Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL] comparison

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Check Point Software Technologies and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Check Point Quantum Force (...

Read 346 Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) reviews

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21,618 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Read 34 WatchGuard XTM [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Check Point Quantum Force (...

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

WatchGuard XTM [EOL] and Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) are direct competitors in cybersecurity, with Check Point Quantum Force offering superior features and pricing justification based on advanced functionalities.

Features: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] offers ease of use, reliable security controls, and network management. Check Point Quantum Force provides advanced threat prevention, integrated cloud security, and scalability features, with a focus on sophisticated threat defenses.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] could enhance its threat prevention capabilities and increase scalability. Check Point Quantum Force may improve by simplifying deployment and expanding customer support resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is known for straightforward deployment and solid support, suitable for businesses of varied sizes. Check Point Quantum Force demands a more complex setup, supported by comprehensive customer service tied to its advanced features.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] offers appealing initial costs and respectable ROI for budget-conscious buyers. Check Point Quantum Force requires a higher upfront investment, promising higher ROI through its enhanced capabilities, reflecting a pricing strategy aligned with feature richness.

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

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Check Point Quantum Force (...

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

346

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (6th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (2nd)

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Dev Saini

Network Security Engineer at Connecting Cyber Networks

Advanced threat prevention has protected our perimeter and simplifies daily security operations

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) can be improved in several areas. First, the interface could be a little more intuitive for new users. The Smart Console is powerful, but it has a steep learning curve when you start using it. Some simple functions for common tasks would help. Second, the initial setup and configuration take quite a bit of time and expertise. It would be helpful if there were more guides, wizards, or templates to speed that up. Third, the price model could be more transparent and flexible. The license cost can add up quickly, specifically when you want to add more advanced features. Finally, I would appreciate seeing better integration with some third-party security tools we use. Right now, we have to do a lot of manual work to make everything talk to each other. Overall, these are minor things. The core product is really solid and does what it is supposed to do very well. The documentation could be more comprehensive in some areas. When we run into issues, the documentation does not have clear answers, so we end up contacting support. Speaking of support, the response time could be faster sometimes. We have had cases where we need help with a certain security issue, and it takes longer than we would prefer to get a response. As for features, it would be nice to have more general reporting options so we can customize reports for different teams and stakeholders without having to do manual work afterward. One more thing, better mobile access to the dashboard would be helpful. Sometimes we need to check on security alerts when we are away from the office, and the mobile experience is not as smooth as it could be. Again, these are improvements that would make it even better, not issues with the core product itself.

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Generalm4545

General Manager- IT & Automation - Serum at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Protects from attack software and hacking but it doesn't provide the reports in a readable format

In my opinion, image clarity is very important, because I don't get the proper image product on reports. This means that functionality is not there. My engineer does not know how he can replace an order. We attach a log after any kind of keys using a utility instead. For the internet policies that we are implementing, the policy should be based on proper protocols. We use the default policies and there are a number of third-party protocols that appear here. Management with WatchGuard XTM means that out of policy is the problem from our side. In this way, we can not do effective services for people with this one. The policy definition with WatchGuard XTM is not proper for all use case requirements. I've got weekly business reports that I am expecting attachments with from WatchGuard XTM that display data for all kinds of consideration which should be required. Main User Functionality Level Order must adhere to using the admin functionality on the registry, or else our users publish their own name. Maybe these recommendations are irrelevant, but I say that the issue to improve most with WatchGuard XTM is the Main User Function.

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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

"Identity Awareness has been an absolute gamechanger in how we've been able to create rules within the company."

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

"We have a lot of flexibility now, and a leg up identifying zero-day threats."

"Every product has its drawbacks and advantages, but I am very happy with this solution."

"After introducing this NGFW, we have improved our security posture, and now, have peace of mind."

"Check Point firewalls are one of the most easy-to-use complete firewall solutions on the market."

"Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) helps us in our day-to-day work by providing a micro-level understanding of who has been using unwanted applications, how the bandwidth is consumed, what applications users are using, and how much it impacts our business, giving us higher visibility."

"Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) is the best security gateway in the market, as it efficiently prevents threats or malicious activities that can harm our private network and resources using application control, antivirus, and sandboxing."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"Packet filters and proxy policies are valuable features, as they allow you to configure restrictions by domain name and are useful to block web pages that have multiple IP addresses, such as Facebook."

