SonicWall NSv vs Sophos XG comparison

SonicWall and Sophos are both solutions in the Firewalls category. SonicWall is ranked #39 with an average rating of 7.8, while Sophos is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. SonicWall holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 9.6% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of SonicWall users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

Sophos XG and SonicWall NSv are prominent products in the network security category. Sophos XG has an edge due to its extensive feature set and adaptability across cloud environments while SonicWall NSv stands out with its threat management capabilities.

Features: Sophos XG offers robust web and application filtering, wireless integration, email protection with encryption, and extensive reporting and dashboards. It also provides URL filtering with 90+ categories and dual antivirus engines. SonicWall NSv excels in application firewalling and sandboxing, enhancing threat management.

Room for Improvement: Sophos XG needs improvements in HTTPS filtering without requiring certificates and enhanced application filtering. Additionally, it could benefit from better technical support responsiveness and organization of the online technical library. SonicWall NSv requires enhanced export and import settings for easier upgrades and management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sophos XG is highly adaptable across hybrid cloud, public cloud, and on-premises environments, benefiting from strong local vendor support. However, it faces criticism for slow technical support response times. SonicWall NSv, primarily deployed on-premises, offers competent technical support, though users report some service inconsistencies.

Pricing and ROI: Sophos XG is praised for its competitive pricing, offering flexible licensing and strong ROI due to effective threat prevention and reduced management complexity. SonicWall NSv offers cost-effective pricing but includes additional expenses like Global VPN fees. Users appreciate its ROI, especially for threat management, but find Sophos XG's pricing more transparent and universally adaptable.

To learn more, read our detailed SonicWall NSv vs. Sophos XG Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSv vs. Sophos XG

September 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 October 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.4%, up from 19.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall NSv is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos XG is 9.6%, down from 9.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.4%
Sophos XG	9.6%
SonicWall NSv	0.2%
Other	69.8%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

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.

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Sileesh Sivadasan

Director at Infosec Infra

Helps small businesses expand branches more easily

The price is a significant factor. Mostly in India, the customer service has many hurdles to get real support. If I want to talk to a customer executive, they ask many trivial questions. Even if I explain that I am asking for a Dell partner, they still ask specific questions, and they will explain many unnecessary questions.

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TarunPanchal

IT Manager , SAP HANA Administrator at Tara Paints & Chemicals

Decades of expertise lead to seamless installations and robust security

I typically use the Sophos XG Firewall to enhance my cybersecurity by using all layers. The intrusion prevention system impacts my security posture effectively, as we have not faced any ransomware or cyber threats. I have more than 800 servers live from Sophos. The synchronized security feature has proven to be very beneficial, and I have not encountered any issues. Sophos XG Firewall has contributed to reducing overall costs because it helps save money. We purchased endpoint security for the first time last year, and even without endpoint security, it provides comprehensive security. Sophos XG uses AI effectively to enhance threat detection and response, securing from AI at the packet level.

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

"The security features are valuable, particularly the ransomware attack protection features. Fortinet FortiGate provides excellent security against ransomware attacks."

"We have been able to offer several services to customers in a single box."

"Good performance, stability, and virtual domain ability."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a very stable solution."

"The FortiGate controls the user's activities and maximizes my bandwidth use overall."

"It can expand easily."

"The solution is stable."

"The product is user-friendly and not complex."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

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

"The product helps improve our security."

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

"For my small NFB banking services, when they are expanding their branches, I could incorporate a little bit easier."

"We are very impressed with it."

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

"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."

More SonicWall NSv pros

"The multifactor authentication is helpful because whenever the user wants to connect to the firewall, they have to use the authenticator before they can access it."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is flexibility."

"I like the firewall, inbound, and outbound modules the most. The VPN feature also works well. It is very easy to configure rules in Sophos XG. We have got local service here in Zimbabwe from Sophos, which is something that I like a lot. We have got good local support, and they come on-site when we have any challenges. Sophos provides a lot of good training all around Zimbabwe. They are quite dominant here, similar to other solutions like Fortinet or WatchGuard."

"It gives me a very good, stable connection in all tunnels."

"I like the fact that it can self remove malware and do updates on the cloud via Sophos Central."

"Sophos XG uses AI effectively to enhance threat detection and response, securing from AI at the packet level."

"The installation is easy. There is a wizard that can be used for a single connection making it simple and if you have multiple connections you can configure it manually."

"The most valuable feature, according to the setup we have at our work place here, is the flexibility of the system or the firmware that's running the appliance. It's so flexible, performing multiple rules with different configurations. According to the set up here, we need to implement several firewalls with different access levels, because we have a variety of users. For this requirement, it's very flexible and very easy to use."

More Sophos XG pros

Cons

"Fortinet FortiGate is a very good device overall, though it can be improved in certain areas regarding the licenses, particularly the big one called unified threat management, which has many capabilities."

"I don't like that anything more than very basic reporting is not included."

"The support from Fortinet FortiGate could improve. They are not easily accessible when we need them. They could improve their response time."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having more storage in the hardware for log data."

"Fortinet FortiGate is not a scalable solution, as they give you a number and each box comes with concurrent connections; if you need to expand, you have to change the box."

"The interface could be better."

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

"I face difficulties integrating Fortinet FortiGate with Active Directory."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Currently, we are getting challenges with user-wise reports and other reporting details. At present, they do not provide detailed reports compared to other products."

"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."

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

"An area that could be improved is the export and import settings functionality."

"The price is a significant factor."

"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."

"There are limitations to bandwidth management."

More SonicWall NSv cons

"The SD-WAN capability is not as good as it is in FortiGate, and is something that should be improved."

