Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs IPFire comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and IPFire Project are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.6, while IPFire Project is ranked #37 with an average rating of 8.0. Check Point Software Technologies holds a 2.8% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to IPFire Project’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IPFire Project users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 17, 2025

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW and IPFire are competing security solutions. While Check Point Quantum Force NGFW excels with its advanced security features, IPFire stands out for its ease of use and cost-effectiveness.

Features: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW includes threat prevention, SandBlast Zero-Day protection, and unified management. IPFire offers a modular architecture, strong firewall capabilities, and intrusion detection. Check Point's advanced features enhance security, whereas IPFire’s flexibility and extensibility are notable strengths.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW provides a streamlined deployment with integrated guidance and comprehensive customer service. IPFire, being open-source, is simpler for those familiar with Linux environments but may pose challenges for newcomers.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW involves higher setup costs but provides significant ROI through its advanced security capabilities. IPFire offers a lower setup cost appealing to budget-conscious buyers due to its open-source nature, offering substantial ROI although it may lack some enterprise-level functions.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire

July 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 866,391 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.1%, up from 18.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) is 2.8%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IPFire is 2.1%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.1%
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)	2.8%
IPFire	2.1%
Other	75.0%

Firewalls

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.

Read full review

Hailemichael Yigrem

Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Deliver ICT and Telecommunication Technology PLC

Advanced security features enhance threat detection and prevention

Check Point NGFW provides granular application control and detailed visibility over application and user activity. It integrates with the ThreatCloud ecosystem, enabling real-time threat detection and prevention. The User Identity Awareness blade integrates with Active Directory, identifying user traffic sources. Check Point NGFW is highly scalable and has centralized management through SmartConsole, which manages policies, logs, and threat data. It reduced our incidents and decreased the time to analyze cyber threats by 70 percent.

Read full review

Amr Fouad

Vice President of Technology Development at SCADA Innovations

Prevented any kind of hacking and enables us to comply with customer requirements

We use the solution for firewall, intrusion prevention and detection. We installed it in order to comply with customers requirements IPFire has prevented any kind of hacking and enables us to comply with customer requirements. Accessing the internet was a bit complicated. We opted for this…

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 most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ease of use and the UI. It has always provided me with what I needed. I have no need for additional costs that other solutions have, such as Sophos."

"The security fabric is excellent."

"The most valuable feature is the bundled subscription, which is IPS, TV and web filtering."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a simple solution, and the integration with other solutions in the Fortinet portfolio, such as the Security Fabric integration, is competitive."

"The web tutor and automatic rules by schedule are good features."

"Fortinet FortiGate has a threat detection capacity compared to other vendors."

"The security features are about the best that I've seen anywhere."

"The network security and cloud security are most valuable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It secures my organization. With the application blade, I can make security as application based and the custom application is also very useful. With identity awareness blades we get insights on our local users who are accessing/passing through the respective rule as users. We also use the DLP, IPS, and VPN features."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the Quantum Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). I also like the solution's functionality, like autonomous threat prevention."

"The only area that Check Point still seems to excel in is their logging."

"The scalability is very good."

"The event logs are relatively informative and can provide information on why traffic was accepted or rejected."

"The QoS blade is very good for controlling traffic such as Windows patches, mail traffic and other stuff."

"It is easy to control from the central management system. For example, if we have 10 firewalls, and we want to push that same configuration among them, we can use this solution's central management system to do that simultaneously. So, there is time saving in that way. The time savings does depend on the situation. For example, if I am running half an hour of work on each firewall, that will take around 300 minutes. However, if I do this work from the central management system, then it will only take 30 minutes to push the same configuration to those same 10 devices."

"From the logs, you can trace back to the rule with a click, which makes it easy to investigate cases."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"IPFire has prevented any kind of hacking and enables us to comply with customer requirements."

"I would rate the stability as ten out of ten for IPFire."

Cons

"From my experience, I see that the datasheets of the Fortinet FortiGate portfolio need to be more accurate because correct sizing is essential. The datasheets should provide clear information when deploying features."

"We called them for a geolocation issue and we didn't get any proper assistance."

"The issue lies with features available in GUI versus CLI during configuration. When using GUI, I want to accomplish everything there, but sometimes it requires using CLI to ensure proper configuration."

"In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all."

"I would rate the technical support of Fortinet FortiGate as a five because it is not as strong as Cisco. Additionally, the turnaround time is very high compared to Cisco."

"There could be more integration between the logging and analytical platforms to make it more seamless and integrated."

"Not all features are available in the web UI. Features such as enabling multiple MPLS circuits can only be accomplished through the command line, so these need to be made available in the web UI."

"As far as wanting more scalability or things in the network diagram, it's going to cost you."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Unfortunately, as is the case with many big companies, new features seem to always be more important than fixing the last little bugs that affect only a minor customer base."

"Identity Awareness has been a massive source of problems for our deployment and the ability to debug it has been lacking."

"I hope for product simplification. It would be better to use one security console, instead of many of them (for licensing and monitoring). The solution is hard for newcomers and takes much time to deep in. Also, I want a historical graph for throughput and system resources usage. Maybe it will be great to make easy step-by-step installation and configuration cookbooks as Fortinet did, and integrate the documentation within the solution."

"My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point NGFW is that the high subscription fees aren't easy to afford, and it's not recommended for mid-sized companies or businesses."

"Although the GUI is simple to use and fairly comprehensive, more support via CLI would be beneficial for bulk operations."

"The main thing for a normal operations guy who is creating tools and firewalls, it is quite difficult to manage. It requires an expert level of knowledge in Check Point products to manage these scalable platform appliances and the virtual firewall that comes with it. We have to educate our guys and give them training on a regular basis to work on these products."

