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Netwrix Change Tracker vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 19, 2026

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

Netwrix Change Tracker
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
25th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
WatchGuard Firebox
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
143
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (10th), Firewalls (12th), Anti-Malware Tools (7th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (10th), Application Control (4th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Netwrix Change Tracker is 1.3%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard Firebox is 4.0%, down from 9.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
WatchGuard Firebox4.0%
Netwrix Change Tracker1.3%
Other94.7%
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2322963 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A stable solution that can be used for secure configuration management and file integrity monitoring
We use Change Tracker Gen7 R2 for secure configuration management and file integrity monitoring Whitelisting services are the most valuable feature of Change Tracker Gen7 R2. The solution could include more integrations. Change Tracker Gen7 R2 is a stable solution. The solution's initial setup…
Abhishek Saini - PeerSpot reviewer
Professional Services Engineer at Next7 IT
Centralized security management has improved VPN reliability and simplified daily operations
WatchGuard Firebox is a strong and reliable platform overall, but there are a few areas where improvements could make the experience even better. One area is the user interface and navigation in some management tools. While the platform is powerful, certain configurations and troubleshooting workflows can feel less intuitive compared to some newer cloud-native firewall platforms. Another point is reporting and log analysis. Although the logging features are very useful, deeper analytics and more customizable reporting dashboards would make security monitoring much more effective. Firmware upgrades and policy synchronization can sometimes require careful planning to avoid security interruptions. Overall, the core security and VPN functionality are very solid, but improving usability, reporting, and automation would make the platform even stronger. One area that could be improved is the learning curve for new administrators. While experienced engineers can work with the platform effectively, some advanced networking and security configurations can be a bit complex for junior technicians. More guided configuration workflows, smarter recommendations, and simplified troubleshooting tools would make onboarding easier. Another improvement would be more flexible reporting customization for executive-level and client-facing reports.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Whitelisting services are the most valuable feature of Change Tracker Gen7 R2."
"Change Tracker Gen7 R2 can be used in the health sector for compliance and can secure the patient's information."
"I have contacted the support once and the experience was good, I was satisfied."
"It saves us time in the respect that we now have the template built for it so we can get in and get it done. We've had much less problem supporting Voice over IP technologies from different companies. Because our client base has grown over the years, we're probably saving 20 to 30 man-hours a month now that we've got this on a good stable level."
"Zero-trust and threat-hunting services are most valuable."
"The protection that it provides from ransomware is valuable. The awareness that it has is also valuable. It didn't have a central console earlier, but now it has a central console, which is pretty good."
"The most valuables feature of WatchGuard Firebox are the VPNs, and web filtering where we can stop users from going to malicious sites."
"The ports that I have assigned appear to be unattainable to outside 'mal-actors,' unless they have an address registered on the internet that this thing is expecting. That's a layer of security."
"The solution simplifies traffic management and has paid for itself because we don't have to deal with it anymore; they're a set-it-and-forget-it type of deal."
"The initial setup was straightforward and, because we only need intrusion detection and prevention, we needed only about four hours to deploy it."
"It does the job of what it says it does. We set it to what we want it to block and then it blocks it."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve by being more secure and have better integration."
"The solution could include more integrations."
"Reporting is something you've got to set up separately. It's not great. It's okay."
"I'd like to have better access to workstation monitoring, connection monitoring, and the amount of time an address is being used, to better gauge proper network utilization. If I knew that something was connected to a particular external location for an extended period that seems abnormal, I'd be able to act upon it."
"The usability could be better, but it is definitely manageable. If we have to go to a backup internet connection, that could be a little bit easier."
"The user interface for WatchGuard Firebox has room for improvement. Right now, it's a bit complex to work with and could be easier."
"There were a little bit of problems with the tool's updates, making it an area where improvements are needed."
"Firebox would be improved with integration for endpoint protection solutions."
"We were able to take from an older configuration, build a new one quickly, and get it up and running, which didn't take long, but there was some pain around it."
"I would like to see more simplified management of the firewall... It's a complicated system to use."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license required for this solution."
"Cheap."
"The pricing is competitive."
"WatchGuard Firebox is a cheap solution."
"We had a trade-in offer at the end of our first three-year term. As a result, we pretty much got a free device by buying the three-year subscription. It was around $3,000 for the three-years."
"The price of WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service is pretty reasonable compared to similar solutions."
"It costs me about $800 a year."
"It's an affordable tool"
"The price of WatchGuard is very good."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Comms Service Provider
12%
Construction Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business104
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise17
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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 our employees.
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.
 

Also Known As

NNT Change Tracker Enterprise
WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

US Army, Xerox, Hewlett Packard, LiveTV, Universal Studios, Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, ACAS, Chanel, Live Nation, Union Bank, Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, Bank of China, Cornell University, Jetblue, Royal Albert Hall, Chaparral Energy, RyanAir
Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence
Find out what your peers are saying about Netwrix Change Tracker vs. WatchGuard Firebox and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.