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Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate vs Sophos Firewall comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.0
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) boosts productivity, efficiency, and savings, integrating features for enhanced security, management, and user experience.
Sentiment score
5.8
Fortinet FortiGate offers high ROI with cost savings, enhanced security, and increased productivity, driving widespread user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
6.3
Sophos Firewall enhances security and efficiency, reducing costs and reliance on IT staff, with a favorable return on investment.
This is a time-saving measure because we don't need to deploy a cluster or a firewall each time; we just create a virtual system on the management server using the same appliance.
Security Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees
Incident response time has reduced significantly, and downtime due to network issues has been minimized, leading to an improved return on investment.
Ot Security Network Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
The fact that we've not had any breach toward the data center side is plenty enough.
Enterprise Network Engineer at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems
The costs have increased with Sophos XGS in the last few years, with license prices going up by 30%, doubling from $2,500 to about $5,000, which is a big challenge for us.
IT Manager at Bavaria Egypt S.A.E.
The graphical interface of Sophos XG simplifies configurations, saving time in support and troubleshooting compared to the Linux-based solution I previously used.
Head ICT at NIC Uganda
We purchased endpoint security for the first time last year, and even without endpoint security, it provides comprehensive security.
IT Manager , SAP HANA Administrator at Tara Paints & Chemicals
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.1
Check Point Quantum Force support offers fast, knowledgeable assistance, but users report varying satisfaction and occasional slow resolutions.
Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiGate support is generally well-rated for responsiveness and expertise, though experiences vary by region and complexity.
Sentiment score
6.6
Sophos Firewall's support is generally well-regarded, but some users experience delays, language barriers, and inconsistent quality.
The support team we engaged was knowledgeable and well-versed with the application.
Sr. Cyber Security and Solutions Architect at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
We have escalated issues to Check Point technical support multiple times and have received timely and very good responses.
Solution Architect at Techbridge Distribution
Even challenging issues like those with VPNs have been resolved efficiently with their help.
Solutions Architect at NTT DATA
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.
Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch
Their team was quick to diagnose and resolve the problem by exchanging the equipment within two weeks.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
Any issues are quickly addressed by their support team, which is not common among all OEM manufacturers.
Owner at a marketing services firm with 11-50 employees
When my customers raise a ticket, a customer representative calls them immediately to address their queries.
Sales Representative at AVNS
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Check Point Quantum Force scales effectively, accommodating growth with R82 ElasticXL and Maestro, supporting seamless distributed deployments.
Sentiment score
7.1
Fortinet FortiGate effectively scales for diverse enterprises, despite occasional hardware limitations and complexities in adding new devices.
Sentiment score
7.0
Sophos Firewall's scalability is effective for SMEs but criticized due to hardware limitations compared to some competitors.
If specified correctly, even the smaller boxes offer high session and bandwidth rates, making the solution highly scalable, even up to telco-level requirements.
Solutions Architect at NTT DATA
It is easy to scale up by adding capacity through clustering or upgrading the license, and it effectively handles spikes in remote user connections or increased east-west traffic without noticeable bottlenecks.
Assistant Manager at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Scalability must be carefully planned for, considering future growth and user base increases.
Head of Technology at Techfruits
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
IT Manager at Daltons Limited
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo
You can scale up to multiple firewalls with centralized management.
Technical Consultant at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
You can't upgrade memory or storage on a specific model, which limits scalability.
Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions
Since it uses the underlying Kubernetes infrastructure, it can scale easily if the Kubernetes cluster is sufficiently large.
CTO at GCET
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Check Point Quantum Force users report mixed stability, with praise for uptime but concerns about VPN issues and stability enhancements.
Sentiment score
7.7
Fortinet FortiGate is stable, with minor issues mostly resolved by updates, and users rate its stability highly.
Sentiment score
7.9
Sophos Firewall is praised for stability and reliability, with users appreciating its consistent performance and minimal issues.
While the solution is generally stable, there are complications, such as requiring SmartConsole for deployment and upgrades, which can be time-consuming.
Head of Technology at Techfruits
I have worked with Check Point products for 15 years and haven't found any stability or performance issues.
Solution Architect at Techbridge Distribution
The use of Check Point firewalls has helped improve our security posture without any downtime.
Ot Security Network Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It is rated at nine out of ten for stability and is very reliable.
Director Technical Services at TechnoBIZ
Sophos XG is very stable, even when serving as a DHCP server.
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
Sophos XGS is stable now, and I would rate its stability as a ten out of ten.
IT Manager at Bavaria Egypt S.A.E.
 

