OS update processes would also benefit users.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox is frequently deployed in hybrid cloud and on-premises setups, enjoying high marks for customer service and scalable, straightforward deployments. Conversely, Palo Alto Networks PA-Series, although lauded for excellent threat prevention, is often considered complex to configure and maintain, necessitating more technical expertise and providing less praised customer support.
Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox offers competitive pricing, attractive to SMBs, and delivers a good ROI through its low licensing costs, making it a worthy investment. Conversely, Palo Alto Networks PA-Series targets larger enterprises with its premium pricing. Despite substantial upfront and ongoing costs, it offers extensive security returns acknowledged by users.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
The return on investment with this product is a hard question because security tends to be a cost center rather than a profit center.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.
They're constantly following up after a case has been opened to ensure that it has been resolved properly.
Initially, it took one or two hours to get a Palo Alto engineer, which is quite slow.
I am happy with the technical support from Palo Alto.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.
Finally, we connected with someone, and I would rate their support as eight or nine out of ten once we were able to speak with them.
The technical support is good.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
The solution can handle more than ten thousand users in my organization.
There are no restrictions in scalability.
The user interface and features compared to newer firewalls are not up to the mark, which includes functionalities such as filtering, web filtering, threat protection, user identity, and UTM features that need improvement.
If we're going for more concurrent users, we need to change the entire box.
I find the WatchGuard Firebox scalable, as it's easy to change configurations from this product to another one.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
There are issues with traffic hitting the firewall, which could indicate performance problems related to throughput.
When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.
These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.
The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.
You can buy cheaper products, but I believe in the value they're giving us.
The interface of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series should be made much more user-friendly.
For the next release of the Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall, I would like to see logs monitoring included.
The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.
When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.
It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall.
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.
It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.
It is about 20% cheaper.
The firewall is expensive for every company, but the cost is worth it to ensure maximum security.
The price of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is expensive.
Regarding value for money, we brought this Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall last month, and we have taken up to 3 year renewals.
When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.
It's expensive us here.
I have faced challenges with the WatchGuard Firebox regarding price since we work with customers who use the Stormshield product, which is less expensive and French-made.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring.
We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.
Integrated threat intelligence has empowered my organization to adapt to threats by taking a lot of the burden off us; there's just no way we would see the same breadth of knowledge that a vendor or manufacturer would have.
The most effective features of the solution are its Magic Quadrant positioning, making it a leading firewall on perimeter areas and internet edges.
The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is that it is highly customizable.
The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.
Basically, we have received a good return on investment.
I utilize AI within the WatchGuard Firebox, as we use the interconnection with threat syncs, and AI is implemented.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Fortinet FortiGate | 18.7% |
| WatchGuard Firebox | 2.5% |
| Palo Alto Networks PA-Series | 1.0% |
| Other | 77.8% |



| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 357 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 132 |
| Large Enterprise | 188 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 13 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 5 |
| Large Enterprise | 15 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 92 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 25 |
| Large Enterprise | 15 |
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?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.
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is essential for firewall implementation, perimeter defense, securing infrastructure boundaries, web filtering, VPN, and threat prevention. Organizations deploy it for secure cloud connections, internet security, and managing network devices.
Companies trust Palo Alto Networks PA-Series to protect corporate networks from external threats, control traffic between networks, and meet regulatory compliance. Integrating well with applications, it offers centralized management and advanced security features such as IDS, IPS, and GlobalProtect. It ensures stable performance, application-based policy enforcement, and decryption of SSL traffic while providing efficient resource usage and comprehensive logging.
What are the key features?Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is implemented across industries like healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing. In healthcare, it ensures patient data protection and compliance with HIPAA. Financial institutions utilize it to secure transactions and meet regulatory standards. Retailers benefit from protecting customer information and securing online payments. Manufacturing companies deploy it to safeguard intellectual property and control plant floor operations.
WatchGuard Firebox is a high-performance firewall known for its ease of setup, offering robust security with layered protection and centralized management capabilities.
WatchGuard Firebox stands out for its intuitive management and high throughput, addressing security needs with features like VPN, web filtering, and threat detection. Its centralized control and reporting abilities, along with Active Directory integration, make it popular among varied organizations. Its user-friendly interface and ongoing updates enhance usability and reliability. However, there's a call for better cloud-based administration, scalability, and improved integration with third-party vendors.
What are the key features of WatchGuard Firebox?WatchGuard Firebox is implemented across industries to secure internet gateways and protect data in multi-site businesses. Its applications span from Unified Threat Management (UTM) and intrusion prevention to compliance support in business environments requiring secure connectivity through VPNs.
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