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SonicWall NSa vs Sophos UTM comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
316
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (2nd), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
SonicWall NSa
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (16th)
Sophos UTM
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
111
Ranking in other categories
Unified Threat Management (UTM) (3rd)
 

Featured Reviews

DineshKumar28 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 25, 2024
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…
Swapnil Kulkarni - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 29, 2024
Good user interface, quick configuration modules but faced hardware issues
I use it for security purposes. To secure our network from outside the network. It is our gateway security solution where we can identify and filter out all the networks that come from outside of our network.  SonicWall NSa 3600 model has a very good user interface, and with its quick…
SherifFouad - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 30, 2022
Gives us the ability to manage our firewalls from the cloud and deploy a unified configuration onto them
From Cyberoam and the early builds of Sophos SG, they have developed higher integration between Sophos UTM and the computers' endpoint antiviruses. We can isolate the infected machine from the network, but an IT technician or cybersecurity professional can remove it from the machine and disinfect it. It has the capability of blocking HTTPS traffic, but you need the Sophos Central Intercept X subscription for that. It gives us the ability to manage our firewalls from the cloud and deploy a unified configuration onto them. Other competitors like Meraki have that ability, but they fail to optimize it in the way that Sophos has.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."
"Fortinet FortiGate is easy to use."
"We've found the solution to be pretty stable."
"Provides good firewall security and has great VPN features."
"The most important features with FortiGate are the web filter and application controls. We can control our internet usage and use the web filter for application purposes."
"Web filtering and two-factor authentication are great features."
"It performs very well."
"The solution is very user-friendly."
"SD-WAN is a good feature."
"Support is usually good when it comes to helping with issues."
"SonicWall NSa's most valuable features are the ease of configuration and the GUI."
"Our old firewall was running as HA (High Availability) on two different but identical rack mounted servers. Moving to SonicWall allowed the company to move to one unit, yet accommodate more connections because it had sixteen ports and handled fail-over better than the old firewall solution."
"Valuable features include a web filter, DHCP, and monitoring capabilities."
"Overall SonicWall NSa is a good solution for our use case."
"Setup is easy. Anyone with basic firewall experience can do it."
"We like the features, but the main thing is from a commercial and cost perspective it is very good."
"What I like about Sophos UTM is that it improves my company's security. The solution is easy to set up, which I like, and it's very stable."
"The solution is scalable."
"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"It's easy to use."
"The implementation with the AWS environment was good."
"Good basic firewall functions with advanced firewall scanning."
"It now controls all the security aspects of our web servers with Sophos UTM WAF.​"
"The most valuable feature is ransomware protection."
 

Cons

"The logging details need to be improved."
"Some of the features in the graphical user interface do not work, which requires that we used the command-line-interface."
"Technical support for this solution can be improved."
"The initial setup and configuration are not intuitive and require training."
"I think that the infrastructure for the VPN could be improved. The way that it is bundled also made it difficult to use and sell as it is too expensive."
"Its price could be better."
"The solution can have more features in a single box that can be multi-applied to integrate everything."
"The license renewal process, annual renewal price, and the web application firewall features should be improved."
"Live tracking of packets could be improved."
"The product has a lot of bugs, actually. We are facing some issues with this product. The DPI SSL feature which is there, it is not working properly."
"The filter settings are confusing and overly complicated. The user interface can be improved."
"The cloud services may be in need of some improvement."
"Needs a more detailed reporting feature."
"The dashboard must be improved."
"The thing main thing is that there's no user admin and in other firewalls, we can enable the scalable features, but SonicWall doesn't have that feature."
"We still get phishing emails that manage to come through from time to time."
"Initially, there were issues with the wireless network as wireless access points were disappearing from the dashboard after some time."
"There can be a delay when it comes to reaching out to technical support."
"Enhancing the user interface to achieve the same level of flexibility as the older UTM interface could improve the product."
"Sophos UTM could improve if there was no limitation on users."
"The interface configuration could be improved."
"The only time we face a problem or issues is when we place a ticket. We have found that response is very slow."
"The UI can be cumbersome and, sometimes, features are not where you think they should be."
"I would like to see Sophos UTM add support for all the new threat-detection technologies and the ability to respond to novel security threats that come along every day."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would say that all things considered, the pricing is pretty good."
"It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles."
"I think the price of Fortinet FortiGate is very reasonable."
"Licensing is usually on a three-year period."
"The solution requires a license annually, it is not a user license, you can have as many users as your want. I must renew the license regularly per device."
"In the Asian economy in which we operate, FortiGate is expensive."
"Fortinet FortiGate is expensive."
"Fortigate's pricing is competitive."
"The solution is cheaper than others."
"We are on a three-year license for the solution. The price is inexpensive compared to other solutions."
"Considering the market, I believe that the price of this solution is great."
"The return on investment is very good."
"The price is reasonable for what it does."
"We paid about 10,000 in our currency for one packet of SonicWall NSa."
"The CPUs are not able to compete with a similar price point to the Fortinet, WatchGuard, or Palo Alto product."
"Licensed features provide application control, content filtering, antivirus, and anti-malware all in a single appliance."
"We originally purchased the solution through the AWS Marketplace. I started my proof of concept doing pay-as-you-go, then moved to a VAR for a 'Bring Your Own Licence' (BYOL) licensing model. The BYOL license still requires you to accept the terms of the AWS Marketplace to deploy."
"It is the cheapest product available. It's good if you have a low budget."
"The pricing for Sophos UTM is quite acceptable compared to other UTM vendors."
"We pay for the service on a yearly basis. The last time we paid was in June, for a year. At the time, it was about $20,000."
"Sophos UTM is moderately priced, but it could be improved."
"We purchased the appliance with five years onsite support and licenses."
"This solution is less expensive than FortiGate."
"Our licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis."
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Comparison Review

it_user216600 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 3, 2016
Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate
I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
22%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Educational Organization
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Government
9%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
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 ...
What do you like most about SonicWall NSa?
The product blocks access when I visit unrecognized websites.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall NSa?
Pricing is reasonable. I would rate it seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with SonicWall NSa?
Certain features like SD-WAN are sometimes confusing to configure. One important feature that should be provided by d...
What Is The Biggest Difference Between Sophos UTM and Sophos XG?
The Sophos UTM is a UTM and Sophos XG is the NGFW. First, you must know about the difference between a UTM and NGFW. ...
What do you like most about Sophos UTM?
The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is the endpoint protection feature.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos UTM?
The product pricing and licensing are higher, but they offer good value for the features and stability provided.
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate
NSA 250M, NSA 2600, NSA 3600, NSA 4600, NSA 5600, Dell SonicWALL NSA
Astaro
 

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
Orange County Rescue Mission, First Source, Michaels & Taylor, Green Clinic Health System, Aspire Chiltern Skills and Enterprise Centre, UnitedStack, Faith Lutheran College Redlands, Celtic Manor Resort, Star Kay White, Air Works, Unimat Life, NHS Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support (YHCS), Hutt City Council, Mato Grosso do Sul, Nspyre
One Housing Group
Find out what your peers are saying about SonicWall NSa vs. Sophos UTM and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.