SonicWall NSv vs Sophos XGS 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 #10 with an average rating of 8.6. SonicWall holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sophos’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of SonicWall users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

SonicWall NSv and Sophos XGS compete in the cybersecurity market. While users are generally happier with SonicWall NSv's pricing and support, Sophos XGS stands out for its enhanced features.

Features: SonicWall NSv is known for its robust firewall capabilities, advanced threat protection, and comprehensive reporting functions. Sophos XGS is recognized for its next-gen firewall features, synchronized security, and AI-driven threat intelligence.

Room for Improvement: SonicWall NSv needs better integration with third-party tools, more streamlined firmware updates, and improved initial setup configuration. Sophos XGS requires more intuitive configuration processes, quicker customer support response times, and enhanced usability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SonicWall NSv users appreciate its straightforward deployment but note some complexities with the initial setup. Their customer service is rated supportive but sometimes slow. Sophos XGS users value its smooth deployment and detailed documentation but mention that the configuration process could be more user-friendly. Sophos customer service tends to be quicker and more detailed.

Pricing and ROI: SonicWall NSv is highlighted for its cost-effectiveness and solid ROI, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Sophos XGS, while pricier, is seen as delivering higher ROI due to its advanced features and improved security posture.

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

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSv vs. Sophos XGS

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 XGS is 2.4%, up from 1.4% 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 XGS	2.4%
SonicWall NSv	0.2%
Other	77.0%

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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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.

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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

"Before using this solution, we had so many problems accessing our resources because we don't have a lot of internet bandwidth. And by using application control and traffic shaping, we were able to manage user to quickly access services that are important. This tool has aided to the simplicity of our day-to-day management."

"The ease of setting the solution up is a valuable aspect for us."

"The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control."

"I like the common administration and the possibility of adding Fortinet defense systems."

"I like that they have given me a solution at a fair price."

"Fortinet FortiGate is pretty robust. The updates and firmware releases are pretty timely. They have a good product revision and review system, so they are constantly reviewing their configuration and the different mechanisms that are used on Fortinet FortiGate."

"The solution provides good threat intelligence feeds."

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

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

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

"The security of this system is fantastic, including the IPS and IDS."

"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."

"The product helps improve our security."

"We are very impressed with it."

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

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

More SonicWall NSv pros

"Some features are free."

"The initial setup is very simple."

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

"All the features are valuable, in my opinion, but for us the most important features are the network security, application control, and web server protection. Sophos Sandstorm is another good feature off the top of my head."

"In this solution, the most valuable feature is that it's a security device. Maintaining security is very valuable for us. The other feature that we did not find in other products is that it works well with thin client environments."

"I recommend Sophos XGS because it is easy to use, more secure, and scalable."

"The solution is cost-effective and easy to manage."

"The technical support by Sophos is great."

More Sophos XGS pros

Cons

"Its load balancing feature could be easy to configure."

"They could continuously focus their improvements on network perimeter security, as that's what they're best at."

"The platform's interface could improve."

"One of the most important areas for improvement for Fortinet FortiGate is the limited resources for tests. I was limited to a few interfaces for one month, and it would be great if Fortinet could improve these features in their test versions."

"The support structure needs to be improved because every time we contact them, there is a delay in the response."

"Compared to some other products, the DLP is not at par for the moment."

"The inability to change passwords when using FortiGate firewall and relying on a local FortiGate database for account creation can be problematic, particularly in non-Active Directory setups."

"One of the weaknesses of the solution is something we noticed, especially after comparing the tool with SD-WAN features, since, unfortunately, in a massive scale size environment, the solution is not good. I"

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

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

"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."

"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."

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

"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."

"There are limitations to bandwidth management."

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

More SonicWall NSv cons

"The solution could have a bit more functionality."

"After version 18.5, creating a NAT rule has become more complex, requiring the creation of a separate policy and an additional component."

"The application is a little slow; it takes five to ten seconds to respond to every click when configuring. If we need to do significant configuration, it can take a lot of time. This might be because we have a low-end machine, and it could be faster with a high-end one."

"We need to know which feature is suited to different environments. More live sessions or time-bound training would help us understand better."

"All the security features could be better."

"Sophos pricing is very high. The last instance I purchased was for three years, around $3,700 for SDG 125."

"Support could be improved."

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

More Sophos XGS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is not a cheap solution but it isn't expensive, either. It's a good solution for the right price."

"The price is relatively expensive compared to other solutions which are providing similar features."

"It's not the cheapest, but it's value for money. Given everything we've got out of it: the DMZ port, the VPN, and the high availability, it's a pretty reasonable price."

"It is around $50,000 per month."

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

"The solution is cheap."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate when compared to other solutions is high. However, my knowledge of the price is from third parties and I am not sure how accurate it is. I typically work in the technical area of my organization."

"Its price is good."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"We are currently using the trial version."

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

"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 tool is moderately priced."

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

"I can't recall the exact amount that was paid. It was likely around $12,000 or less - around $4,000 a year."

"We pay about $150."

"Sophos XGS is a very expensive solution."

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

"The licensing cost for Sophos XGS is high. However, they do apply competitive discounts and different layers of discounts."

"Sophos XGS is a cost-effective solution."

"The pricing for Sophos is much better compared to that of Fortinet and Check Point. On a scale from one to five with one being expensive and five being competitive, I would rate Sophos' pricing at four. The pricing can be for the hardware appliance and the license, or it can be subscription-based. It can be around 3000 USD up to 25,000 USD per year depending on the model or series of the hardware you choose to buy."

More Sophos XGS 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

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

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	61
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	17

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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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?

I find the cost of the firewall to be moderate; it's reasonable.

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What needs improvement with Sophos XGS?

To improve Sophos XGS for the next release, I recommend enhancing visibility as it's the biggest challenge. There sho...

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Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

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

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

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 XGS

Compared 15% of the time

Sophos XG vs Sophos XGS

Compared 12% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sophos XGS

Compared 9% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Sophos XGS

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos XGS

Compared 6% of the time

More Sophos XGS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

September 2025

Download SonicWall NSv product report

Buyer's Guide

Sophos XGS

September 2025

Download Sophos XGS 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 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 NSv vs. Sophos XGS

September 2025

Free Report: SonicWall NSv vs. Sophos XGS

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