SonicWall NSv vs SonicWall TZ comparison

SonicWall NSv and SonicWall TZ are both solutions in the Firewalls category. SonicWall NSv is ranked #35 with an average rating of 8.0, while SonicWall TZ is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.9. SonicWall NSv holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to SonicWall TZ’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of SonicWall NSv users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of SonicWall TZ users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

SonicWall TZ and SonicWall NSv are products competing in network security, with the TZ series focused on appliance-based solutions and the NSv series on virtual environments. SonicWall NSv seems to hold an advantage due to its adaptability in cloud setups compared to SonicWall TZ's competitive pricing and support.

Features: SonicWall TZ offers robust firewall protection, easy hardware management, and advanced threat prevention. SonicWall NSv provides extensive virtualization capabilities, scalable security measures, and seamless cloud integration.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall TZ could enhance flexibility for cloud environments, improve scalability, and optimize integration with virtual platforms. SonicWall NSv can benefit from simplified setup to accommodate less technical users, more consistent customer service across cloud environments, and a lower initial investment to increase accessibility for smaller businesses.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall TZ is appealing with its straightforward appliance setup and reliable customer service. SonicWall NSv offers flexible deployment on virtual platforms, requiring more technical expertise, and customer service that might vary according to cloud requirements.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall TZ is a cost-effective option with a reasonable initial setup cost, providing good ROI for small to medium businesses. SonicWall NSv, with its higher initial investment, offers potentially higher ROI through scalability and cloud compatibility, making it valuable long-term for cloud-centric businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed SonicWall NSv vs. SonicWall TZ Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSv vs. SonicWall TZ

January 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 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.3%, up from 17.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall NSv is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall TZ is 2.7%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

EhabAli

Sr. Cybersecurity Solutions Architect at BMB

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.

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Sumesh Panikkar

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at Khansaheb

Provides effective threat prevention and helps improve security

We face some challenges when we upgrade the solution. If I use NSv 400, I can't upgrade to the next generation. We cannot upgrade the VM to the next generation. We have to rebuild a new VM and copy the configurations. We cannot upgrade straightaway. The solution must allow us to upgrade the same machine to a newer version without many changes.

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Rias Majeed

CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC

Robust VPN integration stands out despite needing enhanced vendor compatibility

The integrated VPN functionality is working well with the global VPN client, which is a fast client, though it comes at a cost. SonicWall TZ is functional depending on the service level taken by the user. For SMB segments, SonicWall performs well. Despite lacking certain features, it is still considered a good product. The appliance itself is functional and stable, offering integrated solutions.

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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 improved our security. It's one of the best hardware firewalls."

"Fortigate represents a really scalable way of delivering perimeter network security, some level of layer 7 security, WAF, and also a way to create a meshed ADVPN solution."

"The FortiGate controls the user's activities and maximizes my bandwidth use overall."

"Whenever we raise a complaint with FortiGate, their response and resolution times are minimal."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment."

"Its user interface is good, and it is always working fine."

"It's user-friendly and easy to operate."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is Quota."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"One of the standout features of SonicWall is its simplicity in creating and managing rules."

"The security of this system is fantastic, including the IPS and IDS."

"We purchased the AGSS Bundle (Advanced Gateway Security Suite) for the security services, such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI."

"The solution has no additional charges and no restrictions on the number of users."

"The product helps improve our security."

"SonicWall NSV is easy to use, and you can use it to manage the logs easily."

"The customization of firewall rules provides great value to our customers as it allows them to lock things up in the way that they desire. When it is used for internal access, with a VPN in place for remote workers, the firewalling services provided by Azure, such as the default services that can be turned on, are applied. However, the use of a software-based virtual firewall gives us greater flexibility in introducing security controls for customers who are publishing applications that are publicly accessible from the public cloud. This virtual firewall provides an additional layer of security and more extensive security control options to ensure the protection of our customers' valuable information and assets."

"The scalability of SonicWall TZ is good and easy to add users."

"SonicWall TZ offers security and easy firmware updates."

"SonicWall TZ is a stable product."

"I have found the stability of this product to be excellent."

"Its user interface and simplicity are the most favorite parts for our clients. They find it stable and easy to use. Its performance is also good."

"The most valuable features have been content filtering, and the interface is easy to navigate and to use."

"The feature with SonicWall that I have found most valuable is that all the models have the same interface. We don't need to learn different interfaces in the smaller or bigger models."

"Good site categorization and application controls."

More SonicWall TZ pros

Cons

"The non-error conserve mode has room for improvement."

"Currently, FortiGate is providing SSL VPN. But they're missing some features that are available in Palo Alto's SSL VPN."

"While FortiGate is cheaper than most other solutions, we're seeing increased license renewal costs. Most of our clients are asking for more significant discounts because the price is going up."

"It should come integrated or have its own type of network monitor tool in a module. There should just be one package, and you are good to go."

"It is quite new for us, and we need to go more in-depth into the monitoring tools. It provides different features that we need to do what we want. So far, it is okay for us. In terms of improvement, in the future, they can provide a faster implementation of features. Some of the features are first available in other solutions. Fortinet sometimes takes a little bit longer than other solutions, such as Check Point, to implement new features."