Room For Improvement

Check Point Quantum Force users face stability issues, desire better integration, support, training, and improvements in dashboard and VPN configurations.
Fortinet FortiGate users face stability issues, high costs, complex interfaces, and desire improvements in support, integration, and features.
Sophos Firewall users struggle with connectivity, interface complexity, stability issues, support needs, and desire enhanced features and scalability.
AI-driven features would be highly valuable—particularly those that enable bulk operations and efficient handling of large numbers of objects or object groups.
Technical Specialist at Softcell Technologies Limited
One thing that would help in improving Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) is having more flexible dashboards that I can tailor without relying on templates.
system administrator at Orbcom,Lda.
Other products, like FortiGate, are perceived as more intuitive because they are easier to configure from the start.
Solutions Architect at NTT DATA
These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.
Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.
Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company
It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Business cannot stop just because of issues with support.
Sr. Manager (Technology) at Contessabd
Tekton also has an unstable API with frequent changes, making it challenging to maintain consistency across versions.
CTO at GCET
It would be beneficial if Sophos XGS offered an end-to-end solution with competitive pricing.
Head of IT at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
 

Setup Cost

Check Point Quantum Force is costly but valuable for its strong security, with a complex licensing model requiring negotiation.
Fortinet FortiGate is cost-effective and flexible compared to competitors, but may be expensive for small businesses.
Sophos Firewall offers competitive mid-range pricing with subscription-based licensing and discounts, though advanced features may incur extra costs.
In comparison to Fortinet and other products, the pricing may be considered high.
Head of Technology at Techfruits
licensing is very pricey
Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Compared to other solutions, the pricing of Check Point NGFW is high.
Solution Architect at Techbridge Distribution
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios
It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.
IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1
It is about 20% cheaper.
Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX
Currently, it costs about four million shillings in Kenya.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
The cost depends on the package you are in, such as full threat management or basic.
Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions
The last instance I purchased was for three years, around $3,700 for SDG 125.
CEO at Tawassul Technology
 

Valuable Features

Check Point Quantum Force excels in VPN, threat prevention, centralized management, and scalability with user-friendly security features.
Fortinet FortiGate offers robust security features, user-friendly interface, scalability, affordability, and centralized management, ideal for diverse applications.
Sophos Firewall offers seamless VPN, integration, intuitive management, robust security, and scalability, enhancing productivity and ensuring a secure environment.
The firewall's default behavior of blocking all traffic, including a cleanup rule that blocks everything from external to internal sources, is highly valuable for protecting our network.
Technical engineer (SOC Analyst) at Hitachi Systems, Ltd.
The most valuable features in my experience include perimeter firewalling, cloud and mobile security, application control, URL filtering, DLP, threat prevention, intrusion protection, and safeguarding against malware, botnets, and zero-day attacks.
Solutions Architect at NTT DATA
Since implementing it, we have noticed a lot less getting through that maybe other antivirus within firewalls had failed to catch.
Network Administrator at POET, LLC
We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.
Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions
They put in a thing called the FortiCookbook, which is very easy to read with real-life scenarios that make networking tasks like joining networks very straightforward.
IT Manager at Daltons Limited
The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks.
Sales & Support at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
The firewall feature of Sophos XG has been the most effective for threat prevention.
Information Technology Specialist at stelios@biolandenergy.com
If any file is detected as malicious on any endpoint or firewall, Sophos Central immediately identifies the threat and publishes the information across all endpoints and firewalls.
Manager at rspl
It's able to detect cloud applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams and allows traffic shaping based on the application.
Security Engineer at Mavisco Resources Sdn Bhd
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) is 3.1%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Firewall is 9.4%, down from 12.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate18.3%
Sophos Firewall9.4%
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)3.1%
Other69.19999999999999%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

San Naing Htun - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Has improved threat prevention and protection but presents deployment and licensing challenges
The best features Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) offers are AI-powered threat prevention, zero-day protection, unified management, and scalability. These features have helped me in my daily work or my organization by allowing us, as a SAAS company operating across AWS, Azure, and handling external partner access or a multi-tenant model, to preemptively stop unknown attacks, which is critical. Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) has positively impacted my organization as it is a high-end enterprise grade firewall. I have noticed that it is very good if your SAAS business has high traffic volume, serious threat prevention requirements, and you are ready for the investment.
Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Nassif  Kaleny - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Bavaria Egypt S.A.E.
Dynamic web and mail filtering contribute to improved security measures
The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats. It just tells me that there is something during a certain time but does not provide information about the type of threats or how to get rid of them. This needs improvement.
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Comparison Review

it_user216600 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business161
Midsize Enterprise95
Large Enterprise198
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business364
Midsize Enterprise135
Large Enterprise191
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business207
Midsize Enterprise61
Large Enterprise53
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point NGFW?
The pricing and licensing for Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) are fair, but they can feel complex initially. The val...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 si...
What are the main differences in features between Sophos XG and FortiGate 80F?
Hi Arvind P , The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Fact...
 

Also Known As

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall
Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall
Sophos XG, Sophos XGS
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Control Southern, Optimal Media
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
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls. Updated: March 2026.
885,789 professionals have used our research since 2012.