Sangfor NGAF vs Sophos Firewall comparison

Sangfor and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Sangfor is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.1, while Sophos is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3. Sangfor holds a 1.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 10.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Sangfor users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 19, 2026

Sophos Firewall and Sangfor NGAF are leading contenders in the competitive landscape of network security solutions. Sophos Firewall seems to hold an edge in seamless endpoint integration and robust threat protection, while Sangfor NGAF impresses with its application control and affordability.

Features: Sophos Firewall offers comprehensive threat protection, synchronized security, and web and application filtering with over 90 URL categories. Sangfor NGAF is known for its strong application control, web application firewall (WAF) capabilities, and efficient threat detection features, particularly within its security operations center (SOC) offerings.

Room for Improvement: Sophos Firewall users often seek improvements in scalability, technical support response times, and a more intuitive interface for complex configurations. Sangfor NGAF users suggest enhancements in its user interface, reporting and logging features, and better integration with other systems to improve operations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos Firewall provides thorough deployment guidance with comprehensive documentation and partner support, though experiences with technical support can vary. Sangfor NGAF offers a straightforward setup process and is valued for its cost-effectiveness, appealing particularly to smaller enterprises, but its technical support is considered to need enhancement.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos Firewall presents itself as a mid-range solution offering flexible licensing options with bulk discounts, though users cite a gradual increase in pricing over time. Sangfor NGAF positions itself as a cost-effective alternative, delivering lower overall costs compared to competitors like Fortinet and Check Point, though users should be mindful of rising maintenance costs, affecting long-term return on investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall

December 2025

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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 January 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.8%, down from 20.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Firewall is 10.2%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.8%
Sophos Firewall	10.2%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Other	69.9%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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Nassif Kaleny

IT Manager at Bavaria Egypt S.A.E.

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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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"FortiGate firewalls are user-friendly, and I like the security profiling features."

"The GUI configuration is its most valuable feature"

"I like that you are able to manage FortiGate from the FortiManager to create a more centralized environment."

"SSL-VPN is very useful for us and has been very reliable."

"The user interface is relatively easy. The devices are easy to deploy and figure out when you have experience with other security appliances."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is its stability."

"It's easy to manage. The GUI is very simple, and what is very good is that every product, regardless of size, has the same interface."

"The security fabric is excellent."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"We can utilize our own network rather than paying for a private one."

"The capabilities are mostly within the box."

"The most valuable feature of Sangfor NGAF is its integration."

"Sangfor NGAF's standout feature is its powerful application control, enabling precise restrictions on mobile user access to approved applications."

"The product is very fast and reliable."

"The level of support provided to local companies is good. They transform their application control and other settings according to that country."

"I think the tool has the feature to detect and kill ransomware in three seconds."

"Sangfor has the best capabilities for securing connections, securing web browsers, securing servers, and general threat protection."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

"Web publishing is important, as well as the importance of the antivirus patch."

"The solution is scalable."

"The filtering is very easy to do. You can segment and create profiles for usage very easily."

"Web filtering is easy enough to deploy, manage, or make exceptions to."

"All the features are valuable, in my opinion, but for us the most important features are the network security, application control, and web server protection. Sophos Sandstorm is another good feature off the top of my head."

"The installation is easy. There is a wizard that can be used for a single connection making it simple and if you have multiple connections you can configure it manually."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The SL VPNs are the most valuable feature. I have a lot of systems out of the head office that need to connect to the local networks, and they all connect wirelessly via the Sophos VPN client."

More Sophos Firewall pros

Cons

"It should provide better visibility over the network and more information in the form of reports for the end users. Its installation should also be easier."

"I face difficulties integrating Fortinet FortiGate with Active Directory."

"In some cases, its initial setup could be hard for customers."

"They should offer special pricing to premium partners and customers."

"Fortinet currently has many products bundled with FortiGate including the basic firewall and load balancer, and I think that that they need to have separate product portfolios for each of these specialized services."

"The support package being an additional extra, even with an enterprise package purchase, is pathetic. Though I haven't had direct experience with support, the fact that it doesn't come by default, which is very misleading compared to other brands, warrants a rating of two out of ten."

"Its reporting capabilities can be improved. It should have some out-of-the-box reporting capabilities and some degree of customization. The basic reporting that it currently has is not sufficient to create more usable reports. It needs some sort of out-of-the-box reporting. They try to make customers purchase FortiAnalyzer for this kind of reporting, which is an additional cost. Other firewall vendors, such as SonicWall and Sophos, provide this sort of reporting without any additional cost."

"One point against them is that their solution lacks a unified approach."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The support offered by the product has certain shortcomings where improvements are required. The knowledge levels and response time of the support team need improvement."

"I feel Sangfor should follow the hierarchy and close deals via resellers instead of closing it all with their own team."

"The support for YouTube or the Internet is not enough."

"I believe that IAM and NGFW need to merge into a single box, instead of there being two separate box solutions."

"Sangfor could improve by providing better real-time reporting, as the current reports don't offer the level of detail we need, especially for runtime insights."

"The product must provide more IPS features."

"The tool is expensive."

"They need to improve their research team and they need to study their data to analyze it and build the product."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

"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."

"The reporting could be improved in this solution by adding more details."

