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SonicWall Capture Client vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.8
Fortinet FortiGate offers cost-effective, robust security, reducing expenses, enhancing efficiency, easy implementation, quick ROI, and improved network management.
Sentiment score
1.0
SonicWall Capture Client offers cost savings, improved security, reduced manual work, lower infection rates, and easy deployment for better productivity.
Sentiment score
6.9
WatchGuard Firebox enhances security, reduces management time, and boosts productivity but results in varied cost-savings among users.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems
I do not see any return on investment after WatchGuard Firebox implementation in terms of cost reductions.
CEO at ajuntament del Prat
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiGate's customer service is generally praised for responsiveness, though some users experience delays in critical situations.
Sentiment score
4.9
SonicWall Capture Client support is mixed, with some satisfied but many seeking faster response and improved escalation processes.
Sentiment score
6.2
WatchGuard Firebox customer support is praised for responsiveness and expertise, although some delays and knowledge gaps are occasionally noted.
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.
IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.
Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch
Partners can purchase single endpoints at prices equivalent to 1,000-endpoint deals, providing an advantage for managed security service provider partners.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
While their escalation process is understandable, it can be time-consuming as all logs need to be provided multiple times across different service levels.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.
Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Finally, we connected with someone, and I would rate their support as eight or nine out of ten once we were able to speak with them.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
The technical support is good.
Owner at It logic
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable and popular for SMEs but requires careful design and may incur scaling costs and licensing constraints.
Sentiment score
8.5
SonicWall Capture Client delivers scalable licensing, easy installation, cloud management, and an accessible interface, favored by small to medium businesses.
Sentiment score
6.8
WatchGuard Firebox is scalable and user-friendly, but some find its performance average compared to newer solutions.
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.
IT Manager at Daltons Limited
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.
Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
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.
General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo
There are no restrictions on the scalability of SonicWall Capture Client.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
SonicWall Capture Client is accessed via cloud-based management console.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The installation process is straightforward, requiring only five pilot installations to enable customers to complete the remaining installations independently.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
The user interface and features compared to newer firewalls are not up to the mark, which includes functionalities such as filtering, web filtering, threat protection, user identity, and UTM features that need improvement.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
If we're going for more concurrent users, we need to change the entire box.
Owner at It logic
I find the WatchGuard Firebox scalable, as it's easy to change configurations from this product to another one.
Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Fortinet FortiGate is praised for its stability, with effective long-term performance and improvements in newer firmware versions.
Sentiment score
8.6
SonicWall Capture Client's stability divides opinion, praised for threat prevention but critiqued for high resource consumption and slowdowns.
Sentiment score
7.9
WatchGuard Firebox is highly stable and reliable, with minimal glitches easily resolved and recommended battery backup for power issues.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
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.
CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
There are issues with traffic hitting the firewall, which could indicate performance problems related to throughput.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
We had many bottlenecks before deploying WatchGuard Firebox, but when we switched to a higher version of our firewalls, the bottlenecks were solved.
CEO at ajuntament del Prat
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate needs enhanced UI, simplified licensing, improved performance, reporting, third-party integration, and expanded automation features.
SonicWall Capture Client suffers from performance issues, outdated interface, high RAM use, and lacks robust threat detection and support.
WatchGuard Firebox needs a simplified interface, better integration, and affordable pricing for improved usability and threat management.
These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.
Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.
Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company
It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
One of the drawbacks is that I cannot use Advanced and Premier licenses within a single tenant, which can be problematic when users need to deploy different licenses.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
XDR cannot be used unless MDR services are purchased with SonicWall.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile version available.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.
Owner at It logic
When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
 

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers find Fortinet FortiGate costly initially, but cheaper overall, despite some high renewal and setup costs.
SonicWall Capture Client pricing receives mixed reviews for cost-effectiveness, varying by business size, region, and additional costs.
WatchGuard Firebox offers competitive pricing, especially with three-year licenses, providing value through dependability, features, and cost-effectiveness.
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.
Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios
It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.
IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1
It is about 20% cheaper.
Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX
SonicWall Capture Client offers a cost-effective solution that's cheaper compared to other vendors like CrowdStrike.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.
Digital Solution Designer at Accenture
It's expensive us here.
Owner at It logic
I have faced challenges with the WatchGuard Firebox regarding price since we work with customers who use the Stormshield product, which is less expensive and French-made.
Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate provides robust, flexible security solutions with key features like web filtering, SSL VPN, SD-WAN, and centralized management.
SonicWall Capture Client provides robust protection features, including rollback, machine learning, and dual-agent real-time threat detection.
WatchGuard Firebox is praised for ease of setup, robust security, exceptional support, and comprehensive network management features.
These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring.
General Manager Group IT at DART GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTE. LTD.
We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.
Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions
Machine learning is particularly effective due to SonicWall sandboxing's threat intelligence database of approximately 7.1 billion entries.
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
One is that users can use the sandbox of SonicWall, which is called Capture ATP for free.
Product Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
Basically, we have received a good return on investment.
Owner at It logic
I utilize AI within the WatchGuard Firebox, as we use the interconnection with threat syncs, and AI is implemented.
Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
 

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)
SonicWall Capture Client
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (44th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (43rd)
WatchGuard Firebox
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
127
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (11th), Firewalls (11th), 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.
HT
Product Manager at wahana piranti teknologi
Has consistently delivered double-layer protection and simplified policy application while needing mobile compatibility and better MacOS support
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile version available.Occasionally, the Sentinel engine becomes unresponsive, particularly when customers do not properly restart or shutdown their systems. This requires a hard restart after installation to resolve the issue. Installation on Mac OS can be challenging, requiring multiple attempts due to version compatibility requirements. We must ensure the SonicWall Capture Client version is stable for Mac OS. The RAM usage is higher compared to SentinelOne, utilizing approximately 150 megabytes of memory. This is a common concern from customers, and reducing RAM consumption would be beneficial.
PS
CEO at ajuntament del Prat
Network protection has improved with stronger VPN connectivity but administration remains complex
Deploying WatchGuard Firebox was quite easy, but we have had some problems regarding the VPN and the administration of the tool and the two firewalls that we have. When comparing WatchGuard Firebox with our previous solution, Palo Alto, we have had some problems in administration because of the tools. I think that they have some aspects in their system that are cloud-provided, but they also have an on-premise solution, which makes this combination good. Although I should say that when compared to Palo Alto, we have taken a step backwards. In general, I would rate WatchGuard Firebox around 6-7; it is a good firewall, but they lack good administration tools. We experience many problems with the performance and administration tools on the web, including several issues with VPNs.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
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
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business92
Midsize Enterprise27
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 SonicWall Capture Client?
SonicWall Capture Client offers a cost-effective solution that's cheaper compared to other vendors like CrowdStrike.
What needs improvement with SonicWall Capture Client?
A significant limitation is that SonicWall Capture Client cannot be installed on smartphones, as there is no mobile v...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall Capture Client?
The solution is used primarily in hospitality, specifically hotels, and manufacturing sectors. Approximately 70% of u...
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
Luton College
Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence
Find out what your peers are saying about SonicWall Capture Client vs. WatchGuard Firebox and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.