Azure Firewall vs Hillstone E-Series comparison

Microsoft and Hillstone Networks are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Microsoft is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.4, while Hillstone Networks is ranked #38 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 2.6% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Hillstone Networks’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Hillstone Networks users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Hillstone E-Series and Azure Firewall compete in the firewall solutions category. Hillstone E-Series is noted for its cost-effectiveness and support, whereas Azure Firewall stands out for its advanced features, justifying its higher price.

Features: Hillstone E-Series offers comprehensive security features, advanced threat protection, and scalability. Azure Firewall provides deep integration with Azure services, sophisticated threat intelligence, and seamless cloud integration.

Room for Improvement: Hillstone E-Series users want better reporting capabilities, improved setup processes, and more intuitive default configurations. Azure Firewall needs enhancements in documentation, customization options, and better support resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Hillstone E-Series has straightforward deployment but mixed customer service reviews. Azure Firewall's cloud-native deployment is simpler with robust support and easier integration with cloud infrastructures.

Pricing and ROI: Hillstone E-Series has favorable setup costs and ROI, especially for mid-tier enterprises. Azure Firewall offers a high ROI despite higher initial costs, suited for large-scale operations due to its comprehensive features and reliability.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Firewall vs. Hillstone E-Series Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall vs. Hillstone E-Series

June 2026

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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 June 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 15.1%, down from 21.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Azure Firewall is 2.6%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	15.1%
Azure Firewall	2.6%
Hillstone E-Series	0.7%
Other	81.6%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Joseph Koomson

IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana

Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.

Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.

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Amit Das

Technical Solution Architect at liwa

Has enabled us to manage internal access securely but lacks accessible documentation for deeper integration

We haven't required any support, but overall, Microsoft support is good. Whenever we raise any concern, they are supporting us on time. Currently it is good. We are not a public-facing company; it is a retail company only, so that's why I don't think it is required. We don't have an e-commerce solution on Azure. For that, we are using a different stack for the e-commerce portal, so that is not in Azure. We are only using it for business applications, and I think L3 filtering in network security suffices for our problem currently. Regarding scalability for Azure Firewall, we don't need it here because the request to the application is internal. All are internal users. So there is not much request to get into the application, so scalability is not required for us in the current scenario.

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TahirMahmood

IT Manager at Zubair Feeds

Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users

We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.

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

"FortiGate has led to a reduction in our security budget."

"What I like the most is the configuration and that it's simple, and straightforward to maintain."

"There are several benefits that Fortinet FortiGate brings to the table, and I cannot speak of only one or two as it is too extensive."

"I think it's very easy to implement this solution because one person can do it."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is URL filtering."

"Fortinet scores very high against security threats when you compare it with Check Point and Palo Alto."

"The product is highly stable."

"The signature database and zero-day detection are Fortinet FortiGate's most valuable features."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It's helped us improve our security posture."

"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."

"Microsoft's technical support is very good. They're quite knowledgable and responsive."

"The most valuable feature is threat intelligence, which is based on filtering, can identify multiple threats, and easily detects them, with malware signatures updated automatically, which is helpful for new customers."

"Great security and connectivity."

"In terms of the reporting, it's beautiful. It integrates with Azure monitoring and with Azure policies. That piece is a big help. You can set governing policies and you can use the application firewall, as well as the Azure Firewall, to enforce those policies."

"We switched from Rapid7 and IBM to Microsoft Azure because after moving to Azure cloud, it was easier to manage things with Azure Firewall and Microsoft security, which is a unified solution that is developing things rapidly."

"Azure Firewall includes all standard next-generation firewall features with threat intelligence-based filtering."

More Azure Firewall pros

"Five out of five ROI."

"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ransomware protection that the tool offers."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"With Hillstone, TCO and ROI are very good, it's an easy sale."

"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."

"Working with the Hillstone E-Series has, from a remote perspective, allowed me to give my clients secure connectivity from a remote location to their offices or their servers."

"If an organization is not looking for a web proxy, it's a very, very good product."

