Digital Guardian vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Fortra and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category. Fortra is ranked #24, while WatchGuard is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 80% of Fortra users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

Digital Guardian and WatchGuard Firebox compete in data protection and network security. Digital Guardian has an advantage in data protection with its advanced features, while WatchGuard Firebox is superior in network security due to its robust management capabilities.

Features: Digital Guardian offers granular data monitoring and control, advanced data classification, and seamless integration with various systems. WatchGuard Firebox provides unified threat management, extensive network management features, and a comprehensive firewall solution.

Room for Improvement: Digital Guardian could enhance its user interface, simplify the deployment process, and improve scalability options. WatchGuard Firebox could benefit from more straightforward policy configuration, an enhanced reporting system, and a reduction in false positives.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Digital Guardian has a detailed deployment process requiring more initial effort but offers excellent customer support to assist clients. In contrast, WatchGuard Firebox provides a simpler, faster deployment and consistently reliable customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Digital Guardian typically involves higher initial costs due to its comprehensive data protection features but offers significant long-term ROI. WatchGuard Firebox requires a lower initial investment, presenting favorable ROI in network security and immediate benefits in network safety.

To learn more, read our detailed Digital Guardian vs. WatchGuard Firebox Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Digital Guardian vs. WatchGuard Firebox

January 2026

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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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.8

Fortinet FortiGate offers cost-effective, robust security, reducing expenses, enhancing efficiency, easy implementation, quick ROI, and improved network management.

Sentiment score

5.8

Digital Guardian improved data protection, reduced breach risks, ensured compliance, saved money, and enhanced security and operational efficiency.

Sentiment score

6.9

WatchGuard Firebox enhances security, reduces management time, and boosts productivity but results in varied cost-savings among users.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

I do not see any return on investment after WatchGuard Firebox implementation in terms of cost reductions.

Pedro Soteras

CEO at ajuntament del Prat

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate's customer service is generally praised for responsiveness, though some users experience delays in critical situations.

Sentiment score

6.7

Digital Guardian's customer service is prompt but can be inconsistent, especially for complex issues or international clients.

Sentiment score

6.2

WatchGuard Firebox customer support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, although some delays and knowledge gaps are occasionally noted.

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.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

For vendor support, such as Fortra support, I would rate it a seven because all the support comes from different parts that sometimes have challenges meeting time zones, and sometimes they reroute to distributors and rely on partners.

Syed Mubeen

IT Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Finally, we connected with someone, and I would rate their support as eight or nine out of ten once we were able to speak with them.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

The technical support is good.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate is scalable and popular for SMEs but requires careful design and may incur scaling costs and licensing constraints.

Sentiment score

8.0

Digital Guardian efficiently scales across environments, managing endpoints for organizations of all sizes, despite minor regional replication challenges.

Sentiment score

6.8

WatchGuard Firebox is scalable and user-friendly, but some find its performance average compared to newer solutions.

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.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

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.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

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.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

Regarding scalability, it is a 10 out of 10.

Syed Mubeen

IT Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

The user interface and features compared to newer firewalls are not up to the mark, which includes functionalities such as filtering, web filtering, threat protection, user identity, and UTM features that need improvement.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

If we're going for more concurrent users, we need to change the entire box.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

I find the WatchGuard Firebox scalable, as it's easy to change configurations from this product to another one.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability, with effective long-term performance and improvements in newer firmware versions.

Sentiment score

7.6

Digital Guardian offers superior stability with frequent updates, but some users face challenges requiring specific modifications for optimal performance.

Sentiment score

7.9

WatchGuard Firebox is highly stable and reliable, with minimal glitches easily resolved and recommended battery backup for power issues.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

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.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

There are issues with traffic hitting the firewall, which could indicate performance problems related to throughput.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

We had many bottlenecks before deploying WatchGuard Firebox, but when we switched to a higher version of our firewalls, the bottlenecks were solved.

Pedro Soteras

CEO at ajuntament del Prat

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate needs enhanced UI, simplified licensing, improved performance, reporting, third-party integration, and expanded automation features.

Digital Guardian needs improvements in compatibility, ease of use, performance, support, and efficiency across platforms for better operation.

WatchGuard Firebox needs a simplified interface, better integration, and affordable pricing for improved usability and threat management.

These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.

Elvis Mahadeo

Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company

It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.

Pravin Mandlik

Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The issue is that it works only with users or companies with more than 500 users.

Syed Mubeen

IT Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.

Victor Massey

Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions

It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Fortinet FortiGate costly initially, but cheaper overall, despite some high renewal and setup costs.

Digital Guardian provides flexible licensing and custom solutions, considered the best DLP option despite higher costs.

WatchGuard Firebox offers competitive pricing, especially with three-year licenses, providing value through dependability, features, and cost-effectiveness.

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.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.

PedroSoteras

Digital Solution Designer at Accenture

It's expensive us here.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

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.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate provides robust, flexible security solutions with key features like web filtering, SSL VPN, SD-WAN, and centralized management.

