Cisco IOS Security vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

Cisco and Sangfor are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Cisco is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.2, while Sangfor is ranked #19 with an average rating of 7.8. Cisco holds a 0.3% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sangfor’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Sangfor users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

Cisco IOS Security and Sangfor NGAF compete in the network security category. Cisco has a slight edge due to its extensive integration and robust features suited for larger enterprises, while Sangfor appeals with its affordability and ease of management for smaller enterprises.

Features: Cisco IOS Security includes comprehensive AAA security, seamless VPN integration, and sophisticated firewall capabilities, making it highly scalable and efficiently aligned with Cisco products. Sangfor NGAF focuses on user-friendly application control, real-time threat detection, and cost-effective security features, appealing to small to medium businesses.

Room for Improvement: Cisco faces hurdles with ACL management and configuration complexity, especially when integrating with non-Cisco solutions. Improvements are desired in automatic signature updates. Sangfor NGAF could enhance its reporting and logging capabilities, and its setup is noted for being complex, with a non-intuitive interface.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco offers versatile deployment options from on-premises to hybrid cloud setups and reliable technical support, though regional support may be limited. Sangfor mirrors this deployment flexibility but could enhance speed and knowledge in customer service, with limitations in localized support compared to Cisco.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS Security aligns its higher pricing with extensive enterprise features, resulting in complex licensing structures that might be costly for smaller organizations. Sangfor NGAF's pricing is competitive and more accessible for small businesses, promising a lower total cost of ownership, which is attractive for budget-sensitive scenarios. Both solutions are praised for strong ROI through improved security and management efficiency.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS Security vs. Sangfor NGAF Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Sangfor NGAF

July 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

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.8%, up from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.3%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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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Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

Rrobust network security and device authentication with advanced access control features

This solution should be implemented for most enterprise-level customers. It ensures that users accessing the corporate network or wireless network with their own devices are authenticated and authorized. As a network administrator, I can track who is accessing the network, what devices they are…

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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The price-to-performance ratio for using Fortinet FortiGate is always better compared to any other competitor, so they are rated better than the likes of Check Point or Palo Alto."

"The solution is scalable."

"By utilizing features such as dynamic path selection and application-aware routing, we've been able to reduce latency for critical applications such as VoIP and video by 20-30% during peak times."

"It is simple to manage, and there are a lot of functionalities in the same box."

"For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable."

"FortiGate's web and URL filtering are unlike any other firewall I've used. The functionality of URL filtering in those solutions is problematic because everything is encrypted, and firewalls can't break that encryption protocol. Fortinet has an SSL proxy, so the encryption is done before the packet ever leaves the FortiGate. The URL filter is definitely one of the most helpful features."

"FortiGate is more feature-rich and has a broader range of hardware. T"

"Our security improved from being able to put in rules and close off unwanted traffic."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable features are DNS service and shell self-service within a network."

"It is less expensive than alternative firewalls."

"The solution is very user-friendly and easy to deal with."

"Cisco IOS Security is very robust and works very well."

"The solution is stable."

"Cisco Technical Assistance Center works on a follow-the-sun concept and gives real 24x7 customer support, which is a great advantage when you have a service contract with them."

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

"It covers everything we need it to without looking to secondary solutions."

More Cisco IOS Security pros

"The capabilities are mostly within the box."

"It seems to be a durable, stable product."

"I think the tool has the feature to detect and kill ransomware in three seconds."

"Sangfor has the best capabilities for securing connections, securing web browsers, securing servers, and general threat protection."

"The level of support provided to local companies is good. They transform their application control and other settings according to that country."

"Particularly good in the DPI where we can inspect inbound and outbound traffic."

"So far, the performance and reliability of the product have supported our company's critical network traffic."

"It is a stable solution."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"I prefer Palo Alto over Fortinet FortiGate. Its IPS engine is not better than the Palo Alto version. The monitoring tool needs improvement, and the syslog configuration needs enhancement."

"I would like reporting to be improved and should offer a lot more tools to monitor the products."

"For Fortinet FortiGate, their code development would definitely be something they need to improve on to reduce vulnerabilities that need to be patched."

"I would like to see a more intuitive dashboard."

"Currently, without the additional reporting module, we only have access to basic reporting."

"There are some tiny bugs that sometimes affect the operations. In the past revision of it, there was a bug. Because of the bug, we had to downgrade the version. It happened only with the last revision."

