Sangfor NGAF vs SonicWall NSv comparison

Sangfor and SonicWall are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Sangfor is ranked #19 with an average rating of 7.9, while SonicWall is ranked #30 with an average rating of 8.2. Sangfor holds a 1.3% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to SonicWall’s 0.1% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Sangfor users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Sangfor NGAF and SonicWall NSv compete in the firewall and network security space. Sangfor NGAF appears to have the upper hand due to its user-friendliness, robust security features, and cost-effectiveness, whereas SonicWall NSv is noted for its effective threat management but lacks some pricing advantages.

Features: Sangfor NGAF is praised for its user-friendliness, a powerful virus database, and comprehensive IPS reporting. It offers effective SD-WAN integration and application control capabilities. SonicWall NSv is appreciated for its ease of rule creation, effective threat management, and reliable performance.

Room for Improvement: Sangfor NGAF could enhance user feedback integration, improve management consoles, and address hardware performance issues. SonicWall NSv needs improvements in setup simplicity, user-based configurations, and enhancements in bandwidth management and user authentication features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sangfor NGAF offers flexible deployment options in various environments, including hybrid cloud, with excellent local support in multiple regions. SonicWall NSv primarily focuses on on-premises deployment with straightforward configuration. Both products provide good technical support, but Sangfor's localized options present a slight edge.

Pricing and ROI: Sangfor NGAF is highly cost-effective with competitive pricing that undercuts competitors like Fortinet and Sophos, providing high ROI. SonicWall NSv offers moderate pricing with good ROI, being cost-effective but lacking the distinct pricing advantages of Sangfor. Both deliver value for money, but Sangfor's pricing appeals more to budget-conscious buyers.

To learn more, read our detailed Sangfor NGAF vs. SonicWall NSv Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF vs. SonicWall NSv

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 Sangfor NGAF is 1.3%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall NSv is 0.1%, up from 0.1% 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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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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Sumesh Panikkar

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at Khansaheb

Provides effective threat prevention and helps improve security

We face some challenges when we upgrade the solution. If I use NSv 400, I can't upgrade to the next generation. We cannot upgrade the VM to the next generation. We have to rebuild a new VM and copy the configurations. We cannot upgrade straightaway. The solution must allow us to upgrade the same machine to a newer version without many changes.

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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

"There are great templates, so you don't have to customize them if you don't want to. You do have the option to custom create some folders and some reports, however, with what is there, you don't really need to go through extra effort, as they already give you a lot of predefined views of reports and so forth."

"The most valuable features of the solution are SD-WAN, filtering testing applications, web filtering, and the new VPN."

"The solution can scale well."

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

"I only deal with it from a security analyst's point of view. I don't really get into the features of the actual FortiGate. From the security point of view, it works, and it does its job."

"Fortinet FortiGate has many valuable features, such as IDS, and intrusion detection. It has security features that are in part with the technologies that are available in the market."

"Fortinet FortiGate has impacted our cost savings and security efficiency positively."

"Good load balancing feature."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"In terms of the most valuable features, the IPS report is quick and updated. Performance is also valuable."

"SSL VPN is the best feature."

"We can utilize our own network rather than paying for a private one."

"The absolute best part of Sangfor NGAF is their support. It's a 24/7 support channel, and the last time I requested their assistance I got a reply within three minutes. They helped solve the problem immediately."

"Sangfor is a good solution that provides a WAF and firewall solution. Most other vendors, like Sophos and Fortinet and Cisco, only provide one solution. That's a valuable feature of Sangfor."

"The VPN connectivity feature is really nice."

"The capabilities are mostly within the box."

"It's a very simple to use product."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

"SonicWall NSV is easy to use, and you can use it to manage the logs easily."

"One of the standout features of SonicWall is its simplicity in creating and managing rules."

"SonicWall excelled in threat management, evident in how users handled it effectively."

"We purchased the AGSS Bundle (Advanced Gateway Security Suite) for the security services, such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI."

"Out of ten, I would rate the solution at an eight."

"I would rate the overall product a nine out of ten."

"The solution has no additional charges and no restrictions on the number of users."

"The customization of firewall rules provides great value to our customers as it allows them to lock things up in the way that they desire. When it is used for internal access, with a VPN in place for remote workers, the firewalling services provided by Azure, such as the default services that can be turned on, are applied. However, the use of a software-based virtual firewall gives us greater flexibility in introducing security controls for customers who are publishing applications that are publicly accessible from the public cloud. This virtual firewall provides an additional layer of security and more extensive security control options to ensure the protection of our customers' valuable information and assets."

More SonicWall NSv pros

Cons

"It would be nice if FortiGate incorporated some built-in endpoint protection features. I would also like a built-in SOC dashboard for managing multiple Fortinet firewalls."

"One issue that I have had is that sometimes I need to monitor the traffic, so I need to filter it according to the user and which user is using it the most. I experience a bottleneck most of the time, particularly at the peak time when the number of contracts and users are at maximum."

