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Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Sophos XG comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
6.5
Palo Alto Networks WildFire provides cost-effective, centralized threat management, reducing security costs and improving efficiency in high-threat environments.
Sentiment score
6.8
Sophos XG offers significant ROI through enhanced security, cost savings, operational efficiency, and user-friendly interface, providing excellent value.
The service generates a low rate of false positives, reducing the overhead of managing false positive events.
Presale Engineer at Westcon-Comstor
The graphical interface of Sophos XG simplifies configurations, saving time in support and troubleshooting compared to the Linux-based solution I previously used.
Head ICT at NIC Uganda
We purchased endpoint security for the first time last year, and even without endpoint security, it provides comprehensive security.
IT Manager , SAP HANA Administrator at Tara Paints & Chemicals
It's good, but I would still say it's higher by about 10-15 percent compared to other market products with similar configurations.
Manager at rspl
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
Palo Alto Networks WildFire's support is responsive and expert but varies in availability and response time, especially for smaller companies.
Sentiment score
6.4
Sophos XG support is praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays, highlighting regional differences and preference for community resources.
There is a lack of SLA adherence, and third-party partners do not provide prompt responses.
Technical Superintendent at Indian Institute Of Technology, Patna
The service response times are aligned with standards, responding within a few hours based on the problem's criticality.
Presale Engineer at Westcon-Comstor
The support is quite difficult to access promptly.
Content Specialist at PeerSpot
I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.
IT Manager at Jabalpur Motors Ltd
Their team was quick to diagnose and resolve the problem by exchanging the equipment within two weeks.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
When my customers raise a ticket, a customer representative calls them immediately to address their queries.
Sales Representative at AVNS
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Palo Alto Networks WildFire efficiently scales for diverse environments, supporting thousands of users while integrating well with security modules.
Sentiment score
7.0
Sophos XG offers scalable options for small to mid-sized enterprises, though upgrading may need new hardware due to limitations.
Wildfire is highly scalable.
Technical Superintendent at Indian Institute Of Technology, Patna
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is scalable, and I give it a nine for scalability.
Content Specialist at PeerSpot
You can scale up to multiple firewalls with centralized management.
Technical Consultant at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
You can't upgrade memory or storage on a specific model, which limits scalability.
Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions
I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.
Technical Support Engineer at Digitaltrack
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.5
Palo Alto Networks WildFire is highly rated for reliability, seamless integration, and effective network security performance without disruptions.
Sentiment score
7.9
Sophos XG now offers reliable stability, scoring 8-10, but some configuration updates may impact performance for certain users.
It performs filtering, malware blocking, and scanning.
Engineer at Taalumgroup
The solution is scalable and stable.
Technical Manager at PSR
Sophos XG is very stable, even when serving as a DHCP server.
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
Sophos XG is resource-greedy, affecting performance even on newer computers.
Head of IT at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
It's on 24/7 and has consistently been reliable over the years.
Head ICT at NIC Uganda
 

Room For Improvement

WildFire needs improvements in integration, user-friendliness, and pricing, along with better support, automation, and global availability.
Sophos XG needs improvements in UI, integration, email protection, scalability, and support, with concerns over pricing and documentation.
The dashboard should provide better visibility, especially in showing how many files are sent to Wildfire and their findings.
Technical Superintendent at Indian Institute Of Technology, Patna
It is a very good product.
Engineer at Taalumgroup
The support could be improved, as it takes a while to get assistance from the vendors.
Content Specialist at PeerSpot
The solution should have the ability to be up to date with the most recent threats.
CIO at Nuotek Limited
This suggests a vulnerability that needs addressing to ensure administrators can update patches without losing access.
Adjunct Professor, Cybersecurity at University of the People
Business cannot stop just because of issues with support.
Sr. Manager (Technology) at Contessabd
 

Setup Cost

Palo Alto WildFire offers advanced threat protection, appealing to enterprises despite its high cost, potentially deterring smaller organizations.
Sophos XG offers competitive pricing with flexible licensing, though licenses can be costly compared to some competitors like SonicWall.
I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of affordability.
Presale Engineer at Westcon-Comstor
I rate the pricing a ten out of ten.
Owner at Computer Services Professionals
Currently, it costs about four million shillings in Kenya.
Network and Infrastructure Manager at Sonysugar
The cost depends on the package you are in, such as full threat management or basic.
Technical Services Lead at Telenet Solutions
 

