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PeerSpot user
Technology consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
GUI is very user friendly, good documentation provided, implementation is straightforward
Pros and Cons
  • "The GUI is simple and the solution is straightforward."
  • "Support should be improved, wait times can be long."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of the Palo Alto firewall is to control incoming and outgoing traffic as the firewall is deployed at the perimeter. Also we have used a VPN in that device so remote users can access the internal networks. We are partners with Palo Alto and I'm from the implementation team and work as a technology consultant. 

What is most valuable?

The GUI is very simple in Palo Alto and I like that. We rarely have any issues but when we do, the stability of the solution is very good. All the options they offer; creating objects, configuring VPN, it's all pretty simple and straightforward. The solution is continuously in use in our company. 

What needs improvement?

The support could definitely be improved. Whenever I call the tech engineers, there's a long wait time. For an additional feature, I'd like to see the segmentation in policy. Check Point has a good feature for segmenting policies that I'd like to see implemented in Palo Alto. It would make things easier for the operation team to create & identify particular policies, or to place a policy in that segment. Finally, there are limitions to the hardware in the number of objects & policy we can create is limited which is not the case with Check Point or FortiGate.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good in the Palo Alto firewall.

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The Palo Alto firewall cannot increase the RAM and we can't do that either. We're unable to increase any physical boundaries of the firewall. That is one of the cons of Palo Alto. Our organization is pretty large and I am currently working on Palo Alto for three clients. I have a total of about 10 clients who are using the Palo Alto firewall. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. We just had to do the initial configuration of hardware, deploy our Panorama VM and integrate with hardware firewall, and it is pretty simple. It's also quite self-explanatory. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have five-year contracts with Palo Alto. I know the solution is on the expensive side but I'm not involved in licensing and don't have the numbers. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have also worked on Check Point and FortiGate, the hardware firewall. The Check Point Firewall has three-tier architecture where one security gateway & management server is there & smart dashboard is deployed on Windows. The application is required to control the Gateways. On other hand In Palo Alto, we just take GUI access of the firewall or Panorama to deploy any security policies and the architecture is very simple. As mentioned, the downside of Palo Alto is that there is a limitation to the number of objects that can be created. 

What other advice do I have?

I would 100% recommend this solution and they have provided pretty good documentation on their website, so it's easy for operations as well.

I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1319013 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
An easy setup with good malware protection and excellent technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The application control portion of the solution is its most valuable aspect."
  • "The price of the solution is very high."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as security - as a next-generation firewall.

What is most valuable?

The application control portion of the solution is its most valuable aspect.

The malware protection on offer is excellent.

The initial setup is very easy.

We found the scalability to be quite good.

The stability is excellent.

Technical support is great.

The interface is very user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

Either the application or the vendor needs to provide a more updated list of internet applications.

The price of the solution is very high.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been dealing with the solution for about three or so years at this point. It's been a while now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been extremely stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We tend to work with enterprise-level organizations.

The scalability is quite good. If a company needs to scale, it can do so with ease.

How are customer service and technical support?

We found the technical support to be quite good. They are helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. We have no complaints. We are very satisfied with the service they provide to us.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also work with Fortinet.

I'd likely recommend Palo Alto over Fortinet as I find Palo Alto to be more user-friendly. The performance is also very good.

How was the initial setup?

We found the initial setup to be very simple and straightforward. It was not overly complex or difficult. A company shouldn't have any trouble implementing the solution.

The deployment is also very quick. It only takes about ten to 15 minutes or so.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost, overall, is pretty expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We are a Palo Alto partner. We are a systems integrator.

I'd recommend the solution. If a company has the budget, I would suggest the product to them. If a customer has a more limited budget, however, I would highly recommend Fortinet as an option.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1362099 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Feature-rich, user-friendly and very stable
Pros and Cons
  • "You just need a web browser to manage it, unlike Cisco, which requires another management system."
  • "The solution is very expensive. There are cheaper options on the market."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for traditional firewalling. We use it for VPN connections -  especially now that people are doing work from home. This solution is our VPN gateway.

