Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Proofpoint Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP) vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

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
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
580
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Firewalls (1st), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)
Proofpoint Email Data Loss ...
Average Rating
7.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (37th)
WatchGuard Firebox
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
126
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (11th), Firewalls (10th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (4th), Anti-Malware Tools (7th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (18th), Application Control (5th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (4th)
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
HP
Cosultant at Kadaster
Offers flexible licensing and easy setup, but has challenges with European compliance
It is difficult to meet the European security compliancy regulations using Proofpoint since it is very focused on the American market, differing significantly from European policies. Additionally, there is uncertainty about the future level of license pricing because American organizations sometimes change their product offerings. Barracuda's Active Directory checking feature is one area where Proofpoint could improve.
Syed Pasha - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
Makes defining policies simpler but lacks performance and modern features
WatchGuard Firebox is only deployed in one location within my customer's organization, and at the other locations, we are using Meraki and FortiGate. We plan to replace WatchGuard Firebox soon. My impression of the spam blocking capabilities of WatchGuard is not very favorable, as I don't think it is very capable. I haven't noticed effective web ratings or IPS signatures, which may be due to managing an older OS; I'm not certain about the performance of the newer versions. I am not aware of whether the transition to faster ports on WatchGuard Firebox supports maintaining productivity levels during peak usage times. Based on my experience, I would rate WatchGuard Firebox as five out of ten overall.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Fortinet FortiGate is stable; I am told that Fortinet FortiGate is one of the best solutions available, and I believe it."
"It's very good and very stable for businesses. It works very well."
"It is a stable solution compared to other vendors."
"The best features of Fortinet FortiGate include good functionality, though the licensing cost is a bit higher; their response time and throughput are very good advantages."
"FortiGate Secure SD-WAN includes best-of-breed next-generation firewall (NGFW) security, SD-WAN, advanced routing, and WAN optimization capabilities, delivering a security-driven networking WAN edge transformation in a unified offering."
"The pricing on offer is excellent."
"The performance is good."
"In a scenario where FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) notably enhanced my customer's network performance, we discussed many points."
"We have too many features included in the solution. These include third-party malware detection as a primary feature and a secondary feature focused on dealing with various security threats."
"Proofpoint offers flexibility in licensing, accommodating various levels from small businesses to governments."
"Proofpoint offers flexibility in licensing, accommodating various levels from small businesses to governments."
"The most valuable features are the VPN and web blocker security."
"WatchGuard Firebox offers a satisfying VM and hardware"
"I like their management features a lot. Their System Manager server as well the System Manager software make managing them, and tracking changes, very easy and complete."
"The ports that I have assigned appear to be unattainable to outside 'mal-actors,' unless they have an address registered on the internet that this thing is expecting. That's a layer of security."
"What I found most valuable in WatchGuard Firebox is that it's a functional platform that works, and each of its features works well. The solution also has good reporting and dashboard capabilities. I also find the overall performance of WatchGuard Firebox great."
"It also provides us with layered security. It has onboard virus scanning features that allow it to scan before something gets to the host. It will also stop a person from going to a site that is known to be bad."
"If we don't want specific data sent out, the tool will stop that data based on the policy we have allocated to it. It has reduced the risks of sending data where it shouldn't be. I haven't faced any issues with the tool's integration capabilities."
"WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response is a reliable solution."
 

Cons

"FortiGate NGFW can improve technical support. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad."
"The AI with Fortinet FortiGate is not very well integrated on their devices, and their cloud infrastructure is not as good as Cisco's."
"While the security is good, we'd always prefer if it was even better to ensure protection."
"The Wi-Fi controller needs a lot of improvement."
"It should provide better visibility over the network and more information in the form of reports for the end users. Its installation should also be easier."
"We are not utilizing Fortinet FortiGate to its full capacity because we have to pay for every small feature."
"The solution could be more evenly structured."
"I wish Fortinet FortiGate's UI updates would be done in a more simplified way to improve it."
"It is difficult to meet the European security compliancy regulations using Proofpoint since it is very focused on the American market, differing significantly from European policies."
"The tool is expensive."
"It is difficult to meet the European security compliance regulations using Proofpoint since it is very focused on the American market, differing significantly from European policies."
"The solution is a bit confusing and there are unusual complications with setup."
"In terms of what could be improved, I would say their web blocker feature. It is still quite a confusing setup, especially when you want to filter out a particular category for granularity. For example, you do not want to filter Facebook but you do want to filter Facebook games only. It can be done, but the process to do it is very confusing."
"I think one area for improvement in this solution would be enhancing communication with tools like Active Directory. This would make the tool easier to integrate and effective for users."
"Since WatchGuard acquired Panda, there may be synergies in consolidating both solutions under a single name to reduce customer confusion."
"The usability could be better, but it is definitely manageable. If we have to go to a backup internet connection, that could be a little bit easier."
"The solution needs to improve the interface. I'm not able to easily find things using it."
"Websense is an application that monitors and filters internet traffic. Websense was derived from WatchGuard. But when you go to WatchGuard to actually implement that particular feature, you have to use some type of additional feature and you have to pay for it, unfortunately. I think it should be free or free in the WatchGuard box itself, as an option. It would be nice if they didn't charge us for that."
"The user interface for WatchGuard Firebox has room for improvement. Right now, it's a bit complex to work with and could be easier."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is an expensive solution with a yearly subscription."
"The pricing of the solution is very competitive."
"It is less expensive than a Cisco solution."
"The price is fine."
"Pricing for this product is comparatively lower than other products. It's an affordable solution, but when expanding the number of users, they'll ask you to replace the model, so that's an added cost."
"The price is relatively expensive compared to other solutions which are providing similar features."
"Currently, we are paying about $1,500 a month for three sites."
"It's an expensive solution."
Information not available
"The primary reason that we went with Firebox was its cost. It is very economical and it provided us with all the security functions that we were looking for at the time. And the throughput was more than what we required, so it was a very cost-effective device to deploy on our network."
"We paid $4000 in AUD for WatchGuard Firebox per year. There were no additional costs."
"The price is very good."
"Its cost is okay. It is not too expensive, not too low. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of pricing."
"We are utilizing an MSP licensing model and are content with the minimal amount spent on the devices rather than committing to long-term licensing."
"It is an entry-level product, so the price is cheap."
"Over the years, the costs have increased, especially since I cater to very small businesses."
"The price of WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service is pretty reasonable compared to similar solutions."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions are best for your needs.
879,889 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Performing Arts
16%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business357
Midsize Enterprise133
Large Enterprise188
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business92
Midsize Enterprise25
Large Enterprise15
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Proofpoint Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP)?
The licenses for Proofpoint are effective, however, there is uncertainty about future pricing as American organizatio...
What needs improvement with Proofpoint Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP)?
It is difficult to meet the European security compliancy regulations using Proofpoint since it is very focused on the...
What is your primary use case for Proofpoint Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP)?
I know the portfolio of Proofpoint. I work with email backup and email security. Most of the time, I consult for vari...
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We just use it as a secondary WiFi device. We're a small office and we needed to set up a WiFi device for a few of ou...
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We're a hospital and we use it for developing our incoming and outgoing policies, and we also use it for VPN.
 

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall
No data available
WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service
 

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
Information Not Available
Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence
Find out what your peers are saying about Proofpoint Email Data Loss Prevention (DLP) vs. WatchGuard Firebox and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,889 professionals have used our research since 2012.