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 9.8% 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: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall

February 2026

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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 February 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.7%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Firewall is 9.8%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.7%
Sophos Firewall	9.8%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Other	70.4%

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

"It's very easy to configure."

"Fortinet FortiGate is easy to use. Anyone can easily maintain it."

"I am content with its user interface and functionalities."

"We like signature-based anomaly detection and zero-day protection features."

"Fortinet FortiGate is among the best firewall solutions, having a significant market share in Egypt."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG are IPS and scanning."

"Web filters, particularly web application controls, grant us the ability to regulate user access effectively."

"The dashboard I have found the most valuable in Fortinet FortiGate."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"While the features are not dissimilar to other brands, configuration is much more simple, which works out great for Indonesian people."

"We've found the technical support to be helpful."

"The price versus value is good because the solution is less expensive than Sophos, Fortinet, or SonicWall."

"SSL VPN is the best feature."

"Sangfor NGAF works accordingly with our customers. The solution has good performance, easy to use, and integrates well with the endpoints."

"In four steps one can configure the entire firewall."

"Sangfor's tech features and technologies are more powerful than those of the other solution providers in terms of security. They also have big solutions in terms of cybersecurity."

"The built-in features function as intended, providing exceptional value."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

"IPS works smoothly."

"Sophos XG's most effective features for threat detection and management are its UTM components, which are useful for malware prevention and intrusion detection."

"The solution was able to be integrated well with exciting hardware and software and in multiple business sectors."

"The solution comes with a common bundle which comprises all the feature."

"The initial setup is very user-friendly because they have graphical user interface options and command line interface options. I would give the initial setup a rating of five out of five."

"It is very easy to configure and straightforward. The firewall rules are straightforward. It works great out of the box. It has been working as advertised, and I haven't had any issues with it."

"Sophos XG is easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos XGS is the application control."

More Sophos Firewall pros

Cons

"Security level could be increased."

"Fortinet FortiGate has started implementing AI, however, it hasn't reached full maturity."

"In my opinion, Fortinet FortiGate could be improved by making the appliance smaller than what we have here, as it is pretty big."

"Another issue is how deduplication services don't work reliably after enabling deduplication on Fortinet."

"There were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors."

"The solution is expensive."

"The things we require are already sorted out, so there isn't any scope for improvement as far as our requirements go. However, its price can be better."

"To some degree, it's almost a question as to why some of this stuff isn't simpler. For example, for an AP deployment, while it's integrated, the number of steps that you have to go through in order to get the AP up, seems like a lot."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Our experience with its customer support was quite challenging."

"Scalability for any network device is not very easy in terms of vertical scalability."

"The solution has too many bugs and these slow down the implementation."

"An area of improvement for Sangfor NGAF could be in the field of reporting and logging."

"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."

"The product must provide more IPS features."

"The solution should be able to work in a hybrid setup."

"The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardware scalability, allowing for more storage and memory capacity."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

"We had a difficult time assigning IP addresses to specific MAC addresses."

"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 uploading and downloading of reports should be included."

"I would like to see the performance improved."

"I do prefer when updates come out a bit quicker."

"They need to improve the SD-WAN feature."

"Sophos pricing is very high. The last instance I purchased was for three years, around $3,700 for SDG 125."

"If you try to implement it into the enterprise, it's absolutely impossible because there are no functionalities required by the enterprise, and it's a nightmare."

More Sophos Firewall cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's an expensive solution"

"It's not the cheapest, but it's value for money. Given everything we've got out of it: the DMZ port, the VPN, and the high availability, it's a pretty reasonable price."

"Some of our customers are using Sophos and SonicWall due to price concerns, as they can't manage the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate."

"There is a need to pay for a license for the product."

"Currently, we are paying about $1,500 a month for three sites."

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"It's very competitive."

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

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"It is one of the cheapest tools in the market."

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

"The solution has a TCO that is 32% to 50% less than Sophos, Fortinet, and SonicWall."

"If you know you have around 200+ computer users on your network, then the Sangfor NGAF 5200-F-I model would be the minimum recommended model for that amount of users. This model includes modules for packet filtering, deep packet inspection, malware scanning, DSCP filtration, and many other features."

"The price is unmatcheable."

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

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

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

"When you compare with Barracuda, Sophos is quite a bit cheaper."

"It is not that expensive compared to the other solutions. It is about the same price range as Fortigate, which we used previously. Licensing is on a yearly basis."

"The price is reasonable"

"When compared to other products, Sophos licensing is very affordable."

"I can't recall the exact amount that was paid. It was likely around $12,000 or less - around $4,000 a year."

"We pay licensing fees of approximately $2,000. We have a contract for three years."

"The price of Sophos XGS is average compared to other offers from other OEMs."

"I rate Sophos XG’s pricing a seven out of ten."

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	189

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 14% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% 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 6% 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 9% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ 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

February 2026

Free Report: Sangfor NGAF vs. Sophos Firewall

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