Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Sangfor are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.8, while Sangfor is ranked #26 with an average rating of 8.1. Palo Alto Networks holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sangfor’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Sangfor users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Sangfor NGAF and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series compete in the cybersecurity solutions category. Sangfor NGAF seems to have the upper hand due to its affordability and strong customer support.

Features: Sangfor NGAF is user-friendly, offers ease of management, and boasts a strong virus database. It also provides WAN optimization, SSL VPN, and has a reputation for comprehensive protection. In comparison, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is known for its advanced security capabilities, including superior intrusion prevention systems, SSL inspection, and unique App-ID technology for application identification.

Room for Improvement: Sangfor NGAF could enhance its integration capabilities, web interfaces, and real-time reporting. Its market exposure and user feedback integration need improvement. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series could improve reporting, simplify its user interface, and adjust its pricing strategies. It also needs to reduce licensing costs and improve third-party integrations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sangfor NGAF is noted for its straightforward deployment in hybrid cloud environments and excellent local support, especially in regions like Pakistan. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series also offers hybrid and cloud deployments, with good technical support, though it occasionally faces delays and regional limitations.

Pricing and ROI: Sangfor NGAF is highlighted for its affordability and competitive pricing, offering significant savings compared to competitors like Fortinet and Palo Alto. It provides a strong ROI with various pricing packages. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series offers high-quality features at a higher price, with licensing costs viewed as steep by users but justified by its advanced security features.

To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

March 2026

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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

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.2%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.0%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.3%
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series	0.2%
Sangfor NGAF	1.0%
Other	80.5%

Firewalls

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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reviewer9216065

Sr. Cloud Security Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Has provided strong traffic visibility and efficient policy management for advanced network environments

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series could be improved, though I don't think of much. I'm unsure how widespread the adoption for K2-Series alone is. Looking at the base Palo Alto capabilities, they are going in the right direction. K2 specifically about its efficacy with all these 5G protocols, the GPRS tunneling protocol performed without many hiccups during testing. With AI, if there is a Precision AI bundle that you're planning on exploring, then that definitely needs a significant uplift because currently it doesn't work for all the known models. There are many false positives that need to be addressed. While it's still ahead of its competitors, on the AI security side, there is quite a room for improvement.

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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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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

"The tool is a nice product and easy to handle. The software's user interface is also good. You can easily implement remote access in the solution."

"Reliability is the best feature. We faced some issues when we were setting it up, but the service, portal, and administration are good."

"I think Fortinet is a cheaper, stable, scalable, and reliable device."

"Fortinet Secure SD-WAN delivered the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) per Mbps among all other vendors."

"The GUI is good."

"FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks."

"FortiGate has a strong security topic which allows all of the Fortinet devices to communicate and share information which makes their security more powerful."

"User-friendly and affordable security solution that's recommended for SMB customers. This solution has good technical support."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The technical support has been excellent; we are very satisfied with the level of service they provide, and it is one of the main selling features of the product because, compared to the competition, support is excellent across the board."

"This is a very reliable firewall and we have never had problems with it."

"The solution offers effective security features such as HIDS (Host-based Intrusion Detection System) in global products."

"Prevention of evasive threats is one of the best tools I've encountered."

"One of the most valuable features is Palo Alto's firewall management. We find it easier to manage the firewall centrally."

"The company is inventive and always adds a lot of great features."

"Overall product rating: Nine out of ten."

"It is a stable solution."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros

"Sangfor serves most of the basic purposes of a firewall, is particularly good in the DPI where we can inspect the inbound and outbound traffic on a very granular level, gives a very good predictive measure as well as the current measure of things going on in our network, and gives us value for money overall."

"Particularly good in the DPI where we can inspect inbound and outbound traffic."

"Sangfor NGAF specializes in ransomware detection and helps to protect our network from ransomware threats and malware."

"SSL VPN is the best feature."

"The most valuable features are the WAN optimization, the internet access gateway (IAG), and the central console, which allows us to implement on their firewall."

"The absolute best part of Sangfor NGAF is their support. It's a 24/7 support channel, and the last time I requested their assistance I got a reply within three minutes. They helped solve the problem immediately."

"In terms of the most valuable features, the IPS report is quick and updated, and performance is also valuable."

"The top functionality is the reporting feature."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"With FortiGate, the main complaint that I have heard is about the technical support."

"It would be ideal if they had some sort of GUI interface for troubleshooting and diagnostics."

"It is very expensive, and their support is not very good. I hope that their technical support will be better in the future."

"Fortinet currently has many products bundled with FortiGate including the basic firewall and load balancer, and I think that that they need to have separate product portfolios for each of these specialized services."

