SonicWall TZ vs Sophos XGS comparison

SonicWall and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. SonicWall is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.9, while Sophos is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.4. SonicWall holds a 2.9% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of SonicWall users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

SonicWall TZ and Sophos XGS are both competitive firewall solutions, though they cater to different needs in the marketplace. SonicWall TZ is often appreciated for its affordability and ease of use, making it suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. Despite its competitive pricing, SonicWall’s subscription model can make it costly over time, as users frequently need to renew licenses for additional features and support. On the other hand, Sophos XGS offers a more cost-effective licensing model for mid-sized enterprises, presenting an upfront cost for hardware with fewer additional expenses, contributing to its appeal among firms that prioritize budget control.

Features: Some of the valuable features of SonicWall TZ include its user-friendly navigation, robust VPN capabilities for site-to-site and client-to-site connections, and comprehensive intrusion protection. SonicWall also offers granular level control for IPS and firewalls with advanced application control features. Sophos XGS stands out with its synchronized security that integrates with its endpoint solutions, detailed application control, and sophisticated content filtering capabilities. It is also noted for its intuitive interface and efficient threat management system.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall TZ could enhance its affordability by refining its subscription model to reduce recurring costs. Additionally, better initial setup guidance and improved scalability options would be beneficial. Sophos XGS could improve by lowering its initial investment cost, offering deeper customization for complex network environments, and enhancing the flexibility of its reporting tools to capture more granular metrics.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Deployment of SonicWall TZ is typically straightforward due to its user-friendly interface, allowing quick installation and configuration. Customer service is generally responsive. Sophos XGS also provides an easy initial setup with comprehensive documentation and support, ensuring a smooth integration into existing network setups.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall TZ offers a competitive price point initially, but the costs can accumulate with ongoing subscription requirements, yet it provides a high ROI through comprehensive security offerings. Meanwhile, Sophos XGS, though having a higher initial cost, compensates with a more predictable long-term pricing model through fewer additional expenses, ultimately delivering consistent ROI by efficiently addressing security needs.

To learn more, read our detailed SonicWall TZ vs. Sophos XGS Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ vs. Sophos XGS

March 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 March 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.8%, up from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall TZ is 2.9%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XGS is 2.2%, up from 0.9% 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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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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Jaffar Ali

Director Technical Services at TechnoBIZ

Has provided stability, security, ease of management, and better reporting options

People use Sophos XGS because the overall channel support is very good, so they don't face issues. Additionally, it is competitive in pricing against Fortinet in some cases, especially when considering high availability, email subscriptions, and gateways Sophos XGS has provided stability,…

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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

"Security solution with a straightforward and quick setup. It's a stable and scalable product."

"LinkGreat firewall capabilities"

"The features that prevent internet connections, the filtering are the most valuable because we did not have any internet protection before."

"Anti-Spam web content filterinG."

"User-friendly and affordable security solution that's recommended for SMB customers. This solution has good technical support."

"The ability to set up remote systems is the most valuable feature."

"The product offers very good security."

"This product is definitely scalable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"SonicWall TZ is stable."

"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."

"The most valuable feature is the protection available, and then ease of use and flexibility."

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

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

"The advanced gateway security features such as web filter, application control filter, IPS, ideas, gateway antivirus, anti-spyware, and botnet filter are valuable."

"They give good protection to my network and support it."

"The technical support is prompt, often resolving issues quickly through remote sessions."

More SonicWall TZ pros

"We are happy and satisfied with all the features."

"It's easy to deploy and connect."

"The Sophos XGS product is highly versatile and well-suited for various companies, including small, medium, and large enterprises. Its effectiveness lies in its inspection firewall capabilities, making it a commonly chosen option in our country due to its reasonable pricing. Sophos Firewall's support for VPN encryption and thorough inspection makes it a suitable choice for many companies, and I recommend it accordingly. At the moment, I can't propose any new features. The primary concern is the traffic stability, which needs improvement. Although the traffic stability is generally good, it has been noted that it can impact RAM and CPU, affecting workflow and inspection."

"Web filtering and intrusion detection are essential features. As system integrators, we also like the dashboard because it's easier to configure all the features."

"Sophos XGS that's a good firewall. If you use the endpoint, then you have what Sophos calls synchronized security. That will mean that if one of the endpoints is affected, it will be automatically set in isolation."

"In this solution, the most valuable feature is that it's a security device. Maintaining security is very valuable for us. The other feature that we did not find in other products is that it works well with thin client environments."

"There are good KCL rules and policies as well as NATing rules."

"Sophos XGS's best features are its VPN and ATPR1 cert protection."

More Sophos XGS pros

Cons

"The solution's framework needs to be frequently updated in order to have a stable solution."

"The sniffing packets or packet captures, can be simplified and improved because it's a little confusing."

"I would like to see improvements in the support from Fortinet. Here in the Philippines, whenever we have problems with a Fortinet product, we mostly ask for support from distributors and resellers and not directly from Fortinet."

"The solution is very expensive."

"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."

