Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls comparison

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

August 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.8

Check Point Cloud Firewall offers efficient security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, enhancing ROI through reduced overhead and effective risk management.

Sentiment score

6.5

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls deliver strong ROI through reduced risks, costs, and enhanced security features despite high initial costs.

The value lies in maintaining operational integrity with zero downtime or incidents, facilitating secure, ongoing business operations.

reviewer2647578

Cybersecurity consultant at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

The compliance has improved as our overall compliance score against CIS benchmark has improved from around 72 to 92% within the first three months of adoption.

reviewer2751468

Assistant Manager at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

This helped my team cut manual review time by roughly twenty to twenty-five percent, allowing me to reallocate effort to proactive cloud security improvements.

Pedro Leão

Networking and System Consultant at Orbcom,Lda.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Their user-friendly interface and Panorama central management, which provides a comprehensive overview, make them an ideal investment.

Jeelani Qadir

Technical Lead at Accenture

The solution helped reduce downtime, which is crucial in time-sensitive industries like manufacturing.

Venkatasubramanian Rajagopal

Director IT Infrastructure and Operations at a analyst firm with 51-200 employees

I have seen a return on investment as there are definitely clear cost reductions, resource savings, time savings, and improved risk detection.

Nitin Yadav

Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.3

Check Point Cloud Firewall customer service is praised for responsiveness and expertise, but documentation and routing need improvement.

Sentiment score

6.7

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls support is knowledgeable but inconsistent, with language barriers and emergency response times needing improvement.

They usually respond quite fast, and they are very knowledgeable about what they do.

Dimitris Baziotopoulos

Network security engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

We had an endless loop of emails trying to fix this, and the suggestion was to reinstall the gateway and do it from scratch, which was not an option at that point because it would leave that specific location without access.

Andrei Ganciu

System administrator at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Available twenty-four by seven.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Palo Alto's network support is excellent, and I would rate it a ten out of ten.

reviewer2173242

Founder at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Their response time is within one hour.

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

They offer fast and competent assistance.

Valentyn Lytvynov

IP / Operations Support System Engineer; Pre-Sales Engineer at Avantguard.it

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

Check Point Cloud Firewall is highly scalable and adaptable, though users find configuration and licensing complex.

Sentiment score

6.8

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer scalability and customization, but hardware limitations and cost issues affect extensive scaling options.

Visibility scales without performance issues as my environment expands.

Pedro Leão

Networking and System Consultant at Orbcom,Lda.

It is capable of managing the increased load and performs well as our needs expand.

Viral Shaa

IT Security Analyst at Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc.

I can deploy it everywhere I need it.

Christian Riedl

Security & Network Services at a tech company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Cloud deployments benefit from auto-scaling, allowing for automatic adjustments to firewall capacity based on demand.

Jeelani Qadir

Technical Lead at Accenture

It is important to assess the infrastructure size before choosing a model.

Valentyn Lytvynov

IP / Operations Support System Engineer; Pre-Sales Engineer at Avantguard.it

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are scalable and reliable.

Hrushikesh Pandit

Senior Network Engineer L4 at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Check Point Cloud Firewall is praised for stability and reliability, with minor issues typically related to cloud integrations.

Sentiment score

8.5

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are favored for their consistent stability and reliability, outperforming competitors in various scenarios.

If there are errors, it is sometimes challenging to elaborate or troubleshoot since it is not transparent enough to understand what to search for.

Reffat Gharaibeh

Cloud Security Architect at controlware

I have not observed any downtime.

Mantas Mazeika

Sales manager/ project manager at Atea

For instance, when we are working on a release and do an upgrade, we start experiencing unexpected issues.

Rui-Pereira

Chief Technology Officer at Chief Security Officers

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

With appropriately configured policies, these firewalls can provide robust network security.

Adam-Brenner

Solution Architect at a retailer with 201-500 employees

After the upgrade, we are experiencing performance issues.

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Technical Engineer Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

I have not experienced any outages or issues.

Valentyn Lytvynov

IP / Operations Support System Engineer; Pre-Sales Engineer at Avantguard.it

Room For Improvement

Check Point Cloud Firewall faces integration and UI challenges, high costs, inconsistent support, and demands enhanced features and documentation.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls need improved reporting, support, affordability, AI features, integration, scalability, and better-performing hardware.

Scalability could be improved as well; needing to purchase a new license each time I want to add a new interface is not ideal.

Stefan Baumgartner

Security architect at Twinformatics

Better documentation would be welcome.

Dimitris Baziotopoulos

Network security engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

The user interface could be more intuitive, and the initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring a technical team.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

When performance degrades due to full packet inspection, the solution should be to increase the computing power within the same firewall, not to recommend upgrading to a larger, more expensive model.

