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Brian_Lee - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Director & Co-Owner at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to use, responsive support, but price high
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Sophos XGS is its ease of use."
  • "The price of Sophos XGS could improve, it is high."

What is our primary use case?

we are using Sophos XGS for full control over our network.

How has it helped my organization?

Sophos XGS has improved our organization.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Sophos XGS is its ease of use.

What needs improvement?

The price of Sophos XGS could improve, it is high.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XGS
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XGS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XGS for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sophos XGS is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Sophos XGS is good.

We have approximately 10 technicians that know how to use the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Sophos XGS was responsive. They solved the issues we had.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have not used another solution prior to Sophos XGS.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Sophos XGS was easy. The time it took for us to implement the solution was approximately one month.

What about the implementation team?

We use a third party with our in-house team to do the implementation. We have 10 workers that maintain the solution.

What was our ROI?

I rate the return on investment for Sophos XGS a three out of five.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is an annual licensing fee to use Sophos XGS. It is an expensive solution.

I rate the price of Sophos XGS a four out of five.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not evaluate another solution before choosing Sophos XGS.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Sophos XGS seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Vimesh Avlani - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at Graftronics Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 5
Enhanced security with synchronized functionality and excellent technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The security heartbeat feature and MDR are the best for customer security."
  • "The functionality of SD-WAN compared to other boxes is lacking."

What is our primary use case?

We give both endpoint and firewall together.

How has it helped my organization?

We have a set of customers who understand Sophos very well. Once they achieve all the security functions and parameters they want, they are more secure. Many customers who previously used different endpoint and firewall solutions now benefit from synchronized functionality with the complete Sophos suite. So, they become more secure, which is more important.

What is most valuable?

The security heartbeat feature and MDR are the best for customer security.

What needs improvement?

The functionality of SD-WAN compared to other boxes is lacking. Certain aspects need improvement, particularly enhancing capabilities like SD-WAN. We should also focus on enhancing XDR and NDR functionality in the firewall boxes and provide more threat protection alerts to users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Sophos for more than 15 years.

How are customer service and support?

The technical team never disappoints us in providing solutions. They give us timely and nice follow-up.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Many of them were using a different endpoint security and a different firewall. But now, with Sophos, they have better security.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is competitive, and it's a win-win situation for both partners and customers.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

In the financial market and banks, other security appliances are more popular than Sophos.

What other advice do I have?

We highly recommend Sophos XGS.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Buyer's Guide
Sophos XGS
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XGS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Creative Head/Director at WitBuz
Real User
Used for website blocking, application blocking, and site-to-site VPN
Pros and Cons
  • "Compared to other products, Sophos XGS is a user-friendly solution."
  • "It would be useful if Sophos XGS included DDNS-based features."

What is our primary use case?

We use Sophos XGS mostly for website blocking, application blocking, and site-to-site VPN.

What is most valuable?

Compared to other products, Sophos XGS is a user-friendly solution.

What needs improvement?

It would be useful if Sophos XGS included DDNS-based features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XGS for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution an eight out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XGS is a scalable solution. We have more than 50 users in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

Sophos XGS provides good technical support. The support team has good knowledge of troubleshooting and fixing our issues.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is complex.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution through an in-house team. The solution’s deployment takes half an hour to one hour.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Sophos XGS is a cost-effective solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Sophos XGS to other users because it is more cost-effective than other products.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Vikram_Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at HCLTech
Real User
Top 20
Enhances network security and has good threat intelligence capabilities, but doesn't notify users about downtime or errors
Pros and Cons
  • "The threat intelligence capabilities of the tool are good."
  • "I do not get notifications regarding ISP downtime."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution as an antivirus gateway and internet gateway.

What is most valuable?

All the features are effective in enhancing our network security. I am satisfied with the product. The threat intelligence capabilities of the tool are good. It has contributed to reducing our overall security costs by approximately 90%.

What needs improvement?

