Barracuda CloudGen Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

Barracuda Networks and Fortinet are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Barracuda Networks is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.1, while Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5. Barracuda Networks holds a 1.0% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Fortinet’s 16.0% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Barracuda Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Read 45 Barracuda CloudGen Firewall reviews

4,839 Views
2,420 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 591 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

77,844 Views
57,605 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Sangfor NGAF

Read 34 Sangfor NGAF reviews

4,423 Views
4,246 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Fortinet FortiGate

Sangfor NGAF

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, Fortinet FortiGate, and Sangfor NGAF based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

April 2026

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Helped 896,034 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 16.0%, down from 21.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	16.0%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Barracuda CloudGen Firewall	1.0%
Other	81.9%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Jennifer Bernice

Dotnet Developer at Kohl's

Centralized firewall management has saved time and improved network security across locations

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall could be improved as it has a very high learning curve. It is definitely not a one and done firewall, as a one and done firewall requires a lot of dedicated time to get the machine running the way you want. To improve Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, there should be a lot of tutorials and videos online to help new users. Multiple ways to configure for the same service or feature takes time to determine your customized build. In addition to previous points, the interface can sometimes be clunky when trying to determine how it is organized or arranged.

Read full review

Abhinandan Yadav

Network & Security Engineer at Arrowpc network

Unified security and sd-wan have improved uptime and cut wan costs for multi-site branches

Users report stability issues in certain versions, which requires regular updates. Real-world attacks have also highlighted the need for urgent patching of vulnerabilities.Fortinet FortiGate, while a powerful and feature-rich web firewall, could improve in areas like firmware stability, documentation, and ease of use. The learning curve can be steep for some users. For beginners, support quality can vary, and frequent updates with occasional vulnerabilities call for careful patch management. However, once Fortinet FortiGate is configured, it remains highly reliable and efficient. Customer support needs improvement, as I find it very slow, with reports from other users reflecting that customer support is inadequate.

Read full review

Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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 ease of use is very valuable, and Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is very responsive."

"Easy integration with some other systems like LDAP or Active Directory to manage other permissions and the division of external access and internal access."

"Single device, multiple functions - I do not need to purchase a web application firewall, a proxy server, a VPN device and so many others because these are all built in to this one device."

"Barracuda is very prompt at blocking any new spam which comes out."

"If you have multiple offices, all inter-connected via the internet, you want a single management console through which you can manage all you firewalls. In that case Barracuda could be a good option."

"We evaluated a lot of different options, and we concluded that Barracuda NG Firewall provided the most features for an exemplary price."

"It is stable, it is working, and there are no issues."

"The features I find most valuable is the VPN and the fact that we can apply our policies to the program."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pros

"I highly recommend the Fortinet product because of its implementation, as it is a solid product with an easy configuration and good support."

"The product's most valuable feature is the ease of deploying IoT security with a single click. Additionally, the frequent updates to the online database ensure that our security measures are always up to date, enhancing our protection against emerging threats."

"If you are looking for a lifestyle solution, then FortiGate is my choice."

"Using this product makes the VPN seamless and almost invisible to me in the sense that I don't have to think about it."

"Since deploying FortiGate 3401E clusters, we have observed: Dramatic Reduction in Risk Exposure—blocked peer-to-peer and unauthorized applications (e.g., BitTorrent) at the perimeter and east-west segments, eliminating a major source of malware and bandwidth abuse."

"It has a valuable SD-WAN feature and provides good performance."

"Palo Alto did a good job on the IPv6 interfaces and security policies."

"Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted our organization by providing stronger network security as it's a next-generation firewall, blocking known threats and vulnerabilities in real-time, detecting and controlling thousands of applications, scanning encrypted traffic, and improving VPN and remote access through automated failover and intelligent routing protocols like BGP over IPsec VPN."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The price versus value is good because the solution is less expensive than Sophos, Fortinet, or SonicWall."

"The most valuable feature of Sangfor NGAF is its integration."

"It enables us to not only detect but also prevent various types of incoming threats, allowing us to take appropriate corrective actions and exercise control over the network."

"Sangfor NGAF's standout feature is its powerful application control, enabling precise restrictions on mobile user access to approved applications."

"We've found the technical support to be helpful."

"The tool's performance is good."

"Particularly good in the DPI where we can inspect inbound and outbound traffic."

