Azure Firewall Reviews

Name: Azure Firewall
Brand: Microsoft
Rating: 3.7 (40 reviews)

3.7 out of 5

40 reviews
79% willing to recommend

1,392 followers

What is Azure Firewall?

Azure Firewall is a user-friendly, intuitive, cloud-native firewall security solution that provides top-of-the-industry threat protection for all your Azure Virtual Network resources. Azure Firewall is constantly and thoroughly analyzing all traffic and data packets, making it a very valuable and secure fully stateful firewall as a service with built-in high availability and unrestricted cloud scalability. Azure Firewall allows users to create virtual IP addresses and provides for secure DDoS protection for the virtual machines on your network. It also provides fast and efficient east-west and north-south traffic security.

Azure Firewall is a managed, cloud-based network security service built to protect your Azure Virtual Network resources. It is a fully stateful firewall as a service with built-in high availability and unrestricted cloud scalability.

Get the Azure Firewall Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Azure Firewall, Fortinet FortiGate, Netgate pfSense and more!

Azure Firewall is the #10 ranked solution in top Microsoft Security Suite solutions and #13 ranked solution in best firewalls. PeerSpot users give Azure Firewall an average rating of 7.4 out of 10. Azure Firewall is most commonly compared to Fortinet FortiGate: Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate. Azure Firewall is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 61% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 16% of all views.

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Featured Azure Firewall reviews

AnvarSadique

Information Technology Architect at GMS INC

Azure Firewall ( /products/azure-firewall-reviews ) is integrated well with Microsoft ecosystem. I used it to route traffic according to specific use cases. We created rules in the firewall to ensure that the traffic would be diverted to the right endpoint and made sure only specific application VMs could reach the database server. This setup helped protect the servers from unauthorized access.

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Charan Kumar

Director, Technology at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees

I use the solution as a firewall. We use it for segmentation and zero-trust security. It's helped us improve our security posture. It's integrated with Azure. You don't have an additional licensing cost and no additional maintenance. The configurations are also comparatively easy. The cost of…

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Nawaz Ahmed.

Information Technology Project Manager at Thoucentric

The threat intelligence aspect of this particular firewall is not at par with other providers. The load balancing and high availability could be better. Something like Panorama can also be a part of this solution. Azure Firewall has a lot of features that are comparable to Palo Alto and other firewalls. One of them is security incidents and event management. The SIEM that Azure Firewall provides us is very robust. There are constant feature additions. They add features every three to six months. They add a lot of new features to it, and its cost is comparatively cheaper than the traditional ones.

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Azure Firewall mindshare

Product category:

As of May 2025, the mindshare of Azure Firewall in the Firewalls category stands at 2.1%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

PeerResearch reports based on Azure Firewall reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Firewalls	May 1, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate	May 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Azure Firewall vs OPNsense	May 1, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Fortinet FortiGate	4.2	21.4%	90%	330 interviews Add to research
Netgate pfSense	4.3	13.3%	93%	217 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Azure Firewall's valuable features include layer seven security, integration with Azure ecosystem, scalability, threat intelligence, and automation. Users appreciate built-in high availability, centralized network filtering, DNS inspection, FQDN integration, URL-based access control, and DDoS protection. The interface is user-friendly and easy to set up. The premium version offers IP Groups, URL filtering, and TLS inspection. Azure Firewall is cost-effective, integrates with Azure Monitor, and provides seamless security for Azure resources.

"The features of Azure Firewall that I find most valuable include DNS inspection, forward proxy, and security, particularly on the edge."
"The most valuable features of Azure Firewall for me are its URL-based internet access control and DDoS protection for incoming traffic."
"Azure Firewall is integrated well with Microsoft ecosystem."

Room for Improvement

Azure Firewall requires enhancements in security features and customization, with demands for integration improvements with Azure Private DNS and Front Door. Users call for better interface usability, pricing adjustments, and expanded feature sets to match competitors like Palo Alto. They note needs for increased capability in intrusion prevention, advanced filtering, VPN functionality, and application-specific controls. Scalability issues, particularly for large enterprises, and regional speed consistency also require attention. Customer support responsiveness is highlighted as needing improvement.

"I would like the premium and standard features to be available on the basic package. Additionally, it lacks some functionalities when compared to competitors like Check Point and Fortinet, such as WAF or load balancing."
"In my experience, Azure Firewall is quite expensive, with a high cost. I would rate its pricing a two out of ten."
"In terms of improvements, I think the price could be a concern as Azure services are often more expensive compared to other firewalls."

ROI

Azure Firewall's costs are based on usage, making it an OPEX rather than a CapEx expense. Users appreciated the cost benefits, especially when compared to third-party options. While investment returns varied, some users reported a 25% return, with others noting up to 50% cost reduction. Its affordability makes it suitable for smaller organizations, but larger companies with diverse needs might consider alternatives. For many, Azure Firewall's value lies in enhanced security.

