Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Bitdefender and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. Bitdefender is ranked #39 with an average rating of 8.3, while WatchGuard is ranked #20 with an average rating of 7.6. Additionally, 83% of Bitdefender users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 5, 2025

Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and WatchGuard Firebox are notable competitors in the cybersecurity market, offering distinct features and benefits. Bitdefender appears to have an upper hand in malware detection and ransomware protection, while WatchGuard excels in user-friendly setup and versatile security management.

Features: Bitdefender GravityZone XDR is known for its strong malware detection capabilities and robust ransomware protection, making it a formidable choice for robust security out of the box. It also offers effective threat protection through signature detection and integrates well with its comprehensive SOC. WatchGuard Firebox, on the other hand, stands out with an easy setup process, integration with Active Directory, and a variety of manageable security features including VPN, proxy support, and URL filtering.

Room for Improvement: Bitdefender GravityZone XDR can enhance its administrative and troubleshooting features, streamline its management console to be cloud-based, and improve its issue-auditing capabilities. Further integration with Active Directory could also be beneficial. WatchGuard Firebox could improve integration with third-party vendors, modernize its management interface, and provide better training resources to simplify management processes.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox offers flexible deployment options, supporting both on-premises and hybrid cloud setups, with a responsive customer support system despite some regional inconsistencies. Bitdefender GravityZone XDR favors Public and Hybrid Cloud installations and has a professional technical support system that effectively resolves user issues, catering well to businesses needing comprehensive cloud-based solutions.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox is praised for its competitive pricing, support, and licensing options, making it cost-effective for small and mid-sized businesses with a good ROI due to reduced issues and reliable performance. Bitdefender GravityZone XDR offers valuable pricing with good financial value for larger user bases, achieving ROI through reduced system administration time and strong cybersecurity defenses.

To learn more, read our detailed Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs. WatchGuard Firebox Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs. WatchGuard Firebox

September 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Robin Cook

MSP Partner Manager at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Exceptional threat detection and effortless installation impress users

The solution has best-in-breed technology and scores very highly on efficacy rates. The threat detection rates are exceptionally good, better than most of the competition. The solution is highly respected in the industry. The product is very scalable, and the installation is reported to be extremely easy, even for those without great technical capabilities.

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ScottEastman

Project Consultant at SEVERN HOSPICE LIMITED

Reduces the risks of sending data where it shouldn't be going

We use the solution to ensure that no data breach, such as credit card details and national insurance numbers, leaves the company. However, we have to allow some information to go through because we send a lot of information to the National Healthcare Service If we don't want specific data sent…

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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

"FortiGate improved our security. It's one of the best hardware firewalls."

"The biggest lesson would be that Fortinet FortiGate provides a high level of security at a good total cost of ownership."

"The solution is superior to Cisco in terms of security."

"You can integrate certain other services with FortiGate and use additional threat intelligence services because they allow you to combine various solutions, enhancing your overall security."

"Security solution with a straightforward and quick setup. It's a stable and scalable product."

"The security on offer is very good."

"The most valuable features we found are the SD-WAN, FortiGate SD-WAN, and the standard UTM protection, among others."

"FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"I find Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus to be a pretty good solution for the mid-level market, specifically for organizations with up to two hundred fifty users. I like that it is an averagely priced solution. It also has a straightforward installation that can be completed within three to five minutes. Its technical support is also good enough."

"The best features in the product, as a reseller, are the integrated SOC; integration with a SOC is one of the advantages."

"The product is easy to use."

"The threat detection rates are exceptionally good, better than most of the competition."

"The solution has best-in-breed technology and scores very highly on efficacy rates."

"The best thing about Bitdefender is that it has got top-notch features and it is not tied to specific countries like some other antivirus tools."

"The quarantine computer functionality is very good for me."

"Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus is highly stable."

"They've done a lot of work with their SD-WAN, which we do use, to have our old internet service with our new internet service. If anything goes down on a particular interface, I can have different rules applied. Most of my users don't even know when our primary internet goes down anymore... I don't have to be here to do anything to switch it to our backup internet or to switch it back."

"Policy VPN, site-to-site VPN, traffic monitoring, anti-spam filters, and all other advanced features are valuable."

