Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Sophos XGS comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiGate-VM and Sophos XGS based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sophos XGS Report (Updated: November 2023).
744,865 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Fortinet FortiGate is stable. It's used across all the countries, this is the way most multinationals run their system.""It works very well. It has a lot of different functionalities. Its cost is also fine for our customers.""It is easy to manage, and it doesn't need much knowledge from the team. It is a stable device, and there are many features that are included out of the box.""The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment.""From the firewall perspective, the rules and policies are very sufficient and easy to use.""It increases security posture and is helpful for firewall reporting, intrusion protection, web filtering, and SD-WAN implementation.""Whenever I need something, Fortinet improves and updates the software for me.""The signature database and zero-day detection are Fortinet FortiGate's most valuable features."

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"Fortinet FortiGate-VM is very easy to create the user of VPN, allowing them to use it quickly. Additionally, the integration and interface are good.""I did like the ability to back up the configuration into the cloud, as opposed to having to store the configurations or just downloading them, the backups, to local devices.""We work in the archiving domain where a secure environment is very important. We have some special requirements regarding the security of infrastructure.""The solution integrates well with other Fortinet products.""The solution's initial setup process was very easy.""The ease of access and user-friendly setup is a valuable feature. Fortinet proves to be particularly straightforward to configure, offering simplicity without complexity. Moreover, visibility is easily attainable due to certain factors. Price, implementation, and budget considerations play a role. When it comes to Cisco implementation, the process tends to be more intricate, which many customers find unfavourable for their business needs.""The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate-VM are the servers, analyzer, and track protection.""The interface is decent."

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"The most valuable feature of Sophos XGS is its ease of use.""The solution is scalable.""The initial setup is straightforward.""One of the main advantages of Sophos XGS is the processor. You don't have to wait a long time for when you are managing the firewall and the traffic is faster now.""The solution is stable.""The scalability of Sophos XGS is very good.""The solution is easy to use and configure, once you know how to apply the policies.""All the features are valuable, in my opinion, but for us the most important features are the network security, application control, and web server protection. Sophos Sandstorm is another good feature off the top of my head."

More Sophos XGS Pros →

Cons
"The support we receive when we need to upgrade is not satisfactory and has room for improvement.""It would be good if they had fewer updates.""There are some complex administration tasks in their administration portal. That needs to be improved.""We had some issues in the beginning while setting it up, but after doing the firmware update, it is working fine.""Lacks training for new features.""This product needs to have an analysis feature, rather than having the analysis done through the integration of a different product.""Fortinet FortiGate is not very easy to use. The navigation could be improved to make it easier to use.""The reporting in Fortinet FortiGate could improve. Customers are having to purchase additional reporting components. When I have used the Sophos solution it is a complete solution, in Fortinet FortiGate you have to use additional tools to have the features needed."

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"The costs could be lowered.""Fortinet support needs improvement. The response times are lackluster. Fortunately, the product is stable and we seldom have issues. Also, it takes months for them to deliver hardware when we order it.""One thing that can be better is added automation. And, on top of that, enhanced security when it comes to the automation itself.""his is not a good solution for enterprises. It's better for smaller companies.""The solution can improve by adding separate interfaces for proxy and flow-based usage.""The solution's web-filtering configuration could be better.""There should be integration with an active directory — with Microsoft.""Right now, we have two data centers that are a thousand kilometers apart. It would be nice to be able to string them together."

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"It would be good if we could do dual customization.""The solution could be easier to manage and configure.""When it comes to different interfaces there is some speed issue that can be improved in Sophos XGS.""The price of Sophos XGS could improve, it is high.""There are some bugs relating to the product that allow VPN users to bypass the firewall.""Sophos XGS's response to zero-day attacks could be improved.""Its pricing could be better.""The reporting could be better."

