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Hillstone E-Series vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

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

Hillstone E-Series
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
24th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (39th), SSL VPN (9th)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 1.3%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 4.8%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway4.8%
Hillstone E-Series1.3%
Other93.9%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

TahirMahmood - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Zubair Feeds
Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users
We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.
Mano Senaratne - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Digital Engineering, Management Consultant at Stax Inc.
Achieve seamless integration and fortified security while benefiting from a comprehensive suite of features
In Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, there aren't too many areas for improvement, but the configuration part might be a little tricky. It took some time to get things to work, but once figured out, it becomes much easier. The documentation could use some improvement, particularly regarding point-to-site system setup with on-premise systems. Other than that, it's seamless, and you can connect things across regions. Regarding integration with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway, we use Function Apps to create the integrations and Data Factory. All our data pipelines are written in Python, hosted within an Azure Data Factory or a Function App. This makes configuration easier and allows pipeline monitoring and creating integrations between different systems. We've created multiple integrations between SharePoint and our data warehouse, HubSpot and our data warehouse, and several other tools.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Working with the Hillstone E-Series has, from a remote perspective, allowed me to give my clients a secure connectivity."
"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."
"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ransomware protection that the tool offers."
"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."
"Five out of five ROI."
"The initial setup was straightforward. It only took a few hours to deploy."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"It is scalable and depends on your chosen network bandwidth."
"One of the most valuable features is its support for various protocols, including BGP, which helps in making more secure connections."
"It is a stable solution in our company, and we monitor critical health and performance parameters daily and weekly."
"The VPN Gateway is valued for its ease of use and redundancy."
"It works perfectly for me. It is very user-friendly in terms of the configuration and the setup process."
"It is easy to configure."
"The side-to-side connections are valuable."
"The scalability is a highly valued feature."
 

Cons

"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."
"The tool needs to improve its price."
"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."
"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."
"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."
"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."
"The current usage reporting is very basic."
"The tool only had some memory-related problems."
"Microsoft could work on having micro VPNs to integrate with mobile devices."
"The price of the solution should be more affordable"
"Microsoft's support is rated at four due to issues such as speed of response and coordination difficulties."
"The monitoring part needs to be improved."
"The connectivity should be faster."
"The instructions on how to integrate P2N and P2S type networks into Azure VPN Gateway could be improved, though it is a constantly evolving process."
"More configuration options could be included in Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway."
"The product must provide a single sign-on."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."
"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."
"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."
"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."
"Payment for licensing the solution is part of the operating model. So, one needs to keep on paying while consuming the solution. In short, the payment is based on the solution's capacity."
"Its price is reasonable for new technology."
"There is a monthly license and the price depends on how many users are using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. The price could be less expensive."
"It's saved us money compared to getting a third-party appliance."
"I pay the licensing charges associated with the tool on an hourly basis. The tool is affordable."
"The costs are quite high."
"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is the cheapest way for us to connect to our cloud infrastructure. Other solutions, such as ExpressRoute are very expensive."
"The cost could be lower."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?
We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. Wh...
What is your primary use case for Hillstone E-Series?
I use the solution in my company for site-to-site VPN, SSL VPNs, URL filtering, IPS, IDS and all the other features which are available in the firewall.
What advice do you have for others considering Hillstone E-Series?
Our company did not use the tool's micro-segmentation features. There were no issues while integrating the tool. I have not used any AI in the tool. I recommend the tool to others. I rate the tool ...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?
Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway can be improved in security points with stronger encryption. I do not have additional feedback about needed improvements regarding configuration, support, or documentation.
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?
My advice to others looking into using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that if you have a specific use case such as site-to-site VPN, then this is a perfect option for you. I rate Microsoft Azure VP...
 

Also Known As

No data available
MS Azure VPN Gateway
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Hillstone E-Series vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
882,160 professionals have used our research since 2012.