McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

McAfee and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category. McAfee is ranked #28 with an average rating of 7.7, while WatchGuard is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.6. Additionally, 76% of McAfee users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 5, 2025

McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention and WatchGuard Firebox compete in the security software category. WatchGuard appears to have an advantage due to its comprehensive feature set, including threat detection and layered security, justifying its higher cost.

Features: McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention provides strong data protection, effective user control, and virtual machine security with its USB control and incident reporting features. WatchGuard Firebox offers intuitive management, robust VPN capabilities, and strong security measures like URL filtering and intrusion detection complemented by seamless integration abilities.

Room for Improvement: McAfee requires improvements in pricing and support. Its interface can be considered confusing and resource-intensive, needing better modern virtual desktop integration and enhanced threat detection. WatchGuard could improve its reporting features and user interface, offering more third-party integration options and simplifying its cloud-based management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both products offer versatile deployment options, with WatchGuard standing out for additional cloud deployment flexibility. McAfee’s support experiences mixed reviews, often requiring third-party assistance, whereas WatchGuard provides consistent support and ease of deployment, which enhances its integration in various environments.

Pricing and ROI: McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is viewed as expensive with layered costs, despite some users reporting good ROI. In contrast, WatchGuard Firebox is considered competitively priced for small to midsize businesses, offering good ROI through effective security management, despite its initially higher cost.

To learn more, read our detailed Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

July 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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VivekGupta7

DGM at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Versatile with good patching and a straightforward setup

There is some fine-tuning needed, even once you define something. We need to do a lot of configuration. It would be easier if they made the configuration simpler, especially in the beginning. They need to give the user more choices and provide more guidance to help avoid problems later on. We'd like some more built-in predictive analytics so we can be prepared for what might happen in the future. We did have some bandwidth issues during setup. If your update fails, you may have stability issues. We find it difficult to reach higher levels of support when we face larger issues.

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Rajesh Makwana

Regional Pre-Sales Engineer at Roundrobin Tech

Efficient bandwidth management and secure network access with a strong firewall

The primary use case of the Firebox mainly revolves around bandwidth management, unnecessary web blocking, application control, and protection against brute force attacks. It is also implemented for load balancing, SD-WAN, and branch-to-branch connectivity from one location to another. We also use…

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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

"Customers are more inclined towards FortiGate because of application control, web filtering, and anti-spam features. The support from the FortiGate team is good, and price-wise, it is affordable."

"The impact of SD-WAN on the network performance has been significant."

"The main benefits that Fortinet FortiGate brings to customers include that if you're going for a single fabric with core switches, access switches, and APs, compared to legacy Cisco or Aruba, the Fortinet FortiGate does not require a controller for the access points."

"The most useful functionality of Fortinet FortiGate is the user interface, multiple engines, and their cloud with the latest integrations. Additionally, the Security Fabric tool is very good."

"Security, SD-WAN, and Streetscape are valuable features."

"The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was straightforward."

"Generally, every aspect of it being a next-generation firewall provides good value."

"Our project needs to link two sides through the internet. One of these was in Cairo and the other in another city. We used FortiGate as the integrating solution between the two locations, i.e. the Fortinet 30E & 100E."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The administrative capabilities and the interface make this product accessible and easy to use."

"What I like about McAfee Total Protection is that it's working. I also like that it doesn't require any specific knowledge to set up."

"It can scale."

"The solution is stable."

"Everything in this DLP is great. It"

"The whitelisting works well."

"The product provides us with an excellent, dependable solution to recommend to clients for their security needs."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to control access to USB drives and other external devices."

More McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention pros

"It works right out of the box. You just have to enable it and you can start working."

"WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response is a reliable solution."

"I find this solution very easy to manage. The web manager and Firebox key features are particularly impressive for cloud applications. That's why I often recommend this solution to our clients. It has good threat management capabilities and works against different types of threats."

"The most valuable are the VPN and proxy features."

"The most valuable feature, in my opinion, is the dimension logging platform and the network traffic filtering."

"I recommend Firebox since this device will not let anyone down."

"From my experience with their customer service team, I would say that they seem quite knowledgeable and fairly quick to respond."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is traffic management."

More WatchGuard Firebox pros

Cons

"The cloud management and automation capability could be improved."

"The WAF is extremely limited."

"The main aspect of FortiGate that could be improved is load balancing. Our management team does not want to buy another appliance for only load balancing."

"We sometimes have issues with FortiGate's routing table in the latest firmware update. We had to downgrade the device because our customers complained about bugs."

