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 8.5, while Sangfor is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.4. Palo Alto Networks holds a 0.4% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sangfor’s 1.1% 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: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

June 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 June 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 15.1%, down from 21.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.4%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	15.1%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series	0.4%
Other	83.4%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Joseph Koomson

IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana

Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.

Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.

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Tejas Jain

Principle Cloud 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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the bundled subscription, which is IPS, TV and web filtering."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution."

"The ease of use and the user-friendly interface are the beauty of this firewall."

"Routing and reporting are two areas where the product has an added advantage compared to any other product."

"The combined license for the network, the next-generation firewall, and the integration with SD-WAN for all branches are what I consider to be the best features. It's effective for multi-branch customers."

"The best feature of Fortinet FortiGate is the IPS or IDS implementation."

"Fortinet FortiGate is stable; I am told that Fortinet FortiGate is one of the best solutions available, and I believe it."

"I have found the decryption of Fortinet FortiGate IPS very good. It's called SSL deep inspection, it's working very well. This is how you decrypt access and traffic, and it is through the IPS antivirus center. Additionally, the UI is user-friendly."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"This is a product that I would recommend."

"Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is very stable."

"Overall product rating: Nine out of ten."

"The solution is reliable and scales well."

"Palo Alto has better and finer controls than, say, Cisco or Check Point."

"The application ID on the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is able to understand the application traffic, and WildFire is also good."

"Palo Alto's App-ID is what differentiates it from other competitors."

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is the performance which is above their competitors. The throughput they have delivered is good. When we used other solutions they failed the deployment when we were using different rules. They have a theory perform performance light and performance degradation. However, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series never fails in that scenario."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros

"The solution is quite safe and good, and furthermore, it is very good for different environments."

"Sangfor has the best capabilities for securing connections, securing web browsers, securing servers, and general threat protection."

"It is a stable solution."

"The most valuable feature of Sangfor NGAF is its integration."

"The VPN connectivity feature is really nice."

"The top functionality is the reporting feature."

"Sangfor is a good solution that provides a WAF and firewall solution; most other vendors, like Sophos and Fortinet and Cisco, only provide one solution, and that's a valuable feature of Sangfor."

"The price versus value is good because the solution is less expensive than Sophos, Fortinet, or SonicWall."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"I believe there is room for improvement in machine learning and AI in Fortinet FortiGate. I would like to see more automation regarding AI and machine learning in Fortinet FortiGate."

"The things we require are already sorted out, so there isn't any scope for improvement as far as our requirements go. However, its price can be better."

"It should be more stable."

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

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

"Currently, without the additional reporting module, we only have access to basic reporting."

"I find the management console not very straightforward, so that's an area where Fortinet FortiGate can improve. They should simplify it and make it more user-friendly."

"The tool is expensive for small businesses, making it an area where the tool can improve the product by making it available at a cheaper rate."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The technical support, and how they provide it to the client, needs to be improved."

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

"If we have issues, they take anywhere from two days to a week to respond. I even wrote to their CEO because there was no response. When it comes to support, this is the worst company."

"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."

"We had some issues with upgrading in the past. They could make the process easier."

"Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is an expensive solution, the price could be reduced."

"Because we are using the hardware, we are not able to scale. On the VM, it is scalable, but we have got stuck on some areas."

"I cannot think of anything specific to improve at the moment."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons

"The product must provide more IPS features."

"An area for improvement would be the number of ports defined on the box. In the next release, I would like them to develop their provisioning stage of enrolling end devices."

"We have deployed many firewalls and have faced two or three faulty devices that we have to replace over a year because their power supply was faulty."

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

"They need to increase the number of ports in the firewall."

"Sangfor need greater exposer in the market because the market is mainly saturated by Fortinet. The user experience of Fortinet is quite different compared to NGAF. If we want to switch our users from Fortinet to NGAF, we have to convince them that the user experience will be much easier once once they start to use it."

"Sangfor could improve by providing better real-time reporting, as the current reports don't offer the level of detail we need, especially for runtime insights."

"The support for YouTube or the Internet is not enough."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is usually on a three-year period."

"The product is expensive."

"It has been two years. I don't remember the actual price, but it was affordable. We buy the boxes and then use the license for three years."

"If the customer is looking for SD-WAN, it comes free with FortiGate."

"I rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate SWG a seven and a half out of ten since it is not a cheap solution, though I feel it is a good product for the money one pays."

"The price is really low. It's cheap in comparison to the cost of Cisco or CheckPoint, for example."

"If you compare the price of Fortinet FortiGate IPS to other firewalls, Check Point is priced very high followed by Palo Alto and Sophos. Fortinet FortiGate IPS price is more reasonable."