"FortiGate is really good. We have been using it for quite some time. Initially, when we started off, we had around 70 plus devices of FortiGate, but then Check Point and Palo Alto took over the place. From the product perspective, there are no issues, but from the account perspective, we have had issues. Fortinet's presence in our company is very less. I don't see any Fortinet account managers talking to us, and that presence has diluted in the last two and a half or three years. We have close to 1,500 firewalls. Out of these, 60% of firewalls are from Palo Alto, and a few firewalls are from Check Point. FortiGate firewalls are very less now. It is not because of the product; it is because of the relationship. I don't think they had a good relationship with us, and there was some kind of disconnect for a very long time. The relationship between their accounts team and my leadership team seems to be the reason for phasing out FortiGate."

"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."

"The user interface could be improved to make it less confusing and easier to set up."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The user support could be improved because you have to go outside to get that kind of support."

"I expect to see SD-WAN in the tool's next release. The product should implement a content filtering feature. You need to put an agent on the user's laptop device. It would enforce security policies and block sites even if they were off-site. You can block sites from network sites."

"The technical support has room for improvement."

"The market seems to be going to a cloud-supported, new generation of firewall products. I think that's probably going to be important to us, the next time around."

"The reporting analytics could be improved, it is very unstable."

"The stability could be a lot better."

"The interface and technical support are probably the two most important things that I would like SonicWall to improve."

"The solution's cost needs improvement."

More SonicWall TZ cons

"Sophos should work on its marketing strategy as it seems to lag behind Fortinet."

"We'd like an interface that can monitor everything."

"The solution could improve inspection processes and troubleshooting for VPNs because this area is very weak."

"It has recently started to suddenly block and crash."

"I do not get notifications regarding ISP downtime."

"Sometimes, we haven't received proper support. They couldn't find the solutions that we required. One thing that we need is an NTP server facility. The Sophos XGS device does not have this capacity or this feature."

"I rate Sophos' support five out of 10. It's sometimes difficult to contact them, and finding a solution is not easy."

"Sophos XGS could improve the automation system. It could be better if there was some level of automation, attacks automation, meaning if this happens, then it automatically executes a particular process."

More Sophos XGS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If the customer is looking for SD-WAN, it comes free with FortiGate."

"It is not a very costly product if you compare it with other products. The return on investment is also good. If you compare the return of investment and money that you are spending on this product with Palo Alto, Cisco, Check Point, and other solutions, the investment is very less. We are happy with this solution. The optional licenses are there, and you can choose which one you want and which one to avoid."

"It has a competitive price."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate when compared to other solutions is high. However, my knowledge of the price is from third parties and I am not sure how accurate it is. I typically work in the technical area of my organization."

"Fortinet is reasonable in pricing and licensing. Overall, FortiGate is affordable. The licensing fee can be a little high, depending on the budget for your project."

"Its price is normal. If I compare it with other vendors, such as Palo Alto, it's normal. Palo Alto is expensive."

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

"The pricing is justified. It's a little pricey, but what you pay for is what you get."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

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

"License renewals come in around $35,000 to $45,000."

"The price is fair for the solution for the quality you receive."

"Its pricing is okay as compared to other solutions."

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

"The solution is moderately priced, where it's neither cheap nor 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."

"The prices are expensive."

More SonicWall TZ pricing and cost advice

"It's highly effective and well-suited for medium and small companies. The pricing is attractive, and our customers find it suitable for regular license renewals."

"Once you pay for the Sophos XGS hardware there is no license required. There are additional costs if you want the support. We have purchased support for three years."

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

"I pay close to $10,000 per year, which I find to be expensive compared to the other similar solution or equivalent solutions."

"The license for Sophos XGS is for three years, paid on a yearly basis. Everything is included with the license; there are no additional fees."

"We pay about $150."

"Sophos XGS is a cost-effective solution."

"The pricing for Sophos XGS is reasonable."

More Sophos XGS 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

19%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

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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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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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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos XGS?

The pricing is justified, and the solution is considered budget-friendly compared to other vendors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos XGS?

Hardware stability needs improvement. I have experienced multiple hardware complaints, particularly during firmware u...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 22% 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

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 18% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki MX vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 7% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 7% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 7% of the time

More SonicWall TZ Competitors

Sophos XG vs Sophos XGS

Compared 26% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 16% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 7% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Sophos XGS

Compared 6% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XGS

Compared 6% of the time

More Sophos XGS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ

March 2025

Download SonicWall TZ product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XGS

March 2025

Download Sophos XGS product report

Also Known As

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

Dell SonicWALL TZ

No data available

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

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

Sophos XGS is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It combines next-generation firewall capabilities with advanced threat protection, web filtering, and application control.

XGS has powerful deep learning technology and can detect and block even the most sophisticated malware and ransomware attacks. It also offers granular control over web access, allowing organizations to enforce policies and prevent access to malicious or inappropriate websites. Additionally, XGS provides application control features, enabling organizations to manage and prioritize network traffic based on specific applications or user groups.

With its intuitive management interface and centralized reporting, XGS offers easy deployment and monitoring of network security.

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

AeroM_xico Delta TechOps, Unimat

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ vs. Sophos XGS

March 2025

Free Report: SonicWall TZ vs. Sophos XGS

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