"The initial learning curve might be steep for those new to Check Point NGFW or the Check Point ecosystem, and it may not be a good solution for budget-conscious organizations given the breadth of services provided."

"The source package is a bit more expensive than its competitors."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

"The graphical interface could be much better."

"Accessing the internet was a bit complicated."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"By default, they give SD-WAN along with the firewall. They don't have separate licensing for the SD-WAN functionality. However, they have security licenses that are sold separately on a subscription basis. Customers can consume these security features to protect their users from internet traffic."

"The price for the device and software is high. However, the solution is of good quality and has a lot of features."

"The pricing is fair."

"Fortinet FortiGate is expensive."

"The pricing is justified. It's a little pricey, but what you pay for is what you get."

"For the price, I'd rate it a ten because it's very cost-effective."

"The price range is quite acceptable and normal."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable for an SME."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The solution is expensive."

"For the firewall, there is a limitation on the license. We are facing some problems with mobile access. We have a license for 450 licenses of VPN users. We would like Check Point to have more than that, e.g., if the organization gets bigger and there are more users, then that will be a problem."

"It's expensive."

"One of the main reasons that we went with Check Point is that they provide a good solution for a firewall but at an affordable price. As a state agency, we can't afford Cisco Firepower. It's just out of our budget to be able to pay for something where licensing and hardware are so expensive. Check Point has really met our needs for a budget-friendly solution."

"There are three types of licensing: Threat Prevention, NGTP, and Next Generation Threat Extraction. Before, it used to be you would just enable the license of whatever blade you wanted to buy. Nowadays, Threat Prevention would be sufficient for most clients, so I would think people would go for the NGTP, license which includes all the blades."

"The price is on the higher side."

"Check Point NGFW is a little expensive."

"The tool's price is reasonable in case you are not using it in a high-load environment."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pricing and cost advice

Information not available

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

866,391 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

21%

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	264
Midsize Enterprise	102
Large Enterprise	145

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	131
Midsize Enterprise	97
Large Enterprise	194

No data available

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...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

How does Check Point NGFW compare with Fortinet Fortigate?

I have experience on both from Disti and channel experience. Please find below my comments (nothing new as such). -Ch...

See all answers

Which would you recommend - Azure Firewall or Check Point NGFW?

Azure Firewall is easy to use and provides excellent support. Valuable features include integration into the overall ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Check Point NGFW?

Check Point NGFW provides essential security, featuring no-obligation access for secure connections, strong intrusion...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IPFire?

The graphical interface could be much better.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IPFire?

I use IPFire ( /products/ipfire-reviews ) to protect my home.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering IPFire?

Sometimes configuring IPFire is challenging. Overall, I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

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

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos XG vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 6% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Competitors

OPNsense vs IPFire

Compared 82% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs IPFire

Compared 6% of the time

Smoothwall Firewall vs IPFire

Compared 3% of the time

Untangle NG Firewall vs IPFire

Compared 3% of the time

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) vs IPFire

Compared 2% of the time

More IPFire Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

August 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

August 2025

Download Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

August 2025

Download IPFire product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW provides centralized management with scalable security for network perimeters. As a reliable firewall, it ensures advanced threat prevention and offers seamless integration, making it suitable for various network environments.

Offering comprehensive security, Check Point Quantum Force NGFW helps control ingress and egress traffic, secures data center firewalls, and integrates seamlessly with cloud and on-premises setups. Users appreciate its application control, deep packet inspection, and identity awareness features for enhanced protection against cyber threats. Despite pricing issues and interface complexity, its IPsec VPN and robust logging provide valuable insights into network activities.

What are the key features of Check Point Quantum Force NGFW?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administrative tasks across different environments.
Advanced Threat Prevention: Shields against evolving cyber threats with real-time protection.
Deep Packet Inspection: Analyzes traffic to prevent intrusions without impacting performance.
Application Control: Manages access to applications, enhancing security policies.
IPsec VPN: Secures remote connections with encrypted tunnels.

What benefits should users consider for Check Point Quantum Force NGFW?

Scalability: Adapts to the changing needs of organizations of different sizes.
Integration Capabilities: Works alongside existing systems for a comprehensive defense strategy.
Logging and Reporting: Offers detailed insights into network activity and threats.
User-Friendly Interface: Streamlines management with intuitive controls despite initial complexity.

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW is deployed across industries for securing network boundaries, supporting critical data center operations, and enabling secure VPN connections. In finance, it helps meet stringent compliance standards, while in healthcare, it's crucial for protecting sensitive patient data through robust security protocols.

Check Point Software Technologies

IPFire enhances network security and protects against cyber threats. It provides a secure firewall, secure remote access, and customizable options. Users praise its ease of use, flexibility, and reliability for network monitoring and traffic shaping. Its valuable features include efficient firewall capabilities, a user-friendly interface, and reliable network performance.

IPFire Project

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

Control Southern, Optimal Media

1. Siemens 2. IBM 3. Cisco 4. Dell 5. HP 6. Intel 7. Oracle 8. Google 9. Microsoft 10. Amazon 11. Apple 12. Facebook 13. Twitter 14. Netflix 15. Adobe 16. SAP 17. VMware 18. Juniper Networks 19. Ericsson 20. Nokia 21. AT&T 22. Verizon 23. T-Mobile 24. Vodafone 25. Orange 26. Deutsche Telekom 27. British Telecom 28. Comcast 29. Time Warner 30. Sony 31. Samsung 32. LG

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire

July 2025

Free Report: Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire

Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

866,391 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs. IPFire report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.