Fortinet FortiGate vs Sophos UTM comparison

Fortinet and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 90% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 316 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

102,134 Views
76,213 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Sophos UTM

Read 111 Sophos UTM reviews

2,936 Views
2,074 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Sophos UTM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate compete in the network security solutions category. Fortinet FortiGate seems to have the upper hand with its advanced features giving it a more favorable user satisfaction rate.

Features: Sophos UTM provides a robust firewall, effective VPN capabilities, and comprehensive user management options. Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive threat management, high compatibility with third-party integrations, and an extensive feature set.

Room for Improvement: Sophos UTM has limited scalability and occasional performance lags under high loads. Fortinet FortiGate users request better configuration processes, more intuitive navigation, and streamlined workflows.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos UTM's straightforward setup process is complemented by commendable customer service. Fortinet FortiGate, despite a slightly complex deployment, is backed by responsive customer support which balances the initial setup challenges.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos UTM is cost-effective, offering a high return on investment for smaller enterprises. Fortinet FortiGate is pricier at setup but provides significant long-term ROI with its advanced security features and scalability, appealing to growth-focused businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. Sophos UTM Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Sophos UTM

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

316

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (2nd), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)

Sophos UTM

Average Rating

8.4

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

Unified Threat Management (UTM) (3rd)

Q&A Highlights

Sajjad Ahmad

System Support Engineer at a engineering company with 11-50 employees

Dec 01, 2021

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

In my opinion and as a result of years of experience: - Both are great firewalls with excellent performance and a useful integration witch Active directory and LDAP - Fortinet is easier to manage and have a nice way to configure routes but some times have throughput troubles as an example: in 2 years we need to make around 4 reboots in a 3 firewall deploy - Sophos has a lot of nice firewall features (i mean without a license), some features like routes and VPN use to be a little difficult to configure but we never need to reboot any FW.

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Featured Reviews

DineshKumar28

Senior Manager at Cognizant

Sep 25, 2024

Effective threat prevention with responsive customer support

We are using Fortinet FortiGate as a firewall Fortinet FortiGate has been invaluable. It has helped save costs due to its various features, reliable performance, very good UI, low latency, and stability. The Threat Intel engine in Fortinet FortiGate is highly rated for its effectiveness in…

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SherifFouad

ICT Manager at a mining and metals company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Nov 30, 2022

Gives us the ability to manage our firewalls from the cloud and deploy a unified configuration onto them

From Cyberoam and the early builds of Sophos SG, they have developed higher integration between Sophos UTM and the computers' endpoint antiviruses. We can isolate the infected machine from the network, but an IT technician or cybersecurity professional can remove it from the machine and disinfect it. It has the capability of blocking HTTPS traffic, but you need the Sophos Central Intercept X subscription for that. It gives us the ability to manage our firewalls from the cloud and deploy a unified configuration onto them. Other competitors like Meraki have that ability, but they fail to optimize it in the way that Sophos has.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The UTM feature is quite good. FortiAP is easy to deploy because both Fortigate and FortiAP are under the same brand. Otherwise, you need to do more work on the configuration."

"It has improved our security capabilities."

"It is a one box solution, which covers most of the edge device’s requirements."

"It's super reliable. I don't think I've ever had a reliability issue with it."

"Security management tool that's easy to integrate and easy to work with. No issues found with its stability and scalability."

"I appreciate FortiGate's flexibility, which allows for centralized management through FortiManager."

"Mainly the FortiGate reporting system is very good. It guides us through all the expectations of security. Fortinet provides us all that we need for security. Also, Fortinet FortiGate is a next-generation firewall. It is much more advanced than others."

"It's inexpensive compared to some of the other technology out there."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Sophos UTM's best feature is SIM in the cloud, which combines the gateway solution and endpoint solution to send telemetry data to the cloud and provides full contact visibility regarding security."

"They are all good, but most-used are Network Protection and Web Filtering."

"I have no problem with the cost or licensing of this solution. This is a primary reason whay I wanted this solution. It does the same thing cheaper than other name brands."

"The stability, overall, is excellent. I haven't had a problem in the last two years."

"It makes it a lot easier for us to maintain things. Prior to it, things were more difficult. This means less time on us. We can focus on other things. The recovery is more in man-hours for us than anything else."

