Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Google and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category. Google is ranked #22 with an average rating of 9.0, while WatchGuard is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 100% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

WatchGuard Firebox and Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention both operate in the cybersecurity category. WatchGuard often garners better feedback in terms of pricing and customer support, whereas Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention is generally favored for its advanced features, rendering it a more valuable overall solution.

Features: WatchGuard Firebox provides firewall protection, threat management, and VPN capabilities. It strengthens security for network environments. Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention offers advanced data protection techniques, including powerful data inspection and classification, making it suitable for safeguarding sensitive information.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox facilitates a straightforward deployment process. It offers comprehensive customer support with clear guidance during implementation. Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention, as a cloud-based service, allows for rapid deployment and scalability, possibly depending more on online documentation and support resources.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox delivers competitive pricing and a significant ROI, appealing to budget-conscious organizations. Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention might have a higher initial cost but offers a strong ROI through innovative features that protect high-value data, justifying its expense through effectiveness.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention vs. WatchGuard Firebox Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention vs. WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

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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:

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.

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RaviUpadhyay

Security Consultant at HCLSoftware

Automated scans have classified sensitive data and protect privacy in complex environments

When someone asks where sensitive data is located and to classify it, they would start working manually and would take four or five months to detect only that sensitive data. Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention helps significantly. They have a predefined template, and whatever category comes under sensitive data has been researched with almost 99% accuracy and included in the template. A person needs to attach the template and scan their data. Once initiated, it will take time, such as 24 hours or 48 hours, depending on the data size. Once the template is applied and the system scans it, a tagging report of the sensitive data locations is returned. A report is available, and what previously would have taken a month can now be achieved by Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention services in detecting sensitive PII data within 48 hours maximum, even if the data size is larger. Once the report is available, the person would know where the sensitive data is located. Dealing with sensitive data is the next question. If data is not to be shared, it has to be hidden, masked, or changed. All kinds of things can be applied to dealing with that data. Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention has another feature available called de-identification services, which deals with sensitive data in applications or production environments.

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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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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best features of Fortinet FortiGate are its simplicity, ease of installation, and ease of functionality."

"Their proxy-based inspection is responsive and secure."

"The initial setup is very easy."

"We use the filtering feature the most. It has filtering and inbuilt securities. We can create customized rules to define which users can access a particular type of site. We can create policies inside the firewall."

"The solution has very good threat and content filtering switches."

"The most significant aspect of IPS is self-explanatory as it primarily focuses on intrusion prevention, which is crucial for Fortinet's internal outbreak prevention efforts and ensuring compliance on endpoint devices."

"What's most important is the ease of use."

"We have found it to be very reliable and that's why our teams and various users in our company use it as our main firewall every day."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"These tasks can be achieved by Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention services in a programmatic way, very quickly and very efficiently."

"It is user- friendly and has a easy integration."

"Their support is excellent, and the stability is very good."

"It also provides us with layered security. It has onboard virus scanning features that allow it to scan before something gets to the host. It will also stop a person from going to a site that is known to be bad."

"The most valuable feature is the NAT-ing, the IP addresses... We can direct the traffic where it needs to go. We can control the traffic."

"Zero-trust and threat-hunting services are most valuable."

"The most valuable feature of WatchGuard Firebox is the VPN. It's easy to connect to the VPN."

"One of the most valuable features is the Geolocation. Because we aren't a multinational corporation, it allows me to look at things which might be suspicious to make sure that they are legitimate transactions rather than people sniffing around the network."

"Some of the most valuable features of the Firebox include web blocking, application control, protection against brute force attacks, load balancing, SD-WAN, and VPN support. These features help us manage and secure our network efficiently."

"It protects me against malicious websites, as well as malicious downloads, as a perimeter anti-virus. I've also seen it blocking a lot of pings and different probes."

More WatchGuard Firebox pros

Cons

"I have used technical support and they could improve."

"My only complaint about FortiGate is a lack of QinQ VLAN tunneling. I haven't found this feature in any Fortinet product. You can do this on all Cisco routers, including the smaller models. However, QinQ isn't available on the biggest, most expensive Fortinet units. They still don't have that. I think now we're on software version 6.0, and they still haven't found a solution for QinQ. It isn't a dealbreaker, but that's my main complaint."

"The price and deployment part of Fortinet FortiGate is good, but it can always be better."

"There should be more testing before releasing software since it can be a little buggy sometimes when new features come out after updates."