"There are SD-WAN network monitoring, SD-WAN features, Industrial Databases, Internet of Things, Detection, etc., however, we do have not licenses for those features. We thought that if you bought a product, you should have all of the features it offers. Why should you need to make so many extra purchases to enable features? They should have one price for the entire offering."

"The web process often has a memory leak."

"The initial setup and configuration are not intuitive and require training."

"Their technical support could be improved a little bit in terms of responsiveness."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The scalability of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is good. It is good for larger environments over smaller ones."

"The URL Filtering module needs to have more categories added to it."

"I would like to see the threat intelligence capability integrated with other vendors such as Cisco and Forcepoint."

"With AI, if there is a Precision AI bundle that you're planning on exploring, then that definitely needs a significant uplift because currently it doesn't work for all the known models."

"The solution needs a series of OS changes."

"In the past, we've had trouble with Palo Alto's application filtering not getting it right. I would not be recommending layer 7 application filtering yet."

"It is recommended that the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series be implemented step by step for the Panorama. Sometimes we can't overwrite the configurations because it fails."

"Threat prevention could use improvement."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons

"Sangfor NGAF could improve by refining its application control policies, especially in addressing challenges with certain types of applications."

"The reporting and log management could be improved."

"The setup phase is quite complex."

"The solution has too many bugs and these slow down the implementation."

"I believe that IAM and NGFW need to merge into a single box, instead of there being two separate box solutions."

"The web interface needs to be improved, making it more user-friendly."

"I think the GUI needs to be improved, there are a lot of areas where the panes do not make sense."

"They need to improve their research team and they need to study their data to analyze it and build the product."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate pricing to be about four or five out of ten, it is reasonable."

"The price is fair compared to the other competitors."

"Price-wise, it's at a good price point for our market."

"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 pricing of the solution is very competitive."

"The licensing costs are very competitive."

"FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is cheaper than Cisco or CheckPoint."

"It was pretty affordable. We did go a little bit above MSRP, but the service pack that was included was quite worth the additional costs. It is competitively priced compared to other major players in the market. It is significantly cheaper than Check Point, which is a primary competitor. Additionally, its pricing is comparable to that of Cisco's ASA and a few other vendors."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"This is an expensive solution, although you will get value for the price."

"When comparing Palo Alto Networks K2-Series with other solutions it is on the higher end of the price scale."

"Palo Alto firewalls are very expensive."

"This product is designed for large companies. The price would not be suitable for a small or medium size company."

"The price of this solution is too high."

"If you compare K2-Series' quality with its price, I think it is reasonable."

"The overall price of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series could be reduced."

"The price of the solution is expensive."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"If one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the tool's price as three out of ten."

"The product is very cost-effective compared to other brands or vendors."

"Sangfor NGAF price is reasonable and there is an annual license. However, the maintenance cost can be a bit high."

"It costs about 8 to 10 thousand dollars per year for 500 users, standard licensing fees included."

"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"Price-wise, I would not consider Sangfor NGAF to be a cheap product. It is an expensive firewall solution, though not as expensive as something like Palo Alto, which is costly. However, the higher price point is justifiable given the feature set the tool provides that other firewalls may not offer in a single dedicated appliance."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Performing Arts

19%

Marketing Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	363
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	190

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	13

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

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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Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

The pricing for the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series solution is affordable and there are no complaints about the licensing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series could be improved, though I don't think of much. I'm unsure how widespread the adoption ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Sangfor NGAF?

I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I comp...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 27% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 20% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 19% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 12% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 15% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

March 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

March 2026

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

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

Designed to handle growing throughput needs due to increasing amounts of application-, user-, and device-generated data, the K2-Series offers amazing performance and threat prevention capabilities to stop advanced cyberattacks and secure mobile network infrastructure, subscribers, and services.

Palo Alto Networks

Sangfor Next Generation Firewall (also known as NGAF) is a converged security solution providing protection against advanced threat, malware, viruses, ransomware and web-based attacks using integrated security features like firewall, IPS, anti-virus, anti-malware, APT, URL filtering, Cloud Sandbox, and WAF. As the world's first AI-enabled and fully integrated Next Generation Firewall & Web Application Firewall (WAF), NGAF offering the security visibility, real-time detection and response, simplified operation and maintenance and high-performance application layer security needed to operate an enterprise network in total security. Tested and proven to provide cutting-edge network security by ICSA Labs and endorsed by Gartner Inc., NGAF harnesses the power of Sangfor’s Neural-X threat intelligence and analytics platform and Engine Zero’s innovative malware detection to provide next-generation protection for today’s enterprise.

Sangfor

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

State of North Dakota, SEGA, Alameda County Office of Education, Temple University, VERGE, CAME

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

March 2026

Free Report: Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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