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Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Sophos XGS comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiGate offers cost-effective security and operational benefits with quick ROI, enhanced features, and ease of management.
Sentiment score
7.1
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series improves security, agility, and ROI, simplifying management with efficient deployment and minimal setup.
Sentiment score
2.5
Sophos XGS is valued by small businesses for thwarting ransomware, offering cost-effectiveness, though larger enterprises face cost challenges.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
We have experienced a positive return on investment by utilizing Fortinet's products.
There's definitely an ROI. Having a centralized way of managing and applying policies across the entire organization always helps.
Customers can see data within a week, indicating a quick return on investment.
The costs have increased with Sophos XGS in the last few years, with license prices going up by 30%, doubling from $2,500 to about $5,000, which is a big challenge for us.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Fortinet's customer service and support receive mixed reviews, with praise for expertise and criticism for responsiveness and regional variance.
Sentiment score
7.6
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series customer service is praised for knowledge and speed but criticized for inconsistency and weekend delays.
Sentiment score
6.7
Sophos XGS customer service varies by geography, with some praising effectiveness while others note delays and language challenges.
He explained that it required a command line configuration, as it couldn't be done through the graphical user interface.
I would rate their support for FortiGate a nine out of ten.
They offer very accurate solutions.
The support quality could be improved.
Resolving issues promptly.
The technical support is very good.
Any issues are quickly addressed by their support team, which is not common among all OEM manufacturers.
The response time from Sophos technical support can be slow in most cases, which can be challenging.
Technical support from Sophos is always available.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for scalability and integration, but some users face hardware limitations and configuration challenges.
Sentiment score
7.5
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is praised for scalability, adaptable licensing, and effective deployment, despite some resource management challenges.
Sentiment score
7.0
Sophos XGS is praised for scalability and flexibility, but may need improvements in capacity and user count adaptability.
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.
You can choose a cheaper model if you only have 20-30 users, but you will need to spend more money for a FortiGate solution that covers 5,000.
They are easy to upgrade, and with credit licensing, they scale effectively according to demand.
If I were to rate it on a scale, it would receive nine out of ten, and with two-factor authentication, it would be ten.
I can change what I want easily without interfering with other services or routines.
I would rate its scalability seven out of ten since modules can be added.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiGate is stable and reliable, with rare issues mostly resolved through updates and improved firmware.
Sentiment score
8.3
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is praised for stability and reliability, despite occasional interface sluggishness and update challenges.
Sentiment score
7.7
Sophos XGS is praised for stability, reliability, and performance, with minor issues during capacity exceedance or updates.
Improper handling of these can lead to a memory surge, a well-known bug that can cause the entire system to freeze.
It is less stable than Palo Alto Networks and Check Point firewalls because there are lots of bugs in the latest firmware.
We have not had any problems with the operating systems or maintenance of subscriptions.
Hardware is generally very stable.
I have not experienced any major problems or downtime.
It is rated at nine out of ten for stability and is very reliable.
Sophos XGS is stable now, and I would rate its stability as a ten out of ten.
When Sophos introduced firmware version twenty, there was a bug in DCC.
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate faces challenges in integration, user-friendliness, support, and pricing, impacting functionality and customer satisfaction.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series struggles with interface, integration, pricing, scalability, Zero Trust, network configuration, documentation, and threat detection.
The Sophos XGS requires UI, integration, functionality improvements, better support, enhanced automation, and marketing efforts to meet industry standards.
If I have put 10 GBPS of throughput on a firewall and I enable all of these features available, such as IPS or UTM functionalities, the throughput comes down to 1 GBPS.
By providing an integrated solution, users would have access to all features and functionalities within a single window, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple windows.
Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.
Most customers go for partner-enabled support, which involves multiple layers, leading to delays.
When managing the firewall, it involves a Strata Cloud web browser that requires improvement to enhance deployment ease and call center efficiency.
There is a need for two-factor authentication, particularly for VPN and CloudProtect.
It would be beneficial if Sophos XGS offered an end-to-end solution with competitive pricing.
After version 18.5, creating a NAT rule has become more complex, requiring the creation of a separate policy and an additional component.
I have experienced multiple hardware complaints, particularly during firmware updates that sometimes cause crashes.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate offers competitive pricing with high setup costs but lower annual fees, making it ideal for larger enterprises.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers valuable security but is costly; AWS Marketplace provides flexible purchase options.
Sophos XGS offers competitive pricing but can be higher than competitors, with subscription-based licensing and regional variations.
Secure SD-WAN is free of charge.
The most expensive part is the renewal of the license subscription.
FortiGate is priced lower than Palo Alto.
Palo Alto is expensive in terms of pricing, particularly when comparing features to cost.
The cost involves purchasing through a vendor, which might mark up due to the supply chain.
Pricing for Palo Alto Networks is higher than other OEMs, but considering the robustness and features, it gains customer trust.
The last instance I purchased was for three years, around $3,700 for SDG 125.
pricing is rated eight out of ten, indicating that it may be relatively expensive.
Sophos XGS is quite expensive, potentially a nine out of ten in terms of cost.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate offers robust security features, efficient management, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring strong protection and ease of use.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers robust threat management, advanced security, easy deployment, and superior integration with cloud services.
Sophos XGS is favored for its intuitive interface, robust performance, and seamless integration, ensuring reliable security and management.
The firewall, IPS, and VPN functions are the most valuable features.
FortiGate provides solid protection against viruses, malware, and other threats.
Within the same dashboard, you get to see the security profiles, the type of traffic that's passing through, the top applications that are being consumed, etc.
We use these tools to prevent all known and unknown threats using Palo Alto Networks' Wildfire and other data filtering tools to gather information, analyze traffic, manage malicious traffic, and offer visibility, control, and attack prevention.
Palo Alto's robust threat intelligence supports new updates, and I can open cases directly with their Threat Intelligence team.
Palo Alto offers excellent security, with features such as email scanning, malware protection, and efficient VPN and antivirus capabilities.
It's able to detect cloud applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams and allows traffic shaping based on the application.
I find it much easier than others, like FortiGate, which is complicated in its installation, but Sophos XGS is really easy.
The threat detection capabilities are effective, especially against CNC and certain viruses not coming through emails.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
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Ranking in Firewalls
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
327
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series
Ranking in Firewalls
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
62
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (9th)
Sophos XGS
Ranking in Firewalls
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 VM-Series is 0.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XGS is 2.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

EhabAli - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
AshwaniTyagi - PeerSpot reviewer
Advanced protection and good integration capabilities with good reliability
We use Palo Alto Networks VM-Series to offer services to our customers as a managed security service provider. We provide solutions and services to our customers across the globe. For example, if I want to host a firewall in the cloud or somewhere where the physical appliance is not a possibility…
Nassif  Kaleny - PeerSpot reviewer
Dynamic web and mail filtering contribute to improved security measures
The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats. It just tells me that there is something during a certain time but does not provide information about the type of threats or how to get rid of them. This needs improvement.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
21%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
6%
 

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 ...
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...
How does Azure Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks VM Series?
Both products are very stable and easily scalable. The setup of Azure Firewall is easy and very user-friendly and the...
What do you like most about Sophos XGS?
The policies are the greatest feature. They allow us to configure granular control over our network traffic.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos XGS?
Sophos XGS was reasonably priced initially, but the license cost has significantly increased in the last few years.
What needs improvement with Sophos XGS?
The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats. It just tells me ...
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall
No data available
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
Warren Rogers Associates
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sophos XGS and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
848,253 professionals have used our research since 2012.