"Sometimes you do need to know some CLI commands, so it's a bit harder for technicians or new people that don't know it."

"The support costs and licensing are sometimes so expensive."

"I often ask for help from the local provider. I haven't found the required efficient help."

"There are too many updates coming for VPN, and the VPN keeps disconnecting frequently, which I find problematic. It does what it's supposed to do, but I practically face reconnection issues with the VPN."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"We faced many issues with the solution's customer support, and it should be made customer-friendly and more responsive."

"The interface can be improved, it's too cluttered."

"When this solution is used it requires a lot of administration because the users can have difficulties using it and require assistance. The administrators are continuously modifying the policies for the users. Technical support will be used frequently."

"There needs to be support for blocking the sending of files by email because even if you block or remove an external disk, the files are not protected."

"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention could improve by having artificial intelligence."

"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention needs to improve the resources it uses for CPU and RAM."

"Lacks GDPR regulations to enhance security."

"The initial setup is very complex."

More McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention cons

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

"The website must provide more information on the product."

"What could use some significant improvement in WatchGuard Firebox would be its interface and policy management. An additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of WatchGuard Firebox is the ability to modify an existing policy instead of having to recreate a policy when changes are necessary. At the moment, there's no possibility to modify the policy. You have to delete the policy and recreate it."

"I believe there is room for improvement in policies, with the potential to enhance the margins further."

"In terms of the reporting and management features — and this isn't necessarily a WatchGuard issue, this seems to be more of an industry-wide issue — you get reports, but a lot of times you don't know what you're looking at. You're so overwhelmed with the data. You're getting a lot of stuff that doesn't matter, so it takes time to parse through it, to actually get what you want to know."

"I would like to see faster automatation."

"The solution's pricing could be improved."

"The licensing can be a bit expensive."

More WatchGuard Firebox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The license is yearly. We pay for the top end. It's called 360."

"For the performance that we get, the price is reasonable. There are cheaper options, but they may not deliver the same kind of performance that we want. For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable."

"It is cost-effective, and provides a good value for your money. The pricing, and license renewal, is very reasonable for us."

"The price range is quite acceptable and normal."

"It was worth the money overall. It's good value."

"Its price is good."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is an expensive solution."

"The pricing seems expensive both for the license and the support."

"If the client purchases the entire suite of McAfee Endpoint, the license is included."

"I'm paying the license for McAfee Total Protection yearly. It could be cheaper, but it's fine."

"The price is high for this type of product."

"The price of McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is expensive. It is not the most expensive solution but it is typically 15 to 20 percent higher than other solutions. There is no additional cost to using McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention."

"The price of the solution could improve."

"McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is expensive."

More McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention pricing and cost advice

"The price of the WatchGuard Firebox is reasonable."

"We only license our corporate one and the one we have at our DR site, we don't worry about the branches. It doesn't pay for us to license the ones at the branches. What they charge for what they call basic maintenance is extremely high for those little fireboxes."

"It's fair pricing, but it could always be reduced."

"It is an entry-level product, so the price is cheap."

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

"We paid $4000 in AUD for WatchGuard Firebox per year. There were no additional costs."

"It is kind of expensive. I buy it on the appliance. I always buy three-year total security."

"WatchGuard Firebox is a cheap solution."

More WatchGuard Firebox pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Retailer

Non Profit

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

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 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...

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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 ...

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What do you like most about McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention?

The tool focuses on endpoints rather than networks. Endpoints cover everything. It wouldn't be possible to steal conf...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention?

McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention is expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention?

The product’s pricing could be cheaper.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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

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Compared 20% of the time

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Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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HP Wolf Security vs McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

Compared 77% of the time

Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention vs McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

Compared 5% of the time

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention vs McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

Compared 4% of the time

Symantec Data Loss Prevention vs McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

Compared 4% of the time

Digital Guardian vs McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

Compared 3% of the time

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OPNsense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 6% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos XG vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

More WatchGuard Firebox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

August 2025

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Buyer's Guide

McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention

August 2025

McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention report

Download McAfee Total Protection for Data Loss Prevention product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Firebox

July 2025

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Also Known As

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

McAfee Total Protection for Data, McAfee Total Protection for DLP, Total Protection for Data, Intel Security Total Protection for Data

WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

McAfee Total Protection for Data solution suite protects your data using a combination of powerful encryption, access control, and user-behavior monitoring.

McAfee

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

Kleberg Bank

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

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