Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs Sophos XG comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #34 with an average rating of 8.3, while Sophos is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. Palo Alto Networks holds a 0.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 10.9% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

Sophos XG and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series compete in the network security category. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced threat prevention capabilities and AI-driven security integrations.

Features: Sophos XG offers granular web and application filtering with over 90 categories, synchronized security with endpoint integration for enhanced threat management, and comprehensive email protection along with features like Sophos Sandstorm for sandboxing. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is renowned for its strong threat prevention capabilities, SSL decryption, and AI-driven security integrations, bolstered by continuous global threat intelligence updates and host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS).

Room for Improvement: Sophos XG could enhance its email protection rule base, improve VPN and central management functionalities, and streamline the certificate import process. Scalability and reporting capabilities also need attention. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series should address its high pricing, improve URL filtering category options, and enhance partner support for faster response times. Despite superior features, the price point may deter smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos XG supports hybrid, public, and on-premises deployments, appealing to diverse IT environments. However, customer service has mixed reviews, with delays and inconsistency reported. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series also supports private and hybrid cloud with strong technical assistance, though complex issues can slow response times.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos XG provides competitive pricing, especially with hardware and long-term license bundles, offering cost savings through its UTM features. It often demonstrates a positive ROI by improving network security and reducing management effort. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series, priced higher, justifies the cost with comprehensive security but may not be feasible for small to medium-sized businesses.

To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

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

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 21.2%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XG is 10.9%, up from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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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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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TarunPanchal

IT Manager , SAP HANA Administrator at Tara Paints & Chemicals

Decades of expertise lead to seamless installations and robust security

I typically use the Sophos XG Firewall to enhance my cybersecurity by using all layers. The intrusion prevention system impacts my security posture effectively, as we have not faced any ransomware or cyber threats. I have more than 800 servers live from Sophos. The synchronized security feature has proven to be very beneficial, and I have not encountered any issues. Sophos XG Firewall has contributed to reducing overall costs because it helps save money. We purchased endpoint security for the first time last year, and even without endpoint security, it provides comprehensive security. Sophos XG uses AI effectively to enhance threat detection and response, securing from AI at the packet level.

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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

"Our security improved from being able to put in rules and close off unwanted traffic."

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

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

"This product is definitely scalable."

"The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."

"The scalability is easy with switches and access points that are basically plug-and-play for the most part."

"The solution is scalable."

"Their reliability and their policy of pre-shipping replacements when a unit has failed."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"As long as the solution is kept updated, it's pretty stable."

"The most valuable features are the intuitive user interface, ease of use, and reporting."

"We've found the solution offers us good stability."

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

"It's easy to configure."

"It is a stable solution."

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

"Mainly, it is very easy to understand, and the logs are very good."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros

"What I like about his program, is that it is easy to use and easy to manage."

"As a security solution, it's a very good security solution."

"The antivirus features are valuable."

"We can configure rules with the user, traffic, etc., making it a very versatile solution for our network."

"It is very easy to use. You can configure and monitor everything from one unique dashboard."

"The multifactor authentication is helpful because whenever the user wants to connect to the firewall, they have to use the authenticator before they can access it."

"The product is very easy to explore. It has a very good layout."

"The firewall provides network visibility and reporting capabilities, constantly improving over time. It can be integrated with the cloud console, allowing centralized management of multiple firewalls. integration with endpoint security products ensures seamless traffic flow and rule enforcement, even when endpoints are not directly connected to the firewall."

More Sophos XG pros

Cons

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility."

"The configuration part was challenging, especially converting configurations from another OEM to FortiGate."

"The inability to scale the FortiAnalyzer to match our growth necessitates the purchase of new hardware."

"We haven't tapped into most of the functionalities that Fortinet FortiGate offers because we're using it just for gateway security. One of the things that I would prefer is a more expansive use of their analyzer. They could do more work on FortiAnalyzer in terms of the data and the information coming from it."

"The solution could be improved by addressing limited local reporting. It requires obtaining the FortiAnalyzer for proper visibility because you can't do much from a reporting perspective with just the firewall alone."

"It could use more templates for third-party site-to-site VPN setups other than FortiGate and Cisco."

"It should come integrated or have its own type of network monitor tool in a module. There should just be one package, and you are good to go."

"The support we receive when we need to upgrade is not satisfactory and has room for improvement."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The graphical user interface is a little complex and difficult to manage. L1 engineers cannot work on the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series because it's too complex, which requires L2 and above level of engineers."

"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."

"Sometimes there are interactions with support or the provider that are not ideal."

"Its networking features could be better."

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

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

"They should implement the features that the other firewalls have."

"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."

