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Azure Firewall Manager vs Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center comparison

Microsoft and Cisco are both solutions in the Firewall Security Management category. Microsoft is ranked #12 with an average rating of 9.3, while Cisco is ranked #8 with an average rating of 7.9. Microsoft holds a 1.7% mindshare in Firewall Security Management, compared to Cisco’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Cisco users who would recommend it.
Azure Firewall Manager
Read 8 Azure Firewall Manager reviews
  • 861 Views
  • 534 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Cisco Secure Firewall Manag...
Read 27 Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center reviews
  • 472 Views
  • 472 Comparison Views
83% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Azure Firewall Manager and Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center are competing products in the network security landscape. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center emerges as the superior product due to its advanced features and comprehensive management capabilities, which users find worth the investment, despite Azure Firewall Manager showing competitive pricing and support satisfaction.

Features: Azure Firewall Manager provides seamless integration with Azure services, central management capabilities, and enhanced security policies. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center offers strong analytics, advanced threat protection, and extensive policy control, making it suitable for complex network environments.

Room for Improvement: Azure Firewall Manager could improve with more robust analytics, enhanced threat detection, and expanded policy control features. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center can benefit from more competitive pricing, simplified deployment options, and integration flexibility with non-Cisco products.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure Firewall Manager provides cloud-native deployment optimized for quick setup and effective management within Azure. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center offers an intricate on-premises or cloud-based deployment model with detailed documentation and robust customer service, beneficial for troubleshooting complex issues.

Pricing and ROI: Azure Firewall Manager is cost-effective with a flexible pricing model, offering good ROI through integration within Azure. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center involves a higher initial cost but justifies this with substantial long-term ROI due to its comprehensive features and robust security infrastructure.

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To learn more, read our detailed Azure Firewall Manager vs. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Azure Firewall Manager vs. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
July 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

Azure Firewall Manager
Ranking in Firewall Security Management
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (28th)
Cisco Secure Firewall Manag...
Ranking in Firewall Security Management
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Firewall Security Management category, the mindshare of Azure Firewall Manager is 1.7%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is 1.3%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewall Security Management
 

Featured Reviews

MuhammadShakeel - PeerSpot reviewer
Manages multiple firewalls effortlessly but faces challenges with cost efficiency
Azure Firewall Manager is good most of the time, but it could be improved regarding cost. The cost is a significant concern because we are in a region where the dollar is not our default currency, and converting to dollars makes it very expensive. Microsoft should calculate and show the products in local currencies, such as PKR or Bangladesh currency, and also introduce Indian currency similarly for Pakistan. The technical support could be improved. When a resource is assigned, that resource should follow the ticket and respond swiftly, including sending an email to inform me that an agent has been assigned. I still find myself waiting for an agent to connect with me and resolve my issues. I have not been integrating Azure Firewall Manager with Azure Virtual WAN.
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Yonas Abebe - PeerSpot reviewer
Great dashboard with extensive visibility and good support
I expect more integration with AI. I expect Cisco to be easier for users in India, especially for junior users. For a junior one, it may somehow be complex, especially when configuring something. I remember version 6.4 had an integration with Eddie, allowing me to define a policy according to my users, however, the latest version, lacks this integration. The logging of FMC should be improved as it does not offer real-time solutions like DazaSodo.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution has improved our organization with its firewall."
"We are utilizing Azure Entra ID for group labeling, so Active Directory, or now it is Entra ID, securing our application for everyone who accesses it, and Azure Firewall Manager is definitely securing our projects and all its features are fine."
"It is easy to install and does not require any plugins for your browser."
"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."
"The solution is very easy to set up."
"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."
"The best feature of Azure Firewall Manager is that it is easy to maintain and configure."
"The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration."
More Azure Firewall Manager pros
"I like its system management and filtering options as a layer seven firewall."
"Malware detection, URL filtering, and antivirus are the most beneficial features for our security management. The platform has three main components: filters, hardware, and antivirus. We use the standard approach for automation and integration. The person in charge of management follows the rules and policies of the equipment and handles operations. However, we haven't set up any notifications, so it's mostly manual."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The tool's deployment is not complex."
"It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The platform has significantly enhanced our organization's operations by providing secure communication channels between different office locations."
"The product's user interface is very easy to use and convenient."
"Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is scalable."
More Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center pros
 

