Check Point Quantum Force vs Cisco IOS Security comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Cisco are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.7, while Cisco is ranked #29 with an average rating of 9.0. Additionally, 100% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 16, 2025

Cisco IOS Security and Check Point Quantum Force are competing products in the network security space. Check Point Quantum Force appears to have the upper hand with its focus on advanced threat prevention and policy management.

Features: Cisco IOS Security offers seamless integration with existing Cisco infrastructure, Secure Network Analytics, and TrustSec. Check Point Quantum Force provides sophisticated threat emulation, unified management, and comprehensive threat prevention for multi-layered security.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS Security benefits from smoother deployment through integration with existing Cisco hardware and extensive support. Check Point Quantum Force offers a straightforward deployment and proactive support, which is a notable advantage in maintaining security.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS Security offers competitive pricing, making it appealing for businesses already using Cisco systems, optimizing ROI with existing infrastructure. Check Point Quantum Force might have higher setup costs, but its advanced features are considered a worthwhile investment in comprehensive security environments.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco IOS Security Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco IOS Security

December 2025

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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

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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Abnet Tsegaye Belay

Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Has strengthened perimeter security through AI-driven protection and unified management

I have noticed some limitations with Check Point Quantum Force. There is a limitation in integrating with existing infrastructure, such as orchestration and logging, specifically with VPNs. VPNs are hard and sophisticated to deploy on this firewall. However, it is improving currently. Some performance aspects need higher resources. If you do not give it higher resources, it will slow down your network. It is a trade-off - if you have higher resources, you will have good performance. The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs. It has to be simpler to understand.

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Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection

We are a Gold Partner with Cisco. Our customers come from various industries, including service providers, and we target service providers and enterprise customers.We do not extensively use Zone-Based Firewalls in Cisco IOS Security, instead typically deploying standalone firewalls such as Cisco FTDs or Cisco ASA devices. For threat analytics and vulnerability scanning, we utilize third-party vendors with dedicated devices and software. We use products such as Tenable from Nessus for this type of analysis. We have implemented Secure Access Control Server in Cisco IOS Security, which combines multiple security mechanisms including AAA, 802.1X for network access control with Cisco ICE, TrustSec for identity-based segmentation, and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco IOS Security's VPN support is comprehensive and increasingly important in daily communication, from basic site-to-site tunnels to remote access VPNs and SD-WAN secure VPNs. Protecting and encrypting communication is essential in modern networks. The challenges with Cisco IOS Security are more operational than product-related. There is an understaffing issue, making automation and orchestration capabilities particularly valuable. For the products themselves, we only encounter routine operational matters such as addressing new vulnerabilities and patching. For those considering Cisco IOS Security, it is important to understand that Cisco offers a complete ecosystem. When embracing the Cisco ecosystem fully, customers receive excellent products and comprehensive solutions. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cisco IOS Security a 9.

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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

"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 solution's application control is very powerful."

"It has the same functionalities throughout the range of products."

"It is useful for protecting and segregating the internal networks from the internet. Most of our customers also use the FortiGate client to connect to their offices by using the VPN client, and of course, they usually activate the antivirus, deep inspection, and intrusion prevention services. They are also using it for web filtering and implementing various policies dealing with forwardings, NAT, etc."

"The strengths of Fortinet FortiGate include network security, VPN, site-to-site tunnels, client VPN solutions, two-factor authentication for VPN clients, and SD-WAN for branch level. We have implemented these solutions for various customers."

"It is easy to use and update the software version. It is also useful for integration with other Fortinet products, because my office and company use Fortinet solutions."

"SSL-VPN is very useful for us and has been very reliable."

"The solution has a user-friendly interface."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The outcomes from Check Point Quantum Force firewall gave us the ability to be fit and secure from the cyber world."

"The most valuable features I find in Check Point Quantum Force are the security policy features, including all security features that are provided by firewall, IPS/IDS."

"The security features and layered security features are better compared to others."

"The hardware is pretty stable. It's also a very good product performance-wise. Initially, it wasn't mature like a firewall and there were other leaders, but now they have included almost all the features of next-generation security. Basically, it's a good product to work with."

"Cisco is head-and-shoulders above all of the competition when it comes to technical support."

"The most valuable feature is endpoint protection."

"The VPN connection portal scan works flawlessly, which was a big plus for us."

"Technical support for this solution is very good."

"Cisco has always been a premium product. There's a lot of other entry-level solutions. This is more robust."

"The security is very good."

"I've found their network routing to be very good."

More Cisco IOS Security pros

Cons

"I would rate the technical support of Fortinet a six or seven out of ten. It is not very helpful. I would like to see improvements in their support."

"The solution must improve the support provided for customers around the globe, considering the time differences in different places."

"One of the weaknesses of the solution is something we noticed, especially after comparing the tool with SD-WAN features, since, unfortunately, in a massive scale size environment, the solution is not good. I"

"There should be some open-source training or free training for decision makers, or some webinars should be available. These would help understand the new product line and the existing product line features."

"The support is inadequate. The support staff I have dealt with lately are very rude. Some support staff are not up-to-speed with the technology. They basically read a script."

"In the scenarios coming from Sophos, it has not."

"If I had any criticism that I would give FortiGate, it would be that they need to stop changing their logging format. Every time we do a firmware upgrade, it is a massive issue on the SIM. Parsers have to be rebuilt. Even the FortiGate guys came in and said that they don't play well in the sandbox."