Valuable Features

Palo Alto Networks WildFire automates threat analysis, excels in sandboxing, and offers robust security with cloud-based, user-friendly features.
Sophos XG offers user-friendly management, robust VPN, customizable security features, and synchronized control for comprehensive network protection.
Integrating Palo Alto Networks WildFire with various security protocols similar to a firewall has significantly improved the overall threat detection capabilities in our organization.
Content Specialist at PeerSpot
The most valuable feature of Wildfire is its sandboxing capability for examining suspicious files or locations.
Technical Superintendent at Indian Institute Of Technology, Patna
The firewall feature of Sophos XG has been the most effective for threat prevention.
Information Technology Specialist at stelios@biolandenergy.com
Integration with endpoint security products ensures seamless traffic flow and rule enforcement, even when endpoints are not directly connected to the firewall.
Founder/Director at Augesys Solutions Pvt Ltd
Visibility features are included in XDR. This provides information on user impact, potential threats on specific machines, source and destination IPs, setup firewall details, and unique identifiers for each machine.
Pre-Sales Architect at network techlab
 

Categories and Ranking

Palo Alto Networks WildFire
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
71
Ranking in other categories
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (1st)
Sophos XG
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
216
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Security Systems solutions, they serve different purposes. Palo Alto Networks WildFire is designed for Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and holds a mindshare of 7.6%, down 11.9% compared to last year.
Sophos XG, on the other hand, focuses on Firewalls, holds 8.4% mindshare, down 10.6% since last year.
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Palo Alto Networks WildFire7.6%
Microsoft Defender for Office 3659.7%
Proofpoint Email Protection7.1%
Other75.6%
Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
Firewalls Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Sophos XG8.4%
Fortinet FortiGate18.7%
OPNsense11.2%
Other61.7%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

RK
Engineer at Taalumgroup
Achieve effective threat prevention and seamless integration with powerful technical support
Integration with third-party products is possible. For example, connecting a mail gateway with Palo Alto Networks WildFire allows them to handle prevention. Palo Alto Networks WildFire is a cloud-based sandboxing solution. The firewall is connected to WildFire, and XDR performs sandboxing from the cloud. WildFire conducts malware scanning and emulation, then informs the firewall to block threats based on the response. It also generates reports regarding malware and other issues. The sandboxing process involves sending sample files to the cloud for scanning, checking file authenticity, certificates, and detecting malicious code. WildFire performs multiple checks and informs the XDR agent about file status. This automatic process occurs within minutes or seconds. For unknown or suspicious files, immediate blocking occurs while samples are sent to WildFire for identification. I rate Palo Alto Networks WildFire a 9 out of 10.
TarunPanchal - PeerSpot reviewer
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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Comparison Review

it_user206346 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Consultant at Webernetz.net - Network Security Consulting
Mar 11, 2015
Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto Networks
Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto: Management Goodies You often have comparisons of both firewalls concerning security components. Of course, a firewall must block attacks, scan for viruses, build VPNs, etc. However, in this post I am discussing the advantages and disadvantages from both vendors concerning…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business36
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business141
Midsize Enterprise52
Large Enterprise35
 

Questions from the Community

How does Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks Wildfire?
The Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall is a very powerful and very complex piece of anti-viral software. When one considers that fact, it is all the more impressive that the setup is a fairly straightf...
Which is better - Wildfire or FortiGate?
FortiGate has a lot going for it and I consider it to be the best, most user-friendly firewall out there. What I like the most about it is that it has an attractive web dashboard with very easy nav...
How does Cisco ASA Firewall compare with Palo Alto's WildFire?
When looking to change our ASA Firewall, we looked into Palo Alto’s WildFire. It works especially in preventing advanced malware and zero-day exploits with real-time intelligence. The sandbox featu...
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 the firewalls change every 5 to 7 years as stated but you really do need to upg...
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 signatures and updates. I also appreciate that I can just import addresses and URL...
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 Factor. The Sophos XG appliance that offers a direct competition to the Fortigate 80...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Novamedia, Nexon Asia Pacific, Lenovo, Samsonite, IOOF, Sinogrid, SanDisk Corporation
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks, Microsoft, Proofpoint and others in Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). Updated: December 2025.
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