"Maybe they can offer a smaller scope for a cheaper price for smaller organizations."

"Fortinet can add some Machine Learning and AI to improve its accuracy and give it an edge on IPS detection and protection."

"The customization is a little bit difficult."

"The web filtering categories could improve in Fortinet FortiGate IPS. There are too many websites under the category of Unknown and the other categories are not featuring all the necessary sites."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Improvement are made as per client requirement."

"Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention has a system, but it is not very mature."

"This product needs to be fully integrated with the firewall. Currently, it only sends logs to the cloud and asks the firewall to correlate them."

"One area for improvement could be making the interface even more user-friendly."

"The pricing of WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response could be improved."

"The solution can improve by adding a feature to tag a MAC address of a computer system in the policy and more IP configuration settings."

"The reporting is a little on the weak side. I would like to see a better reporting set and easier drill-down options."

"WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention needs to improve its support."

"The solution needs to improve its accessibility."

"Cloud-based central administration of all devices from one point would be nice"

More WatchGuard Firebox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"On a scale of one being cheap and ten being expensive, I rate the tool's price as an eight."

"The pricing is better compared to other solutions like Check Point, Arista, or Cisco."

"Fortinet is reasonable in pricing and licensing. Overall, FortiGate is affordable. The licensing fee can be a little high, depending on the budget for your project."

"FortiGate SWG is reasonably priced."

"There is a need to pay for a license for the product."

"In terms of the market, it's not a cheap product, but it's cost-effective."

"If you compare the price of Fortinet FortiGate IPS to other firewalls, Check Point is priced very high followed by Palo Alto and Sophos. Fortinet FortiGate IPS price is more reasonable."

"The product is a little bit expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The licensing contract we have is on a three-year basis. There aren't any costs in addition to the standard licensing fees—usually, every three years, we just purchase or renew the same license and we are okay. Every six years, we completely change the firewall, but that's the usual schema. So after three years, we just renew the licenses for another three years, and then after that particular period of time, we just purchase another firewall equivalent to the ones that we currently use."

"WatchGuard Firebox is a cheap solution."

"I spent $600 or $800 on this product and I'm paying a couple of hundred dollars a year in a subscription service to keep the lights on, on it... It works out to $100 or $200 a year if you buy several years at once. It's fair."

"The solution is cheap."

"Its cost is okay. It is not too expensive, not too low. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of pricing."

"The subscription that was purchased is for three years, but it is usually for one year at a time."

"I would rate the pricing at seven out of ten. As for the licensing costs, we typically have yearly licenses for our clients, but there are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees."

"The cheapest configuration, for maybe five people, is approximately $500."

More WatchGuard Firebox pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

13%

University

11%

Financial Services Firm

Insurance 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

No data available

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...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention?

It is user- friendly and has a easy integration.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention?

When someone asks where sensitive data is located and to classify it, they would start working manually and would tak...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention?

Further strategies can be defined based on specific use cases. For example, in an R&D company where doctors are d...

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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...

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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 3% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention vs Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Compared 51% of the time

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention vs Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Compared 28% of the time

Varonis Platform vs Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Compared 8% of the time

Amazon Macie vs Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Compared 7% of the time

BigID Next vs Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention

Compared 6% of the time

More Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention 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

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

January 2026

Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention report

Download Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention 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

Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention offers a comprehensive approach to safeguarding sensitive data through advanced data scanning and classification.

Designed for data security experts, it focuses on detecting, classifying, and protecting sensitive data across cloud environments. With robust reporting and monitoring capabilities, it helps identify potential data breaches and compliance violations while facilitating management of critical information.

What are the valuable features of Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention?

Data Classification: Automatically classifies sensitive data for easy management and compliance adherence.
Customizable Detection: Tailors detection rules to meet specific privacy protection needs.
Real-time Monitoring: Provides real-time alerts for suspicious data activity.

What benefits or ROI can users expect when evaluating Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention?

Enhanced Security: Strengthens overall data protection strategies by identifying sensitive data in real-time.
Compliance Assurance: Helps meet regulatory requirements efficiently with automatic data classification.
Cost-effective Scalability: Easily scales with business growth without excessive resource expenditure.

Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention is widely implemented in healthcare and finance industries, where protecting sensitive information such as patient records or financial transactions is crucial. Its adaptability allows it to serve effectively in environments where data privacy is a paramount concern.

Google

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

Information Not Available

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

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention vs. WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

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