Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs SonicWall TZ comparison

Palo Alto Networks and SonicWall are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #29 with an average rating of 8.2, while SonicWall is ranked #19 with an average rating of 9.0. Palo Alto Networks holds a 0.0% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to SonicWall’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

SonicWall TZ and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series compete in the network security solutions category. Palo Alto K2-Series has the upper hand due to its robust security features and advanced threat prevention capabilities, which appeal to users prioritizing top-tier security.

Features: SonicWall TZ is known for its intuitive management interface, ease of configuration, and efficient VPN capabilities. Users appreciate its competitive pricing for high availability. In contrast, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is recognized for its superior security features, such as a strong Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and decryption capabilities, along with advanced application control and comprehensive threat prevention.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall TZ users note the need for better reporting, enhanced application detection, and improved support. The interface could be more intuitive, and customers desire better pricing for content filtering and VPN licenses. Palo Alto K2-Series faces criticism primarily for its high cost and complex user interface, with users requesting better system integration and expanded reporting features to make it more accessible to smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both SonicWall TZ and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series are primarily available as on-premises solutions. SonicWall TZ is often praised for its straightforward setup and ease of management post-deployment, though tech support has mixed reviews with noted delays. Palo Alto is seen as more complex during deployment but offers comprehensive documentation and knowledgeable support, gaining generally favorable customer service ratings despite high demand and occasional wait times.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall TZ is regarded as budget-friendly for small to medium-sized businesses, offering a la carte pricing with substantial features and a high ROI for cybersecurity investments. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is seen as a premium solution with high costs, deterring smaller businesses. However, it is favored by those prioritizing advanced security capabilities, often delivering excellent ROI through its robust protection features.

To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. SonicWall TZ Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. SonicWall TZ

April 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

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 21.4%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.0%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall TZ is 3.0%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

EhabAli

Sr. Cybersecurity Solutions Architect at BMB

Efficient, user-friendly, and affordable

In the past, NSS Labs was utilized to test files and verify the numbers and datasheets. It would be beneficial to have an organization or testing lab that can verify the numbers in our datasheets since changes are frequently made, which can be inconvenient for review. For instance, when comparing different competitors such as Forcepoint, Palo Alto, and Check Point, the throughput or numbers in the datasheet may be lower than the actual numbers. Conversely, Fortinet typically reports very high numbers, but they cannot be replicated in the real world. Therefore, it would be advantageous for them to partner with a neutral testing organization such as NSS Labs to validate these numbers, thus providing more credibility and comfort to everyone regarding the accuracy of the datasheets. For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial. This tool shows a lot of promise and is very good. Making it free would help many companies deliver their products in a more efficient and integrated way. It would also be more valuable to include the tool with the firewall package or license instead of having to pay extra for it. Paying extra puts more pressure on small companies to deliver the firewall and complete the configuration, especially if they have hundreds or thousands of policies. It's very painful to move through these policies line by line. The stability has room for improvement. When it comes to Secure SD-WAN, everything is fine. They are going the right way. SD-WAN is very promising. They can provide the SD-WAN solution separately, but they will not take this approach because even the smallest firewall can support the features, so there is no need to have a separate service or appliance. They are following the right steps, and there is nothing to be improved. Feature-wise, I'm really satisfied with the new release, and the features they have added. For now, it's fine.

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Krishnakumar M

enterprise architect at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

One of the best tools for the prevention of evasive threats

There is a feature called granular application controls, which I liked. Instead of relying on ports and IP addresses, they use AMP ID. This kind of solution is very good. Another valuable feature is the prevention of evasive threats, which is one of the best tools I've encountered. SSL decryption and app ID-based SSL decryption are also impressive, along with the integration with user ID. Identity-based policies ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources are excellent features. Normally, there is something called SIM or SCIM in IDA IDM, but this feature is provided on the box, which is exemplary.

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Rias Majeed

CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC

Robust VPN integration stands out despite needing enhanced vendor compatibility

The integrated VPN functionality is working well with the global VPN client, which is a fast client, though it comes at a cost. SonicWall TZ is functional depending on the service level taken by the user. For SMB segments, SonicWall performs well. Despite lacking certain features, it is still considered a good product. The appliance itself is functional and stable, offering integrated solutions.

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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

"We are very happy with the general bandwidth agility we have seen from one website to another website."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

"The initial setup is easy."

"The base firewall features are quite valuable to us."

"The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was straightforward."

"The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN, as it allows us to connect and it separates this product from other firewalls."

"Security, SD-WAN, and Streetscape are valuable features."

"Fortinet FortiGate is easy to use."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The customer service and support are really good."

"Overall, this is a very simple and very effective firewall, and I am satisfied with it."

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

"The IPS system is the best in the field."

"Simple integrations with the domain controllers and other inventories"

"Palo Alto has a unique solution for DNS security, which is very good."

"The solution is reliable and scales well."

