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SonicWall NSSP vs Zscaler Cloud Firewall comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

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
3.5
SonicWall NSSP improved network security, reduced threat management time, increased efficiency, and provided significant cost savings and robust support.
Sentiment score
4.8
Zscaler Cloud Firewall enhances global security and efficiency with comprehensive features, delivering 60% savings in time and costs.
I have seen a return on investment with time saving and money saving.
Senior Devsecops Cloud Cybersecurity Specialist at CGI
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
SonicWall NSSP is appreciated for reliability and responsiveness, but some users report dissatisfaction with support team responses.
Sentiment score
5.5
Zscaler Cloud Firewall support is generally helpful and responsive but may sometimes lack adequacy for premium expectations.
It is very effective because it prevents any indecent behaviors in the network or from outside the network.
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
I rate the technical support provided by SonicWall a perfect ten out of ten.
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
The response and support are sometimes inadequate, which detracts from the overall experience of an otherwise impressive solution.
Director at Aquila ICT Solutions
The technical support from Zscaler was excellent.
Cyber Security Architect at Accenture
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
SonicWall NSSP offers scalable security features, with user ratings from three to ten, suitable for SMBs and data centers.
Sentiment score
5.7
Zscaler Cloud Firewall offers excellent scalability, supporting diverse organizations smoothly, with most users rating it between seven and ten.
The scalability rating is nine out of 10.
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
SonicWall NSSP offers features such as stateful firewall, deep packet inspections, IPS, application intelligence, user-based policies, centralized visibility from the management console, advanced protection with RFDPI, high-speed scanning, RTDMI technology, Capture ATP, cloud sandboxing, and encrypted traffic inspection with DPI-SSL and TLS.
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
In this case, Twingate will be very easy compared to Zscaler.
IT Security at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
5.6
SonicWall NSSP is stable, with rare issues and smooth data transfers, but DPI-SSL can impact performance.
Sentiment score
7.2
Zscaler Cloud Firewall is highly rated for stability and reliability despite minor latency and GUI lag issues.
In 30 years, only three to four boxes out of 1,000 to 2,000 boxes have had issues.
Owner at ANOC
The stability rating is 10 out of 10.
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
I think deep packet inspection of SonicWall NSSP is essential, as I require all features, including deep packet inspection, which I can enable and suggest to clients.
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
There were some stability issues due to occasional latency and lags, particularly with the GUI and report generation.
Cyber Security Architect at Accenture
 

Room For Improvement

SonicWall needs upgraded reporting, intuitive UI, robust NSM, better EDR/XDR, marketing, and firmware fixes to compete effectively.
Zscaler Cloud Firewall needs deployment, support, features, UI, pricing, integration, and dashboard improvements for optimal performance and usability.
This would help end-user customers understand the impact when those firmwares are pushed into the live environment.
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
The issues I have experienced are not hardware-related but firmware-related, as Gen 7 has new hardware, while the firmware contains some issues that could be resolved but may take considerable time.
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
For now, there is no dashboard or network management system available for Twingate.
IT Security at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
The reverse proxy feature for Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is missing.
Cyber Security Architect at Accenture
I believe the integration of AI could improve the dashboard by making it more agile and effective in monitoring and predicting threats.
Director at Aquila ICT Solutions
 

Setup Cost

SonicWall NSSP pricing ranges widely based on licensing, with enterprise users valuing its features despite varying international costs.
Zscaler Cloud Firewall has subscription pricing influenced by user count and features, making it costlier than some competitors.
When purchasing through local distributors such as ScanSource or Tech Data, they incur around 100% in taxes just for import procedures.
Owner at ANOC
Zscaler Cloud Firewall is quite expensive compared to competitors.
Cyber Security Architect at Accenture
 

