We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiGate-VM and Sophos XGS based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI."The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."
"The most valuable features are the enterprise modeling and the simple interface."
"The most valuable features are that it is very simple to configure and to manage."
"The flexibility and ease of configuration are the most valuable features."
"The secure web gateway module and the application control module are valuable. HA operations are very easy."
"Fortinet FortiGate is easy to use."
"The base firewall features are quite valuable to us."
"The most important features of Fortinet FortiGate are the Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and firewall control applications."
"It offers the same robust features and functionality in virtual, on-premise, and traditional data center environments."
"Fortinet is user-friendly."
"Fortinet-VM is more scalable than the hardware version. If you're using an appliance, there are limitations in terms of hardware specs. So if you want a more scalable firewall, you can get a VM and install it on a high-end server."
"The reporting is good."
"All the security features that are built into the product are valuable."
"I have worked on some of the largest and smallest solutions that Fortinet sells and they all scale really well."
"It is very versatile."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to operate."
"It offers an easy initial implementation."
"The solution is easy to use and configure, once you know how to apply the policies."
"The most valuable features in Sophos XGS are identity and VPN. It is a very good solution that is able to detect and prevent a lot of malicious activity."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"Web filtering and intrusion detection are essential features. As system integrators, we also like the dashboard because it's easier to configure all the features."
"Easy to set up firewall product, that's also easy to manage and scale."
"The centralized security is very good."
"The most valuable feature of Sophos XGS is the application control."
"To some degree, it's almost a question as to why some of this stuff isn't simpler. For example, for an AP deployment, while it's integrated, the number of steps that you have to go through in order to get the AP up, seems like a lot."
"In terms of what could be improved, the SD-WAN is quite difficult, because if you install the new box, 15 is okay, but if you change from an old configuration, if there is already configuration and a policy when you change to SD-WAN, you must change the whole policy that you see in the interface."
"The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment."
"FortiOS is not simple."
"They are doing good, but they can improve the distributor assignment. The availability of the product and the timeline of delivery are the main things. The distribution should be swift, and the distributor should not reach out to end customers directly. They should work as a distributor. There should also be one more local distributor. Currently, there is only one distributor in Pakistan, and the rest of them are in UAE. It is difficult to work with only one distributor. Sometimes, you don't get along with the same distributor, and that's why they should have one more distributor. Their licensing should also be improved. The activation or renewal of the product should be done from the date of renewal, not from the date on which the license expired."
"It is stable, but its stability can be improved."
"Fortinet doesn't provide multiple virtual firewalls which would facilitate end users and customers."
"The support system could be improved."
"They could provide more integration options with different platforms."
"The user interface could be improved."
"The tool does not have a good name in the market, consisting of enterprise-class businesses, making it an area where the product lacks and needs to improve."
"The price model is not transparent by any means and should be made more clear. What's included in the packages is often not very obvious."
"If I could add one feature, it would be free security profiles."
"The product may not be as robust as Palo Alto. However, unless you are a big bank, you probably won't need it to be."
"I don't have any specific improvements to suggest, but perhaps the pricing could be enhanced. Regarding updates, more frequent updates would be appreciated. FortiGate-VM is currently focused on providing very good firmware updates, automation, and top-notch features. It stands as a great product for now. Based on our needs and the vulnerabilities we've encountered due to various downloads, I suggest integrating with Kaspersky Gateway. This integration would involve scanning and inspecting both official emails and spam emails. Our customer has successfully worked with Kaspersky Gateway, and overall, the integration has been effective."
"The user interface (UI) and the performance of interface both need improvement."
"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."
"Sophos XGS could improve the price."
"When it comes to different interfaces there is some speed issue that can be improved in Sophos XGS."
"I rate Sophos' support five out of 10. It's sometimes difficult to contact them, and finding a solution is not easy."
"Compared to Fortinet, the cost is high."
"Sophos configurations are a bit complex."
"The customer service response time can be improved."
"There are issues with some designs being able to work on high availability."
Fortinet FortiGate-VM is ranked 9th in Firewalls with 113 reviews while Sophos XGS is ranked 17th in Firewalls with 60 reviews. Fortinet FortiGate-VM is rated 8.4, while Sophos XGS is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiGate-VM writes "An easy-to-manage and configure tool that provides ample documentation to help with the setup phase". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Sophos XGS writes "Easy to use, simple to learn, and offers great reporting". Fortinet FortiGate-VM is most compared with Azure Firewall, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series, Fortinet FortiOS, OPNsense and Cisco Secure Firewall, whereas Sophos XGS is most compared with Sophos XG, OPNsense, Netgate pfSense, WatchGuard Firebox and Juniper SRX Series Firewall. See our Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sophos XGS report.
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