Barracuda CloudGen Firewall vs MetaDefender comparison

Barracuda Networks and OPSWAT are both solutions in the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) category. Barracuda Networks is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.3, while OPSWAT is ranked #37. Barracuda Networks holds a 1.6% mindshare in ATP, compared to OPSWAT’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Barracuda Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of OPSWAT users who would recommend it.

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Read 40 Barracuda CloudGen Firewall reviews

2,388 Views
310 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

MetaDefender

Read 2 MetaDefender reviews

1,528 Views
290 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

MetaDefender

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Barracuda CloudGen Firewall and MetaDefender based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks, Microsoft, Proofpoint and others in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP).

To learn more, read our detailed Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

December 2025

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Helped 881,082 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:

Categories and Ranking

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

24th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (33rd), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (14th), IoT Security (7th), WAN Edge (13th)

MetaDefender

Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

37th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Anti-Malware Tools (37th), Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) (38th), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) (19th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) category, the mindshare of Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is 1.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MetaDefender is 0.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Barracuda CloudGen Firewall	1.6%
MetaDefender	0.9%
Other	97.5%

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Talha Bashir

Offensive Security Analyst at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees

Centralized security management has protected our hybrid network and supports secure remote work

Overall, Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is very effective, but there is always room for improvement. One area that could be enhanced is the user interface, making it slightly more intuitive for new users. Additionally, advanced reporting and analytics could be more customized to provide deeper insights. Despite this, the firewall performs reliably and meets most of our organizational needs. One additional improvement that could enhance the experience is faster troubleshooting support or more detailed guided documentation for complex configurations. While the firewall is reliable, having more step-by-step tutorials or video guidance could help new users set up and optimize. Overall, the enhancement would make the platform even more user-friendly without affecting its current strong performance.

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Eido Ben Noun

Cyber Security Architect at Diffiesec

Multi‑engine detection has significantly improved secure file transfers and threat prevention

Some feedback indicated that it takes too much time to configure certain policies because there are many options. Some people appreciate this because you can configure anything, but I believe MetaDefender should have a wizard or general policies that can be used for 80 percent of customers. I use the expanded file type and archive coverage feature sometimes, especially for customers who try to scan large archives with the deep scan capabilities of OPSWAT and Deep CDR. This provides full protection because it scans every single file, but sometimes it takes too long. When discussing CAB files or archives for patching or server updates and BIOS updates and operating system updates, the scanning process takes too long, and it was difficult for customers who sometimes decided not to scan because the scanning time was excessive. I use the reporting and audit visibility features. Some capabilities are lacking in reporting because we do not have full statistics that are easy for users to understand. If something requires checking and then referring to documentation to understand it, that is too much for most users. When looking at one of the statistics, you can see how many files have been scanned and then you see a number out of 500 or a different number if you change it. It is not a number of files or scan processes; it is a number of files inside a file. When you scan a PowerPoint presentation file, for example, it counts as forty different files because of all the sub-files. I understand from customers that when they look at the visualization data or statistics, they do not understand what is happening there. Most customers I see do not use the file-based vulnerability assessment feature. It has some good results about vulnerabilities, but I am not certain if it is that helpful because many organizations, when they deploy a file and see that there are vulnerabilities, still deploy it because it is part of the code. It can produce results, but those results do not cause any action. Many products have something more advanced than vulnerabilities and static scoring. They have tools that can inform you about a vulnerability, whether the vulnerability is exploitable, if it is weaponized, and if someone can use this vulnerability in your environment. The file-based vulnerability feature works, but for most people, they do not take any action based on the results or block files because of file-based vulnerabilities.

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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

"It provides a lot of functionality adhering to the current trends."

"Good identity fire walling, malware protection and application control features."

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

"The solution is stable."

"TINA (Transport Independent Network Architecture) VPN features - Allows automatic VPN configuration with little or no input from the tech. Drag and drop lines between Barracuda units and the VPN is built automatically."

"What I like best about this product are the support and the features."