"In future releases, this solution could have more graphical elements on the dashboard to make it easier to understand."

"One area where Sophos XG could improve is in its patch management system."

"Sophos configurations are a bit complex."

"Support could be improved."

"The knowledge base needs improvement, particularly in terms of community support and training videos on platforms like YouTube. Compared to other firewalls, Sophos XG documentation is somewhat confusing and can be difficult to use."

"The solution should have the ability to be up to date with the most recent threats."

More Sophos Firewall cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"We are on an annual license to use Fortinet FortiGate."

"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten."

"We pay about $4,000 for a yearly license, and there aren't any additional fees."

"The support subscription for the solution is annual. You are paying for support and there are two levels of support, professional and advanced."

"It was pretty affordable. We did go a little bit above MSRP, but the service pack that was included was quite worth the additional costs. It is competitively priced compared to other major players in the market. It is significantly cheaper than Check Point, which is a primary competitor. Additionally, its pricing is comparable to that of Cisco's ASA and a few other vendors."

"For the performance that we get, the price is reasonable. There are cheaper options, but they may not deliver the same kind of performance that we want. For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable."

"We pay for the license of Fortinet FortiGate IPS annually. There are not any extra costs."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Sangfor is cheaper than competing vendors."

"Price-wise, I would not consider Sangfor NGAF to be a cheap product. It is an expensive firewall solution, though not as expensive as something like Palo Alto, which is costly. However, the higher price point is justifiable given the feature set the tool provides that other firewalls may not offer in a single dedicated appliance."

"If one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the tool's price as three out of ten."

"The price could be more competitive."

"For four to five physical appliances for a licensed firewall, it costs approximately $4,000."

"The product is very cost-effective compared to other brands or vendors."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"It costs about 8 to 10 thousand dollars per year for 500 users, standard licensing fees included."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

"It's approximately $6,000 for each device."

"Sophos XGS costs around $75,000 for fifty units."

"We pay for two licenses for the use of Sophos XG annually and it is a flat fee. We do not have everyone going through both of the Sophos XG firewalls a the same time and the Sophos XG on Microsoft Azure is only accessible from the VPN."

"Its price is fair. It is cheaper and way better than others."

"For our company, the price was reasonable."

"For every firewall, you will need to pay the license for the following year. If they don't pay for the license renewal, they basically won't get the support from Sophos."

"There is no license required to use this solution."

"The pricing was reasonable."

More Sophos Firewall pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	203
Midsize Enterprise	62
Large Enterprise	52

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...

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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...

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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 ...

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What do you like most about Sangfor NGAF?

I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I comp...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

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What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

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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...

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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...

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What do you like most about Sophos XG?

IPS works smoothly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

OPNsense vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 10% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 2% of the time

More Sophos Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

January 2026

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos Firewall

January 2026

Download Sophos Firewall product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

Sophos XG, Sophos XGS

Overview

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?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

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.

Fortinet

Sangfor Next Generation Firewall (also known as NGAF) is a converged security solution providing protection against advanced threat, malware, viruses, ransomware and web-based attacks using integrated security features like firewall, IPS, anti-virus, anti-malware, APT, URL filtering, Cloud Sandbox, and WAF. As the world's first AI-enabled and fully integrated Next Generation Firewall & Web Application Firewall (WAF), NGAF offering the security visibility, real-time detection and response, simplified operation and maintenance and high-performance application layer security needed to operate an enterprise network in total security. Tested and proven to provide cutting-edge network security by ICSA Labs and endorsed by Gartner Inc., NGAF harnesses the power of Sangfor’s Neural-X threat intelligence and analytics platform and Engine Zero’s innovative malware detection to provide next-generation protection for today’s enterprise.

Sangfor

Sophos Firewall provides comprehensive network security with web filtering, VPN capabilities, and cloud integration. Users highlight its effective threat prevention and flexibility for customizable policies, enhancing network visibility and management.

Renowned for its robust security, Sophos Firewall simplifies network protection through advanced features like intrusion prevention and endpoint protection integration. Its user-friendly interface allows seamless remote management and tailored rule creation, making it ideal for varied environments like healthcare and education. While the system excels in threat detection, areas such as interface navigation, support response times, and VPN integration face challenges. Enhanced reporting and bandwidth management are essential for improved performance.

What are the standout features of Sophos Firewall?

Web and Application Filter: Secure browsing with advanced filtering options.
VPN Capabilities: Facilitates secure remote access and connectivity.
Cloud Integration: Seamless collaboration with cloud platforms.
Intrusion Prevention: Robust threat detection and prevention features.
Comprehensive Reporting: Detailed insights into network activities.

What benefits and ROI should users expect in reviews?

Enhanced Security: Comprehensive protection against diverse cyber threats.
Increased Flexibility: Tailor rules and policies to meet specific organizational criteria.
Improved Network Visibility: Better oversight and threat detection across networks.
Efficient Management: Simplifies remote and centralized firewall administration.

Industries such as healthcare, education, and finance implement Sophos Firewall for secure VPNs, improved threat management, and effective traffic monitoring. Its load balancing and email security features support compliance and governance, ensuring robust protection tailored to sector-specific requirements.

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

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall

December 2025

Free Report: Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall

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