"There is one big configuration file with no separations for the unique VDOMs. Maybe they could separate individual VDOM configuration files with the root VDOM configuration file referencing the individual VDOM config files."

"The firewall engine is not so strong as of now, in my opinion... My second concern is that, while they have Zero-day vulnerability and anti-malware features, the threat engine needs to be strengthened, its efficiency can be increased."

"There's always something new that can be added or fixed."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"We face some challenges when we upgrade the solution."

"SonicWall NSV's initial setup is complicated and requires good knowledge."

"SonicWall NSV's SSL VPN could increase its number of users to 100-plus users."

"It has been brought to our attention by a few customers that they are dissatisfied with the fact that our virtualized service is only offered as a subscription option on the cloud. However, it is worth noting that many other similar services are also offered through a subscription model on the cloud and not through perpetual licensing. It is unclear why these customers would have an issue with this subscription service when so many others are utilizing similar methods."

"I would like to see the reporting opened up and have several more opportunities for automatic reports."

"An area that could be improved is the export and import settings functionality."

"There are limitations to bandwidth management."

"The cost of the solution has room for improvement."

"I would like to see more integration with other platforms."

"It needs more robust self-help documentation along with examples and things to watch out for."

"Its pricing can be better. It is very expensive."

"The log analyzer in SonicWall TZ is something that they need to improve upon."

"The price could be better for us in Bolivia."

"I'd like to have cloud management at no additional cost. Unfortunately, leveraging SonicWall's cloud management capabilities is cost-prohibitive, so we don't use it. They should have a reasonable subscription or offer it to us at no cost as an MSP."

"From a support perspective, if we're talking tech support I think Silver Partners, Gold Partners, Platinum, whatever level, should have a different number to call. End users can call tech support over at SonicWall if they've paid for support as part of their AGSS or whatever services they bought. The end-user can call, or we can call, however, I don't want to be calling the same line that an end user's calling. I don't want the same response time. I need a different level of expertise."

More SonicWall TZ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Our licensing costs are on a yearly basis."

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

"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."

"Fortinet FortiGate's price can be reduced."

"The price is highly competitive when compared to other brands that offer similar functionality."

"We have the full version of Fortinet FortiGate and we are on a three-year contract with a commitment of five years."

"Fortinet has more device options that are affordable for small businesses than Palo Alto, and its enterprise-level models are also cheaper. Palo Alto also has a separate license for VPN connections and SD-WAN, but FortiGate offers these features standard."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The solution’s pricing is less compared to other products."

"SonicWall NSV is not very costly."

"Our initial purchase, which included a three-year term of support, was about $25,000 USD."

"The solution's pricing is good for the technology it offers."

"The tool is moderately priced."

"We are currently using the trial version."

"The firewall with the servers costs about 80 pounds a month. We get the device, and it is replaced every two or three years."

"You need to purchase multiple licenses to manage multiple devices which is cost-prohibitive for the value you would receive."

"The product is not expensive, but it is not cheap."

"The prices are expensive."

"SonicWall has authorized distributors in our country. They have about two or three distributors in the country, so it makes it a bit easier. What we do is to request a quotation from these distributors, then we do a value for money analysis and see which one of them is giving us a competitive price."

"It is highly priced and has a slow performance compared to other firewalls."

"The license that we purchased is good for three years."

"Licensing fees are on a monthly basis."

More SonicWall TZ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

24%

Government

Legal Firm

Real Estate/Law Firm

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

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...

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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 SonicWall NSV?

The product helps improve our security.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall NSV?

The tool is moderately priced. We need to purchase an additional license for NSM. We can manage all the firewalls thr...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall NSV?

We face some challenges when we upgrade the solution. If I use NSv 400, I can't upgrade to the next generation. We ca...

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Would you choose Fortinet Fortigate or Sonicwall TZ?

I’ll say it depends on your needs. Fortinet FortiGate and SonicWall TZ are both next-gen firewalls (NGFW) with simila...

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What do you like most about SonicWall TZ?

The most valuable feature of SonicWall TZ is the double authentication, where it asks for one password and again asks...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall TZ?

The pricing of SonicWall TZ is reasonable. I would also position its pricing as a three, where one is the lowest pric...

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Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 23% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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Azure Firewall vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 37% of the time

Stormshield Network Security vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 19% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 11% of the time

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Sophos XG vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 16% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 9% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 7% of the time

Meraki MX vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

January 2025

Download SonicWall NSv product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ

December 2024

Download SonicWall TZ product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

SonicWall Network Security Virtual

Dell SonicWALL TZ

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

SonicWall NSV is a software-based virtual firewall that provides additional security for customers with public-facing servers or services on Microsoft Azure. The AGSS Bundle is considered the most valuable feature, providing security services such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI.

Additionally, customization of firewall rules provides great value to customers, allowing them to lock things up in the way they desire. SonicWall NSV offers extensive security control options to protect customers' valuable information and assets.

SonicWall

The secure, sophisticated SonicWALL TZ is widely deployed at small businesses, retail, government, remote sites and branch offices. It combines high-performance intrusion prevention, malware blocking, content/URL filtering and application control.

SonicWall

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

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council

AeroM_xico Delta TechOps, Unimat

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSv vs. SonicWall TZ

January 2025

Free Report: SonicWall NSv vs. SonicWall TZ

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