I do not get notifications regarding ISP downtime. It would be better if I could get notifications related to the critical errors occurring in Sophos. The product is difficult to use. The administrators must be notified of the errors occurring in the firewall through emails or messages. It will help organizations take proactive measures instead of taking action after the incident happens.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for one and a half years.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support is weak. The support team is not responsive. The support people do not follow up or call us back.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

How was the initial setup?

The implementation is not difficult. The service providers help install and implement the firewall in our network.

What other advice do I have?

I will recommend the product to others. However, I would not recommend it to organizations that do not have technical people who deal with networks. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Wally Lee - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President | Head of Information Systems & Manufacturing Engineering at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A low-cost solution, customer service response time can be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use and configure, once you know how to apply the policies."
  • "The customer service response time can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The solution provides firewall protection.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use and configure, once you know how to apply the policies.

What needs improvement?

The customer service response time can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am currently using the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. I have not had any problems with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is good.

How are customer service and support?

The customer service response time is slow and could use improvement.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward if you know how to do iOS.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is around $50 per endpoint, and there is a one-time purchase fee for the firewalls of $2,500, plus services. It is roughly around $4,000.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I am currently evaluating CrowdStrike. I like it better.

What other advice do I have?

I give this solution seven out of ten.

If you are looking for a low-cost solution, cheaper than Cisco I recommend this solution. You should also look at Fortinet.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Samir Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO / Managing Director at Infinity Access Technologies Pvt Ltd
Real User
Top 20
Unified network and web protection enhanced with application control
Pros and Cons
  • "The valuable features of Sophos XGS include network protection, web protection, application control, intrusion detection, and iCentral orchestration."
  • "The solution could improve by using fewer hardware resources compared to other products like Palo Alto, which has better performance."

What is our primary use case?

Sophos XGS is a unified threat management solution that combines features such as routing, access management, firewall, threat management, and URL filtering for sandboxing. It serves as a security appliance with multiple capabilities.

What is most valuable?

The valuable features of Sophos XGS include network protection, web protection, application control, intrusion detection, and iCentral orchestration. These features are beneficial for the product's security posture.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by using fewer hardware resources compared to other products like Palo Alto, which has better performance. 

Additionally, better integration of AI and machine learning for predictive analysis of potential threats could be beneficial. 

The technical support also needs improvement, including a better ticketing system and faster response times.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XGS firewall for more than 15 years, with approximately twelve years of precise usage.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of Sophos XGS as a six out of ten. There have been observations of downtimes compared to other devices, and it doesn't perform as well as competitors like Palo Alto or Check Point.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sophos XGS has scalability issues as it doesn't have features like cascading. Instead, it requires new devices to scale, unlike Palo Alto which allows adding devices to a pool.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is quite poor and needs significant improvements in response time and quality, especially for medium and small enterprises. It seems other brands face similar issues, but the costs rise for premium support, which is challenging for smaller entities.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Sophos XGS is simple compared to other firewalls.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing for Sophos products is considered high. The pricing model needs to be more flexible, catering differently to sectors like education, which might not require as high a price point.

What other advice do I have?

I can recommend Sophos XGS for small to medium companies and the education sector. It is less ideal for enterprises with very high-security needs. Organizations with sensitive data should consider alternatives like Palo Alto or Fortinet.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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reviewer1964283 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solution Architect with 51-200 employees
Real User
Good centralized security and reporting management with an easy setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The centralized security is very good."
  • "The stability could be a bit better."

What is our primary use case?

In some instances, we are using it in a virtual appliance in a VMware environment.

I will not rely on Sophos to build my infrastructure. For that, I will go to Fortinet or Palo Alto. However, from an end-user management perspective and the granular control and the reporting stuff, I still prefer Sophos. 

We are using Sophos as our internet gateway for specific sites that don't have to do with the backend tunneling and the infrastructure and all that stuff.

How has it helped my organization?