"Fortinet is reasonable in pricing and licensing. Overall, FortiGate is affordable. The licensing fee can be a little high, depending on the budget for your project."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Products by the leader in the field are justifiably a bit more expensive compared to other vendors."

"This solution is expensive compared to other, similar products."

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

"We are on an annual license to use Palo Alto Networks K2-Series."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The pricing is expensive."

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

"Pricing is a sensitive issue because the cost is high in this market."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice

"We purchased one year technical support and return to factory support, and we also purchased one-year technical support services. So those were additional."

"If you know you have around 200+ computer users on your network, then the Sangfor NGAF 5200-F-I model would be the minimum recommended model for that amount of users. This model includes modules for packet filtering, deep packet inspection, malware scanning, DSCP filtration, and many other features."

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

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

"The price could be more competitive."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"The solution has a TCO that is 32% to 50% less than Sophos, Fortinet, and SonicWall."

"Sangfor NGAF is a cheaply priced product, especially if I consider the previous product that was used in my company."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Performing Arts

15%

Construction Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Marketing Services Firm

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	369
Midsize Enterprise	139
Large Enterprise	195

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 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

What is your primary use case for Sangfor NGAF?

We are hosting applications over the platform, including websites and NAT traffic from our side. Because it's deploye...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 22% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 18% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 14% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 7% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 9% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 8% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 7% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

June 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

June 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

June 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

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series offers deep inspection, scalability, stability, and advanced security technology with easy configuration. Appreciated for its virtualization and strong DNS security, it provides a robust solution for diverse industries seeking comprehensive protection.

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is recognized for its powerful capabilities in threat detection and prevention. Its features include WildFire, intuitive interface, and granular controls. The system supports strong IPS and SSL decryption while offering easy management and visibility solutions. Zero Trust segmentation and App-ID form the backbone of its advanced threat prevention strategy. While the initial setup is user-friendly, Panorama enhances management ease. Criticism mainly revolves around high costs, a complex interface, and desires for better third-party integration and automation. Continuous updates are required to address bugs, and there's room for improvement in reporting and threat intelligence to better user experience. Scalability and addition of certain competitive features are other areas needing enhancement.

What Are the Key Features of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

Deep Inspection: Offers comprehensive scanning for threats.
Scalability and Stability: Ensures reliability across large networks.
Advanced Technology: Incorporates state-of-the-art security methods.
Virtualization: Provides virtual environment support.
Strong DNS Security: Protects against DNS-based threats.
WildFire: Enhances threat detection capabilities.
Intuitive Interface: Simplifies administration and management.
Granular Controls: Allows detailed policy configurations.
Powerful IPS: Effective intrusion prevention mechanism.
SSL Decryption: Manages encrypted traffic without compromising security.

What Benefits and ROI Should Users Consider?

Improved Security: Offers robust protection for network environments.
Reduced Management Complexity: Simplifies system oversight through intuitive tools.
Comprehensive Threat Intelligence: Delivers timely updates to counteract evolving threats.
Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly links with existing Palo Alto products.

Organizations across banking, telecom, and educational sectors frequently deploy Palo Alto Networks K2-Series for its next-generation firewall capabilities, securing perimeter and data center operations. It is integrated with other Palo Alto solutions, serving as a versatile defense mechanism, enabling secure web and internet connectivity.

Palo Alto Networks

Sangfor NGAF offers a user-friendly firewall solution with a strong virus database and competitive pricing. It supports SSL VPN connectivity, intrusion detection, and is known for easy deployment and integration capabilities.

Sangfor NGAF is a comprehensive security platform providing robust network protection through its application control and detailed threat insights. While effective in preventing threats and ensuring network security, it has areas needing improvement such as real-time reporting and system support. It delivers secure internet and VPN connections, proficiently handling malware threats. However, it faces challenges with user experience, reporting capabilities, hardware scalability, and needs better third-party integration. Licensing costs are noted to be high, and there are performance variations between versions.

What are the key features of Sangfor NGAF?

User-friendly deployment: Offers an uncomplicated setup process.
Robust virus database: Provides reliable threat detection.
SSL VPN connectivity: Ensures secure remote access.
Application control: Manages application usage for enhanced security.
Intrusion detection: Detects unauthorized access attempts.
URL filtering: Prevents access to malicious websites.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Sangfor NGAF?

Affordability: Competitive pricing compared to peers.
Integration: Good capabilities with existing systems.
Support: Noted for providing reliable customer service.
Threat prevention: Effective in securing networks against various threats.

Sangfor NGAF is widely used across industries including education, healthcare, and finance for its reliable network security. It is favored for securing internal servers, offering robust threat protection, and managing bandwidth efficiently at a budget-friendly rate.

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

June 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: June 2026.

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