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Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Sophos UTM comparison

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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.7
Organizations benefit financially and operationally with Fortinet FortiGate, citing savings, increased productivity, better security, and centralized management.
Sentiment score
6.3
Juniper SRX Series Firewall reduces costs by 25% over three years through lower maintenance and support expenses, boosting ROI.
Sentiment score
6.5
Palo Alto Networks WildFire provides cost-effective, centralized threat management, reducing security costs and improving efficiency in high-threat environments.
Sentiment score
6.9
Sophos UTM offers competitive pricing and extensive security coverage, leading to swift ROI and improved network management efficiency.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
The service generates a low rate of false positives, reducing the overhead of managing false positive events.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiGate's customer support is praised for knowledgeable staff but criticized for inconsistent responsiveness and varying service quality.
Sentiment score
7.0
Juniper SRX Firewall support is praised for expertise, but response times and costs are noted concerns.
Sentiment score
7.0
Palo Alto Networks WildFire's support is responsive and expert but varies in availability and response time, especially for smaller companies.
Sentiment score
6.9
Sophos UTM is praised for responsive, knowledgeable support, despite occasional complaints, earning high marks for customer service.
They offer very accurate solutions.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Technical support is very good.
There is a lack of SLA adherence, and third-party partners do not provide prompt responses.
The service response times are aligned with standards, responding within a few hours based on the problem's criticality.
The support is quite difficult to access promptly.
The technical support by Sophos is amazing, especially when I pay for the enhanced support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable, adaptable for business needs, but requires advanced planning to avoid hardware and licensing issues.
Sentiment score
7.5
Juniper SRX Series Firewall is scalable and popular among businesses, but faces clustering issues and tough competition.
Sentiment score
8.2
Palo Alto Networks WildFire efficiently scales for diverse environments, supporting thousands of users while integrating well with security modules.
Sentiment score
8.5
Sophos UTM scales well with proper sizing, enabling easy expansion in various environments from small setups to large networks.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
Wildfire is highly scalable.
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is scalable, and I give it a nine for scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability and performance, though some models face issues with high traffic.
Sentiment score
8.4
Juniper SRX Firewall is stable and reliable, but proper configuration is crucial for maintaining performance under demanding conditions.
Sentiment score
8.5
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is highly rated for reliability, seamless integration, and effective network security performance without disruptions.
Sentiment score
8.3
Sophos UTM is stable and reliable, with minimal issues, though updates can occasionally cause temporary problems.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
The solution has absolutely high stability.
It performs filtering, malware blocking, and scanning.
The solution is scalable and stable.
 