I have found some difficulties in other products, like in Fortinet, where there is no end-user visibility in a presentable form that non-technical people can interpret. I'm talking more specifically about non-technical management. You have to present something. Apart from that, the end-user integration is fine if you are using it for NCL and or as an internet gateway. Sophos allows for more visibility.

However, as far as infrastructure is concerned, if I have to apply this as a device in my data center or at any critical point, this device fails to perform. The hardware is not up to par. Even if I answered from proxy to transparent, transparent proxy to the full proxy mode, there are some hardware difficulties.

What is most valuable?

The centralized security is very good. 

The heartbeat system, the reporting management, and the electoral control that is achieved when the Sophos XGS is integrated with the Sophos endpoint is great.

It's close to the top of the line, alongside Trend Micro in terms of security reporting.

It is easy to set up.

What needs improvement?

I have observed that there are some reliability issues with these products in regard to the hardware performance and RMS.

I've witnessed many devices go down - even three on the same day. I've never seen that, for example, with Fortinet.

The stability could be a bit better.

I would like to have a proper SD-WAN orchestration solution. They are working on it. However, it still needs some improvement. Apart from that, it would be better if they provide the email gateway and the WAF not as a feature in the existing XG but as a dedicated appliance. Barracuda and Fortinet, for example, are providing dedicated services for the WAF and email gateway. Compared to that, Sophos is not up to the same level.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for around five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

While their endpoint is a stable solution, their firewall needs to be improved in regard to integration with other products. I have specifically witnessed a case where we tried to integrate Sophos XG with the DLP product by Force Point. That wasn't supported right away. FortiGate was supporting that particular model.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would like to have scalable products, however, normally what I have witnessed is that every new product that they push out or any additional feature that they push out in a new VMware version or specifically for the firewall may have some stability issues. So scalability at the cost of stability is not an option for me.

We have about 250 to 300 users. We have multiple branches that use this product. Usually, it's the development team, and hardware and software users. 

We may expand usage. It will depend on the additional sites we may operationalize soon.

How are customer service and support?

I've had some direct escalation experiences with the country manager and their technical lead. I tend to get a good response.

While in general technical support can be better sometimes, as far as their resolutions are concerned, the team is providing us with technical assistance, and their approach to resolutions can be a bit tricky. Normally they try to avoid dealing with the solution so you have to dig it out and you have to work on it yourself, or you have to push them that there must be a solution.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have some expertise in Sophos and Fortinet; I'm not so sure about Cisco. We are also using Palo Alto.

We had some granular control in Sophos that was a bit advantageous to us. That's why switched. Also, the reporting, AD integration and the Sophos endpoint integration were key drivers in making the change.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is simple to set up. It's not overly complex. It only takes a couple of minutes. 

YOu only need one person to handle maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

I handled the initial setup myself. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay for the solution on a yearly basis, and it is fine. The renewal costs are typically reasonable. If you compare the general cost to Fortinet or Palo Alto, it's lower and more affordable. YOu can also pay for extra support.

What other advice do I have?

We are a Sophos end-user.

For small enterprises or even for some enterprises that do not require large infrastructure, I would recommend Sophos right away. In Pakistan, we have to present something to the management and most of the time the management of the company is non-technical. So the presentability factor and the users' granular control and integration factor, make it attractive. This product can be used as an internet gateway. I have already recommended it to multiple users not for the infrastructure but for the internet gateway or as a proxy service.

I'd rate the solution a seven out of ten. Some features still need improvement or to be built out, like  proper orchestrations or dedicated services.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Oludare Oshodi - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc
Real User
Top 20
Provides extreme protection

What is most valuable?

All security solutions are the same. It depends on the size of the network and license. They have the same features. Brands provide extreme protection.

What needs improvement?

The solution is expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XGS for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is suitable for small and medium businesses.

How are customer service and support?

Customer support is great.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy and takes around 30 mins to complete.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product’s pricing is average compared to other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XGS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
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Firewalls
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XGS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.