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Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs SonicWall CFS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway
Ranking in Web Content Filtering
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (8th), Internet Security (4th)
SonicWall CFS
Ranking in Web Content Filtering
10th
Average Rating
0.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Web Content Filtering category, the mindshare of Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is 7.8%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall CFS is 2.6%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Web Content Filtering
 

Featured Reviews

AhmedHawana - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient user access control enhances productivity and browsing experience
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is mainly used to prevent employees from accessing certain sites and allow others to access specific websites. Based on Forcepoint's insights, we block some sites for classification purposes. It efficiently categorizes which sites should not be accessed during work hours. Additionally, Forcepoint does not affect traffic flow, ensuring a smooth browsing experience.
DS
Reliable content filtering but need more traffic control
To deploy it as a proxy, we use this solution for content filtering, URL filtering, and solution filtering on the user end. When the user is connecting to the internet and should not access some social media website or malware sites, we can block it through SonicWall CFS. CFS is our content…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Everything is handled on the backend side. Users don't need to have any proxy on-premises. The solution handles all the dirty or initial traffic from their network, managing it on the backend itself."
"The initial setup is easy. It's not difficult."
"It efficiently categorizes which sites should not be accessed during work hours."
"Real-time category protection."
"The most valuable feature for me in Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is URL filtering, though all other features of the product are okay as well."
"Ability to send decrypted traffic to other security solutions for inspection."
"The solution’s administration is easy."
"The Forcepoint client software can be downloaded on a user's machine so that it can filter the sites from home or the office. That's one of the biggest features. We can use it for filtering our laptops for our users at any place."
"It is very stable."
 

Cons

"The Sandbox solution should be integrated with the NIST to handle whatever new vulnerabilities or new sites are identified as potential threats."
"Overall the software is occupying too much memory space. If they could remedy that, it would be a better experience, because today Windows is occupying too much memory space as well (in terms of the RAM), and this software has also started occupying all the memory. Due to this, I have less space for my other office products and data. I can't, for example, operate a huge Excel sheet or other datasets."
"The initial setup can be complex."
"The reporting could be improved."
"The solution should be better able to support itself and operate faster. Sometimes the technical support team takes too long to respond."
"I have been in contact with technical support several times, and I am not happy with them."
"The technical support team's response time could be improved."
"Enhancing the dashboard would provide better insights into users' usage patterns."
"Malware, scanning, capture, and integration should be included with the content filtering."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing is not expensive."
"Licensing is flexible. License pricing information is based on the customer, their environment, and on the future approach."
"The cost for Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is lower than that for Zscaler and Netskope. It could be around $4 per user annually."
"Forcepoint's pricing is moderate."
"The pricing on Forcepoint Web Security is fair. Fair pricing at current market rates, if you are comparing with the competition."
"The pricing for Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is expensive. You pay per user and functionality. I'd rate it a four on a scale of one to ten."
"The price of this product should be reduced to make it more competitive."
"Expensive, but with a good reseller you can get a very good price."
"Licensing is on a yearly basis and the pricing is very reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway?
The product's user management is an area where my company does not face any challenges.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway?
The price for Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway is normal, rated around five to six out of ten.
What needs improvement with Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway?
Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway ( /products/forcepoint-secure-web-gateway-reviews ) could be improved by offering a SaaS-based service, which is increasingly being adopted in the market. They need to...
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Also Known As

Forcepoint SWG, Websense Web Security, Forcepoint TRITON
SonicWall Content Filtering Service
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Adventist Health, Alphawest, Amadori, Anoka County, Compartamos Banco, Davies Turner, EverBank, iGATE, Karlstad Municipality, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Scavolini, Smurfit Kappa, Toyota
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857,162 professionals have used our research since 2012.