Room For Improvement

FortiGate needs improvements in interface stability, user experience, reporting, VPNs, licensing costs, documentation, performance, and support.
Juniper SRX Series Firewall needs improvements in user interface, interoperability, scalability, support, and lacks next-gen security features.
WildFire needs improvements in integration, user-friendliness, and pricing, along with better support, automation, and global availability.
Sophos UTM users seek improved scalability, performance, VPN capabilities, interface usability, cost transparency, support, and simplified management features.
Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.
While Fortinet claims to offer a comprehensive network solution, it falls short in addressing computer application issues, particularly server security.
When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.
With a better user interface and graphical interface, the Juniper SRX Series Firewall could be a superior solution compared to what it is now.
With my extensive experience with the Juniper SRX Series Firewall, the robustness of the SD-Cloud or Security Director interface and overall functionality needs to be improved to compete with leading firewall solutions.
The dashboard should provide better visibility, especially in showing how many files are sent to Wildfire and their findings.
It is a very good product.
The support could be improved, as it takes a while to get assistance from the vendors.
I would love to see artificial intelligence capabilities integrated into Sophos UTM.
With artificial intelligence, there is room for improvement in all antivirus and security software.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for cost-effectiveness, clear licensing, but renewal costs can vary compared to competitors.
Juniper SRX Series Firewall provides competitive pricing with high performance, although advanced features and support may incur additional costs.
Palo Alto WildFire offers advanced threat protection, appealing to enterprises despite its high cost, potentially deterring smaller organizations.
Sophos UTM offers competitive pricing with varied licensing options, though some users find it costly compared to alternatives.
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
It is about 20% cheaper.
The advantages of Fortinet FortiGate over its competitors include good pricing and meeting our requirements at a lower cost.
The Juniper SRX Series Firewall is affordable and cost-effective.
I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of affordability.
Pricing has become expensive recently due to the dollar hike and naira value changes in Nigeria.
The value between what I receive and what I pay is the best in the industry.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for its high-performance security features, ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Juniper SRX Firewall excels in routing, security, management, and support, offering high performance, scalability, and threat prevention.
Palo Alto Networks WildFire automates threat analysis, excels in sandboxing, and offers robust security with cloud-based, user-friendly features.
Sophos UTM provides scalable security with web protection, VPN, centralized management, and integration, suitable for all business sizes.
In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable.
FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that might disrupt our client's production.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
The routing, Layer 2, 3, 4 solutions in the network layers are valuable features.
Juniper SRX Series Firewall helps in terms of network security for my customers by protecting end-users from any form of cyber attack or threat, with a good database that updates and pushes out signatures to defend against threats.
Integrating Palo Alto Networks WildFire with various security protocols similar to a firewall has significantly improved the overall threat detection capabilities in our organization.
The most valuable feature of Wildfire is its sandboxing capability for examining suspicious files or locations.
The zero-day protection and firewall rules are some of the most effective features for threat management.
This integration of the antivirus and the firewall works together to enhance security.
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Chinedu Onwurah - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust security measures and cost-effectiveness meet diverse industry needs
The biggest benefit of Juniper SRX Series Firewall overall is that it is rugged and cost-effective, offering basic firewall features and additional licensed features as needed. The main challenge I see as a distributor is Juniper's rating in the Gartner report, where Juniper is not a leader in enterprise security, which often influences customer conversations. Most customers want to check the Gartner report before they engage, making it challenging to sell Juniper security. With my extensive experience with the Juniper SRX Series Firewall, the robustness of the SD-Cloud or Security Director interface and overall functionality needs to be improved to compete with leading firewall solutions.
AjayKumar17 - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced cybersecurity with advanced sandboxing and effective in controlling DNS issues
Improvements are needed in the UI part. The dashboard should provide better visibility, especially in showing how many files are sent to Wildfire and their findings. This information should be integrated with the Dashboard so that system admins can see what is happening. Furthermore, technical support needs a lot of improvement, particularly in terms of responsiveness and adhering to service level agreements.
Samaila Yusuf - PeerSpot reviewer
Network protection strengthens through effective threat management features and secure access control
The zero-day protection and firewall rules are some of the most effective features for threat management. I can set the rules and features, and also use IPsec to connect all my on-premises servers and link them to Sophos UTM so that they are protected even when in the cloud. Additionally, I use it to control access into the building through a captive portal integrated across all the PCs we have, ensuring secure access only for authenticated users.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business261
Midsize Enterprise99
Large Enterprise143
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise32
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise28
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business71
Midsize Enterprise26
Large Enterprise26
 

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...
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...
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 ...
What do you like most about Juniper SRX?
Juniper SRX Series Firewall is a stable solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper SRX?
This is difficult to answer because I never sell these devices. As a subcontractor, I only configure them. I am not a...
What advice do you have for others considering Juniper SRX?
I absolutely recommend the Juniper SRX Series Firewall, but not for everyone. The Juniper graphical user interface is...
How does Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks Wildfire?
The Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall is a very powerful and very complex piece of anti-viral software. When one conside...
Which is better - Wildfire or FortiGate?
FortiGate has a lot going for it and I consider it to be the best, most user-friendly firewall out there. What I like...
How does Cisco ASA Firewall compare with Palo Alto's WildFire?
When looking to change our ASA Firewall, we looked into Palo Alto’s WildFire. It works especially in preventing advan...
What do you like most about Sophos UTM?
The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is the endpoint protection feature.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos UTM?
The value between what I receive and what I pay is the best in the industry.
What needs improvement with Sophos UTM?
With artificial intelligence, there is room for improvement in all antivirus and security software. However, the bad ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall
Juniper SRX
No data available
Astaro
 

Overview

 

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
7-Eleven, AARNet Pty Ltd, Allegro Networks, alltours GmbH, Apollo Hotel Papendrecht, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Atlantech Online, Availity, Bajaj Capital, Baloise Insurance, BancABC, BAS Group, Black Lotus, Blue Box, Borealis, Carilion Clinic, Catholic Health System, CATV, Champlain College, Chinas Ministry of Railways, China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), Cloud Dynamics, CloudSeeds, Cloudwatt, CODONiS, Colt Technology Services, Cork Internet Exchange, CSS Versicherung AG, CyrusOne, Danish Crown, Deloitte Belgium, Department of Energy, Divona Telecom, DQE Communications, DreamHost, European Government Agency, Expedient, Financial Market Information Services Provider, Fluidata, Fonality, Fox Sports, Global Financial Institution, Global Investment Bank, Global Investment Company, Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), Goethe University, HEAnet, High Performance Networks Inc., Hillenbrand
Novamedia, Nexon Asia Pacific, Lenovo, Samsonite, IOOF, Sinogrid, SanDisk Corporation
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