"I don't like that anything more than very basic reporting is not included."

"You do need some IT knowledge in order to effectively work with the solution."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"In the next release of this solution, we would like to see support for the 100BT and 7000 models."

"If they could increase the performance a little better because the device sometimes gets slow."

"I wish it would be more like the next generation firewall technology. There should be more selection between the application and filtering."

"We have a very bad experience on the support. They take too much time requesting logs, and they are not coming directly online to resolve the issues."

"An area for improvement in Cisco IOS Security is the performance because it's not as stable sometimes. There's also some latency in the solution, which could be improved. Cisco IOS Security integrates with other solutions, but you'll encounter many errors after integration, so this is another area for improvement. I'd like to see enhanced performance and a simplified setup in the next version of Cisco IOS Security."

"The configuration should be easier in the solution."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"Cisco is a scalable product, but it is expensive compared to other vendors."

More Cisco IOS Security cons

"The tool's support is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The tool is expensive."

"The solution should be able to work in a hybrid setup."

"They need to improve their research team and they need to study their data to analyze it and build the product."

"It does not offer any recommendations on how to mitigate or control attacks."

"Scalability for any network device is not very easy in terms of vertical scalability."

"Sangfor NGAF could improve the policies and default criteria. They could be much better."

"The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"Their licensing costs are annual. The UTM feature license along with their support is called FortiCare. We include that as a part of the annual maintenance cost. Palo Alto or Juniper also have an annual subscription charge for UTM. Price, of course, can always be more competitive, but it is not the most expensive product. The price-performance ratio is quite high for FortiGate."

"The pricing is fair."

"Easy to understand licensing requirements."

"The Indian market is different than the European and American markets. When you compare they need to be a bit more aggressive on pricing."

"Fortinet has one or two license types, and the VPN numbers are only limited by the hardware chassis make."

"Fortinet FortiGate's price can be reduced."

"It was pretty affordable. We did go a little bit above MSRP, but the service pack that was included was quite worth the additional costs. It is competitively priced compared to other major players in the market. It is significantly cheaper than Check Point, which is a primary competitor. Additionally, its pricing is comparable to that of Cisco's ASA and a few other vendors."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"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."

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

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

"The licensing is on a subscription basis, and it is fairly costly. I would prefer a one-time payment."

"The solution's pricing is very good."

"The price of the solution should be cheaper, and the license is purchase annually."

"It is an expensive solution."

"We need to pay for the license and it is expensive."

More Cisco IOS Security pricing and cost advice

"Sangfor NGAF price is reasonable and there is an annual license. However, the maintenance cost can be a bit high."

"It is one of the cheapest tools in the market."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"If you know you have around 200+ computer users on your network, then the Sangfor NGAF 5200-F-I model would be the minimum recommended model for that amount of users. This model includes modules for packet filtering, deep packet inspection, malware scanning, DSCP filtration, and many other features."

"Sangfor is cheaper than competing vendors."

"The price could be more competitive."

"We purchased one year technical support and return to factory support, and we also purchased one-year technical support services. So those were additional."

"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

28%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Outsourcing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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...

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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...

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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 ...

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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?

Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

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

See all answers

What do you like most about Sangfor NGAF?

I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I comp...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 22% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiOS vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 10% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Sophos XG vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

August 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security

August 2025

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

July 2025

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

IOS Security

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

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

Sangfor Next Generation Firewall (also known as NGAF) is a converged security solution providing protection against advanced threat, malware, viruses, ransomware and web-based attacks using integrated security features like firewall, IPS, anti-virus, anti-malware, APT, URL filtering, Cloud Sandbox, and WAF. As the world's first AI-enabled and fully integrated Next Generation Firewall & Web Application Firewall (WAF), NGAF offering the security visibility, real-time detection and response, simplified operation and maintenance and high-performance application layer security needed to operate an enterprise network in total security. Tested and proven to provide cutting-edge network security by ICSA Labs and endorsed by Gartner Inc., NGAF harnesses the power of Sangfor’s Neural-X threat intelligence and analytics platform and Engine Zero’s innovative malware detection to provide next-generation protection for today’s enterprise.

Sangfor

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

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

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Sangfor NGAF

July 2025

Free Report: Cisco IOS Security vs. Sangfor NGAF

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