Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Palo Alto Networks and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Data Loss Prevention (DLP) category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0, while WatchGuard is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.6. Additionally, 100% of Palo Alto Networks 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

WatchGuard Firebox and Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention compete in the network security category. Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced data protection features and perceived value.

Features: WatchGuard Firebox offers valuable features like intrusion prevention, threat detection, and firewall capabilities. Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention provides robust data protection across multiple channels, focusing on data visibility, policy management, and compliance.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard Firebox could enhance its advanced threat protection and real-time updates. Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention might improve its ease of use, integration with other platforms, and deployment complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox is recognized for its straightforward deployment and strong customer support. Although deploying Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention may be more complex, it is backed by responsive customer service.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox is praised for cost-effectiveness and a good ROI, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention, while potentially more expensive initially, offers a significant ROI through its extensive data protection, making it a justified investment for enterprises prioritizing data security.

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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OusaidAbaz

Security Network Architect at Inmac

Streamlines firewall management and has reliable security features

The primary feature is managing firewalls through Panorama, especially when handling multiple firewalls across different sites like headquarters and remote sites. Additionally, the security modules like Data Loss Prevention and antivirus are vital as they integrate into the firewall to protect endpoints. These features are automated via cloud connections to Palo Alto Networks, ensuring up-to-date security signatures.

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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

"Secure, user-friendly, stable, and scalable network security solution. Installation is straightforward."

"The email protection and VPN features are the most valuable."

"The security on offer is very good."

"What I like the most is the configuration and that it's simple, and straightforward to maintain."

"It is useful for protecting and segregating the internal networks from the internet. Most of our customers also use the FortiGate client to connect to their offices by using the VPN client, and of course, they usually activate the antivirus, deep inspection, and intrusion prevention services. They are also using it for web filtering and implementing various policies dealing with forwardings, NAT, etc."

"The price-to-performance ratio for using Fortinet FortiGate is always better compared to any other competitor, so they are rated better than the likes of Check Point or Palo Alto."

"Good load balancing feature."

"The stability and scalability of this solution are satisfactory. Its SD-WAN, VPN, and URL filtering features are very useful."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The security aspect in finance is crucial for controlling from a DLP perspective and ensuring protection."

"The setup is very easy as we just need to switch on and switch off."

"Our clients primarily deploy Palo Alto Networks Enterprise DLP to control the flow of information in and out of their networks. The main use cases include monitoring and managing sensitive data such as credit card information and personally identifiable information."

"Another important feature is that the solution doesn't require any additional infrastructure to implement. It's a software license that is compatible with our existing hardware. We were able to install and configure the product seamlessly and effortlessly."

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention is its comprehensive end-to-end solution in Cloud Delivery Security Services, which includes URL, data loss prevention, and advanced threat prevention as features that can be enabled just by clicking a checkbox."

"The primary feature is managing firewalls through Panorama, especially when handling multiple firewalls across different sites like headquarters and remote sites."

"The security aspect in finance is crucial for controlling from a DLP perspective and ensuring protection."

"It is a stable solution with good support."

"Simple to move settings between WatchGuard boxes."

"The VPN and the filtering features are the most valuable. Its VPN is very strong, and its services are very nice. The main problem in India is the service. There are not enough Check Point and Fortinet Firewall services, but for this product, the service is very good."

"WebBlocker has the best URL category database ever."

"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 interface is very good."

"I found several features valuable in WatchGuard Application Control such as the HTTP Proxy, DNSWatch, VPN, and HTTPS Content Inspection."

"It is the most effective on non-encrypted traffic and it is able to determine some threats through deep packet inspection."

"Management and visibility are the most valuable features."

More WatchGuard Firebox pros

Cons

"The big license options have web filtering, IDS, and a lot of other things, but it's not like they are all good."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"I think they need to improve more in order to be a competitor with the leaders of the field."

"There is room for improvement related to the logging and reporting aspect."

"I want some additional features. For example, I want something to ensure that when we are using Google email or Microsoft email, or Google Workspace, emails can only be accessed on designated machines given to our employees. I would like them to access data from designated machines, not from any machine. It should work for designated mobiles and laptops. I don't know if Fortinet provides something like that out of the box."

"I would like to have logs, monitoring, and reporting for a month without extra fees."

"The renewal cost is much higher than other firewalls. It is not reasonable."