What is most valuable?

The solution has a lot more features than other firewall solutions, including Cisco, which we also use. It's very rich. There's so much there and we don't use a lot of it, although it is nice to have the option.

The solution itself is very user-friendly and quite easy to use.

You just need a web browser to manage it, unlike Cisco, which requires another management system.

The solution is quite stable.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

What needs improvement?

The scalability is limited and depends on the size of the firewall that you will buy. 

The solution is very expensive. There are cheaper options on the market.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three years at this point. It's been a while. I have some good experience with it at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has proven itself to be quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable in terms of performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can only scale according to the sizing that a company has purchased. It depends on the size of the firewall that you will buy. For example, right now, we have this firewall with 24, which means our scalability is limited to 24.

They do have higher-end models for companies that have planned for bigger deployments.

At this point, we have about 200 users and three admins.

We're happy to use it for our perimeter firewall and so we are not planning to change it anytime soon.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay. We have local vendor support. Whenever we have an issue, we contact them and they help us open a ticket with Palo Alto.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use both Palo Alto and Cisco as our firewalls. We use them both at the same time.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup has the same amount of difficulty as, for example, a Cisco setup. Regardless of if it's Cisco or Palo Alto, it will all the same level of effort. However, the use cases will be different from one another.

That said, the whole process is pretty straightforward.

We have three admins on our team that can handle setup and maintenance responsibilities. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of the solution is quite high, especially if you compare it to Cisco or Juniper.

The solution is subscription-based. Users can pay monthly or yearly. We pay on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

We are Palo Alto customers and end-users. We don't have a business relationship with the company.

We work with the 3000-series and tend to use the latest version of the product.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations if their budget supported buying it. Cost-wise, they are on the high side. 

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I'd rate the solution at an eight. We've largely been satisfied with its capabilities. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1528854 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technology Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Stable, very reliable, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found it to be reliable and very easy to use. I haven't really encountered many problems with it because its documentation is clear and readily available on their website."
  • "Based on the features that I have seen so far, I do not see any room for improvement, but they can improve their CLI documentation. I haven't really seen much when it comes to CLI documentation."

What is our primary use case?

I am currently testing Palo Alto and preparing for an exam.

How has it helped my organization?

The Global Protect Feature has allowed our organization to support our remote workforce. 

What is most valuable?

I have found it to be reliable and very easy to use. I haven't really encountered many problems with it because its documentation is clear and readily available on their website.

What needs improvement?

They need to provide documentation for CLI, as most of the commands, we get from Community Forums.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been doing research on Palo Alto for the past nine months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Highly scalable as the HA deployment allows you to pair up to eight devices at once. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't had a chance to contact them.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Palo Alto is my first solution.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is easy and subsequent changes have been easy to implement as well. 

What about the implementation team?

In-house expertise. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

What other advice do I have?

I would say go for it because it seems to be stable and very reliable. I've spoken to some specialists who vouch for Palo Alto. They say they've been using it in their environment, and it hasn't let them down so far.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1515033 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer & Security Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A user-friendly solution with useful application control, IPS, and sandboxing features
Pros and Cons
  • "Application control, IPS, and sandboxing towards the cloud are the most valuable features. It is a very user-friendly product with a very easy-to-use interface."
  • "Its stability can be better. Their technical response from the support side can also be better."

What is our primary use case?

It protects from any unwanted traffic or any kind of attack toward your LAN. It just minimizes the risk. It does not completely eradicate the risk.

We have the latest version of this solution.

What is most valuable?

Application control, IPS, and sandboxing towards the cloud are the most valuable features. It is a very user-friendly product with a very easy-to-use interface.

What needs improvement?

Its stability can be better. Their technical response from the support side can also be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, but its stability can be better.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If you got the product for 100 users and the company has grown to 500 people, this product will not be scalable. You will need another hardware that has more resources.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is very good, but their technical response can be better. You might face some difficulties due to COVID, but they have been very good most of the time. It also depends on the region from where you are calling.