Pricing

Azure Firewall pricing feedback varies among enterprise users. It operates on a pay-as-you-go model, leading to concerns about high costs, especially for premium features. While some find it expensive compared to Fortinet or Cisco, others appreciate its cost-effectiveness over time. The absence of upfront licensing fees adds appeal, though challenges in predicting costs persist. Many value its integration with Microsoft services, yet find pricing a significant factor in decision-making.

"I rate the product pricing a five out of ten."
"Azure Firewall is expensive."
"The pricing of Azure Firewall is pay-as-you-go. Fortinet also has a pay-as-you-go model, but Azure's pricing is higher and, with FortiGate, you also have the license."

Popular Use Cases

Azure Firewall is used to secure corporate networks, manage network traffic, protect cloud assets, and ensure connectivity between on-premise and cloud environments. It filters network traffic, inspects data for security threats, and offers integration with Azure resources. Users deploy it for perimeter protection, internal device security, east-west traffic management, and compliance with security standards. Its cost-effectiveness and continual feature updates make it a preferred choice for various organizations.

Service and Support

Users find Azure Firewall support satisfactory, with varying responsiveness depending on the severity and support plan. Enterprise agreements often lead to quicker responses, while others report delays. Some find support knowledgeable and responsive, yet not always immediate in providing solutions. Language barriers and outsourcing have caused occasional delays. Documentation and forums are appreciated, but response times could improve. Generally, users acknowledge good service, particularly with higher-tier support plans.

Deployment

Azure Firewall's initial setup is often described as straightforward and easy. It typically completes within 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on requirements. Users highlight its integration with Azure and describe the configuration phase as user-friendly, though complex scenarios might require more time. Teams might experience challenges with specific configurations such as DNAT or service tags. Generally, the setup process benefits those familiar with Azure, with minimal maintenance required.

Scalability

Azure Firewall exhibits robust scalability, automatically adjusting to various traffic loads. Many entities have successfully implemented it across different sizes and regions, highlighting its ability to meet diverse needs. Some users consider the scalability as excellent, while a few suggest potential improvements for larger enterprises. Despite these differing opinions, its managed nature and PaaS structure receive positive feedback, indicating efficient management of expansion without specific size or throughput constraints.

Stability

Azure Firewall is largely stable, with many noting its reliable and impressive uptime. Users are satisfied with its performance, comparing it favorably to other firewalls such as Palo Alto. Some experienced initial incidents due to bugs but reported improvements over time. The service benefits from Microsoft's infrastructure, boasting redundancy and resilience. Ratings vary, with most users giving high marks for stability, although a few suggest room for improvement related to configuration and implementation.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Azure Firewall Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

Energy/Utilities Company

Educational Organization

University

Construction Company

Non Profit

Media Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Legal Firm

Wholesaler/Distributor

Pharma/Biotech Company

Outsourcing Company

Hospitality Company

Transportation Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Consumer Goods Company

Performing Arts

Logistics Company

Compare Azure Firewall with alternative products

Learn more about Azure Firewall

Azure Firewall has two significant offerings, Standard and Premium.

Azure Firewall Standard works directly with Microsoft Cyber Security and supplies excellent L3-L7 filtering and threat awareness. The proactive real-time threat awareness will quickly alert you and immediately deny all traffic to and from any known problematic or suspicious domains or IP addresses. Microsoft Cyber Security is updated continually to protect against all new and known potential threats at all times. To learn more about Azure Firewall Standard, click here.

Azure Firewall Premium provides everything the standard version does, and additionally adds extra levels of data encryption, network intrusion detection, extended URL filtering, and Web category filters. To learn more about the added features of Azure Firewall Premium, click here.

Key Benefits and Features of Azure Firewall:

High availability - You do not need load balancers with Azure Firewall; it's already built in and ready to go.
Self-scalability - Azure Firewall is intuitive and will auto-scale as needed based on traffic flow to be ready for peak traffic times.
Threat awareness - Using Microsoft Cyber Security to filter traffic, Azure Firewall will deny any known problematic threats to keep your network safe.
Additional IP addresses - You can securely add up to 250 public IP addresses with Azure Firewall
Improved web category filtering - You can set up specific protocols to allow or deny categories within websites that are deemed inappropriate for use within your network. You have the ability to organize categories based on a defined set of descriptions.

What our real users have to say:

Many PeerSpot users found Azure Firewall to be very user-friendly and easy to use. They liked that it offers seamless integration to the cloud and were especially pleased with the threat filtering options.

Regarding integration and threat intelligence, our users wrote:

“The most valuable feature is the integration into the overall cloud platform.”

“The most valuable feature is threat intelligence. It is based on filtering and can identify multiple threats.”

“I think that one of the best features is definitely the premium version, along with the IDPs in terms of the intrusion detection and prevention system.”