Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Smoothwall Firewall comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Smoothwall are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.5, while Smoothwall is ranked #41. Check Point Software Technologies holds a 3.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Smoothwall’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Smoothwall users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW and Smoothwall Firewall compete in the network security domain. Although Check Point Quantum Force NGFW is recognized for its advanced security capabilities, Smoothwall Firewall is deemed superior for its comprehensive, industry-specific features.

Features: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW includes advanced threat prevention, intrusion prevention, and application control. Smoothwall Firewall focuses on content filtering and protecting educational environments, offering tailored solutions for specific industries.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW provides streamlined deployment and extensive customer support services, ensuring seamless implementation. Smoothwall Firewall is designed for educational organizations, offering easy deployment within this sector. Check Point Quantum Force NGFW offers broader service options, which adds versatility.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point Quantum Force NGFW has a higher initial setup cost but offers a significant return on investment through enhanced security and lower maintenance needs. Smoothwall Firewall, with a lower initial cost, is an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers, particularly for educational institutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: March 2026).

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Firewalls

March 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:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) is 3.1%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Smoothwall Firewall is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.3%
Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)	3.1%
Smoothwall Firewall	0.3%
Other	78.3%

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.

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San Naing Htun

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.

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Himanshu-Sharma

Senior Engineer at Qualic

Offers good scalability and monitoring features

There is room for improvement in the UI. They can improve it by making it so that everything is in one place, so we don't have to jump around to different pages. For example, if we're creating a rule, we should be able to do everything on the same page. Just a drop-down thing or something. This would improve productivity.

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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

"Has a very user-friendly interface and doesn't require any prior knowledge."

"The initial installation is very straightforward."

"The GUI is very simple, and what is very good is that every product, regardless of size, has the same interface."

"I like Fortinet's cloud management. It allows me to manage all my devices in different branches for three cloud accounts. Even though I use on-prem devices, I can manage everything on the cloud."

"In terms of security, Fortinet FortiGate SWG is superior compared to Cisco."

"The installation was super easy, we were up and running in less than 50 minutes."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are remote access, web filtering, and IPS."

"The combined license for the network, the next-generation firewall, and the integration with SD-WAN for all branches are what I consider to be the best features. It's effective for multi-branch customers."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"We never had an outage of the appliances or the consoles; stability is very strong and I never had a problem related to stability."

"The Check Point Next Generation Firewall solution has allowed us to improve our protection scenario as it is above other products that we have known."

"The packet inspection capabilities are great."

"Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) offers traffic inspection and logs, which greatly improve security and allows access to the internet in a secure way, protecting users from malicious files while downloading documents."

"Working for one of the largest companies, I found that using Check Point has made firewall provisioning very easy for us, and integration with the above-mentioned tools has eased the process of PCI audit, security compliance, and rule recertification."

"We have all the features we want or need in this appliance. It's been good so far."

"Advanced logging capabilities: Check Point generates extensive logs which may be very useful to figure out the issues. Its logs also contain too much information which can be used to modify the policy as per user need and organizational security environment. The same can be used to figure out probable attack surface or necessary steps for mitigation."

"The solution offers very good central management, which saves time and is hassle-free."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"It was easy to initially deploy it."

Cons

"With the addition of some features, it is possible that FortiGate can be used in all verticals."

"For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial."

"The reports are very basic."

"Its web interface needs to be more stable, and more functional, through the variety of browsers."

"We had some experiences where they release something new and great, but some of the old features are disabled or they don't work well, which impacts the product satisfaction."

"Fortinet needs more memory to save the log files. We need it to save the logs on the hardware and not in the cloud. I know this feature is available in FortiCloud, but if we need this log locally, it is not available."

"My only complaint about FortiGate is a lack of QinQ VLAN tunneling."

"Need to Improvement in Reporting"

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"In our particular case, we have different web applications developed by the same organization, however, that requires a specialized protection element such as a WAF."

"In the past year, we faced severe downtime that lasted many days due to a misconfiguration."

"I want better (DPI) Deep Packet Inspection in Check Point NGFW."

"The user interface could be more user-friendly."

"The area where Check Point can improve is the antivirus, as it only provides a small number of updates for it. Updates should be more frequent."

"The initial setup is hard. It took about three months to deploy."