More Sophos XGS Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "I had to pay for the license for the firewall, but it is guaranteed to have updates. I expect a good service for it. It was about €1000 for a year, and there was no additional cost."
  • "It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles."
  • "The license is yearly. We pay for the top end. It's called 360."
  • "Here in Brazil, we're going through difficult economic times and the tax on the dollar is high. All the solutions from minor competitors are growing in the market. The prices have come more competitive."
  • "Licensing for Fortinet FortiGate is on a yearly basis. Pricing for it is a bit high. It could be cheaper."
  • "The licensing scheme of Fortinet is better than Cisco. It is more logical."
  • "The solution requires a license annually, it is not a user license, you can have as many users as your want. I must renew the license regularly per device."
  • "It was probably about $2,500 per firewall. It was all included. It included support, services, threat management software, and 24/7 FortiCare on it. Cisco products are more expensive."
  • More Fortinet FortiGate Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "There are yearly or monthly licenses which you can choose from."
  • "The solution could be better priced."
  • "The license we pay is a yearly fee. I can't say it's very expensive; it is a good price and is highly suitable for our usage."
  • "We have been waiting a long time for the vendor to give us licenses, it has been five months and we are still waiting. However, the price is reasonable."
  • "The price of the solution could be less expensive. There are some features that have to be purchased separately that have their own license."
  • "It is more expensive than its competitor, e.g. Sophos."
  • "Installation does not require another license making it an inexpensive solution."
  • "I would rate the product's pricing as four out of five."
  • More Fortinet FortiGate-VM Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "I live in Bolivia and the price of Sophos XGS is high. However, they have adjusted their price a little over the past while but the price could still be less expensive to be affordable."
  • "Once you pay for the Sophos XGS hardware there is no license required. There are additional costs if you want the support. We have purchased support for three years."
  • "The price of the solution is reasonable and their target market is small to medium-sized companies."
  • "Sophos XGS is priced lower than some of its competitors, such as Fortinet"
  • "The license for Sophos XGS is for three years, paid on a yearly basis. Everything is included with the license; there are no additional fees."
  • "The cost is comparable to other similar solutions."
  • "The price of Sophos XGS is less than competitors worldwide. However, in Turkey the solution is expensive."
  • "The licensing cost is in the normal range and is not very costly."
  • More Sophos XGS Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer: When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage at… more »
    Top Answer:From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know… more »
    Top Answer:As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite… more »
    Top Answer:In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it… more »
    Top Answer:Both of these solutions are excellent options that provide flexible scalability and solid security Fortinet Fortigate… more »
    Top Answer:The ease of access and user-friendly setup is a valuable feature. Fortinet proves to be particularly straightforward to… more »
    Top Answer:It's easy to use, and the service is good. If anything goes wrong, their support system is very reliable.
    Top Answer:We have the solution's annual license. Its price is moderate, but it could be cheaper. Also, there are additional costs… more »
    Top Answer:The renewal process for this box is too frequent. We purchased it five years ago, and it's expiring in 2025. So, I feel… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate
    FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM
    Learn More
    Overview

    Fortinet FortiGate is an innovative line of firewalls that aim to protect organizations from all types of web-based network threats. They come in a wide variety of product types. Fortinet FortiGate’s solutions are available in a large range of sizes and form factors and are key components of the Fortinet Security Fabric, which enables immediate, intelligent defense against known and new threats throughout the entire network.

    Fortinet FortiGate provides users with next-generation firewall solutions that provide proven protection with unmatched performance across the network, from internal segments to data centers to cloud environments. You can protect every part of your network without exception. Additionally, your protections can be managed from a single central location. This ensures that the task of protecting your network is infinitely easier to accomplish.

    Benefits of Fortinet FortiGate

    Some of the benefits of using Fortinet FortiGate include:

    • The ability to manage your firewalls from a centralized automated control console. Fortinet FortiGate’s FortiManager enables administrators to exercise control of their firewalls in a streamlined manner. Administrators have full visibility and control over their system from a single location. It utilizes automation that collects information in real time, which greatly simplifies and reduces the cost of running various types of workflows. Administrators can free up resources by automating the most basic tasks.
    • The ability to produce uniform, appropriate, and coordinated responses to threats across networks. Fortinet FortiGate’s FortiGuard feature generates system protections in near real time. This allows administrators to address threats to the system with custom-made solutions that can be uniformly enforced.
    • The ability to scale up your security to fit your changing security needs. Fortinet FortiGate’s design allows users to accelerate the transfer of data between users and escalate the number of users that are covered without compromising security of performance. This means that users can grow their networks and continue to collaborate without worrying about the system slowing down or coming under attack.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Fortinet FortiGate’s firewall solutions are cutting edge. They stand out from competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the robustness and power of their firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate’s firewall provides users with many valuable features that allow them to maximize what they can do with the solution. These firewalls enable users to use a single piece of software to accomplish tasks that often require the use of multiple pieces of software.