"If you just plan to use WatchGuard Firebox in your office and not publicly, then it is okay to purchase it. With WatchGuard Firebox, you can manage your users and permissions while also taking care of the basic setup phase in your office."

"The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication."

"WatchGuard is very user-friendly. It provides us with all of the security services we need."

"Their centralized console simplifies management for organizations with multiple Fireboxes."

"After conducting several tests I found the antivirus is working very well. Additionally, they have a very interesting feature, DNS WatchGuard, which is checking DNS requests for phishing, among other things, and it has caught a lot of unwanted attempts and attacks."

"The VPN and the filtering features are the most valuable. Its VPN is very strong, and its services are very nice. The main problem in India is the service. There are not enough Check Point and Fortinet Firewall services, but for this product, the service is very good."

More WatchGuard Firebox pros

Cons

"In their datasheet, they put the throughput as huge, but once you enable all the features of the box, the performance is impacted dramatically."

"The main aspect of FortiGate that could be improved is load balancing. Our management team does not want to buy another appliance for only load balancing."

"We are pretty happy with it. If anything, I believe the web interface could be simpler, especially for someone who has limited networking experience."

"They've become quite expensive."

"While FortiGate is cheaper than most other solutions, we're seeing increased license renewal costs. Most of our clients are asking for more significant discounts because the price is going up."

"It needs to improve its ISP load balancing."

"There should be better customization in the IPS."

"The solution could have licensing fees reduced in the future."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Some customers would like additional features that aren't available through the current GravityZone platform. Some feedback has been about the deletion of other software not going smoothly during the installation of Bitdefender, particularly the removal of previous software like Sophos."

"The solution seems to be pretty amateur for an EDR solution, and it should be more in sync in terms of features, with solutions such as FireEye and SentinelOne."

"The solution must improve its management features."

"Adding a feature like Data Loss Prevention would be beneficial."

"Some customers would like additional features that aren't available through the current GravityZone platform."

"Detection and response is a disadvantage that could be improved."

"I would like automatic issue fixing for users without needing to physically open the PC. I'd prefer updates and fixes from the cloud to avoid headaches and save time."

"We bought Firebox four or five years ago, and with the first version I had to reboot it every two or three months for no apparent reason. We upgraded last year to the M370 and it's been running, but it is rebooting from time to time. I don't know why."

"The data loss protection works well, but it could be easier to configure. The complexity of data loss protection makes it a more difficult feature to fully leverage. Better integration with third-party, two-factor authentication would be advantageous."

"There's always room for improvement, especially if the threats are getting more sophisticated and the IT department cannot sufficiently meet this kind of sophistication with their own knowledge and experience. Knowing that this solution can get up to the level of addressing a lot of these threats is something that everybody wishes for. If we look at the dark web and the lawful web, they are two opposites, and if these two good and bad collide in the world of the internet, you want the best possible product—especially if you cannot get to that point of knowledge. I am just an individual and end user, with limited knowledge of usage. That's why I say there's always room for improvement, from their side and also from mine, because by knowing exactly what they can achieve and the knowledge that they can get on an everyday basis, and the portion that is understandable to me, it's an improvement for them as well."

"The few issues that we have had, such as not knowing where to go, they have been answered quickly."

"Websense is an application that monitors and filters internet traffic. Websense was derived from WatchGuard. But when you go to WatchGuard to actually implement that particular feature, you have to use some type of additional feature and you have to pay for it, unfortunately. I think it should be free or free in the WatchGuard box itself, as an option. It would be nice if they didn't charge us for that."

"It's very difficult to find a reseller of WatchGuard Firebox to purchase a license"

"The solution is a bit confusing and there are unusual complications with setup."

"The VPN aspect of the WatchGuard Firebox is an area that could potentially benefit from improvement. We encountered difficulties while attempting to integrate Windows 11 laptops into the system, which resulted in unreliable connections. After some research, we discovered that this was primarily due to compatibility issues with Windows 11 and required a patch. However, it was still a challenge as it seemed that even when we tried to keep the laptops on Windows 10, they still exhibited the same issues as Windows 11 machines. Despite WatchGuard attributing the problem to Microsoft, we were eventually able to find a solution and all the machines are now functioning seamlessly."

More WatchGuard Firebox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is somewhat expensive compared to other solutions such as Sophos."

"Work through partners for the best pricing."