"The customization could be improved. Cisco, for example, is much better at this. They need to work to be at least as good as they are."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Check Point Quantum Force does not have strong local support. We are based in India, and Check Point Quantum Force does not have extensive local support in our region."

"I have observed weaknesses in Check Point Quantum Force, particularly when configuring tunnels from any point product to a peer, which has very complex configuration requirements."

"The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs."

"While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced."

"In the security portfolio from Cisco, the issue is marketing. Cisco is still seen primarily as an enterprise network player rather than being acknowledged as a security vendor."

"We faced significant challenges related to licensing issues, particularly when licenses expire."

"Most of their features are meant for Cisco. You cannot integrate them with any other vendor."

"Cisco very slowly introduces and implements the products, unlike other brands."

"I would love it if it has a link-by-link feature, integration with Unified Threat Management (UTM), and load balancers. They haven't got any link-by-link feature right now, which can be a very attractive option. This link-by-link feature can also be made available for Cisco's UTM firewalls. The link-by-link feature is available in some of the other firewalls. Currently, integration with UTM is missing. Cisco IOS Security also doesn't have the load balancers and a few things that need to be done to get a good UTM firewall. Normally, other firewalls have UTM. As a next-generation firewall, it's good, but as a UTM, it has to do some work."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"We cannot directly upgrade the system. The tool's deployment is also very difficult in legacy environments. The tool needs to have bigger ports as well."

More Cisco IOS Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no challenge in Fortinet FortiGate pricing."

"The product pricing is reasonable."

"If the price of the license in Fortinet FortiGate was less expensive it would be better."

"The price could be lower."

"If you are looking for a quality product, it will come at a higher price. Expecting them to be significantly cheaper is unrealistic. In terms of pricing, it is a bit costly. However, the functionality and support offered are worth it."

"It is not the cheapest one, but its price is very competitive."

"The beauty is the price performance ratio is great with FortiGate. It provides all the features we needed and the price is comparable with others' firewalls. The price is quite competitive with the firewalls with similar features."

"Its price could be better."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The tool could be priced lower. If you want advanced services, then you need to purchase them."

"It is necessary to pay for a license in order to use the solution. It is on a yearly basis and the price is high."

"Cisco IOS Security is not very expensive, and pricing depends on where you live. It's affordable for both individuals and institutions. On a scale from one to five, I would give Cisco's pricing a four."

"The pricing is okay. It is competitive. It costs more when you need get more features."

"The pricing for Cisco IOS Security is reasonable compared to other Cisco products."

"The pricing is very expensive. Normally I do a yearly contract; I don't know the exact pricing, but it's around $75,000 USD per year. That's the standard licensing."

"The pricing is expensive."

"You can get a better price if you commit to a longer-term license. Three years, five years, or even seven or ten years will be cheaper than a three-month or one-year term."

More Cisco IOS Security pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Computer Software Company

23%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

Questions from the Community

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

In terms of pricing, setup cost, and licensing, many users and clients say that the pricing is high. The license stru...

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What needs improvement with Check Point Quantum Force?

I have observed weaknesses in Check Point Quantum Force, particularly when configuring tunnels from any point product...

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What is your primary use case for Check Point Quantum Force?

I am currently working with Fortinet Firewall, Fortinet Switch, Fortinet Authenticator, FortiNet Net, Fortinet Authen...

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What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It off...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending o...

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What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

Regarding improvements in Cisco IOS Security, what consistently confuses me is the inability of Cisco to maintain a c...

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Comparisons

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Compared 13% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

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Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 13% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 10% of the time

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Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 8% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 8% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 8% of the time

Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

January 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security

January 2026

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

IOS Security

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 is an advanced cybersecurity platform providing robust protection for enterprise environments. Designed for flexibility and scalability, it effectively safeguards sensitive data and ensures secure network operations.

As a next-generation cybersecurity platform, Check Point Quantum Force integrates multiple security layers to address emerging threats. It offers powerful threat prevention tools, adaptive security policies, and real-time threat intelligence. The platform caters to dynamic business needs, supporting seamless integration across technology infrastructures.

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

Threat Prevention: Real-time analysis and mitigation of potential cyber threats.
Adaptive Security: Automated security policy adjustments based on activity insights.
Scalability: Supports growth with seamless cybersecurity infrastructure expansion.
Threat Intelligence: Continuous updates providing insights on recent threats.

What benefits or ROI should users evaluate in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Affords long-term savings through minimized risk of data breaches.
Enhanced Security: Provides comprehensive protection against varied cybersecurity threats.
Operational Continuity: Ensures minimal disruption to business functions with proactive security measures.
Ease of Integration: Simplifies integration into existing IT systems without extensive overhauls.

Check Point Quantum Force is implemented in industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, offering tailored security solutions to meet sector-specific regulatory and operational demands. By leveraging its adaptable architecture, businesses in these industries effectively manage risk while ensuring customer data privacy and compliance with industry standards.

Check Point Software Technologies

Cisco IOS Software delivers a sophisticated set of security capabilities for a comprehensive, layered security approach throughout your network infrastructure. Cisco IOS security technologies help to defend critical business processes against attack and disruption, protect privacy, and support policy and regulatory compliance controls.

Cisco

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

Information Not Available

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco IOS Security

December 2025

Free Report: Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco IOS Security

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