Venkatasubramanian Rajagopal

Technical Engineer Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Further integration into a unified system could improve usability.

Director IT Infrastructure and Operations at a analyst firm with 51-200 employees

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls lack built-in multi-factor authentication, requiring the purchase of a third-party tool to implement this essential security feature.

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Setup Cost

Check Point Cloud Firewall offers flexibility and strong support, offsetting its higher cost compared to competitors like Fortinet and Palo Alto.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are costly but valued for premium security, offering better value with multi-year licenses.

The pricing and licensing are expensive, costing between seven thousand to eight thousand dollars.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Check Point is expensive, however, with the features and capabilities, I can justify the cost.

Thanos Constantopoulos

Manager, Managed Security Services at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees

It is the highest in the market.

Daniel Sander

System engineer at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are expensive.

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Technical Engineer Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls come at a premium, exceeding the cost of most competitors by 45 percent.

AmjadKhan1

Head of data centers at a non-profit with 10,001+ employees

Colleagues looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall can still use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls because they are affordable.

Senthil Kumar Manian

Director at Zuci Systems

Valuable Features

Check Point Cloud Firewall offers advanced threat prevention, scalability, unified security, and automation for efficient cloud security management.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer robust, user-friendly security with advanced AI, threat prevention, and centralized management features.

One of the most valuable features is the automated threat prevention, which helps us detect and block potential cyberattacks in real-time, minimizing data breaches.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Centralized management is the feature I like best, resulting in reduced workload and more continuous policy.

Christian Riedl

Security & Network Services at a tech company with 201-500 employees

Network Security provides us with unified security management across hybrid and cloud as well as on-prem.

Thanos Constantopoulos

Manager, Managed Security Services at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees

The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are DNS sync calls, enabled security features, and Wildfire.

For more quotes and insights, download the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls report

Technical Engineer Technical Security at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Threat Vault allows us access to a comprehensive threat database, enabling us to get detailed information on threats and how to mitigate them.

Hrushikesh Pandit

Senior Network Engineer L4 at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is Cortex Data Lake.

Adam-Brenner

Solution Architect at a retailer with 201-500 employees

Categories and Ranking

Check Point Cloud Firewall ...

Ranking in Firewalls

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

240

Ranking in other categories

Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) (1st), Vulnerability Management (5th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (3rd), Cloud and Data Center Security (3rd), Container Security (7th), Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP) (5th), WAN Edge (3rd), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (4th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (5th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (5th), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (4th), Compliance Management (5th)

Palo Alto Networks NG Firew...

Ranking in Firewalls

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

199

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is 2.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is 5.2%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls	5.2%
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)	2.7%
Other	92.1%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

reviewer2875401

Network Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

Unified security policies have protected our hybrid network with deep, user-based controls

The main limitations of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) are not in Check Point itself but in the cloud platforms on which it is deployed. Because not all clouds have L2 infrastructure, you cannot build a unified clustering system everywhere. As a result, the problem usually is not with Check Point, but with the cloud. The main problem with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is that it uses a separate thick client instead of a browser. A browser-based SmartConsole exists, but it still has a number of limitations, while the thick client, the so-called SmartConsole, often works unstably, freezes, and has to be restarted. I do not recommend using Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) as a VPN hub for site-to-site VPN because it is inconvenient to monitor the state of its tunnels, especially visually. It does not have a convenient snap-in and everything can be checked only via the console, which is very inconvenient. Check Point is not the most universal solution as a device that provides routing and administration capabilities in addition to security. It is an excellent firewall, but it has a number of limitations in terms of routing and in creating VPN sessions, especially in terms of displaying their states.

Read full review

Nitin Yadav

Network & Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt.Ltd.

Strong threat prevention has reduced phishing and malware while I monitor traffic in depth

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offers application and user awareness, which allow me to control traffic based on threats. The product includes threat prevention, advanced threat prevention, and deep packet inspection that really helps prevent issues in our network. Deep packet inspection inspects full traffic content, even inside applications and encrypted sessions. Deep packet inspection makes a very practical difference day to day because it lets me see and control what is actually inside the traffic, not just the open port or IP. I have real visibility of which application is running instead of just seeing HTTPS. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls WildFire sandboxing is really good at detecting and blocking zero-day malware automatically, along with its GlobalProtect and DNS security features. Using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls positively impacts my organization by providing strong security, better visibility, faster response, and simplified operations. After deploying Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls in our network, it blocks malicious traffic and prevents compromises that occurred before Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. I can now block outside IPs to prevent issues. After Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls installation, I reduced 60 to 70 percent of malware and phishing attacks. Its threat prevention and DNS security features detect these attacks, block malicious domains, and reduce manual efforts for the security team.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

15%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	132
Midsize Enterprise	55
Large Enterprise	138

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	77
Midsize Enterprise	57
Large Enterprise	87

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Since we use a unified standard for using policies and modules in Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), we can clearly plan which modules we need to activate on a parti...