Cons

"The solution can improve the integration with open-source tools."
"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users."
"We could do only one-way NAT-ing, where the traffic comes from outside to internal, to Azure, which is fine. However, when we actually do NAT-ed traffic to hit the firewall, that way is not working."
"The price is okay. This said, the solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."
"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly."
"There should be a simple one-click deployment for a firewall, rather than a set of setup instructions that include steps such as the DNS configuration, et cetera."
"The tool's security features need to improve. It needs also to include a monitoring system for logs. It is also complicated to find a query on the Azure firewall."
"For Azure Firewall Manager, the learning curve for new people is a bit challenging, but the integration should be more straightforward for configuring a centralized system."
More Azure Firewall Manager cons
"Cisco Firepower has been effective in solving various problems, but it could be improved by making it simpler and more user-friendly like Fortinet."
"The tool is a little bit pricey. I was not involved much with finance, but it appeared to be really expensive."
"Some duplicated values and security standards are not working in some high-application protocols with Cisco's next-generation firewalls."
"The solution should improve the user interface."
"I had a challenging time trying to size the firewall on the cloud. Maybe the information is there, but I couldn't find it easily. Usually, it depends on the cloud provider itself, whether you use AWS or Azure. These guys give you the information, so this part is not as detailed."
"The product could be improved by simplifying its user interface and reducing complexity."
"Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center's logging functionality could be improved."
"It's not very user-friendly and can be somewhat disorganized."
More Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is reasonable but it is reasonable for the features."
"The solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."
"I rate the tool's pricing a four out of ten. The licensing costs are yearly."
"The solution is not expensive."
"I use the free version of the product."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"One of the advantages of Cisco is its range of flexible licensing options."
"My license offers all the protection, like malware protection, VPN protection, IDS, IPS, and endpoint protection."
"When you are using a Cisco solution you know it will be expensive. Cisco makes you pay for everything individually. We pay for the licenses that we need."
"I rate Secure Firewall Management Center eight out of 10 for pricing."
More Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Government
22%
Computer Software Company
16%
Engineering Company
9%
Performing Arts
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Azure Firewall Manager?
The most valuable feature of Azure Firewall Manager is the testing and configuration.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Firewall Manager?
The pricing for Azure Firewall Manager seems okay compared to its good features. Although extra expenses are incurred for additional services, these are not directly related to the firewall, and th...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Azure Firewall Manager?
Azure Firewall Manager is good most of the time, but it could be improved regarding cost. The cost is a significant concern because we are in a region where the dollar is not our default currency, ...
See all answers
What do you like most about Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center?
The platform has significantly enhanced our organization's operations by providing secure communication channels between different office locations.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center?
I would rate setup cost as four for now.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center?
Licensing has been a challenge with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center, and personally, I would consider switching to another solution. We are thinking of taking a Fortinet or another solution...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 33% of the time
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 27% of the time
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 13% of the time
AlgoSec vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
AlgoSec vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 11% of the time
AWS Firewall Manager vs Azure Firewall Manager Logo
AWS Firewall Manager vs Azure Firewall Manager
Compared 9% of the time
More Azure Firewall Manager Competitors
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Logo
Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Compared 59% of the time
AWS Firewall Manager vs Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Logo
AWS Firewall Manager vs Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Compared 41% of the time
More Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Azure Firewall Manager
August 2025
Azure Firewall Manager reportDownload Azure Firewall Manager product report
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
August 2025
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center reportDownload Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center product report
 

Overview

Azure Firewall Manager is a security management service that provides central security policy and route management for cloud-based security perimeters.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft

The Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is the administrative nerve center for select Cisco security products running on multiple platforms. It provides unified management of Cisco Secure Firewalls with Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) software for port and protocol control, application control, IPS, URL filtering, and malware protection functions. Firewall Management Center is the centralized event and policy manager for:

● Cisco Secure Firewall with the Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) OS

● Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services

● Cisco Secure IPS (Firepower Next-Gen IPS / NGIPS)

● Cisco FirePOWER Threat Defense for ISR

● Cisco Malware Defense (AMP)

Cisco
Buyer's Guide
Azure Firewall Manager vs. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
July 2025
Free Report: Azure Firewall Manager vs. Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
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