"Fortinet FortiGate is not a scalable solution, as they give you a number and each box comes with concurrent connections; if you need to expand, you have to change the box."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Pricing is expensive."

"There is room for improvement in the documentation around the maintenance of the product, how the automatic updates work, and pushing out new policies. A little more detail and context in that area would be helpful."

"Its scalability is not on par with the features of others."

"The configuration for Palo Alto Networks firewalls requires specifying many details, such as protocols and services."

"There are mostly performance issues."

"The product is still overly complicated compared to other vendors such as Check Point, which could be improved."

"The solution needs improvement in stability. There has been feedback regarding the accuracy of file categorization."

"You need to have an external solution to backup everything. For example, you need to have Syslog installed on your server as well so that you can back it up to another place."

"WatchGuard should offer more visibility into user activity. For example, we should have more details when WatchGuard denies a user access to a port."

"Make WatchGuard Firebox capable of integrating with third-party vendors like FireMon, Splunk, Tenable, etc."

"The control software is currently only available for Windows, which can be a little annoying for Linux users."

"The product can improve in terms of layout to provide easier access and viewing to users, especially for the reports."

"It would be wonderful if the WatchGuard team develops nice products for threat intelligence."

"There were a little bit of problems with the tool's updates, making it an area where improvements are needed."

"The documentation for the System Manager/Dimension configuration, could be a little bit clearer... The use case where you have multiple sites with multiple firewalls, and one site that has the System Manager server and the Dimension server, wasn't really well defined. It took me a little bit of digging to get that to actually work."

"It doesn't offer the best protection and it's incompatible with a lot of China's websites. It makes a lot of mistakes when it is detecting items as it's not recognizing items correctly."

More WatchGuard Firebox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's one of the more expensive brands. The 100 series costs around $4,000. They are similar in pricing to what you might get from Cisco solutions and probably other similar ones. They're not more expensive than other similar solutions, but they're certainly not cheaper either."

"The pricing is justified. It's a little pricey, but what you pay for is what you get."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate could improve, it is expensive."

"It's very competitive."

"Its price is good."

"The licensing cost is at the intermediate level."

"The price of FortiGate is average and I would say that based on the top five products available on the market, it is in the affordable range."

"It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the solution depends on the buyers. But, from my point of view, it is in line with the rest of the products and the price list of Palo Alto."

"Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention is expensive, and licensing costs are monthly."

"It's expensive."

"The licensing model is very fair-minded and it's a good value. It scales well... Its licensing model is more streamlined when compared to other DLP solutions."

"Very competitive pricing regarding throughput compared to other alternatives."

"The licensing contract we have is on a three-year basis. There aren't any costs in addition to the standard licensing fees—usually, every three years, we just purchase or renew the same license and we are okay. Every six years, we completely change the firewall, but that's the usual schema. So after three years, we just renew the licenses for another three years, and then after that particular period of time, we just purchase another firewall equivalent to the ones that we currently use."

"The price of WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service is pretty reasonable compared to similar solutions."

"There is a license required to use the solution and we pay annually. The price could be reduced because it is a bit expensive."

"Firebox is priced reasonably."

"I think the tool is quite competitive compared to the other brands."

"I spent $600 or $800 on this product and I'm paying a couple of hundred dollars a year in a subscription service to keep the lights on, on it... It works out to $100 or $200 a year if you buy several years at once. It's fair."

"The subscription that was purchased is for three years, but it is usually for one year at a time."

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

13%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Performing Arts

10%

Healthcare Company

10%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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 Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention?

Our clients primarily deploy Palo Alto Networks Enterprise DLP to control the flow of information in and out of their...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention?

Palo Alto Networks' pricing can be complex. Their catalog is extensive. They have a licensing model based on credits ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention?

The product is still overly complicated compared to other vendors such as Check Point, which could be improved. Simpl...

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

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

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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Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention vs Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention

Compared 24% of the time

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention vs Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention

Compared 24% of the time

Cyera vs Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention

Compared 19% of the time

Check Point CloudGuard Code Security vs Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention

Compared 9% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention

Compared 6% 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

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

August 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

July 2025

Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Data Loss Prevention report

Download Palo Alto Networks Enterprise 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

No data available

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

Cloud-Delivered Data Protection: The industry’s first cloud-delivered Enterprise DLP that consistently protects sensitive data across all networks, clouds and users.

Palo Alto Networks

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

Information Not Available

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

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