SonicWall NSSP vs Sophos XGS comparison

SonicWall and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. SonicWall is ranked #39 with an average rating of 7.5, while Sophos is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.4. SonicWall holds a 0.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of SonicWall users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Both SonicWall NSSP and Sophos XGS compete in the network security space. Sophos XGS seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced features and higher integration capabilities, making it worth the price.

Features: SonicWall NSSP is praised for its high-performance throughput, scalability, and robust intrusion prevention. It also offers comprehensive logging and reporting capabilities. Sophos XGS offers deep packet inspection, advanced threat protection, and synchronized security features that integrate with other Sophos products. It also has intuitive central management and stronger integration with endpoint protection.

Room for Improvement: For SonicWall NSSP, users note the need for improved firmware stability, more intuitive configuration, and more frequent updates. Sophos XGS users seek enhancements in the reporting tools, a more user-friendly policy management system, and faster technical support response times.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall NSSP users report a straightforward deployment process but mention complexity in initial setup for large-scale networks. They appreciate responsive customer support but suggest that detailed documentation could be improved. Sophos XGS is appreciated for its user-friendly deployment process, especially with cloud management. Users commend its efficient customer service but seek more comprehensive setup guides.

Pricing and ROI: Users find SonicWall NSSP's setup costs relatively high but satisfactory in terms of long-term ROI due to its robust performance. Sophos XGS, while also expensive, is perceived to offer better value due to its extensive feature set and high integration capabilities, delivering a quicker and more substantial ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS

April 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 850,028 peers since 2012

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 SonicWall NSSP is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XGS is 2.5%, up from 1.0% 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.

Read full review

Lenin Christopher

Director at Techfruits

Enhanced security with advanced threat protection and superior support

We serve as an integrator for SonicWall, deploying this solution for customers in the media and entertainment, banking, and finance sectors. We use SonicWall to protect their environments against digital attacks SonicWall has helped us deliver security solutions effectively, particularly in…

Read full review

Nassif Kaleny

IT Manager at Bavaria Egypt S.A.E.

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Its administrative panel is very intuitive and simple. It is simpler than the other solutions that we had. As an administrator, we are always looking for the easiest solution to manage network policies. We are able to filter everything on our network and also use the VPN feature, which is important these days when people are working remotely during COVID."

"The solution is stable."

"It's very easy to configure."

"We've found the solution to be pretty stable."

"FortiGate is on the cheaper end, and it offers good value."

"It has a good UI and overall integration, including FortiGate Manager for controlling all firewalls from a single place."

"It's quite comfortable to handle the FortiGate firewall."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the rules and quality of service."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"SonicWall has helped us deliver security solutions effectively, particularly in threat prevention and content filtering."

"The VPN functionality is really good. Overall, the whole device is very easy to manage. The software that comes with it is also good."

"The product's most valuable features are simplicity and comprehensive protection capabilities, including load balancing, IPS, antivirus, and web filtering."

"SonicWall NSSP is stable and scalable too."

"It has been delivering results efficiently. Its configurations and updates have been easy. It is also user-friendly."

"The solution's pricing is good."

"I like the filtering feature, which provides easy access. The SSL certification feature is also nice. The solution enhanced our security posture."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos is the VPN solution. I also value their threat management, IPS IDS features and login features with single sign-on."

"Sophos offers strong features such as IPS and application control that are particularly valuable."

"I like the Sophos UI. It interface has a more comfortable feel than the competitors."

"The security heartbeat feature and MDR are the best for customer security."

"Sophos XGS' best features are simplicity and its built-in reporting tool."

"The solution is very user-friendly, and the GUI is so good that I don't have to use the CLI. This eliminates the need for typing; clicking allows me to get to what I'm looking for."

"It's easy to use, and the service is good. If anything goes wrong, their support system is very reliable."

"The most valuable features of Sophos XGS are the ease of use and powerful interface."

More Sophos XGS pros

Cons

"The Web-filter in this solution is not very good."

"FortiLink is the interface on the firewall that allows you to extend switch management across all of your switches in the network. The problem with it is that you can't use multiple interfaces unless you set them up in a lag. Only then you can run them. So, it forces you to use a core type of switch to propagate that management out to the rest of the switches, and then it is running the case at 200. It leaves you with 18 ports on the firewall because it is also a layer-three router that could also be used as a switch, but as soon as you do that, you can't really use them. They could do a little bit more clean up in the way the stacking interface works. Some use cases and the documentation on the FortiLink checking interface are a little outdated. I can find stuff on version 5 or more, but it is hard to find information on some of the newer firmware. The biggest thing I would like to see is some improvement in the switch management feature. I would like to be able to relegate some of the ports, which are on the firewall itself, to act as a switch to take advantage of those ports. Some of these firewalls have clarity ports on them. If I can use those, it would mean that I need to buy two less switches, which saves time. I get why they don't, but I would still like to see it because it would save a little bit of space in the server rack."

"Cisco Meraki products are rising very quickly in the cloud and the connected era. Meraki products offer much better ROI, upgradability, and manageability."