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons

"In the Sophos XG, the SD-WAN has all the rules done separately, such as net policy routing. In the previous version, they were all in a single rule and everything was done that way. The way it is now is difficult for us because we are not used to this newer version. The firewall rules should be easier to configure and create. Everything should be done with a single click."

"There should be a workaround in case of equipment breakdown, like a stopgap measure while the equipment is being returned or replaced."

"They made some changes to the firmware update sometime last year, which moved some of the policies from where they were before. Some of the policies, such as NAS policies, were separated, which made it a bit hard for people to trace the policies they had configured."

"Sophos XG could improve by coming out with more innovative feature developments."

"The initial setup is not straightforward."

"We are facing some problems on this firmware version, version 18, that require improvement. We want to improve the email security because it doesn't give proper security with the data protection. Also, our clients are facing some problems where most of the sites which they're accessing are getting blocked. I want to improve those sites, that email security, and the data protection on the Firmware version 18."

"I would like the update process to be easier, to update the firmware of the boxes. I think it's much better automatically than having to do it manually: Download the file, do network discovery. I they can make the update process much more automatic that would help."

"The knowledge base needs improvement, particularly in terms of community support and training videos on platforms like YouTube. Compared to other firewalls, Sophos XG documentation is somewhat confusing and can be difficult to use."

More Sophos XG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Fortinet is the least expensive solution."

"Fortinet FortiGate as a less expensive solution than Palo Alto."

"It was worth the money overall. It's good value."

"The value is the capability of having multiple services with one unique license, not having the limitation per user licensing schema, like other vendors."

"The price is okay."

"It is not the cheapest one, but its price is very competitive."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is expensive."

"Palo Alto firewalls are very expensive."

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

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

"The price of this solution is too high."

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

"It is an expensive solution."

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

More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice

"The solution is not expensive since one pays as he goes."

"We paid for our licensing for three years, upfront, and there are no costs in addition to the standard fees."

"Sophos is very good when it comes to pricing."

"Its price should be better. Initially, the clients have to pay for the appliance. Then, they have to pay for the software that is installed on the appliance. Depending on whether they have a one-year, two-year, or three-year license, they just have to renew the license of the software after it expires. They don't have to renew the appliance license. So, they have to pay for the appliance only once, and after that, they just renew the software license. That's all."

"The price of Sophos XG is reasonable."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

"The price of Sophos in PTR is significantly higher compared to Fortinet."

"Sophos XG is not expensive for a firewall, especially when you compare it with Check Point."

More Sophos XG pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

18%

Performing Arts

18%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

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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Which is better - Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls or Sophos XG?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have both great features and performance. I like that Palo Alto has regular threat si...

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What are the main differences in features between Sophos XG and FortiGate 80F?

Hi Arvind P , The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Fact...

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What do you like most about Sophos XG?

IPS works smoothly.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

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WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% 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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Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XG

Compared 10% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos XG

Compared 9% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Sophos XG

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XG

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Sophos XG

Compared 4% of the time

More Sophos XG Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

July 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series

July 2025

Download Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XG

June 2025

Download Sophos XG product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

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

Sophos XG is a versatile network security solution that offers network protection, firewall management, VPN access, web filtering, and intrusion prevention, providing comprehensive security for businesses from small offices to large enterprises.

Sophos XG stands out for its Synchronized Security, easy setup, and robust templates. It manages VPN access, protects against threats, and handles load balancing and traffic monitoring. The cloud-based management, centralized dashboard, and detailed logging make it user-friendly and reliable. Integration of features like email protection, SD-WAN, and unified threat management ensures a broad spectrum of security needs are covered. However, it could benefit from improvements in network security, user portals, technical support, and more scalable SD-WAN features.

What are the key features of Sophos XG?

Synchronized Security: Orchestrates threat intelligence sharing between endpoints and firewall.
Unlimited SSL VPN Clients: Provides extensive VPN client support for secure remote access.
Cloud-Based Management: Facilitates remote administration with a cloud-hosted platform.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and blocks potential threats in real-time.
Centralized Dashboard: Offers a comprehensive view of network security status.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Scalability: Easily adapts to growing business needs.
User-Friendliness: Simplified setup and intuitive management.
Effective Threat Protection: Provides robust security against a wide range of threats.
Comprehensive Reporting: Delivers detailed insights and analytics.
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive in pricing with flexible deployment options.

Sophos XG is implemented across industries such as healthcare, education, and finance to secure sensitive data and ensure regulatory compliance. It aids in endpoint protection, application control, load balancing, and traffic monitoring essential for these industries. Enhancing network security, simplifying VPN setup, and integrating adaptive security features remain focal points for businesses.

Sophos

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

July 2025

Free Report: Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG

Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks K2-Series vs. Sophos XG and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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