Azure Firewall Manager vs Palo Alto Networks Panorama comparison

Azure Firewall Manager vs. Palo Alto Networks Panorama

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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

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (26th)

Palo Alto Networks Panorama

Ranking in Firewall Security Management

4th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Firewall Security Management category, the mindshare of Azure Firewall Manager is 3.6%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks Panorama is 8.8%, up from 7.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewall Security Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks Panorama	8.8%
Azure Firewall Manager	3.6%
Other	87.6%

Firewall Security Management

Featured Reviews

Sikkander Batcha

DevOps Engineer at CloudIQ

Has managed traffic effectively but lacks visibility and advanced control features

Azure Firewall is typically behind other vendor firewalls because we don't see what kind of traffic is traveling through it. That is one drawback. The main drawback is that we need log support from Azure Firewall, which can be quite costly. There is no login feature in Azure Firewall because only the IAM feature is available in the Azure site; we manage it only through the Azure portal, not through any other portal. Other vendors, such as Palo Alto, provide GUI or CLI interfaces to manage their firewalls, whereas we only manage Azure Firewall through the Azure portal. In the future, I would like to see additional features in Azure Firewall Manager to make it more competitive, such as technologies like App-ID and User-ID that Palo Alto has. Azure Firewall currently only allows traffic based on layer four and sometimes layer seven, so they need to improve in those areas compared to other vendors.

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Richard Dombo

Application Support Administrator at Meridian Port Services

Monitoring and managing multiple firewalls has become more efficient through centralized oversight and reliable logging

I would say that while Palo Alto Networks Panorama reporting capability is functional, it is not really intuitive. The presentation is not really as advanced as what an advanced solution would have provided. I would like to improve the dashboards on Palo Alto Networks Panorama, especially because I work in an environment where my managers are not really that technical. They do a great job leading us, but they do not have a technical background. If the dashboard could be improved to suit more executive use cases when it comes to reporting, that would be excellent. It is basic as far as I am concerned, and from an executive standpoint, it is not really that good. I would rate Palo Alto Networks Panorama as a product nine or 9.5 out of ten because there is always room for improvement, especially on the dashboard. I think if they could improve the dashboard, I would give them ten out of ten because from a technical standpoint, the dashboard is good, but at an executive level, it is not really that good. I usually struggle when doing presentations to my bosses because the dashboard and reporting from Palo Alto Networks Panorama are not as polished as they could be.

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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

"From a traffic management perspective, it's a good firewall because it's automatically scalable based on the traffic availability."

"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."

"Azure Firewall Manager centralizes network security management with a hub and spoke architecture."

"The tool's support is good."

"The solution has improved our organization with its firewall."

"I would definitely recommend the solution to my clients, especially if one is using Azure Cloud."

"The best feature of Azure Firewall Manager is that it is easy to maintain and configure."

"The solution is very easy to set up."

More Azure Firewall Manager pros

"The best features Palo Alto Networks Panorama offers include the ability to manage multiple firewalls at one time."

"The most valuable feature is WildFire."

"It has been very useful for our organization and we have been quite happy with its capabilities."

"I found it easy to learn how to pull information from the logs."

"The solution is very stable. It's reliable. We don't experience bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash. It works as expected."

"The application ID or App-ID feature is a good feature for us. We are also using IPS and content inspection features. The firewall can inspect the packages that are passing through my network."

"All of the reports and events from different locations can be managed centrally."

"The compliance features are very effective at identifying things that need to be properly hardened."

More Palo Alto Networks Panorama pros

Cons

"With Azure Firewall, the problem is that the NAT-ing still has to be improved."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

"The solution can improve the integration with open-source tools."

"Microsoft was unable to fully solve the problem with email phishing and spamming."

"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."

More Azure Firewall Manager cons

"Sometimes in Palo Alto Networks Panorama, we receive issues where it is overloaded and unresponsive. We have issues with accessing the devices due to a slow response from Panorama."

"Aside from pricing, I don't have any issues with Panorama."

"The dual WAN functionality is missing in this solution."

"An area for improvement would be the connectivity, which sometimes means logs can be slow to display."

"Cost-wise, it's very expensive."

"The ease of use of Palo Alto Networks Panorama is an area for improvement. Another downside is that you need a lot of comprehension to understand what it is."

"We had some challenges with the initial setup, but it was more on a learning curve basis."

"The logs from our virtual appliances show potential for improvement, particularly regarding their deployment in hypervisors like VMware, Proxmox, or Azure Stack."

More Palo Alto Networks Panorama cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."

"The price of the solution is reasonable but it is reasonable for the features."

"Sometimes the company prefers to give a license to test the product in our environment before we go to the customer. But the customer should buy his own license, and that's the system here. The system is different between one country and another. Some countries say that the IT solutions provider should provide the license."

"With the URL filtering, we probably went down from around four hours in response time to about five minutes."

"The solution is expensive and could be cheaper."

"It has freed up staff time, which is where we are seeing ROI."