"It's a solid firewall option with new and useful features typically being added with each new firmware release."

"This product has helped in securing my SQL database and web applications from DDoS attacks and SQL injections, improved my network speed, and helped me to set specific policies for specific applications which I couldn't do with other products."

"I like the hostwatch because I can see what traffic uses the most bandwidth and I can block that site."

"We have used technical support for WatchGuard many times and overall, we are satisfied with it. They are always listening and there is a good reaction time to our findings. When there are issues, they really try to resolve them."

"I have found the GUI interface to be invaluable, as it is very intuitive and easy to manage."

"It costs less than the SO works and others (like SonicWall, Cisco, and Barracuda) without increasing so much CPU use."

"A WatchGuard creates new ways to secure your network."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"The tool’s architecture could be improved a bit."

"The main area that the organization can improve is around the lack of local, in-state technical support."

"Check Point doesn't warn us when rules are about to expire. It was also inconvenient that we had to change hardware when we upgraded. It would be nice if they made the new version compatible with current hardware or if it only required a minor upgrade."

"If you have the standard support level, sometimes they take a long time to understand or even give you a solution or good workaround to a problematic situation."

"There are specific parts of the interface that are confusing or harder to navigate."

"The only thing which I think should be improved is that training should be increased. In my position I also interview potential employees and I haven't found many people in the market, nowadays, who are familiar with the Check Point firewall. They are more familiar with Palo Alto and Cisco ASA and they are more comfortable with them."

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

"The one thing I have been continually asking for is a more robust certification process including self-paced study material similar to Cisco's Security certification track."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

"The WatchGuard gateway wireless functionality for managing access points leaves much to be desired."

"The web interface is easy to use but it looks complicated and could be simplified."

"Initially WatchGuard assured us regarding endpoint security, but we are not sure that the product provides endpoint security features to its full extent."

"We still haven't got the Terminal Service agent to work in our Citrix environment Application Signature also doesn't work well especially in SSL traffic"

"Unfortunately, I could not disable the default Outgoing policy and if I do all clients could not access the internet even if I created another Outgoing Policy to replace the default one."

"One huge issue with WatchGuard XTM is that I'm not getting reports in a readable format."

"Licensing should be improved."

"I’m not in favor having to setup security proxy settings instead of just turning them on like you do with the SonicWALL enhanced OS."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is high in comparison to other solutions."

"I don't see that Check Point is very high, but it is geared more towards enterprises."

"The pricing and licensing are pretty steep. They know that they are good, so they are pricey."

"It is a notably expensive product in our country compared to FortiGate and other servers."

"It's reasonably priced, but competitors offer much cheaper options."

"There is an annual license required for this solution."

"Licensing is pretty straightforward and is based on the blades available, such as NGFW, NGTP, and NGTX."

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

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

"Get at least a maintenance contract for the updates and take a larger WatchGuard than you need. A WatchGuard creates new ways to secure your network."

"The licensing and renewal is very expensive."

"It costs less than the SO works and others (like SonicWall, Cisco, and Barracuda) without increasing so much CPU use."

"Like all other manufacturers, there are a lot of features and different pricing. The best is to talk to a representative."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

24%

Construction Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

14%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Marketing Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	164
Midsize Enterprise	93
Large Enterprise	199

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

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). -Check Point GUI is a bit complicated, -Application and Web filtering are better t...

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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 cloud platform, autoscaling, and the ability for users to create virtual IP addr...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point NGFW?

Our experience with pricing for Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) has been mixed. The initial setup costs were fairly significant because we needed to buy the hardware appliances and then pay for th...

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Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 16% of the time

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

Compared 14% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 11% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 21% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 7% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 7% of the time

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

September 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

August 2026

Download WatchGuard XTM [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

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

Small businesses need big security, too, and the WatchGuard XTM Series firewall/VPN appliances deliver that strong protection, but without the hefty price tag. Enterprise-grade security includes full HTTPS content inspection, VoIP support, and optional security subscriptions like Application Control and Intrusion Prevention Service.

WatchGuard

Sample Customers

Control Southern, Optimal Media

AVG, Cyren, Kaspersky Lab, Lastline, NCP engineering, Trend Micro, Websense

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Cisco and others in Firewalls. Updated: August 2026.

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