"I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I compare it with Palo Alto and Cisco, both are quite complex products. And if I compare it with FortiGate firewalls from Fortinet, I have also used all these products. Fortinet and Sangfor NGAF are similar products because the applications behind the application and policy layers are almost identical."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"The interface of Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is not as user-friendly as others. It is a bit complicated and could be improved."

"A rule for email announcements, when configured hits occur, would be a great improvement for a more efficient experience."

"Nothing much except some little buggy issue sometimes, such as unable to login using the default login when out-of-box and will required factory reset once again."

"I would like to see a more user-friendly dashboard and an easier interface."

"It's a little bit complex in terms of handling. If you implement a change, there is a specific point where you have to commit it. It's not like you just push a button and it's always committed. If you don't know to check whether your commit command has been executed or not... that is something Barracuda needs to work on."

"The usability for the administrator's experience needs improvement. My system administrator has some questions about its overall connectivity and flexibility."

"The solution could be improved with visibility into the traffic about what's happening at a given time."

"The administration UI could be better. It should also have better application detection policies."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall cons

"I have to say that the initial setup was complex. The deployment took a few days to get set up. Initially, we were using an IPVanish. We switched to this tool since we thought it would be easier. But it turns out it wasn't easier to set up and run."

"We haven't tapped into most of the functionalities that Fortinet FortiGate offers because we're using it just for gateway security. One of the things that I would prefer is a more expansive use of their analyzer. They could do more work on FortiAnalyzer in terms of the data and the information coming from it."

"We can't identify which users are causing challenges when we have issues."

"One area for improvement is the licensing policy. If support licenses are not renewed, the product's functionality ceases, which can be disruptive."

"The solution could maybe use more integration with artificial intelligence to be more proactive."

"Performance and technical support are the main issues with this solution."

"I could not configure sFlow from the FortiGate graphical user interface. I realized that the sFlow configuration is available only from the CLI, and discovered that sFlow is not supported on virtual interfaces, such as VDOM links, IPsec, or GRE."

"Some of the features in the graphical user interface do not work, which requires that we used the command-line-interface."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The interface and user experience are horrible."

"The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here."

"An area for improvement would be the number of ports defined on the box."

"The tool is expensive."

"Sangfor could improve their interface capacity on the 5100 series model and upgrade their hardware from one gig to 10 gig. This would improve the overall throughput."

"The tool's support is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"An area of improvement for Sangfor NGAF could be in the field of reporting and logging."

"Lacks consistency in terms of filtering certain websites and applications."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing and licensing are fine. It's worth the value because every four years, if I buy any other product, I have to replace my hardware. But with Barracuda I get a free hardware upgrade. Today I'm using Xbox. After four years I can take another Xbox or a Ybox."

"Purchasing through AWS Marketplace was good. We did it because it was easy."

"We pay around 150 to 200 Euros per year and there are no additional costs."

"It's not the most expensive, but it's certainly not cheap."

"It is a product with a very transparent model of licensing. In the sense of hidden expenses, they do not exist with this model. "

"In general, it tends to be cheaper than most solutions."

"The pricing is very cheap compared to Cisco ASA, which we used before, and compared to Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet. Barracuda has different solutions for different people. So for my SMB-level infrastructure, Barracuda has given me a proper solution that is half of the price of Palo Alto or Fortinet."

"The solution's price is reasonable."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pricing and cost advice

"The price range is quite acceptable and normal."

"Fortinet FortiGate has different licensing models, depending on what you're going to do. Services included would depend on the license model. Licenses can be renewed annually."

"The price of the license and warranty can be better because it is very expensive."

"Fortinet FortiGate is reasonably priced."

"Its price is normal. If I compare it with other vendors, such as Palo Alto, it's normal. Palo Alto is expensive."

"It is a good product from a price perspective versus functionality."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto. In terms of pricing, it's probably a better-priced firewall solution overall."

"Fortinet bundles FortiGate with other products and because of this, the price is a little expensive to some SMB enterprises."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"For over 2000 users, the cost is around 5000 to 6000 USD. If you want a web application firewall, you have to purchase an additional license for it."

"For four to five physical appliances for a licensed firewall, it costs approximately $4,000."

"The solution has a TCO that is 32% to 50% less than Sophos, Fortinet, and SonicWall."

"The license of Sangfor NGAF can be purchased at different interval lengths, such as annually or three years. They offer a range of packages to choose from, such as combo or hybrid packages. We are using the complete solution package which includes IM, NGF and SSL VPN, and WAF."

"When it comes to the price of firewall solutions, Sangfor NGAF takes the cake."