"In the future, I would like to see improvements made to cloud-based management."

"Performance and technical support are the main issues with this solution."

"They should improve high CPU and memory usage that occurs."

"Scalability is one of the disadvantages. When it comes to scalability, you have to actually change the box. If you want to upgrade it, you need to actually change the existing box and probably you take the system off to other sites."

"Due to its higher cost, Fortinet FortiGate can lead to increased operational expenses."

"NGN, reporting and controls."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The reporting and log management could be improved."

"The setup phase is quite complex."

"The support for YouTube or the Internet is not enough."

"The firewall system needs gradual improvements because there are more threats and challenges every day."

"Lacks consistency in terms of filtering certain websites and applications."

"The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here."

"The product must provide more IPS features."

"I believe that IAM and NGFW need to merge into a single box, instead of there being two separate box solutions."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

"There are limitations to bandwidth management."

"It has been brought to our attention by a few customers that they are dissatisfied with the fact that our virtualized service is only offered as a subscription option on the cloud. However, it is worth noting that many other similar services are also offered through a subscription model on the cloud and not through perpetual licensing. It is unclear why these customers would have an issue with this subscription service when so many others are utilizing similar methods."

"I would like to see the reporting opened up and have several more opportunities for automatic reports."

"The price is a significant factor. Mostly in India, the customer service has many hurdles to get real support."

"The engine provided initially was quite heavy, creating a trade-off between software and hardware-based threat management."

"SonicWall NSV's SSL VPN could increase its number of users to 100-plus users."

"The engine provided initially was quite heavy, creating a trade-off between software and hardware-based threat management."

"SonicWall NSV's initial setup is complicated and requires good knowledge."

More SonicWall NSv cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be lower."

"It is a good product from a price perspective versus functionality."

"The license for Fortinet FortiGate is affordable in my country."

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"Pricing and licensing is a little bit complicated in FortiGate. They are always on the higher side. This is one issue that we always raise with the company that they should reduce the price according to Indian market requirements. There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."

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

"Fortinet FortiGate is cheaper than Palo Alto. It is about 20% cheaper."

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

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The price is unmatcheable."

"It is one of the cheapest tools in the market."

"Sangfor NGAF is a cheaply priced product, especially if I consider the previous product that was used in my company."

"When it comes to the price of firewall solutions, Sangfor NGAF takes the cake."

"Sangfor NGAF price is reasonable and there is an annual license. However, the maintenance cost can be a bit high."

"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"If one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the tool's price as three out of ten."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

"We are currently using the trial version."

"The tool is moderately priced."

"The solution's pricing is good for the technology it offers."

"SonicWall NSV is not very costly."

"Our initial purchase, which included a three-year term of support, was about $25,000 USD."

"The solution’s pricing is less compared to other products."

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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

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

24%

Government

Real Estate/Law Firm

Retailer

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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What do you like most about Sangfor NGAF?

I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I comp...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

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What do you like most about SonicWall NSV?

The product helps improve our security.

See all answers

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

The tool is moderately priced. We need to purchase an additional license for NSM. We can manage all the firewalls thr...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall NSV?

The price is a significant factor. Mostly in India, the customer service has many hurdles to get real support. If I w...

See all answers

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

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 16% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 3% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Azure Firewall vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 32% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 26% of the time

Stormshield Network Security vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 19% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 13% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 10% of the time

More SonicWall NSv Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

April 2025

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

April 2025

Download SonicWall NSv product report

Also Known As

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

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

SonicWall Network Security Virtual

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

Sangfor Next Generation Firewall (also known as NGAF) is a converged security solution providing protection against advanced threat, malware, viruses, ransomware and web-based attacks using integrated security features like firewall, IPS, anti-virus, anti-malware, APT, URL filtering, Cloud Sandbox, and WAF. As the world's first AI-enabled and fully integrated Next Generation Firewall & Web Application Firewall (WAF), NGAF offering the security visibility, real-time detection and response, simplified operation and maintenance and high-performance application layer security needed to operate an enterprise network in total security. Tested and proven to provide cutting-edge network security by ICSA Labs and endorsed by Gartner Inc., NGAF harnesses the power of Sangfor’s Neural-X threat intelligence and analytics platform and Engine Zero’s innovative malware detection to provide next-generation protection for today’s enterprise.

Sangfor

SonicWall NSV is a software-based virtual firewall that provides additional security for customers with public-facing servers or services on Microsoft Azure. The AGSS Bundle is considered the most valuable feature, providing security services such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI.

Additionally, customization of firewall rules provides great value to customers, allowing them to lock things up in the way they desire. SonicWall NSV offers extensive security control options to protect customers' valuable information and assets.

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

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF vs. SonicWall NSv

April 2025

Free Report: Sangfor NGAF vs. SonicWall NSv

Find out what your peers are saying about Sangfor NGAF vs. SonicWall NSv and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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