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Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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

Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS)
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
9th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Palo Alto Networks URL Filt...
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) is 3.3%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB is 2.3%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB2.3%
Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS)3.3%
Other94.4%
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer373227 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Marketing strengths shine but regaining user trust needs significant effort
There are numerous things that could be improved about Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) to get it back on track. Sollution for small branches: when we have to connect a lot very small branches (or sometimes only an ATM) we need something small, with LTE and with reasonable price. Cisco response is SDWAN but it is not always the case. Recently Cisco released some small firewalls but I have not tried them yet. Central management with FMC is a very good idea, but sometimes local management or monitoring is helpfull. With Cisco You have to decide: central or local. You cannot have both. Regarding usability, when you commit configuration on Cisco, it sometimes takes very long. Commits also take some time for the competition, but Cisco is definitely lagging behind the rest in this respect. Last but not least, for me as a professional is lack of CLI. With CLI, I can configure every firewall on the market except Cisco. CLI is very important in professional working, and IMHO it was an unwise decision by Cisco to remove it. Graphical interfaces are very nice, but when you've got thousands of objects in a big installation and have to configure many things, CLI is a much faster way to do it.
Abdul  Basit - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager IT at Asia Petroleum Limited
Advanced features and robust support elevate overall network management experience
I think URL filtering could be better to some extent. Improvements could be made in Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB compared to Sophos. The URL filtering option in Palo Alto gives a very clear vision of the network and the applications using URL filtering. If you assign a user in a group not to access certain URLs, that user should only be allowed to access LinkedIn without running videos. However, deep URL filtering in Palo Alto is not configurable. One user can have access to LinkedIn with video running, while another cannot. They should improve this deep analysis of URL filtering options.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The security intelligence in the product is the best feature and give us all the information that we need in our network."
"Cisco products are always expensive, but if you can afford the price then it's a great solution."
"The most valuable feature is its IPS ability. You are able to balance security and connectivity."
"The features that I find most valuable are the DDoS protection, IPS/IDS, and Firepower for web application filtering."
"I've found the performance and stability to be the most valuable features of Cisco NGIPS; it is scalable as well."
"The cost is the most valuable feature."
"Cisco support is really great; especially when you have a priority case, when everything is down, you can get an engineer in 15 minutes."
"The solution very effectively provides malware protection and signature-based anomaly detection."
"The Palo Alto solution has improved our organization by providing threat protection across a variety of internet connections, and our company also gets valuable insights regarding threat analysis."
"I would rate Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB a perfect 10 out of 10."
"The stability is excellent; we've never had to raise any technical issues, there have been no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze."
"It's allowed us to have better visibility and protection from threats."
"It's allowed us to have better visibility and protection from threats."
"Being able to manage blacklists and whitelists easily is very useful, especially for internal access and limiting outbound access."
"The most valuable feature is that the product can do everything in a single device, including the firewall, rules, and the PBL. It also has good routing and switching."
"The Palo Alto solution has improved our organization by providing threat protection across a variety of internet connections. Our company also gets valuable insights regarding threat analysis."
 

Cons

"Considering different attack vectors, using AI to understand the behavior or features of network-level intrusions and protecting against zero-day attacks would be beneficial."
"Cisco's stability issues have caused several of our customers to complain directly to the vendor, and if these issues persist into the future I will not be able to continue recommending Cisco NGIPS to our customers."
"Our customers are still facing many bugs on the system. It has matured noticeably, but we are still facing multiple stability issues on Firepower."
"I would recommend this solution to others for medium, large, and enterprise businesses only."
"Cisco NGIPS should work on its shortcomings related to the issues that stem from bugs and performance."
"It is no longer scalable because it has gone end of life."
"I'd like to see some cloud management."
"The stability of the user console and some features could be easier to access."
"Performance monitoring could use improvement."
"It is an expensive solution and not everyone has the budget for it."
"Customer service is sometimes inconsistent. Some engineers are very knowledgeable, while others cannot answer questions and delay solutions."
"I think Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB is too costly compared to others."
"Support needs to be enhanced."
"The solution is a bit expensive."
"One way Palo Alto can improve is by offering sandboxing. I don't know if they currently offer a sandboxing feature together with the firewall or not. They should provide secure sandboxing with the firewalls."
"Some software management-wise scalability features need improvement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I usually work with Fortinet and FortiGate which is a lower cost in comparison with Cisco NGIPS."
"It could be less expensive."
"Pricing depends on negotiation with the vendor, although I can say that it is moderate."
"I would rate the pricing four out of 10."
"The annual licensing tends to be expensive, but in terms of implementing the licenses, it's a very uncomplicated process and as easy as copy-paste in its straightforwardness."
"This is an expensive product, with the biggest cost being the license that keeps the service going."
"The price of Cisco NGIPS could be reduced. It is more expensive than other solutions."
"Licensing fees for this solution are $3,500 USD, and there are no additional costs."
"It is more expensive than ASA but is far cheaper than Checkpoint. So, pricing wise, it is right in the middle."
"Expensive, but that's because it provides everything."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Performing Arts
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise27
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco NGIPS?
I would rate the price for Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) as high.
What needs improvement with Cisco NGIPS?
I am aware that we are not measuring some metrics or tracking access through Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS). In my opinion, Cisco could improve the Web GUI for Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS).
What is your primary use case for Cisco NGIPS?
Our main use case for Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) is in-line traffic control, and we are using IPS in an in-line mode.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB?
The licensing costs and setup costs are very expensive for us. The price is significantly higher compared to other competitive products.
What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB?
I think URL filtering could be better to some extent. Improvements could be made in Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB compared to Sophos. The URL filtering option in Palo Alto gives a ve...
What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB?
We previously discussed Palo Alto Networks WildFire, and we are currently using it for our firewalls with the WildFire subscription included. We have micro-segmentation using the VMware environment...
 

Also Known As

Sourcefire NGIPS, Firepower NGIPS
Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering PAN-DB
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Electric Power, Huntington Bank, Keycorp, Nationwide, Transunion, Marriott, Inova Health, Ford, Thomson Reuters, Dow Chemical, Equifax, Chevron, Walmart, Coca Cola
TRI-AD, Telkom Indonesia
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs. Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,789 professionals have used our research since 2012.