What needs improvement with Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

What is your primary use case for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is the main manager that provides network security in different forms in my organization. The primary task that Check Point solves ...

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 Firewall is easy to use and provides excellent support. Valuable features include int...

Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it kind of depends what you value most. PA is good at app control, web filtering a...

Which is better - Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls or Sophos XG?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have both great features and performance. I like that Palo Alto has regular threat signatures and updates. I also appreciate that I can just import addresses and URL...

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Comparisons

Compared 8% of the time

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

Compared 3% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 3% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 2% of the time

Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 2% of the time

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 21% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 12% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 8% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

Compared 3% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Competitors

Product Reports

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

August 2026

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Download Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) product report

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls

July 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls product report

Also Known As

CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point vSEC, CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point Virtual Systems, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security, Check Point CloudGuard CNAPP

Palo Alto NGFW, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall

Overview

Check Point Cloud Firewall, previously known as CloudGuard Network Security, provides advanced threat prevention, centralized management, and VPN capabilities, enabling robust cloud security across various platforms including Azure and AWS.

Check Point Cloud Firewall delivers seamless cloud integration with advanced automated threat prevention and centralized management to enhance security posture. It offers auto-scaling for dynamic environments and a comprehensive policy enforcement framework in hybrid settings. The unified interface streamlines administration across cloud infrastructures, ensuring consistent protection and reducing risk.

What important features does it offer?

Advanced Threat Prevention: Safeguards against sophisticated threats.
Centralized Management: Simplifies control for cloud infrastructures.
Auto-scaling: Adapts to changing workloads seamlessly.
VPN Capabilities: Enables secure connections across environments.
Integration with Azure and AWS: Ensures compatibility with leading cloud services.
Visibility Tools: Enhanced monitoring and management for security enforcement.

What benefits can users expect?

Enhanced Security: Comprehensive threat management reduces risk.
Operational Efficiency: Automation capabilities streamline processes.
Cost Management: Efficient resource usage with auto-scaling reduces expenses.
Integration Flexibility: Adapts easily into existing cloud platforms.
Simplified Administration: Unified management reduces complexity.

In manufacturing and conglomerate sectors, Check Point Cloud Firewall is utilized for protecting cloud environments and implementing network segmentation. It supports secure cloud migration on AWS, Azure, and GCP, ensuring compliance, perimeter defense, and traffic inspection, facilitating sophisticated threat prevention strategies.

Check Point Software Technologies

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls deliver advanced threat protection with machine learning, enhancing security through real-time attack prevention. Known for application visibility and a user-friendly interface, they offer robust network protection and flexibility in rule creation.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are designed to secure environments with features like GlobalProtect VPN, WildFire malware detection, and unified platform integration. Their strong firewall capabilities and high-performance throughput make them suitable for perimeter and data center protection, VPN configurations, application control, and network segmentation. Users consistently highlight the ease of managing network security policies and integrating third-party tools, ensuring a comprehensive protection strategy. While enhancements in support, training resources, and configuration simplicity are needed, these firewalls are integral for securing both on-prem and cloud environments, aligning with platforms like Azure and AWS.

What are the key features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Application Visibility: Provides insight into network traffic for better control.
Threat Prevention: Uses machine learning for real-time attack prevention.
GlobalProtect VPN: Secures remote access efficiently.
WildFire Malware Detection: Detects and prevents advanced threats.
Unified Platform Integration: Enhances network security through seamless integration with other tools.

What benefits should be evaluated when considering Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?

Flexibility in Rule Creation: Allows customized security policies to meet specific needs.
High-Performance Throughput: Ensures efficient network operations under high load.
Comprehensive Policy Management: Simplifies overseeing and adjusting security policies.
Robust Endpoint Security: Protects endpoints against sophisticated threats.
Seamless Integration: Works well with third-party tools for a comprehensive solution.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are commonly implemented across industries for securing LAN environments, URL filtering, and ensuring Zero Trust security. They secure both on-premises and cloud infrastructures, often becoming integral parts of security frameworks within enterprises. Leveraging these firewalls in conjunction with Azure or AWS enhances the overall network protection strategies employed by organizations.

Palo Alto Networks

Sample Customers

Physicians Choice Laboratory Services, Helvetica Insurance

SkiStar AB, Ada County, Global IT Services PSF, Southern Cross Hospitals, Verge Health, University of Portsmouth, Austrian Airlines, The Heinz Endowments