"The solution is easy to handle and configure."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is the simple-to-use interface."

"Sophos is a unified solution. We have anti-virus protection, firewall rules, knotting, and DACC all in one box."

More Sophos UTM pros

Cons

"They can do more tests before they release new versions because I would like to be more assured. We had some experiences where they release something new and great, but some of the old features are disabled or they don't work well, which impacts the product satisfaction. The manufacturer should be able to prove that everything works or not only that it might work. This is applicable to most of the other services, software, and hardware companies. They all should work on this. We cannot trust every new release, such as a beta release, on the first day. We wait for some comments on the forums and from other companies that we know. We always wait a few weeks before we use the updated version. They should also extend the VPN client application, especially for Linux versions. Currently, it has an application for Linux devices, but it doesn't work the way we want to connect to the VPN. They use only the old connection, not the new one. They have VPN client applications for Windows and Mac, but they can add more useful features to better manage the devices and monitor the current health of each device. Such features would be helpful for our company."

"There could be more integration between the logging and analytical platforms to make it more seamless and integrated."

"I would like to have logs, monitoring, and reporting for a month without extra fees."

"Stability and technical support are the two major issues I have found with Fortinet."

"The solution is very expensive."

"The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."

"The updates Fortinet provides are sometimes unstable."

"Technical support for this solution can be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Sophos UTM could improve if there was no limitation on users."

"I would like to see Sophos UTM add support for all the new threat-detection technologies and the ability to respond to novel security threats that come along every day."

"The virus updates will always depend on new viruses that are discovered. Maybe they can send a notification or a reminder for update time."

"An area for improvement in Sophos UTM is load balancing because my company cannot use it currently. If Sophos could release a new configuration for the load balancing feature to work for my company, that would be great."

"With Sophos UTM, there is a general rule in the firewall when the country blocking can block some countries from accessing your data. In the current version, you still need to add it by putting in the IP range. This feature would be helpful for administrators and it gives them the advantage to block stuff in less time."

"Updates come out agonizingly slowly, a trickle."

"They could definitely improve on the support, especially in other countries."

"The reporting could be a lot better."

More Sophos UTM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The beauty is the price performance ratio is great with FortiGate. It provides all the features we needed and the price is comparable with others' firewalls. The price is quite competitive with the firewalls with similar features."

"Other firewalls are more expensive than Fortinet FortiGate, such as the Azure firewall."

"Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need."

"When you look at these end security systems and firewalls, these firewalls even five years ago were $50,000 or perhaps $25,000 to implement in some types of customer sites. Now we're talking about tools that are $1,000. In this case, it might have been $500 or something like that."

"The price is fair for what we get with FortiGate."

"A year or two years back, its price was competitive and reasonable. That was one of the reasons that people easily switched to Fortinet. Over the last two years, the prices have increased drastically. However, the prices of others have also increased. An advantage is there from the price point but not as much as it was previously."

"We are on an annual license to use Fortinet FortiGate."

"It's an expensive solution."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Sometimes more is less, meaning if you want more than three features, take the FullGuard licence."

"Unless you are in the United States, or you have to use Sophos, you can't contact Sophos directly. You have to use a third-party company, and they all have different ways of how they explain their licensing."

"The price of the license for Sophos UTM is approximately $5,500. The solution is less expensive than competitors."

"The price is comparable to other products of this kind."

"In the case of a software/virtual appliance subscription, you pay by protecting user/IP addresses. You can do this to as much hardware resources as you like."

"We purchased the appliance with five years onsite support and licenses."

"There was an up-front charge of around $70,000, to purchase the hub and license. Beyond the initial cost, licenses are charged for annually, but they are good value for the service we receive."

"Sophos UTM has very reasonable pricing."

More Sophos UTM pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user216600

Senior Technical Consultant with 51-200 employees

Jan 3, 2016

Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate

I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…

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Answers from the Community

Sajjad Ahmad

System Support Engineer at a engineering company with 11-50 employees

Dec 1, 2021

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 good. The most valuable features for me are their web and email filtering. I would say that this solution is extremely user-friendly, and also very easy to manage for any integrator. For me, the setup was straightforward as well. Beyond providing general purpose firewall with bui...