"Pricing for Palo Alto Networks Panorama is always high. If you're going to sell the product, you always have to talk about the technology because it should be about the solution rather than the price."

"Cost-wise, it's very expensive."

"You can buy the hardware only and each box is not even $10,000. It's only $8,000 for the unit itself. However, then you are charged a three-year license at $81,000."

"Licensing fees are paid yearly."

More Palo Alto Networks Panorama pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	46

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Firewall Manager?

The pricing for Azure Firewall Manager is expensive. In our project, we have used both Palo Alto Firewall and Azure Firewall. Azure charges for many aspects including scaling, automated scaling dep...

What needs improvement with Azure Firewall Manager?

What is your primary use case for Azure Firewall Manager?

My customers are using Azure Firewall Manager, so I'm learning from both documentation and practical knowledge. I usually recommend Azure Firewall Manager for projects such as an animal hospital pr...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks Panorama?

We did not purchase Palo Alto Networks Panorama through the Azure Marketplace. We purchased it directly through Palo Alto.

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks Panorama?

From a monitoring perspective, if we could improve on data retention and keep it for quite a long time, such as 90 days of data retention, that would be good for us to manage our CPU usage, as we c...

What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks Panorama?

My main use case for Palo Alto Networks Panorama is to manage our firewalls. We have around 450 firewalls, and we manage them through Panorama. Configuration entry is the primary focus of our use.

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Product Reports

Azure Firewall Manager

Download Azure Firewall Manager product report

Palo Alto Networks Panorama

Download Palo Alto Networks Panorama product report

Overview

Azure Firewall Manager offers easy configuration, centralized management, and automatic scalability. Its integration with Azure Entra ID provides secure access, while Power BI facilitates centralized monitoring, contributing to its cloud-native benefits and reliable network management.

Azure Firewall Manager is recognized for its efficient security policy management and the ability to configure and test firewall settings across multiple locations. Its integration with Azure Kubernetes supports cloud environment security and the seamless migration of on-premise components to the cloud. With its hub-and-spoke architecture, users can detect threats and orchestrate policies more effectively, although integration with open-source tools and technical support responsiveness could be enhanced. Improvements in NAT capabilities and an AI-driven phishing prevention system would enhance its offering.

What are Azure Firewall Manager's key features?

Easy Configuration: Simplifies firewall setup without additional plugins.
Centralized Security Management: Streamlines policy management across locations.
Automatic Scalability: Adjusts resources to meet changing demands seamlessly.
Integration with Azure Entra ID: Provides secure user access control.
Hub and Spoke Architecture: Enables efficient threat detection and policy orchestration.

What benefits and ROI should users evaluate?

Cloud-Native Benefits: Offers stability and seamless integration with cloud environments.
Fair Pricing: Competitive cost structure, despite currency conversion challenges.
Simplified Monitoring: Uses Power BI for comprehensive security insights.
Enhanced Security: Protects against phishing and ransomware threats.

Azure Firewall Manager is widely implemented in industries like finance to secure applications and manage B2B interactions. This tool supports endpoint security, traffic management, and seamless orchestrations within cloud environments, ensuring robust protection against various threats.

Microsoft

Palo Alto Networks Panorama offers centralized management, simplifying configuration and enhancing automation. Its robust security features and user-friendly interface support efficient operations, ideal for managing multiple firewalls across diverse environments.

Palo Alto Networks Panorama is designed for enterprises looking to streamline security management across multiple locations. This solution simplifies device management and ensures consistent policy deployment. Equipped with advanced security features and flexible automation capabilities, it supports seamless scaling and real-time updating of firewalls globally. Robust logging and comprehensive reporting tools enhance monitoring and compliance, while application visibility and threat prevention provide thorough protection. Despite its merits, some users suggest improvements in deployment ease, integration, and support to maximize its effectiveness.

What are the key features of Palo Alto Networks Panorama?

Centralized Management: Controls multiple firewalls from a single platform.
Automation Capabilities: Automates configuration and updates for efficiency.
Advanced Security: Integrates threat prevention and application visibility.
Robust Logging and Reporting: Offers detailed logging and reporting tools.
Flexible Policy Deployment: Simplifies policy management across varied locations.
Scalability: Designed to handle enterprise-level networks with ease.

What benefits or ROI should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Reduces time spent on manual configurations.
Security Enhancement: Strengthens security posture with integrated features.
Flexible Management: Adapts to diverse network environments seamlessly.
Cost Savings: Streamlines processes, potentially lowering operational costs.
Time Saving: Speeds up policy deployment and updates across systems.

Palo Alto Networks Panorama proves particularly effective in industries with extensive network infrastructures, such as telecommunications, finance, and education. Companies deploy it to maintain consistent security policies across campuses and data centers, efficiently managing the complexity of environments that span traditional networks and cloud-based systems.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

University of Arkansas, JBG SMITH, Temple University, Telkom Indonesia

Azure Firewall Manager vs. Palo Alto Networks Panorama