Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cynet vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 5, 2025

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
5.7
Organizations benefit financially and operationally with Fortinet FortiGate, citing savings, increased productivity, better security, and centralized management.
Sentiment score
6.7
Cynet effectively prevents cyberattacks, offering automation and affordability, with no reported issues in nearly two years.
Sentiment score
7.4
WatchGuard Firebox enhances efficiency and security, offering cost savings and improved network control, boosting return on investment.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
The return on investment with Cynet is pretty good, as it doesn't require a dedicated resource to manage, being highly automated.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiGate's customer support is praised for knowledgeable staff but criticized for inconsistent responsiveness and varying service quality.
Sentiment score
7.4
Cynet's customer support is responsive and helpful, though some users note delays and suggest regional improvements.
Sentiment score
7.2
WatchGuard Firebox support is praised for quick, knowledgeable service, though some delays occur in different time zones.
They offer very accurate solutions.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Their SOC side support, when a threat is detected, is excellent.
My experience with the technical support of Cynet is excellent; they are just one click away.
Their technical support can be improved in terms of speed when opening a ticket.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.
The technical support is good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable, adaptable for business needs, but requires advanced planning to avoid hardware and licensing issues.
Sentiment score
7.8
Cynet scales effortlessly for businesses of all sizes, ensuring seamless integration and adaptability across various environments.
Sentiment score
8.1
WatchGuard Firebox is scalable for various needs, with upgrading options, though choices affect its scalability and performance.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
The solution is highly scalable.
We can deploy Cynet for 50,000 users, and we have deployed it at that scale, with the capability to scale higher to 100,000 users without any challenges.
Cynet is very scalable.
If we're going for more concurrent users, we need to change the entire box.
I find the WatchGuard Firebox scalable, as it's easy to change configurations from this product to another one.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability and performance, though some models face issues with high traffic.
Sentiment score
8.3
Cynet is praised for stability and reliability, efficiently handling threats with minimal impact and easy issue resolution.
Sentiment score
8.6
WatchGuard Firebox is highly stable and reliable, with few issues, frequent updates, and high user satisfaction ratings.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
Within six years of usage, we have not had any issues such as outages or downtime.
 

Room For Improvement

FortiGate needs improvements in interface stability, user experience, reporting, VPNs, licensing costs, documentation, performance, and support.
Cynet must improve mobile support, global reach, customization, integrations, user interface, AI, and manage false positives better.
WatchGuard Firebox needs a modern interface, better integration, enhanced features, and competitive pricing to improve user experience and marketability.
Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.
While Fortinet claims to offer a comprehensive network solution, it falls short in addressing computer application issues, particularly server security.
When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.
There should be more options than deploying solely through group policy, as the assumption that GPO is working isn’t always the case.
Having a DLP feature would also add value.
Integration with local Active Directory, not only Azure AD, is a must.
The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.
When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.
The WatchGuard Firebox has certain features, but the challenge is that we have some clients who don't have a network or are only mobile users, which leads us to think the future is in SASE products, not in the WatchGuard Firebox.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for cost-effectiveness, clear licensing, but renewal costs can vary compared to competitors.
Cynet provides cost-effective, flexible pricing with adaptable licensing, offering high value compared to competitors like CrowdStrike and SentinelOne.
WatchGuard Firebox offers cost-effective pricing, especially for multi-year plans, with discounts and value for budget-conscious enterprises.
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
It is about 20% cheaper.
The advantages of Fortinet FortiGate over its competitors include good pricing and meeting our requirements at a lower cost.
I think the pricing of Cynet is fair and one of the better options in the market.
The price of Cynet is reasonable considering its features and support.
When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.
It's expensive us here.
I have faced challenges with the WatchGuard Firebox regarding price since we work with customers who use the Stormshield product, which is less expensive and French-made.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for its high-performance security features, ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Cynet provides advanced threat detection, real-time monitoring, and scalable cybersecurity with user-friendly design and competitive pricing.
WatchGuard Firebox offers user-friendly setup, robust security, excellent tech support, and scalable performance with comprehensive management features.
In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable.
FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that might disrupt our client's production.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
The valuable aspects of Cynet are its EDR and XDR components, which are available at a reasonable price point.
The most effective features of Cynet are its ransomware protection and lateral movement deception.
The SOAR function, deception, and forensics are very useful.
The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.
Basically, we have received a good return on investment.
I utilize AI within the WatchGuard Firebox, as we use the interconnection with threat syncs, and AI is implemented.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
411
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
Cynet
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (11th), Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (16th), User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (3rd), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (13th), Threat Deception Platforms (3rd), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (5th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (8th), Ransomware Protection (4th)
WatchGuard Firebox
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
125
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (11th), Firewalls (14th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (9th), Anti-Malware Tools (11th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (19th), Application Control (7th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (2nd)
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Suhas Dalvi - PeerSpot reviewer
Comprehensive protection with minimal false positives enhances threat management
Cynet's real-time threat detection has helped reduce risks for our organization overall. Cynet's centralized control feature is very user-friendly, has a good user interface, and is very convenient, requiring hardly one or two people to manage the entire console, which is not resource-heavy and automates many processes, making it very easy to use without alert fatigue due to low false positives. Autonomous Breach Protection has helped us mitigate threats proactively by being highly automated, requiring very few people to manage it for forensics and investigation due to its low false positive rate, which is less than 1.3%, and it doesn't consume much memory, making it light on the endpoints. Cynet is the only platform in the industry in the endpoint XDR that meets all steps of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, scoring on all 143 odd steps, with a false positive rate of less than 1.3%. Cynet's machine learning algorithms are very effective in adapting to new threats.
Rajesh  Makwana - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient bandwidth management and secure network access with a strong firewall
The primary use case of the Firebox mainly revolves around bandwidth management, unnecessary web blocking, application control, and protection against brute force attacks. It is also implemented for load balancing, SD-WAN, and branch-to-branch connectivity from one location to another. We also use…
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions are best for your needs.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Retailer
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business261
Midsize Enterprise99
Large Enterprise143
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business91
Midsize Enterprise25
Large Enterprise15
 

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...
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...
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 ...
When evaluating User Activity Monitoring, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
The support team that stands behind the detection and response. Is there adequate expertise and are they behind you ...
What do you like most about Cynet?
In terms of incident response, Cynet can contain attacks, offer a trial period to customers, and uninstall if not con...
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We just use it as a secondary WiFi device. We're a small office and we needed to set up a WiFi device for a few of ou...
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We're a hospital and we use it for developing our incoming and outgoing policies, and we also use it for VPN.
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall
No data available
WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service
 

Overview

 

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
Meuhedet, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence
Find out what your peers are saying about Cynet vs. WatchGuard Firebox and other solutions. Updated: August 2025.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.