"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is the configuration, it is very clear."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros

"With the main firewall routing there, we can do connectivity point-to-point. On the low bandwidth we can connect in all the branches with my corporate office."

"We like their interface very much. It's pretty easy to use."

"Access restriction and IP whitelisting are the most valuable features."

"SonicWall TZ is stable."

"Most of the features are useful. It is easy to configure and easy to troubleshoot. I can see the utilization of different networks, and there are also App control features."

"The installation is straightforward and took approximately 30 minutes."

"The most valuable features are security and technical support."

"The general feature is the antivirus policy, followed by the ransomware protection, and these are the features I was looking at."

More SonicWall TZ pros

Cons

"The support structure needs to be improved because every time we contact them, there is a delay in the response."

"They should improve the interface to make it more user-friendly."

"Its price could be better."

"FortiGate support could do some improvements on their IPv6 configuration. Right now it's still in the very early stage for utilizing in an enterprise level network environment."

"The documentation available for Fortinet FortiGate should be improved"

"The graphical user interface of Fortinet's FortiGate product does not function well with text-based interfaces."

"The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."

"The support is the main thing that needs to be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"When it comes to renewing the solution, they tend to try to jack up the pricing."

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

"Threat prevention could use improvement. Not just in malware exploits and C2 traffic; enhancing web traffic protection would be a great upgrade."

"Higher levels of support are excellent but new users may need additional options."

"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."

"It would be really helpful to have dashboards that provide information on IOC blockings such as where and how many. It will also be good to know how many hashing files have been reported. It would also be nice to have easy access to this information. Otherwise, it's a painful, manual task."

"Palo Alto releases a lot of bug fixes for their firewalls, which means it's necessary to do frequent upgrades. They should work on decreasing their bugs so that upgrades aren't needed so often."

"Threat prevention could use improvement."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons

"User interface could be improved."

"The areas we would like to see improvement include more features available similar to the equivalent FortiGate appliance, e.g. SSL encryption and inspection. Two-factor authentication capability would be another additional feature that could be included in the next release."

"We require centralized monitoring of the network features, which they have but they are not to the level that we require."

"I think content filtering is the area this product should improve. It's a little tricky to get put in correctly."

"It could probably be more user-friendly, and it could be more scalable with releases and subscriptions."

"The solution has lost the trust of its customers because of moving from one company to another."

"In terms of what needs to be improved, I would say better load balancing and data filtering."

"SonicWall should incorporate dynamic DNS services to eliminate the need for third-party solutions, particularly for environments using dynamic IP addresses."

More SonicWall TZ cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is okay."

"Compared to other firewall products, it's a little cheaper in terms of pricing."

"The price of FortiGate is comparable to that of most other firewall solutions and is more affordable than Cisco."

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

"Fortinet is competitive price-wise."

"Fortinet has one or two license types, and the VPN numbers are only limited by the hardware chassis make."

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

"Its pricing is fine. It is on a yearly basis. Other than the licensing fee, there is no extra fee."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is an expensive solution, the price could be reduced. They are more expensive than some of their competitors."

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

"It would be nice if they lowered their prices for small businesses."

"The price of this solution is too high."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The price of the solution is expensive."

"The pricing is expensive."

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

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice

"Its price is very high, which makes it difficult to convince the clients to buy this solution."

"The prices are expensive."

"The price is fair for the solution for the quality you receive."

"You need to purchase multiple licenses to manage multiple devices which is cost-prohibitive for the value you would receive."

"The price could be better for us in Bolivia."

"The solution is expensive."

"The product pricing is relatively good, compared to other products, including the licenses."

"There are a few features that are licensed and there should be more that are licensed. The price of the solution is midrange compared to others, I have not had anyone complain."

More SonicWall TZ pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

28%

Manufacturing Company

Media Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Computer Software Company

19%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 do you like most about Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?

It is a stable solution.

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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.

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Would you choose Fortinet Fortigate or Sonicwall TZ?

I’ll say it depends on your needs. Fortinet FortiGate and SonicWall TZ are both next-gen firewalls (NGFW) with simila...

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What do you like most about SonicWall TZ?

The most valuable feature of SonicWall TZ is the double authentication, where it asks for one password and again asks...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall TZ?

The price is normal. It is a nominal cost for an SMB TZ used for SMB businesses. However, more licenses are required ...

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Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 22% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

Compared 100% of the time

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Sophos XG vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 18% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 9% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 6% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 6% of the time

Meraki MX vs SonicWall TZ

Compared 6% of the time

More SonicWall TZ Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

April 2025

Download Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall TZ

April 2025

Download SonicWall TZ product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

No data available

Dell SonicWALL TZ

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

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

The secure, sophisticated SonicWALL TZ is widely deployed at small businesses, retail, government, remote sites and branch offices. It combines high-performance intrusion prevention, malware blocking, content/URL filtering and application control.

SonicWall

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

AeroM_xico Delta TechOps, Unimat

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. SonicWall TZ

April 2025

Free Report: Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. SonicWall TZ

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