"The technical support could be improved, particularly in terms of response speed, as there were delays when working with their Indian support team."

"Sophos needs improvements made to the console, such as host entry or defining rules directly from it."

"The management console could be improved and the solution lacks good technical support."

"Technical support could be improved. They aren't as responsive as they could be."

"The areas needing improvement are support and configuration. The delays in technical support can be handled better."

"In the Firewall, the Intrusion Prevention System can be improved."

"Our clients use Karios, and while it integrates well with it, the integration could be improved."

More Sophos XG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licensing costs are on a yearly basis."

"Their licensing costs are annual. The UTM feature license along with their support is called FortiCare. We include that as a part of the annual maintenance cost. Palo Alto or Juniper also have an annual subscription charge for UTM. Price, of course, can always be more competitive, but it is not the most expensive product. The price-performance ratio is quite high for FortiGate."

"As far as I'm aware, in our case, it's just a yearly pricing arrangement with no additional licensing costs."

"The pricing is justified. It's a little pricey, but what you pay for is what you get."

"The solution is offered as an annual license."

"The price for the device and software is high. However, the solution is of good quality and has a lot of features."

"Currently, we are paying about $1,500 a month for three sites."

"It is expensive. You need to pay for the subscription every year, which is very expensive. The subscription includes technical support and hardware exchange in case of failure."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"SonicWall NSV is not very costly."

"We are currently using the trial version."

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

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

"The tool is moderately priced."

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

"It comes at a fair price as compared to some of the other products out there. Its price is in the middle. It is not the cheapest, and it is also not as expensive as Juniper, Check Point, and definitely Cisco. Nowadays, everybody is very cost-sensitive, and people don't want to spend unnecessary money, but even before that, it was a fairly priced product. You've got your choice of what license you want. There are basically two types of licenses, and it depends on what you need to do, and everything is included in that license. There is no cost for VPN and DMZ. You purchase the license, and you know upfront what you're getting or what you're not getting, and that's it. It is one license fee and done and dusted."

"The price of the solution is reasonable when comparing it to other solutions."

"Sophos XG is not expensive for a firewall, especially when you compare it with Check Point."

"Because we're in education, Sophos gives us a very competitive price for it."

"The price is not reasonable."

"The price is cheaper than that of some competing vendors."

"The price of Sophos in PTR is significantly higher compared to Fortinet."

"For our company, the price was reasonable."

More Sophos XG pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

26%

Educational Organization

Performing Arts

Government

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	140
Midsize Enterprise	50
Large Enterprise	37

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 SonicWall NSV?

The product helps improve our security.

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

I am somewhat satisfied with the price for SonicWall NSv, rating it as eight because, compared to other products, the...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall NSV?

Currently, we are getting challenges with user-wise reports and other reporting details. At present, they do not prov...

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Which is better - Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls or Sophos XG?

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have both great features and performance. I like that Palo Alto has regular threat si...

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What are the main differences in features between Sophos XG and FortiGate 80F?

Hi Arvind P , The Sophos XG firewall has a number of models right from XG86 to XG135w under the 1U Desktop Form Fact...

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What do you like most about Sophos XG?

IPS works smoothly.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 24% of the time

Azure Firewall vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 22% of the time

Stormshield Network Security vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 21% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 12% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 10% of the time

More SonicWall NSv Competitors

OPNsense vs Sophos XG

Compared 10% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XG

Compared 8% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Sophos XG

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XG

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Sophos XG

Compared 3% of the time

More Sophos XG Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

September 2025

Download SonicWall NSv product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XG

September 2025

Download Sophos XG product report

Also Known As

No data available

SonicWall Network Security Virtual

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

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

Sophos XG provides robust security capabilities, offering features like web filtering, VPN, and user-friendly management. Its intuitive setup and policy adjustments enhance security while synchronized endpoint protection ensures comprehensive defense.

Sophos XG is a network security solution with web and application filtering, VPN features, and a management interface that simplifies configuration. It offers email protection, threat prevention, and reporting capabilities, all contributing to a comprehensive defense strategy. Synchronized security with endpoints enhances protection, and advanced threat protection with efficient bandwidth management supports secure remote work environments. However, users suggest improvements in log interfaces for real-time actions and better email protection. Enhancements in link load balancing, RAM, VPN stability, and central management are needed. HTTPS filtering, certificate management, technical support, and scalability of the SD-WAN feature can see advances.

What are the key features of Sophos XG?

Web and application filtering: Blocks inappropriate content and apps, maintaining network security.
VPN features: Secure remote access and connectivity for remote work.
Intuitive management: Simplifies setup and policy changes for efficient security management.
Threat prevention: Protects against intrusions, malware, and malicious sites.
Reporting and dashboards: Enhance visibility and decision-making ability.
Synchronized security: Integrates with endpoint protection for a cohesive defense.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Enhanced security: Comprehensive features protect against network threats.
Remote work support: Secure VPN connectivity for remote and mobile employees.
Ease of management: Simple setup and configuration save time and resources.
Visibility: Detailed reports and dashboards aid continuous monitoring and analysis.
Scalability: Suitable for medium to large organizations with growing security needs.

In industries such as healthcare, education, and financial services, Sophos XG acts as a mainline defense for network security, VPN connectivity, and web filtering. It supports secure remote access, intrusion prevention, antivirus scanning, and secure web gateways integrated with endpoint systems, tailoring its extensive security capabilities to meet specific industry requirements.

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 NSv vs. Sophos XG

September 2025

Free Report: SonicWall NSv vs. Sophos XG

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