


WatchGuard Firebox and Azure Firewall compete in the enterprise security category. WatchGuard Firebox tends to have the upper hand in ease of setup and usability, making it suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, while Azure Firewall is stronger in scalability and integration within Microsoft's ecosystem, appealing to larger organizations or those already using Azure services.
Features: WatchGuard Firebox is noted for its intuitive GUI, real-time bandwidth usage reports, and layered security features like web filtering and proxy support. Azure Firewall excels with its seamless integration with Azure services, extensive scalability, and advanced threat intelligence capabilities.
Room for Improvement: WatchGuard Firebox could enhance its cloud integration, modernize its interface for better usability, and improve report customization. Azure Firewall would benefit from improved threat prevention, more advanced security features such as intrusion prevention, and a more responsive support experience.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox is praised for simple on-premises deployment and reliable technical support, making it flexible for hybrid setups. Azure Firewall is optimized for cloud environments with mixed feedback on its support, leading to smoother deployment for Azure-integrated customers but challenges for traditional setups.
Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox offers competitive pricing with clear ROI for small and medium enterprises, due to reduced management and operational costs. Azure Firewall, despite a potentially higher upfront cost, provides cost efficiencies over time within Azure, with benefits tied to deep integration with Microsoft's broader infrastructure.
Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.
The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.
It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.
With Azure Firewall on the cloud, you just need to subscribe to the firewall, configure it, and it will help you protect your environment.
From a security standpoint, preventing even a single major security incident or prolonged outage can represent significant cost savings.
I do not see any return on investment after WatchGuard Firebox implementation in terms of cost reductions.
Reduced incidents and easier management helped lower operational cost.
The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.
I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.
Microsoft provides excellent customer support, especially with premium support plans.
Nevertheless, the final support from Microsoft remains effective.
With Azure products, customer support is really good.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the technical support of the WatchGuard Firebox a 10.
When comparing WatchGuard Firebox with other vendors such as Fortinet, SonicWall, Palo Alto, and Sophos, WatchGuard Firebox performs competitively.
Most of the time, support engineers are knowledgeable and able to assist effectively with firewall configuration issues, VPN troubleshooting, firmware updates, and security-related concerns.
They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.
The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.
We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.
Based on my experience, I would rate it nine out of ten for scalability.
Azure Firewall is highly scalable, and I would give it a scalability rating of nine out of ten.
When we started deploying the solution, it was not a mature product at times.
Overall, WatchGuard Firebox offers strong scalability for SMBs, MSPs, branch offices, and hybrid environments while keeping deployment and management relatively straightforward.
The user interface and features compared to newer firewalls are not up to the mark, which includes functionalities such as filtering, web filtering, threat protection, user identity, and UTM features that need improvement.
You can choose different models based on throughput and features, which makes it easy to support growing environments.
We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.
I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.
The stability of Azure Firewall is excellent.
For our use case, Azure Firewall is stable enough.
I have just one WatchGuard Firebox unit that is licensed, and I have no bugs on it, so I am happy with that.
Once properly configured, the platform handles VPN connectivity, traffic inspection, and security services constantly, even in multi-site environments with remote users.
There are issues with traffic hitting the firewall, which could indicate performance problems related to throughput.
These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.
The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.
It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.
If Azure Firewall can integrate identity features, it will help deliver additional next-generation capabilities.
Improvement in reporting and better visibility into network traffic would also be beneficial.
Azure Firewall could improve its reporting capabilities.
It gives good visibility and control over the traffic, and the UI makes it easy to manage policies and respond quickly when something comes up.
The cost for renewal after three years is 75% of the hardware cost, which is a significant problem.
When implementing a rule using a group of IPs, it is not possible to do that directly.
Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.
It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.
It is about 20% cheaper.
The standard functionality for API Management is at a zero level, and then the next level is one.
Azure Firewall is quite expensive, with a high cost.
Azure Firewall is subscription-based, which is advantageous as there is no need for upfront payment.
When we tried to renew the Palo Alto license, the cost was beyond any reasonable range.
Fortinet is more expensive than WatchGuard.
I find WatchGuard Firebox to be cost-effective.
We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.
They put in a thing called the FortiCookbook, which is very easy to read with real-life scenarios that make networking tasks like joining networks very straightforward.
The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks.
We have to combine multiple features and multiple products, and then we can say that this is more cost-effective and works properly to ensure the security posture of our cloud deployments.
With Azure Firewall on the cloud, you just need to subscribe to the firewall, configure it, and it will help you protect your environment.
The premium version includes all traditional firewall features, reducing the need for separate compute resources.
The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication.
The features of WatchGuard Firebox are most valuable for maintaining network security.
Some of the best features of WatchGuard Firebox in my experience are its ease of management, strong VPN capabilities, and integrated security services.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Fortinet FortiGate | 16.0% |
| Azure Firewall | 2.5% |
| WatchGuard Firebox | 2.2% |
| Other | 79.3% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 367 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 135 |
| Large Enterprise | 193 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 12 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 12 |
| Large Enterprise | 22 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 99 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 28 |
| Large Enterprise | 15 |
Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.
Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.
What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.
Azure Firewall integrates seamlessly with Azure services, providing threat intelligence-based filtering, scalability, and simplified configuration. It secures Azure-based infrastructure, protects workloads, and filters network traffic to ensure safe internet access.
Azure Firewall is central to managing security for applications, especially in hybrid cloud environments. Its features like URL filtering, SSL/TLS inspection, and centralized security controls cater to segmentation and zero-trust policies. Users appreciate its affordability, frequent updates, and flexibility for administrators with policies and high availability. However, some users see room for improved application filtering, better Azure integration, and more comprehensive documentation. Desired advanced features include intrusion prevention, anti-virus, and URL filtering. Cost concerns and limited scalability are mentioned, with suggestions for AI use, VPN functionalities, and enhancements in firewall management.
What are the most important features of Azure Firewall?Many industries leverage Azure Firewall for secure cloud operations. Technology firms use it for hybrid cloud security, focusing on segmentation and zero-trust. Financial institutions deploy it for compliance and secure internet access, while healthcare uses it for protecting patient data and ensuring secure communications between on-prem servers.
WatchGuard Firebox is a high-performance firewall known for its ease of setup, offering robust security with layered protection and centralized management capabilities.
WatchGuard Firebox stands out for its intuitive management and high throughput, addressing security needs with features like VPN, web filtering, and threat detection. Its centralized control and reporting abilities, along with Active Directory integration, make it popular among varied organizations. Its user-friendly interface and ongoing updates enhance usability and reliability. However, there's a call for better cloud-based administration, scalability, and improved integration with third-party vendors.
What are the key features of WatchGuard Firebox?WatchGuard Firebox is implemented across industries to secure internet gateways and protect data in multi-site businesses. Its applications span from Unified Threat Management (UTM) and intrusion prevention to compliance support in business environments requiring secure connectivity through VPNs.
We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.