"In terms of what could be improved, I would say the application control and the visibility. I'd like granularity where you can have all the levels of policies that are defined, including the intel threat. It depends on what kind of intel threat the company has."

"We need east/west Check Point firewalls in order to do micro-segmentation."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

"There is room for improvement in the UI. They can improve it by making it so that everything is in one place, so we don't have to jump around to different pages."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing of the solution is very competitive."

"It's one of the more expensive brands. The 100 series costs around $4,000. They are similar in pricing to what you might get from Cisco solutions and probably other similar ones. They're not more expensive than other similar solutions, but they're certainly not cheaper either."

"Pricing for Fortinet FortiGate SWG is more suitable for enterprise or large-sized organizations because they are the ones who can afford it versus small and medium-sized organizations."

"Licensing for Fortinet FortiGate is on a yearly basis. Pricing for it is a bit high. It could be cheaper."

"Fortinet prices are around $600 for the small 40F model, and for licenses, the simplest option is about $300 for a year. They sell licenses that can last for 1, 2, 3, or 5 years."

"The pricing is better compared to other solutions like Check Point, Arista, or Cisco."

"It's not the cheapest, but it's value for money. Given everything we've got out of it: the DMZ port, the VPN, and the high availability, it's a pretty reasonable price."

"The price depends on the size of the company. From the beginning, you just want to know the internet bandwidths, speed, and the number of users to be able to offer the right product and model. They have a lot of products in FortiGate according to the size of the company, like 200D and 300D."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Check Point NGFW is expensive."

"Pricing is good. The price is very reasonable for enterprise customers."

"The price is on the higher side."

"The licensing is straightforward; there are only three types of licenses that include NGFW, NGTP, and SNBT, so the organization can choose its license according to their requirements."

"There are competitors that have more expensive solutions than Check Point NGFW, such as Palo Alto. There are times when Check Point NGFW can have good offerings with a three-year license. The presence of Palo Alto has been heavily invested in marketing."

"The licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis and I am happy with the pricing."

"If you use the features then it's cost-effective. Otherwise, it's expensive."

"You get licensing bundles, so depending on which features you want to activate, your license is going to be more expensive. Some things, like Threat Extraction and Threat Emulation, require subscriptions."

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

16%

University

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Educational Organization

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	364
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	190

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	161
Midsize Enterprise	95
Large Enterprise	198

No data available

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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 ...

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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...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

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

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 13% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 5% of the time

OPNsense vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Competitors

OPNsense vs Smoothwall Firewall

Compared 30% of the time

IPFire vs Smoothwall Firewall

Compared 22% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Smoothwall Firewall

Compared 22% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Smoothwall Firewall

Compared 8% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Smoothwall Firewall

Compared 7% of the time

More Smoothwall Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

March 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

March 2026

Download Smoothwall Firewall product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

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

Smoothwall Firewall ensures network safety and compliance through robust content filtering, safeguarding educational institutions by providing appropriate online access and effective threat protection.

Smoothwall Firewall focuses on content filtering and network security for educational institutions, ensuring students access appropriate online resources while protecting against cyber threats. It offers detailed internet usage reports and helps maintain seamless network performance. Users find its ease of management and advanced threat protection beneficial, although some note complexities in setup and reporting features.

What are the key features of Smoothwall Firewall?

Content Filtering: Exceptional capabilities to ensure safe and appropriate online access.
Real-Time Monitoring: Keeps constant vigilance over network usage and threats.
Robust Security: Offers advanced threat protection to safeguard network environments.
Ease of Use: Simplifies management with an intuitive interface and responsive customer support.
Comprehensive Reporting: Provides detailed reports on internet usage and security threats.
Customizable Filtering: Tailors security measures to meet specific requirements.

What benefits and ROI can users expect from Smoothwall Firewall?

Enhanced Safety: Protects against cyber threats and ensures safe online access.
Compliance: Helps institutions adhere to internet usage policies efficiently.
Ease of Management: Simplifies the administration of network security.
Detailed Insights: Provides comprehensive reports on network and internet usage.
Customizability: Offers tailored security settings to meet specific needs.

Smoothwall Firewall is widely used in educational sectors to enhance network security and manage internet usage. Its content filtering and monitoring capabilities ensure a protected and compliant online environment. Though implementation can be complex, its robust security and comprehensive support make it a valuable choice for institutions focusing on safeguarding their networks.

Smoothwall

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

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