Valuable Features

SonicWall NSSP offers strong security with user-friendly management, scalable features, real-time threat blocking, and comprehensive protection.
Zscaler Cloud Firewall offers comprehensive security with real-time inspection, customizable controls, and automatic features, eliminating hardware needs.
SonicWall uses this information in real-time to enhance security functions such as firewall, DPI-SSL, ATP, and IPS to block threats at the network edge before they reach users.
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
Every time I have had a concern, they have resolved it in a single call.
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
It is really customized, a security policy that can be applied to the users so they can access only the resources I enable them.
IT Security at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Advanced threat protection features in Zscaler Cloud Firewall are practically the key component that every customer wants.
Director at Aquila ICT Solutions
The best features that Zscaler Cloud Firewall offers are that it is AI powered and automated.
Senior Devsecops Cloud Cybersecurity Specialist at CGI
 

Categories and Ranking

SonicWall NSSP
Ranking in Firewalls
31st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Cloud Firewall
Ranking in Firewalls
38th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of SonicWall NSSP is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud Firewall is 1.0%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SonicWall NSSP0.5%
Zscaler Cloud Firewall1.0%
Other98.5%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

SyedTaha - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of IT and Information Security at GLEEDS USA INC
Support has resolved concerns promptly and security tools have strengthened intrusion prevention and access control
The service we received from SonicWall NSSP and their distributors has been excellent. Every time I have had a concern, they have resolved it in a single call. The interface of SonicWall NSSP console is user-friendly with comprehensive features. The web filtering and access control policy are top priorities for me. It is very effective because it prevents any indecent behaviors in the network or from outside the network. Half of the task is completed by the intelligence based on the behavior. Installation was easy because our infrastructure has minimal requirements. For expanded infrastructure, support from a SonicWall NSSP technical team may be required. We have implemented it on our own.
Carlos Snel - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Aquila ICT Solutions
Has streamlined secure deployments across large enterprises while offering reliable protection and intuitive management
The centralized management console, also referred to as the Zscaler dashboard, impacts the ability of my customers to respond to security incidents significantly. I see it as user-friendly, and clients are really happy with using it, which motivates them to keep using Zscaler Cloud Firewall because they enjoy the GUI. It's very intuitive, making it easy to navigate alerts and incidents. My clients rarely have questions about where to find specific information once Zscaler Cloud Firewall is running. The interface speaks for itself, requiring little to no additional training, which is a major plus. Advanced threat protection features in Zscaler Cloud Firewall are practically the key component that every customer wants. Unfortunately, it is an option and not included in the basic package. Clients need to pay for the next higher bundle to access it, but practically all clients I have dealt with want this feature 100%. Regarding visibility, I can confirm that Zscaler Cloud Firewall indeed includes a feature for application layer visibility embedded in the service. It provides visibility into what you're doing, which is especially interesting nowadays when discussing AI tools, as companies do not want their employees to copy-paste sensitive information into AI systems. We have seen cases such as Samsung's chip design where sensitive info got exposed. The visibility of applications, including cloud applications and AI tools, is significant for compliance with data policies, and you can also run reports and alerts on it.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
22%
Comms Service Provider
18%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Marketing Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise13
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with SonicWall NSSP?
In my opinion, SonicWall NSSP needs improvements, particularly in Gen 7 devices, where I face high data plane and management plane issues, especially when enabling User Level Authentication. I beli...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall NSSP?
I recommend SonicWall NSSP for multiple clients, including manufacturers and pharmaceutical clients, and based on the requirement, I perform proper sizing and suggest the appropriate model.
Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?
Netscope, Zscaler if they continue route they are on now. FIrewalls needs great deal of automation on each end, datacenter and endpoint. In between you have branch office. So blending EPP and firew...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Cloud Firewall?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was fine.
What needs improvement with Zscaler Cloud Firewall?
I think Zscaler Cloud Firewall can be improved by adding more features. The needed improvements involve scalability, which is something I wish they would address.
 

Also Known As

SonicWall Network Security Services Platform
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council
Zenith Live, Azure, Carlsberg Group
Find out what your peers are saying about SonicWall NSSP vs. Zscaler Cloud Firewall and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.