2 out of 11 answers

Ronald Rosenbaum

Managing Director at The IT Agency Pty Ltd

Feb 17, 2020

I can’t really comment on FortiGate. We’ve been working with Sophos for years and like it’s integration with their endpoint.

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Narendra Singh

Solution Architect at Brillbean Ventures Pvt ltd

Feb 17, 2020

We replaced Fortinet with Sophos as our public-facing UTM in 2017 & since then the ride has been extremely rough. I would not recommend Sophos for any mission-critical environment.

Read full answer

See all 11 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

18%

Government

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 at large. In my opinion, Fortinet would be the best option and l use Fortinet too...

See all answers

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 the firewalls change every 5 to 7 years as stated but you really do need to upg...

See all answers

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

See all answers

What Is The Biggest Difference Between Sophos UTM and Sophos XG?

The Sophos UTM is a UTM and Sophos XG is the NGFW. First, you must know about the difference between a UTM and NGFW. They can not be compared with each other because the price, license, firewall th...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sophos UTM?

The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is the endpoint protection feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos UTM?

The product pricing and licensing are higher, but they offer good value for the features and stability provided.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 22% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos UTM

Compared 17% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos UTM

Compared 14% of the time

Sophos XG vs Sophos UTM

Compared 12% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos UTM

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sophos UTM

Compared 5% of the time

More Sophos UTM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2024

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos UTM

September 2024

Download Sophos UTM product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate

Astaro

Learn More

Fortinet

Sophos

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate enhances network security, prevents unauthorized access, and offers robust firewall protection. Valued features include advanced threat protection, reliable performance, and a user-friendly interface. It improves efficiency, streamlines processes, and boosts collaboration, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making and growth.

Sophos UTM is a unified threat management platform designed to protect your businesses from known and emerging malware including viruses, rootkits and spyware. The solution provides a complete network security package with everything your organization needs in a single modular appliance.

Sophos UTM Features

Sophos UTM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Web and Email Filtering
General Management
Network Protection
Network Routing and Services
Advanced Threat Protection
Authentication
Email Encryption and DLP
Web Policy
End-User Portal
VPN IPsec Client, VPN SSL Client, and Clientless VPN
Web Application Firewall Protection
UTM Endpoint Protection and Management
SEC Endpoint Integration
Logging and Reporting

Sophos UTM Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Sophos UTM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Simplifies your IT security without the complexity of multiple point solutions
Intuitive interface to help you quickly create policies to control security risks
Provides clear, detailed reports to give you the insight you need to improve your network performance and protection
Complete control to block, allow, shape and prioritize applications
Two-factor authentication with one-time password (OTP)
Integrated wireless controller
Allows you to connect remote offices with easy VPN and Wi-Fi

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Sophos UTM solution.

PeerSpot user Dana B., Network Administrator at a manufacturing company, says “The web and email filtering are the two biggest and most valuable aspects of the solution for us. The solution overall has just been a good, cost-effective solution for us. The solution offers a lot of functionality. The solution scales well. We've found the technical support to be helpful. The stability and performance are quite good.”

A Technical Director at a security firm mentions, "Sophos SG UTM had all the basic functionality that you needed. It is user-friendly and easy to manage for any integrator."

Marek M., Senior Network Engineer at a computer software company, comments, “Sophos UTM is the simplest of these products to set up. If you follow the instructions using the wizard, which is just a few steps, then you will have a firewall to protect you and your customer.”

A Software Sales Manager at a tech services company explains, “The overall visibility of the console is what I find most valuable, plus it's very user-friendly. It can be integrated with other solutions such as SOAR, SIEM, etc., even when you have an existing firewall. I really like that the console can be integrated. You'll see everything on the same window, and the single window feature of the machine is so good. These are the features I really like.”

James D., IT Manager at Manual Workers Union, states, “The fact that it's on the cloud means we don't have to administer it on our network or deal with a physical machine, which saves us money. The solution has many great features. From the console, we can start different scannings on different machines. We enjoy the centralized reporting part of it. The initial setup is simple. We enjoy its general stability. The solution can scale. So far, the solution has been problem-free.”

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

One Housing Group

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Sophos UTM

October 2024

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