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Check Point SandBlast Network vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

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
6.6
Check Point SandBlast Network increased security, reduced incidents, and enhanced business focus, yielding an 80% ROI for companies.
Sentiment score
6.3
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series boosts agility, efficiency, security, and ROI, with significant cost-effective satisfaction and improved data visibility.
Protecting around 2,000 users from cyber threats, including ransomware, has positively impacted the organization's growth by reducing disruptions and business loss.
I have seen both money and time saved as a return on investment.
Customers can see data within a week, indicating a quick return on investment.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.7
Check Point SandBlast Network support is generally praised for quick assistance, though some see room for detailed improvements.
Sentiment score
7.5
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series has responsive, knowledgeable support, though communication issues and high premium costs are noted by users.
The customer support for Check Point SandBlast Network could be improved as they are sometimes late with their responses.
The support quality could be improved.
Resolving issues promptly.
They are responsive and provide high-quality assistance.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Check Point SandBlast Network offers scalable, adaptable solutions but can be resource-intensive, especially for larger companies.
Sentiment score
7.4
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers high scalability and adaptability, with some configuration challenges but generally positive user experiences.
The scalability of Check Point SandBlast Network meets our organization's needs as we grow.
The scalability of Check Point SandBlast Network is very nice.
It is scalable but requires growing the box itself because it is a resource-intensive solution.
They are easy to upgrade, and with credit licensing, they scale effectively according to demand.
The solution is scalable and can easily handle an increase in the number of users.
It is easy to use with an excellent graphical user interface and extensive documentation, which contributes to its high scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Check Point SandBlast Network is stable and reliable, though users occasionally face minor bugs, performance issues, or connectivity problems.
Sentiment score
8.1
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is highly stable, with minor issues during updates, making it a robust choice for users.
When configured correctly with adequate resources, it functions properly.
Hardware is generally very stable.
I have not experienced any major problems or downtime.
Perfection is unlikely as the dynamic nature of traffic and constant changes can result in occasional bugs despite regular updates.
 

Room For Improvement

Check Point SandBlast Network requires enhancements in performance, integration, support, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and user training.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series needs UI, reporting, integration, cloud compatibility, scalable features, clear pricing, and enhanced AI capabilities.
Simplification of granular tuning for false positive reduction and bypassing benign files would benefit non-expert users.
The customer support for Check Point SandBlast Network could be improved as they are sometimes late with their responses.
Check Point SandBlast Network can be improved by adding more integration capabilities, such as integration with third-party firewalls, third-party EDR solutions, and SIEM.
Integration with CSIRT across all use levels would make it easier for administrators to stay updated on the blocked entities without manual intervention.
Most customers go for partner-enabled support, which involves multiple layers, leading to delays.
When managing the firewall, it involves a Strata Cloud web browser that requires improvement to enhance deployment ease and call center efficiency.
 

Setup Cost

Check Point SandBlast Network offers high yet negotiable pricing, appreciated for consolidated security and potential integration savings with free trial options.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers robust security and flexible pricing but requires careful licensing for cost-effectiveness.
Pricing is a bit costly, but considering the features and security offered by Check Point SandBlast Network, it is reasonable.
Palo Alto is expensive in terms of pricing, particularly when comparing features to cost.
The cost involves purchasing through a vendor, which might mark up due to the supply chain.
Pricing for Palo Alto Networks is higher than other OEMs, but considering the robustness and features, it gains customer trust.
 

Valuable Features

Check Point SandBlast Network enhances security with proactive threat prevention, real-time intelligence, and seamless integration for comprehensive protection.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers advanced threat management, scalability, and security for cloud and data center environments with intuitive features.
The key features of Check Point SandBlast Network include its ability to detect zero-day attacks, provide sandboxing capabilities, and offer real-time protection with threat extraction.
Check Point SandBlast Network has positively impacted my organization as it's very accurate and gives almost no false positives, providing excellent threat prevention and protecting against server zero-day attacks.
It detects zero-day exploits in suspicious and normal files, and includes forensic and reporting features that provide detailed incident analysis, malware behavior reports, and indicators of compromise.
We use these tools to prevent all known and unknown threats using Palo Alto Networks' Wildfire and other data filtering tools to gather information, analyze traffic, manage malicious traffic, and offer visibility, control, and attack prevention.
Palo Alto's robust threat intelligence supports new updates, and I can open cases directly with their Threat Intelligence team.
The DNS security significantly enhances security through visibility and detection, allowing control over crucial traffic like DNS, which is often exploited by ransomware.
 

Categories and Ranking

Check Point SandBlast Network
Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
40
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series
Ranking in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (12th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) category, the mindshare of Check Point SandBlast Network is 4.0%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is 2.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Check Point SandBlast Network4.0%
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series2.9%
Other93.1%
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
 

Featured Reviews

Abnet Tsegaye Belay - PeerSpot reviewer
Has prevented zero-day attacks by analyzing and disarming suspicious files before delivery
Check Point SandBlast Network offers wide protocol coverage. It inspects emails through SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, web downloads through HTTP and HTTPS, and file transfers. Original files are analyzed in the sandbox while users get clean copies instantly to their inbox. It detects zero-day exploits in suspicious and normal files, and includes forensic and reporting features that provide detailed incident analysis, malware behavior reports, and indicators of compromise. The wide protocol coverage is particularly valuable because suspicious activities happen across different protocols. With Check Point SandBlast Network supporting multiple protocols, there is strong protection for our networks. Since implementing Check Point SandBlast Network, we have gained enhancement in our email and web security. It protects our files, complies with different standards, and reduces lateral movement in our networks.
RonnieYazdani - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly CLI and efficient dashboard streamline operations with robust security features
I find Palo Alto Networks VM-Series easy to deploy, and none of my customers have had significant complaints. My customers have high certifications provided by Palo Alto Networks. The friendly dashboard and the ability to easily command and use the CLI make Palo Alto Networks VM-Series a better product. It offers robust solutions, making it valuable to my customers.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Performing Arts
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise13
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise24
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Check Point SandBlast Network?
The solution can detect and prevent attacks that may be encrypted.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point SandBlast Network?
I'm not in charge of costing regarding Check Point SandBlast Network, so I cannot comment on the pricing, setup cost, and licensing.
What needs improvement with Check Point SandBlast Network?
It has some performance overhead, as sandboxing takes time and real-time delivery depends on threat extraction, requiring high performance. This represents a limitation. Additionally, some sophisti...
Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls
In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it kind of depends what you value most. PA is good at app control, web filtering a...
How does Azure Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks VM Series?
Both products are very stable and easily scalable. The setup of Azure Firewall is easy and very user-friendly and the overall cost is reasonable. Azure Firewall offers a solid threat awareness, can...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edenred, State Transport Leasing Company (STLC), Edel AG, Laurenty, Conseil Départemental du Val de Marne, Koch Media
Warren Rogers Associates
Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point SandBlast Network vs. Palo Alto Networks VM-Series and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
871,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.