How was the initial setup?

It is very much straightforward. It is a friendly product, but one should have basic knowledge of networking and security.

The deployment duration and the number of people required vary based on the requirements. A security product doesn't work in a way where you just install it, and it starts functioning. You need to keep improvising and updating it. It is an ongoing process for all security products.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You pay based on the kind of license you require, but comparatively, it is not very expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. If you have internet, you should definitely have a firewall in your network. When you're exposed to the internet, you're exposed to risks. You definitely need a next-generation firewall in corporate networks.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1516101 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Security Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
A very reliable, scalable, and solid product with very good support
Pros and Cons
  • "URL filtering and WildFire features are most valuable. It is very user-friendly. It is a very solid product, and it definitely works."
  • "In the cloud, the HA could be a lot better. Its price could also be better. It is very expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We've put it in hospitals and very large private and government businesses. We have its latest version.

What is most valuable?

URL filtering and WildFire features are most valuable. It is very user-friendly. 

It is a very solid product, and it definitely works.

What needs improvement?

In the cloud, the HA could be a lot better. 

Its price could also be better. It is very expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is very good. We have hundreds of customers.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

It was pretty straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is very expensive. You pay for a year.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1527636 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Manager El Salvador at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A feature-rich solution that works very well and has excellent stability
Pros and Cons
  • "Overall, it is a good solution. It is stable. We use URL filtering, which is useful for blocking undesired URLs."
  • "Currently, they don't have email protection. They can maybe add it in the future. Currently, if you want to do so, you need to go with another solution."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for perimeter security.

What is most valuable?

Overall, it is a good solution. It is stable. We use URL filtering, which is useful for blocking undesired URLs.

What needs improvement?

Currently, they don't have email protection. They can maybe add it in the future. Currently, if you want to do so, you need to go with another solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is perfect. It has excellent stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

With this kind of solution, you need to be careful in terms of planning because once you have the appliance, it is very difficult to scale too much. You need to carefully select the right appliances because if you need to run more services and traffic beyond the ones you have selected, you would have to replace the appliance. You would have to upgrade it. We currently have 100 users in our organization who use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We never had the need to open a support case. It never happened that something that was supposed to work was not working. If required, we can find the answers in the product documentation.

How was the initial setup?

If you have the right experience, it is okay. It is not very easy, but if you know how to manage it and configure it, it is okay. It takes maybe 5 to 10 hours or a day.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to go for it. They will not get disappointed. It is complex at the beginning because it has a lot of features, but this is something that you overcome with training. With training and experience, you can manage it.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1522938 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
The best firewall with easy configuration, excellent support, and good security and protection features
Pros and Cons
  • "IoT security is most valuable in the current version. Content IDs, DDoS protection, zone protection, and DLP are the most prominent features in Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall. It is easier to configure than other solutions."
  • "People sometimes find it more expensive as compared to other solutions. There are also fewer training opportunities for Palo Alto than Cisco and other vendors."

What is our primary use case?

We shifted an existing network from Cisco to Palo Alto. It was like a branch to head office network.

We have done public and private cloud deployments as well as on-prem deployments. We are using versions 8, 9, and 10.

What is most valuable?

IoT security is most valuable in the current version. Content IDs, DDoS protection, zone protection, and DLP are the most prominent features in Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall. It is easier to configure than other solutions.

What needs improvement?

People sometimes find it more expensive as compared to other solutions. There are also fewer training opportunities for Palo Alto than Cisco and other vendors.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for the last four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is working fine.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability has been fine for our use cases. It is good for large-scale environments, and there are no problems.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is excellent. 

How was the initial setup?

It is very straightforward. They also have a very good script, so it runs very smoothly.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is expensive as compared to other brands.

What other advice do I have?

If we are comparing firewalls, this is the best firewall. I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.