    PeerSpot user Eric S., a Solutions Engineer and Consultant at a tech-services company, notes the robustness of this solution when he writes, "One of the nice things about FortiGate is that it can be deployed on the cloud or on-premises. You can actually do both. That's the biggest reason why I stick with this solution as opposed to something like Cisco Meraki. Another nice thing is that I can log directly into a FortiGate or get to it through their FortiCloud access products. They're pretty reliable and consistent. One of the reasons why I started using the product was their single pane of management. I can deploy their line of firewalls in conjunction with their switching and access points, and I can manage the entire network from one interface.”

    PeerSpot user Jim M., a network admin at Penobscot Valley Hospital, notes the power of Fortinet FortiGate’s security software when he writes, "It does a lot for you for intrusion protection and as an antivirus. The threat management bundle is worth the money. You don't need another company to monitor your web traffic for you. You can do everything yourself on the firewall. You restrict your own black list for people on the firewall.”

    FortiGate Virtual Appliances allow you to mitigate blind spots by implementing critical security controls within your virtual infrastructure. They also allow you to rapidly provision security infrastructure whenever and wherever it is needed. FortiGate virtual appliances feature all of the security and networking services common to traditional hardware-based FortiGate appliances. With the addition of virtual appliances from Fortinet, you can deploy a mix of hardware and virtual appliances, operating together and managed from a common centralized management platform.

    Sophos XGS is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It combines next-generation firewall capabilities with advanced threat protection, web filtering, and application control. 

    XGS has powerful deep learning technology and can detect and block even the most sophisticated malware and ransomware attacks. It also offers granular control over web access, allowing organizations to enforce policies and prevent access to malicious or inappropriate websites. Additionally, XGS provides application control features, enabling organizations to manage and prioritize network traffic based on specific applications or user groups. 

    With its intuitive management interface and centralized reporting, XGS offers easy deployment and monitoring of network security. 

    Offer
    Learn more about Fortinet FortiGate
    Learn more about Fortinet FortiGate-VM
    Learn more about Sophos XGS
    Sample Customers
    Pittsburgh Steelers, LUSH Cosmetics, NASDAQ, Verizon, Arizona State University, Levi Strauss & Co. Whitepaper and case studies here
    Security7 Networks, COOPENAE
    Information Not Available
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider16%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization21%
    Computer Software Company15%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider16%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company22%
    Comms Service Provider9%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider23%
    Manufacturing Company12%
    Energy/Utilities Company8%
    Outsourcing Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    Construction Company7%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business48%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise30%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise32%
    Large Enterprise41%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business53%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise24%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise51%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business67%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise20%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business43%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise40%
    Buyer's Guide
    Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sophos XGS
    November 2023
    Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sophos XGS and other solutions. Updated: November 2023.
    744,865 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Fortinet FortiGate-VM is ranked 8th in Firewalls with 31 reviews while Sophos XGS is ranked 17th in Firewalls with 53 reviews. Fortinet FortiGate-VM is rated 8.8, while Sophos XGS is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiGate-VM writes "Flexible with good cloud management and a straightforward user interface". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Sophos XGS writes "Good centralized security and reporting management with an easy setup". Fortinet FortiGate-VM is most compared with Azure Firewall, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series, OPNsense, Fortinet FortiOS and Juniper vSRX, whereas Sophos XGS is most compared with Sophos XG, Netgate pfSense, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, WatchGuard Firebox and Zyxel Unified Security Gateway. See our Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sophos XGS report.

    See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

    We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.