SonicWall TZ vs Sophos XGS comparison

SonicWall and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. SonicWall is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.9, while Sophos is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.4. SonicWall holds a 2.8% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 2.0% 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: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ vs. Sophos XGS

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 February 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.7%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall TZ is 2.8%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XGS is 2.0%, 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

"Their proxy-based inspection is responsive and secure."

"Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so."

"It is a good source for firewall protection."

"The solution provides good threat intelligence feeds."

"It's very easy to set up, it's very easy to make policies and, for an organization, that means you don't need IT expert in firewalls. You just need to have somebody who knows a little bit of IT, and that's it. With other products, you need someone with a "Masters" degree in firewalls."

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

"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."

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

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The solution is priced fairly and competitively."

"It does what it says it is going to do."

"SonicWall TZ is very user-friendly and has network MAC binding. Additionally, the firewall works well."

"The VPN is quite useful for us, as well as the ATP."

"The solution boasts good performance and is easy to use."

"SonicWall TZ is stable."

"We are able to block whatever we want to block by using this product. It provides all required security features, such as content filtering, VPN, in one box. Before switching to SonicWall, we had specified all required features."

"The most valuable features are unified threat management which provides security intelligence and the VPN for both site-to-site and remote access."

More SonicWall TZ pros

"It's user-friendly and quite easy to configure. It's easy to communicate with the Sophos support team."

"Sophos offers a centralized system available to everyone, even for their smaller models."

"It increases productivity in our company. Everything is protected."

"I like the Sophos UI. It interface has a more comfortable feel than the competitors."

"The features that I find most effective in enhancing network security include EDR and XDR."

"Sophos XGS has contributed to the reduction of the overall security costs of our company's customers."

"It's easy to use, and the service is good. If anything goes wrong, their support system is very reliable."

"Sophos XGS' most valuable features are protection and intrusion prevention detection."

More Sophos XGS pros

Cons

"We would like to see an upgrade to the VPN feature, we are using the VPN from outside of our office and there is a limitation to 10 connections, more connections would be suitable."

"NGN, reporting and controls."

"There are some complex administration tasks in their administration portal. That needs to be improved."

"The feature which gives us a lot of pain is ASIC architecture."

"Price, of course, can always be more competitive or better."

"Palo Alto has a feature called WildFire Analysis that is unavailable in FortiGate. WildFire is better than a sandbox because it can address zero-day threats and vulnerabilities. It can immediately identify zero-day threats from the cloud."

"Fortinet could improve the windows opener or the virtual IP solutions for opening windows. The virtual IP settings need improvement as firewalls are trending in new development directions."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall solution and once it's deployed, you can rest assured that your system is secure."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

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

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

"In general, the company needs to think contingently and integrate more security options."

"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."

"Pricing could be lowered slightly."

"We would like to improve the rules configuration in SonicWall TZ. Sometimes the rules don't work."

"The small business line has less PPS throughput."

"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."

More SonicWall TZ cons

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

"Sophos XGS is quite expensive, potentially a nine out of ten in terms of cost, making it much pricier than other firewalls."

"Their marketing strategy is quite low, and they need to enhance engagement with partners."

"Deployment could be easier."

"There is no option for right-clicking on any feature after logging into the firewall."

"I would like to see a history of the monthly bandwidth utilization, the bandwidth consumption for a period of time."

"VPN setup could be improved."

"Compared to Fortinet, the cost is high."

More Sophos XGS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is really low. It's cheap in comparison to the cost of Cisco or CheckPoint, for example."

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

"It is too expensive for us. My organization is very small, and we have a total of ten users. We have three internal users and seven external users. The FortiGate 100D series is too expensive for renewing the licenses."

"I think that the pricing is fair."

"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."

"Pricing and licensing is a little bit complicated in FortiGate. They are always on the higher side. This is one issue that we always raise with the company that they should reduce the price according to Indian market requirements. There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

"It is cost-effective, and provides a good value for your money. The pricing, and license renewal, is very reasonable for us."

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

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

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

"The price of SonicWall TZ is good for medium-sized companies."

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

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

"It is an expensive solution compared to one of its competitors."

"Its price is very high, which makes it difficult to convince the clients to buy this solution."

"Licensing fees are on a monthly basis."

"The price is fair."

More SonicWall TZ pricing and cost advice

"Sophos XGS is priced lower than some of its competitors, such as Fortinet"

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

"The cost is comparable to other similar solutions."

"We must purchase separate web server licenses, as they are not included in the regular device license. I would rate the product an eight out of ten in terms of price. It's relatively affordable."

"A central firewall on the cloud with a cluster might be 70,000 to 80,000 euros for a three-year license."

"The licensing is reasonable. Comparing the cost of Sophos XGS with that of Fortinet or Palto Alto firewalls, for instance, it's not that expensive. However, the overall cost depends on the hardware you're using in addition to the licensing cost."

"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."

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

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%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

17%

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 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

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 17% 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

WatchGuard Firebox vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 6% of the time

More SonicWall TZ Competitors

Sophos XG vs Sophos XGS

Compared 29% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 16% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 7% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Sophos XGS

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Sophos XGS

Compared 5% of the time

More Sophos XGS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

February 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ

January 2025

Download SonicWall TZ product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XGS

January 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

January 2025

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