"The most valuable feature for us is the ability to offer firewall support to our clients."

"The most valuable features of Barracuda CloudGen Firewall include antivirus protection, anti-DDoS, and IPS."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pros

"OPSWAT is the best alternative."

"I like the simplicity, the way it works out of the box. It's pretty easy to run and configure. The integration of the network devices with the ICAP server was easily done."

Cons

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

"If you experience an attack it can take a very long time to find a solution."

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

"The biggest issue that I have with this solution is that it is not super intuitive. Once you know what to do, things make sense, but you can't just open the program and start doing things. It would be great if there was a little bit more guided usage inside the program."

"The interface should be more user-friendly and it should be easier to configure."

"Sometimes we have a need for detailed reports. Barracuda NG Firewall does not have a reports module and uses a satellite application."

"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 price could be better."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall cons

"The documentation is not well written, and I often need to talk with support."

"Some capabilities are lacking in reporting because we do not have full statistics that are easy for users to understand."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Its licensing is on a yearly basis. There is an upfront purchase price, and there is also an annual maintenance fee. There are no additional fees."

"The platform is inexpensive compared to other vendors."

"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."

"My advice is to try and evaluate it (Barracuda offers a trial period of one month)."

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

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

"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."

More Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pricing and cost advice

"We bought a three-year license, and that was pretty expensive. We agreed that it was really worth buying. It could be cheaper, but we understand that quality comes at a price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Healthcare Company

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	9
Large Enterprise	6

No data available

Questions from the Community

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

Our experience with Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pricing and licensing has been reasonable and transparent. The setup cost was aligned with the features and security it provided. The licensing is fl...

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What needs improvement with 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 for our network security and network traffic management. I rely on it most often for protecting the networks from threats and ensuring secure con...

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

January 2026

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Also Known As

Barracuda NextGen Firewall, Barracuda CloudGen Firewalls

OPSWAT MetaDefender, MetaDefender Core

Overview

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is a comprehensive network security solution that provides advanced protection for organizations of all sizes. It offers next-generation firewall capabilities, including application control, intrusion prevention, and web filtering.

With its integrated VPN functionality, it ensures secure remote access for employees. CloudGen Firewall also includes advanced threat intelligence, leveraging real-time updates to detect and block emerging threats. Its centralized management console simplifies administration and provides visibility into network traffic.

CloudGen Firewall can easily adapt to changing business needs based on its scalable architecture.

Barracuda Networks

MetaDefender provides advanced multiscanning capabilities using 30+ anti-malware engines, ensuring high detection efficacy and robust prevention mechanisms.

MetaDefender's approach combines multiple security technologies like Metascan, Deep CDR, and adaptive sandboxing. These integrated solutions offer comprehensive protection against malware and vulnerabilities, catering to cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments with enhanced performance and automation.

What are the key features of MetaDefender?

Metascan Multiscanning: Utilizes 30+ AV engines for superior malware detection.
Deep CDR: Eliminates active threats by reconstructing safe files.
File-based Vulnerability Assessment: Identifies software vulnerabilities before deployment.
Adaptive Sandbox Analysis: AI-powered sandbox to expose evasive threats.
Proactive DLP: Detects and handles sensitive data to prevent data loss.
Expanded File-Type Coverage: Supports modern documents and archived files.
Enhanced Automation: Faster scans with consistent policy enforcement.
Improved Reporting: Comprehensive end-to-end file action tracking.

What benefits and ROI can MetaDefender offer?

High detection rates: Boasts over 99% detection of known and unknown threats.
Reduced Workflow: Dramatic cut in file-borne malware incidents and manual work.
Flexible Deployment: Consistent performance in cloud, on-prem, hybrid, and air-gapped environments.

MetaDefender is trusted in industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and government, where rigorous policy control and auditability are vital. Its diverse deployment options allow for consistent security across datacenters, OT networks, and secure facilities, meeting stringent compliance needs.

OPSWAT

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)

December 2025

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