"If one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the tool's price as three out of ten."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"We purchased one year technical support and return to factory support, and we also purchased one-year technical support services. So those were additional."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user216600

Senior Technical Consultant with 51-200 employees

Jan 3, 2016

Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate

I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Construction Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	367
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	193

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Barracuda CloudGen Firewall?

My experience with pricing is that while the licensing cost can be reduced and is somewhat costly, the price is good ...

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What needs improvement with Barracuda CloudGen Firewall?

There is room for improvement in terms of response time and first-level support quality. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall ...

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What is your primary use case for Barracuda CloudGen Firewall?

My main use case for Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is that we purchased it to replace our current Cisco firewall tool. ...

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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 your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sangfor NGAF?

We are hosting applications over the platform, including websites and NAT traffic from our side. Because it's deploye...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% 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

Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 13% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 7% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

May 2026

Download Barracuda CloudGen Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

May 2026

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Also Known As

Barracuda NextGen Firewall, Barracuda CloudGen Firewalls

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

Overview

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall offers strong VPN, scalable network management, and advanced threat protection. Its capabilities include dynamic VPN, SD-WAN, URL filtering, and malware protection, making it essential for network security in distributed environments.

Known for its robust security and user-friendly management, Barracuda CloudGen Firewall helps safeguard networks, manage traffic, and secure connections across distributed sites. It provides critical security features and solutions like firewalling and intrusion prevention for protecting environments such as data centers, offices, and remote locations. Room for enhancement includes the user interface, needing better tutorials, improved load balancing, and stronger tech support.

What are the most valuable features?

Seamless VPN capabilities enhance secure remote access for users.
Scalable network management supports large distributed architectures.
Advanced threat protection defends against malware and unauthorized access.
Dynamic VPN offers flexible secure connectivity options.
SD-WAN functionality optimizes application performance and cost-efficiency.
Robust URL filtering enhances security by blocking malicious sites.

What benefits or ROI should users look for?

Cost efficiency is achieved by combining security features with network management.
Centralized management allows configuration and policy updates from one interface, improving control.
Real-time monitoring boosts operational efficiency by promptly addressing threats.
Policy updates and instant changes help organizations stay responsive to security needs.

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is leveraged by industries to enhance network security and application performance. It caters to sectors requiring strong protection for IT infrastructure, managing traffic in data centers, and ensuring secure connectivity for distributed workforces, which is crucial in sectors like finance, healthcare, and education.

Barracuda Networks

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

Sangfor NGAF offers a user-friendly firewall solution with a strong virus database and competitive pricing. It supports SSL VPN connectivity, intrusion detection, and is known for easy deployment and integration capabilities.

Sangfor NGAF is a comprehensive security platform providing robust network protection through its application control and detailed threat insights. While effective in preventing threats and ensuring network security, it has areas needing improvement such as real-time reporting and system support. It delivers secure internet and VPN connections, proficiently handling malware threats. However, it faces challenges with user experience, reporting capabilities, hardware scalability, and needs better third-party integration. Licensing costs are noted to be high, and there are performance variations between versions.

What are the key features of Sangfor NGAF?

User-friendly deployment: Offers an uncomplicated setup process.
Robust virus database: Provides reliable threat detection.
SSL VPN connectivity: Ensures secure remote access.
Application control: Manages application usage for enhanced security.
Intrusion detection: Detects unauthorized access attempts.
URL filtering: Prevents access to malicious websites.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Sangfor NGAF?

Affordability: Competitive pricing compared to peers.
Integration: Good capabilities with existing systems.
Support: Noted for providing reliable customer service.
Threat prevention: Effective in securing networks against various threats.

Sangfor NGAF is widely used across industries including education, healthcare, and finance for its reliable network security. It is favored for securing internal servers, offering robust threat protection, and managing bandwidth efficiently at a budget-friendly rate.

Sangfor

Sample Customers

ARZ, Bauer, CBCX Technologies, Diamant-groep, Eissmann Group Automotive, European Youth Olympics, Exalo Drilling, FineLine Technologies, Geocell, Grimaldi, Infront Sports & Media, Odlo, Schenker Deutschland AG, Tilak, Verbandsgeneinde Zell, Conservas El Cidacos S.A., Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medicine Management, Erwin Muller GmbH, Info-Tech: NGF is Champion, Schoellerbank, IZB Informatik-Zentrum, RHI AG, Berglandmilch, Antenne Bayern, Sanochemia

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

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls. Updated: April 2026.

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