Digital Guardian enhances data security with scalable DLP, seamless integration, advanced features, and comprehensive monitoring for compliance.

WatchGuard Firebox is praised for ease of setup, robust security, exceptional support, and comprehensive network management features.

These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.

Syed Ali Waqas

Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions

The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring.

Viraj Fernandopulle

General Manager Group IT at DART GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTE. LTD.

We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.

VINAY GUJARATHI

Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

Digital Guardian can easily integrate with this data classification solution and has a very granular level of configuration and policy tuning.

Syed Mubeen

IT Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Digital Guardian report

The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.

Victor Massey

Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions

Basically, we have received a good return on investment.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

I utilize AI within the WatchGuard Firebox, as we use the interconnection with threat syncs, and AI is implemented.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

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.

Read full review

Syed Mubeen

IT Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Enterprise data protection has supported regulatory compliance and integrates with classification tools

In terms of functionality, many features are valuable in Digital Guardian, as the first thing for most customers is that they are using solutions such as Boldon James and Titus, which fall under the classification side, and Digital Guardian can easily integrate with this data classification solution and has a very granular level of configuration and policy tuning. Digital Guardian's data protection policies are indeed useful for my clients. Regarding Digital Guardian, I find it to be a very good solution, and in fact, it is an enterprise-level solution that has very tight integration with most of the products, with Fortra but also with others.

Read full review

Pedro Soteras

CEO at ajuntament del Prat

Network protection has improved with stronger VPN connectivity but administration remains complex

Deploying WatchGuard Firebox was quite easy, but we have had some problems regarding the VPN and the administration of the tool and the two firewalls that we have. When comparing WatchGuard Firebox with our previous solution, Palo Alto, we have had some problems in administration because of the tools. I think that they have some aspects in their system that are cloud-provided, but they also have an on-premise solution, which makes this combination good. Although I should say that when compared to Palo Alto, we have taken a step backwards. In general, I would rate WatchGuard Firebox around 6-7; it is a good firewall, but they lack good administration tools. We experience many problems with the performance and administration tools on the web, including several issues with VPNs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	92
Midsize Enterprise	27
Large Enterprise	15

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 needs improvement with Digital Guardian?

Regarding points for improvement, from a technical aspect, I do not see any suggestions that have come to my notice, ...

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What is your primary use case for Digital Guardian?

The main use case for Digital Guardian is for endpoint DLP, as it is the product for endpoint-level DLP and is one of...

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What advice do you have for others considering Digital Guardian?

I would recommend Digital Guardian to other users, as I mentioned, we have to see the client's existing environment, ...

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What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 9% of the time

Dtex Systems vs Digital Guardian

Compared 6% of the time

SecureTrust Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 6% of the time

Symantec Data Loss Prevention vs Digital Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

Mimecast Incydr vs Digital Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

More Digital Guardian Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

OPNsense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

More WatchGuard Firebox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Digital Guardian

January 2026

Download Digital Guardian product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Firebox

January 2026

Download WatchGuard Firebox product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service

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

Digital Guardian is proud to be part of Fortra’s comprehensive cybersecurity portfolio, and one of the Data Protection family of products. Fortra simplifies today’s complex cybersecurity landscape by bringing complementary products together to solve problems in innovative ways. These integrated, scalable solutions address the fast-changing challenges you face in safeguarding your organization. With the help of the powerful protection from Digital Guardian and others, Fortra is your relentless ally, here for you every step of the way throughout your cybersecurity journey.

Fortra

WatchGuard Firebox is a high-performance firewall known for its ease of setup, offering robust security with layered protection and centralized management capabilities.

WatchGuard Firebox stands out for its intuitive management and high throughput, addressing security needs with features like VPN, web filtering, and threat detection. Its centralized control and reporting abilities, along with Active Directory integration, make it popular among varied organizations. Its user-friendly interface and ongoing updates enhance usability and reliability. However, there's a call for better cloud-based administration, scalability, and improved integration with third-party vendors.

What are the key features of WatchGuard Firebox?

Ease of Setup: Quick and straightforward installation process.
GUI: User-friendly graphical interface for simplified navigation.
VPN Features: Secure and efficient virtual private network management.
Web Filtering: Advanced filtering for safer browsing experiences.
Threat Detection: Proactive monitoring and detection of cyber threats.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated?

Centralized Control: Streamlined management from a single point.
High Throughput: Efficient data handling and processing capacity.
Stable Performance: Consistent and reliable operational functionality.
Active Directory Integration: Seamless connection with user directories.
Customer Service: Strong support service for customer inquiries.

WatchGuard Firebox is implemented across industries to secure internet gateways and protect data in multi-site businesses. Its applications span from Unified Threat Management (UTM) and intrusion prevention to compliance support in business environments requiring secure connectivity through VPNs.

WatchGuard

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

The Fifth Avenue Theatre, Jabil Circuit

Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence

Buyer's Guide

Digital Guardian vs. WatchGuard Firebox

January 2026

Free Report: Digital Guardian vs. WatchGuard Firebox

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