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Palo Alto Networks PA-Series vs Sophos XGS comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.7
Organizations benefit financially and operationally with Fortinet FortiGate, citing savings, increased productivity, better security, and centralized management.
Sentiment score
7.5
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series offers cost-effective ROI with advanced security features, strong performance, and long-term user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
1.8
Sophos XGS offers effective ransomware prevention and cost savings for small businesses, though larger companies may find it less justified.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
The costs have increased with Sophos XGS in the last few years, with license prices going up by 30%, doubling from $2,500 to about $5,000, which is a big challenge for us.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiGate's customer support is praised for knowledgeable staff but criticized for inconsistent responsiveness and varying service quality.
Sentiment score
7.1
Customers praise Palo Alto Networks PA-Series support for quality and speed, though initial response times could improve.
Sentiment score
6.5
Sophos XGS customer service is responsive yet needs better response times, multilingual support, and knowledgeable initial support for full satisfaction.
They offer very accurate solutions.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Initially, it took one or two hours to get a Palo Alto engineer, which is quite slow.
I am happy with the technical support from Palo Alto.
Any issues are quickly addressed by their support team, which is not common among all OEM manufacturers.
The technical support of Sophos rates at 10.
I would rate the support a perfect 10.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable, adaptable for business needs, but requires advanced planning to avoid hardware and licensing issues.
Sentiment score
7.3
PA-Series offers scalable solutions but some models need upgrades; choosing the right model is crucial for adaptability.
Sentiment score
7.0
Sophos XGS offers scalable virtual and physical appliances, but expansion limitations and improvement needs exist compared to competitors.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
The solution can handle more than ten thousand users in my organization.
There are no restrictions in scalability.
I can change what I want easily without interfering with other services or routines.
I would rate its scalability seven out of ten since modules can be added.
For scalability, you purchase it according to the number of users and traffic; scaling means you would have to buy another product if you exhaust resources.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability and performance, though some models face issues with high traffic.
Sentiment score
8.5
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is praised for its robust stability, reliability, and effective performance, though frequent updates are noted.
Sentiment score
7.1
Sophos XGS is praised for stability and performance, with minor challenges during updates and occasional downtime compared to competitors.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
It is rated at nine out of ten for stability and is very reliable.
Sophos XGS is stable now, and I would rate its stability as a ten out of ten.
When Sophos introduced firmware version twenty, there was a bug in DCC.
 

Room For Improvement

FortiGate needs improvements in interface stability, user experience, reporting, VPNs, licensing costs, documentation, performance, and support.
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series needs enhanced security, usability, support, integration, and pricing flexibility to address current user challenges.
Sophos XGS struggles with scalability, complexity, limited features, pricing, and usability, needing improvements in integration, support, and reliability.
Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.
While Fortinet claims to offer a comprehensive network solution, it falls short in addressing computer application issues, particularly server security.
When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.
The interface of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series should be made much more user-friendly.
For the next release of the Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall, I would like to see logs monitoring included.
It would be beneficial if Sophos XGS offered an end-to-end solution with competitive pricing.
The DDNS features are essential for any organization, as it is better not to have a static IP address from an ISP.
After version 18.5, creating a NAT rule has become more complex, requiring the creation of a separate policy and an additional component.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for cost-effectiveness, clear licensing, but renewal costs can vary compared to competitors.
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is costly but valued for robust performance and features, appealing to enterprise customers despite higher prices.
Sophos XGS pricing is seen as both competitive and expensive, with varied opinions on affordability and appreciated flexible options.
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
It is about 20% cheaper.
The advantages of Fortinet FortiGate over its competitors include good pricing and meeting our requirements at a lower cost.
The firewall is expensive for every company, but the cost is worth it to ensure maximum security.
The price of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is expensive.
Regarding value for money, we brought this Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall last month, and we have taken up to 3 year renewals.
The last instance I purchased was for three years, around $3,700 for SDG 125.
pricing is rated eight out of ten, indicating that it may be relatively expensive.
Sophos XGS is quite expensive, potentially a nine out of ten in terms of cost.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate is valued for its high-performance security features, ease of use, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series offers robust security with advanced threat detection, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration enhancing functionality.
Sophos XGS offers a user-friendly interface, cost-effective security features, and seamless management for diverse enterprise needs.
In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable.
FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that might disrupt our client's production.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
The most effective features of the solution are its Magic Quadrant positioning, making it a leading firewall on perimeter areas and internet edges.
The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is that it is highly customizable.
The best features of the Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall include Global protector VPN workings.
It's able to detect cloud applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams and allows traffic shaping based on the application.
I find it much easier than others, like FortiGate, which is complicated in its installation, but Sophos XGS is really easy.
The threat detection capabilities are effective, especially against CNC and certain viruses not coming through emails.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Ranking in Firewalls
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
411
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series
Ranking in Firewalls
13th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sophos XGS
Ranking in Firewalls
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
85
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.1%, up from 18.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks PA-Series is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XGS is 2.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate20.1%
Sophos XGS2.3%
Palo Alto Networks PA-Series0.8%
Other76.8%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Bilal  Mustafa - PeerSpot reviewer
Manage security with leading firewall features while navigating AWS cloud challenges
The most effective features of the solution are its Magic Quadrant positioning, making it a leading firewall on perimeter areas and internet edges. It functions very well in data centers. Its effectiveness is highly dependent on budget and approach. Moreover, the return on investment is calculated according to my organization’s sizing and has never been an issue.
Nassif  Kaleny - PeerSpot reviewer
Dynamic web and mail filtering contribute to improved security measures
The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats. It just tells me that there is something during a certain time but does not provide information about the type of threats or how to get rid of them. This needs improvement.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business261
Midsize Enterprise99
Large Enterprise143
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business13
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business61
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise17
 

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...
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...
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 ...
What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks PA-Series?
The reporting feature and application ID functionality within Palo Alto Networks PA-Series are incredibly valuable to...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks PA-Series?
Regarding value for money, we brought this Palo Alto Networks PA-Series firewall last month, and we have taken up to ...
What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks PA-Series?
I do not have any challenges or areas for improvement with Palo Alto Networks PA-Series. There are no AI integrations...
What do you like most about Sophos XGS?
The policies are the greatest feature. They allow us to configure granular control over our network traffic.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos XGS?
I find the cost of the firewall to be moderate; it's reasonable.
What needs improvement with Sophos XGS?
To improve Sophos XGS for the next release, I recommend enhancing visibility as it's the biggest challenge. There sho...
 

Also Known As

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

 

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
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Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks PA-Series vs. Sophos XGS and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.