NetWitness NDR vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

NetWitness and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. NetWitness is ranked #59, while WatchGuard is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 87% of NetWitness users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

NetWitness NDR and WatchGuard Firebox are competing products in the network security domain. NetWitness NDR seems to have the upper hand in advanced threat detection, whereas WatchGuard Firebox is preferred for its robust features and value.

Features: NetWitness NDR offers advanced threat detection features like deep packet inspection, comprehensive analytics, and real-time malware detection. WatchGuard Firebox provides robust firewall protection, centralized management, and integrated threat intelligence, with an intuitive platform combining multiple security features.

Room for Improvement: NetWitness NDR could enhance its ease of use, simplify the setup process, and improve customer support response times. WatchGuard Firebox might benefit from more advanced threat detection capabilities, reduced complexity in managing features, and expanded reporting functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NetWitness NDR requires significant expertise due to its complex setup and configuration. In contrast, WatchGuard Firebox is praised for its straightforward deployment process, with strong customer support that simplifies installation and provides assistance when needed.

Pricing and ROI: NetWitness NDR has a higher initial cost but may deliver greater long-term ROI through superior threat detection. WatchGuard Firebox offers a cost-effective solution with lower upfront costs and a comprehensive feature set, promoting faster ROI realization with its integrated security approach.

To learn more, read our detailed NetWitness NDR vs. WatchGuard Firebox Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.8

Fortinet FortiGate offers cost-effective, robust security, reducing expenses, enhancing efficiency, easy implementation, quick ROI, and improved network management.

Sentiment score

8.0

Implementing NetWitness NDR enhances security, improves network visibility, reduces costs, and boosts efficiency and productivity for businesses.

Sentiment score

7.0

WatchGuard Firebox boosts security, reduces admin costs, and increases productivity with efficient threat management and reliable VPN solutions.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate's customer service is generally praised for responsiveness, though some users experience delays in critical situations.

Sentiment score

7.3

NetWitness NDR's customer service is generally efficient and highly regarded, though some users report occasional slow response times.

Sentiment score

6.2

Users praise WatchGuard Firebox's responsive, knowledgeable support, though some note delays due to time differences.

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.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Finally, we connected with someone, and I would rate their support as eight or nine out of ten once we were able to speak with them.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

The technical support is good.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate is scalable and popular for SMEs but requires careful design and may incur scaling costs and licensing constraints.

Sentiment score

7.0

NetWitness NDR is scalable for large enterprises, though some users report issues with scalability and agent migration.

Sentiment score

7.0

WatchGuard Firebox offers strong scalability for diverse needs, though selecting the appropriate model is crucial for optimal performance.

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.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

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.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

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.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

The user interface and features compared to newer firewalls are not up to the mark, which includes functionalities such as filtering, web filtering, threat protection, user identity, and UTM features that need improvement.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

If we're going for more concurrent users, we need to change the entire box.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

I find the WatchGuard Firebox scalable, as it's easy to change configurations from this product to another one.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability, with effective long-term performance and improvements in newer firmware versions.

Sentiment score

7.7

NetWitness NDR is generally reliable, providing real-time data and stability, though minor technical issues are occasionally reported.

Sentiment score

7.9

WatchGuard Firebox is praised for stability and reliability, requiring minimal maintenance and quick resolutions for occasional hardware issues.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

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.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

There are issues with traffic hitting the firewall, which could indicate performance problems related to throughput.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate needs enhanced UI, simplified licensing, improved performance, reporting, third-party integration, and expanded automation features.

NetWitness NDR requires improvements in UI, scalability, detectability, integration, session times, pricing, training, and features, making it complex and slow.

WatchGuard Firebox users seek a user-friendly interface, improved integrations, clearer reporting, better support, and enhanced threat detection features.

When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.

Taha Turkestani

Senior IT specialist at SAUDIA ALIRLINES

These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.

Elvis Mahadeo

Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.

Victor Massey

Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions

It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall.

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Fortinet FortiGate costly initially, but cheaper overall, despite some high renewal and setup costs.

WatchGuard Firebox offers cost-effective pricing and discounts, making it attractive to enterprises seeking affordable security solutions.

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.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.

PedroSoteras

Digital Solution Designer at Accenture

It's expensive us here.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

I have faced challenges with the WatchGuard Firebox regarding price since we work with customers who use the Stormshield product, which is less expensive and French-made.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate provides robust, flexible security solutions with key features like web filtering, SSL VPN, SD-WAN, and centralized management.

NetWitness NDR offers high detection rates, real-time malware response, third-party integration, and a user-friendly, interoperable interface with advanced analytics.

WatchGuard Firebox provides user-friendly interface, robust security features, and cloud support for efficient multi-site management and enhanced protection.

These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.

Syed Ali Waqas

Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions

The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring.

Viraj Fernandopulle

General Manager Group IT at DART GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTE. LTD.

We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.

VINAY GUJARATHI

Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetWitness NDR report

The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.

Victor Massey

Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions

Basically, we have received a good return on investment.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at It logic

I utilize AI within the WatchGuard Firebox, as we use the interconnection with threat syncs, and AI is implemented.

reviewer2698002

Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the WatchGuard Firebox report

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.

Read full review

reviewer1799727

Manager, IT Security Operations at a non-profit with 11-50 employees

Reliable and good support but can be expensive

I have no real complaints about the solution. Threat detection could be better. They need to enhance their threat intelligence feeds. We would like to have more IOCs or more trade intelligence to not only rely on the intelligence of the engineer in charge but to have some threat intelligence and some seeds of IOCs and to have the host have some artificial intelligence to reduce the number of false positives. I don't see this solution being very scalable. The solution is pricey.

Read full review

Syed Pasha

Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS

Makes defining policies simpler but lacks performance and modern features

WatchGuard Firebox is only deployed in one location within my customer's organization, and at the other locations, we are using Meraki and FortiGate. We plan to replace WatchGuard Firebox soon. My impression of the spam blocking capabilities of WatchGuard is not very favorable, as I don't think it is very capable. I haven't noticed effective web ratings or IPS signatures, which may be due to managing an older OS; I'm not certain about the performance of the newer versions. I am not aware of whether the transition to faster ports on WatchGuard Firebox supports maintaining productivity levels during peak usage times. Based on my experience, I would rate WatchGuard Firebox as five out of ten overall.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	132
Large Enterprise	188

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	92
Midsize Enterprise	25
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...

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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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Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.

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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 XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 7% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Darktrace vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 9% of the time

ExtraHop Reveal(x) vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 6% of the time

Wazuh vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 5% of the time

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 5% of the time

Trellix Endpoint Security Platform vs NetWitness NDR

Compared 4% of the time

More NetWitness NDR Competitors

OPNsense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

More WatchGuard Firebox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

December 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR

December 2025

Download NetWitness NDR product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

Download WatchGuard Firebox product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

RSA ECAT, NetWitness Network

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

Using a centralized combination of network and endpoint analysis, behavioral analysis, data science techniques and threat intelligence, NetWitness NDR helps analysts detect and resolve known and unknown attacks while automating and orchestrating the incident response lifecycle. With these capabilities on one platform, security teams can collapse disparate tools and data into a powerful, blazingly fast user interface.

NetWitness

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

ADP, Ameritas, Partners Healthcare

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

Buyer's Guide

NetWitness NDR vs. WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

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