More Hillstone E-Series pros

Cons

"Fortinet FortiGate is a very good product, but when we look at the South African market, they just need to relook at the pricing because it's a bit pricey for some of the local government organizations."

"The speed of the detection could be improved. The prevention mechanisms and implementation are not easy and could be better."

"The only challenge that we are facing is that a good internet connection is required for VPN stability."

"The cloud management and automation capability could be improved."

"The pricing of Fortinet FortiGate IPS could always be improved."

"A lack of integration between our data centers."

"I find the management console not very straightforward, so that's an area where Fortinet FortiGate can improve. They should simplify it and make it more user-friendly."

"I would like to be able to generate reports about the protections that we have. I would like a report feature."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The tool needs to improve the onboarding and transition process for on-prem users."

"It is still not at par with traditional next-generation firewalls. It is still behind other network and firewall vendors such as Palo Alto."

"An Azure firewall is not a real firewall."

"The standard functionality for API Management is at a zero level, and then the next level is one. The difference between zero and one is very huge."

"It has fewer features than you can get from other firewalls, like anti-spam and anti-phishing. Those kinds of things are not included. It only includes IDS and IDB."

"Azure Firewall definitely needs a broader feature base. It should be able to go all the way up to layer 7 when looking at applications and things like that."

"An Azure firewall is not a real firewall. It requires features such as IDS, IPS, anti-virus, et cetera."

"An important improvement for Azure Firewall could be the UI, as it could help us by clearly stating if there is already a conflicting rule, which is something I really look forward to."

More Azure Firewall cons

"The current usage reporting is very basic. I would like to be able to access more granular data."

"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."

"The tool provides just a general report. It does not provide a granular report. Hence, the tool should work on its reporting feature."

"The room for improvement would be the SSL VPN license cost."

"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."

"The tool needs to improve its price."

"The tool only had some memory-related problems."

"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."

More Hillstone E-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is very expensive so pricing is rated a one out of ten."

"Licensing is usually on a three-year period."

"There is an annual license to use this solution. The prices have been increasing over the years."

"The price, in comparison to other products is very cheap."

"If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable."

"FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is cheaper than Cisco or CheckPoint."

"Fortinet Secure SD-WAN delivered the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) per Mbps among all other vendors."

"We pay about $4,000 for a yearly license, and there aren't any additional fees."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The solution is cheaper than other brands. My company has an enterprise contract and we finally got a good price with Azure."

"It is expensive, especially with the premium functions. For one of the clients, it was very expensive. You have to use it more at an enterprise level, and there, it was not at an enterprise level. So, it was very costly, but security-wise, it was a very wise decision to use it that way."

"Azure Firewalls operate on a pay-as-you-go model, similar to cloud services."

"Before choosing this solution, we evaluated others, and we found this to be the most cost-effective."

"Azure Firewall is more expensive. If Microsoft can make Azure Firewall cheaper, I can see that all clients will think of using it. One client used FortiGate because it is much cheaper. Some clients ask me for Cisco, but in the cloud estimate, I found its cost is the same as Azure Firewall."

"It is pay-as-you-go. So, you pay based on the usage. If I remember it well, there is a basic fee, and there is a traffic fee. It is not per month. It is per hour or something like that. It is not so expensive."

"I rate the product pricing a five out of ten."

"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."

More Azure Firewall pricing and cost advice

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."

"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."

"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Construction Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	369
Midsize Enterprise	139
Large Enterprise	195

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	22

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1

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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What is a better choice, Azure Firewall or Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Azure Firewall Vs. Palo Alto Network NG Firewalls Both solutions provide stellar stability and security. Azure Firew...

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How does Azure Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks VM Series?

Both products are very stable and easily scalable. The setup of Azure Firewall is easy and very user-friendly and the...

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Which would you recommend - FortiGate VM or Azure Firewall?

Both of these solutions are excellent options that provide flexible scalability and solid security. Fortinet Fortigat...

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What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?

We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the fire...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Hillstone E-Series?

I use the solution in my company for site-to-site VPN, SSL VPNs, URL filtering, IPS, IDS and all the other features w...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Hillstone E-Series?