"It's expensive, but compared to the competition it's okay."

"The initial setup is super straight forward and as far as the licensing goes for the small product that we have, the pricing was pretty competitive. It wasn't as simple and as cheap as a SonicWall but for the service we would get it was a good price."

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

"It is very cost-effective. You get features similar to other firewalls, such as Palo Alto, but at a lower price."

"On a scale of one being cheap and ten being expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."

"My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiGate is quite good. I don't have a public site, such as in Azure, where I can see the pricing. I always have to go through the distributor, and that could take some time to get the real price for each appliance."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"We have purchased licenses for the use of Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus. The price of the solution is reasonable but could be better."

"Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus is pretty average, meaning it's not cheaper, but it's pretty good. It has average pricing."

"We only license our corporate one and the one we have at our DR site, we don't worry about the branches. It doesn't pay for us to license the ones at the branches. What they charge for what they call basic maintenance is extremely high for those little fireboxes."

"I usually tell people that it's really affordable as well, particularly compared to Cisco."

"It is kind of expensive. I buy it on the appliance. I always buy three-year total security."

"WatchGuard Firebox is a cheap solution."

"We don't have any other costs other than the licensing stuff."

"The price is very good."

"Over the years, the costs have increased, especially since I cater to very small businesses."

"It's fair pricing, but it could always be reduced."

More WatchGuard Firebox pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

20%

Comms Service Provider

14%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Large Enterprise	1

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	91
Midsize Enterprise	25
Large Enterprise	15

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...

See all answers

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 do you like most about Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus?

The best thing about Bitdefender is that it has got top-notch features and it is not tied to specific countries like ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus?

It's a good price for the solution and for the customer.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Bitdefender GravityZone Ultra Plus?

Detection and response is a disadvantage that could be improved. It could be improved by the technical teams of Bitde...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We just use it as a secondary WiFi device. We're a small office and we needed to set up a WiFi device for a few of ou...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We're a hospital and we use it for developing our incoming and outgoing policies, and we also use it for VPN.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Darktrace vs Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Compared 38% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Compared 25% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Compared 20% of the time

Wazuh vs Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Compared 17% of the time

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OPNsense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos XGS vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

More WatchGuard Firebox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

October 2025

Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) report

Download Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Firebox

September 2025

Download WatchGuard Firebox product report

Also Known As

No data available

GravityZone Ultra Plus

WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

Bitdefender GravityZone XDR enhances network security via advanced threat detection, offers centralized incident response, and comprehensive endpoint protection. Users value the user-friendly interface, robust analytics, and streamlined management, significantly boosting organizational efficiency and productivity.

Bitdefender

WatchGuard Firebox is a high-performance firewall known for its ease of setup, offering robust security with layered protection and centralized management capabilities.

WatchGuard Firebox stands out for its intuitive management and high throughput, addressing security needs with features like VPN, web filtering, and threat detection. Its centralized control and reporting abilities, along with Active Directory integration, make it popular among varied organizations. Its user-friendly interface and ongoing updates enhance usability and reliability. However, there's a call for better cloud-based administration, scalability, and improved integration with third-party vendors.

What are the key features of WatchGuard Firebox?

Ease of Setup: Quick and straightforward installation process.
GUI: User-friendly graphical interface for simplified navigation.
VPN Features: Secure and efficient virtual private network management.
Web Filtering: Advanced filtering for safer browsing experiences.
Threat Detection: Proactive monitoring and detection of cyber threats.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated?

Centralized Control: Streamlined management from a single point.
High Throughput: Efficient data handling and processing capacity.
Stable Performance: Consistent and reliable operational functionality.
Active Directory Integration: Seamless connection with user directories.
Customer Service: Strong support service for customer inquiries.

WatchGuard Firebox is implemented across industries to secure internet gateways and protect data in multi-site businesses. Its applications span from Unified Threat Management (UTM) and intrusion prevention to compliance support in business environments requiring secure connectivity through VPNs.

WatchGuard

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

Archdiocese, Northstar, SeSa, W&W Informatik, Yamaha Motor Europe

Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence

Buyer's Guide

Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs. WatchGuard Firebox

September 2025

Free Report: Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs. WatchGuard Firebox

Find out what your peers are saying about Bitdefender GravityZone Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vs. WatchGuard Firebox and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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