"You do need some IT knowledge in order to effectively work with the solution."

"With the standard support subscription, if the device goes down, the customer has to first ship the box, and then Fortinet sends the replacement. With the higher support, the customer has to ship the device after they have the replacement. It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription."

"I would like some automated custom reporting."

"Its customer service could be better."

"I would like to see better pricing in the next release, as well as a simplification of the installation."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"No security product is foolproof against hackers, intruders, and other such things. As a security product, they have to keep pace in terms of protection from new hackers and intruders."

"The solution's stability and scalability also need improvement."

"Its reporting functions can be improved. It has decent reporting, but you got to pay a lot more money for it. That's where it begins to fall apart. It comes with minimal zero reporting unless you buy some extra modules. With those extra modules, you can get all the data, but it takes a while to put together what you need for your customer. It is for technical people, but there is no executive summary of the reporting."

"The user interface, the GUI, could be improved."

"The product needs improvement for phishing emails."

"The platform could benefit from an improved marketing strategy."

"The EDR and XDR capabilities of SonicWall need to be improved."

"The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats."

"The reporting could be better."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"There could be improvements for IPsec VPN setup."

"In Sophos, the user portal is not user-friendly."

"Reporting could be improved. The structure could be better because most of the reports aren't detailed."

"Their marketing strategy is quite low, and they need to enhance engagement with partners."

"All the security features could be better."

More Sophos XGS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I had to pay for the license for the firewall, but it is guaranteed to have updates. I expect a good service for it. It was about €1000 for a year, and there was no additional cost."

"The price of FortiGate support is too expensive."

"When you look at these end security systems and firewalls, these firewalls even five years ago were $50,000 or perhaps $25,000 to implement in some types of customer sites. Now we're talking about tools that are $1,000. In this case, it might have been $500 or something like that."

"Our licensing costs are on a yearly basis."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable."

"If the price of the license in Fortinet FortiGate was less expensive it would be better."

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

"There is no challenge in Fortinet FortiGate pricing."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is cheap, and that's where, you know, the some of the organization goes for the SonicWall."

"You got to buy some VPN licenses, and there might be a $40 to $50 one-time license fee per current user. There are different layers. They have several different levels of event security software and depending on the model, it seems to come out to be $1 to $2 a day. So, if you bought a three-year license, it is going to be anywhere from $900 to $1800 depending on the bundle and model that you buy."

"The setup costs and licensing are reasonable, and the solution provides good value for its features."

"For SonicWall NSSP high availability, active/passive, you need to buy one license, and so you get much more value for money."

"I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."

"The licensing cost is in the normal range and is not very costly."

"There are additional costs involved apart from the licenses."

"Sophos XGS costs around $75,000 for fifty units."

"The pricing for Sophos XGS is reasonable."

"Sophos XGS costs around $6,000 for a basic license."

"The price of Sophos XGS is average compared to other offers from other OEMs."

"Sophos XGS is priced lower than some of its competitors, such as Fortinet"

"We paid around 17,000 pounds for a three-year package."

More Sophos XGS pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

20%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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 ...

See all answers

What do you like most about SonicWall NSSP?

The solution's pricing is good.

See all answers

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

SonicWall is a rather expensive solution with a rating of eight out of ten regarding its pricing. Despite being expen...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall NSSP?

The EDR and XDR capabilities of SonicWall need to be improved. When compared to a brand like SentinelOne, SonicWall s...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos XGS?

Sophos XGS was reasonably priced initially, but the license cost has significantly increased in the last few years.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos XGS?

The reporting system is very poor. I cannot trace any traffic to our site if it feels some threats. It just tells me ...

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

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSSP

Compared 49% of the time

More SonicWall NSSP Competitors

Sophos XG vs Sophos XGS

Compared 21% of the time

OPNsense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 17% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 8% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XGS

Compared 7% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Sophos XGS

Compared 6% of the time

More Sophos XGS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

April 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

April 2025

Download SonicWall NSSP product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XGS

April 2025

Download Sophos XGS product report

Also Known As

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

SonicWall Network Security Services Platform

No data available

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

The SonicWall Network Security services platform (NSsp) 12000 series takes a modern approach to threat detection and prevention by combining cloud intelligence with appliance-based protection in a scalable, high-speed platform.

SonicWall

Sophos XGS is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It combines next-generation firewall capabilities with advanced threat protection, web filtering, and application control.

XGS has powerful deep learning technology and can detect and block even the most sophisticated malware and ransomware attacks. It also offers granular control over web access, allowing organizations to enforce policies and prevent access to malicious or inappropriate websites. Additionally, XGS provides application control features, enabling organizations to manage and prioritize network traffic based on specific applications or user groups.

With its intuitive management interface and centralized reporting, XGS offers easy deployment and monitoring of network security.

Sophos

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

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS

April 2025

Free Report: SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS

Find out what your peers are saying about SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our SonicWall NSSP vs. Sophos XGS report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.