Our company did not use the tool's micro-segmentation features. There were no issues while integrating the tool. I ha...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Azure Firewall

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Azure Firewall

Compared 10% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Azure Firewall

Compared 9% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Azure Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Azure Front Door vs Azure Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

More Azure Firewall Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 14% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 6% of the time

More Hillstone E-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

June 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall

June 2026

Download Azure Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

May 2026

Download Hillstone E-Series product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Azure Firewall integrates seamlessly with Azure services, providing threat intelligence-based filtering, scalability, and simplified configuration. It secures Azure-based infrastructure, protects workloads, and filters network traffic to ensure safe internet access.

Azure Firewall is central to managing security for applications, especially in hybrid cloud environments. Its features like URL filtering, SSL/TLS inspection, and centralized security controls cater to segmentation and zero-trust policies. Users appreciate its affordability, frequent updates, and flexibility for administrators with policies and high availability. However, some users see room for improved application filtering, better Azure integration, and more comprehensive documentation. Desired advanced features include intrusion prevention, anti-virus, and URL filtering. Cost concerns and limited scalability are mentioned, with suggestions for AI use, VPN functionalities, and enhancements in firewall management.

What are the most important features of Azure Firewall?

Seamless Integration: Works well with Azure services, providing cohesive security management.
Threat Intelligence-Based Filtering: Uses the latest threat data to filter network traffic.
Scalability: Easily scales to meet growing network demands.
Simplified Configuration: Streamlines setup and management processes.
Centralized Security Controls: Consolidates security settings for easier management.
Automated Updates: Ensures the firewall stays current with minimal manual input.
SSL/TLS Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits can users look for in Azure Firewall reviews?

Affordability: Cost-effective solution for many companies.
Frequent Updates: Regular updates that keep the firewall secure and up-to-date.
Flexibility for Administrators: Offers versatile policies and is easy to manage.
High Availability: Ensures reliable access and performance.
Industry Compliance: Supports standards to meet compliance requirements.

Many industries leverage Azure Firewall for secure cloud operations. Technology firms use it for hybrid cloud security, focusing on segmentation and zero-trust. Financial institutions deploy it for compliance and secure internet access, while healthcare uses it for protecting patient data and ensuring secure communications between on-prem servers.

Microsoft

Hillstone E-Series is known for user-friendliness and advanced security features, offering high-performance threat protection with virtual switching and routing to support significant data volumes without third-party hardware. It provides top-notch firewall capabilities tailored to educational and energy sectors.

Hillstone E-Series delivers comprehensive network security with threat intelligence, ransomware protection, and state-of-the-art hardware innovation. Its 64-bit call processor facilitates handling large data volumes efficiently. Capabilities such as SSL VPN, integrated IPS, and application filtering make it a valuable choice for network protection. While further integration with a web proxy and enhanced usage reporting can enhance its offerings, enhancements in pricing models, support systems, and updates align with evolving user expectations for improved regional support and detailed analytics.

What are the standout features of Hillstone E-Series?

User-Friendliness: Intuitive setup and management for all users.
Threat Intelligence: Advanced protection against modern cyber threats.
Ransomware Protection: Strong defenses to mitigate ransomware attacks.
Hardware Innovation: Virtual switching/routing for seamless operations.
64-Bit Call Processor: Efficient performance with high data volumes.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Hillstone E-Series?

Comprehensive Capability: Addresses complex network security needs.
Impressive Throughput: Maintains high performance under load.
Easy Policy Management: Simplifies network security rule application.
Robust Security Features: Offers extensive filtering and blocking options.

The Hillstone E-Series is implemented extensively across industries like educational institutions and energy companies to safeguard local networks against gateway-level threats. Many organizations benefit from features such as antivirus, integrated IPS, site-to-site VPN, SSL VPN, and policy management, enhancing remote work security and simplifying network management tasks.

Hillstone Networks

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

Information Not Available

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO

Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall vs. Hillstone E-Series

June 2026

Free Report: Azure Firewall vs. Hillstone E-Series

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