Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL] comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Check Point Quantum Force (...

Read 346 Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) reviews

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20,605 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Read 34 WatchGuard XTM [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Check Point Quantum Force (...

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 23, 2025

WatchGuard XTM [EOL] and Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) are direct competitors in cybersecurity, with Check Point Quantum Force offering superior features and pricing justification based on advanced functionalities.

Features: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] offers ease of use, reliable security controls, and network management. Check Point Quantum Force provides advanced threat prevention, integrated cloud security, and scalability features, with a focus on sophisticated threat defenses.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] could enhance its threat prevention capabilities and increase scalability. Check Point Quantum Force may improve by simplifying deployment and expanding customer support resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is known for straightforward deployment and solid support, suitable for businesses of varied sizes. Check Point Quantum Force demands a more complex setup, supported by comprehensive customer service tied to its advanced features.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] offers appealing initial costs and respectable ROI for budget-conscious buyers. Check Point Quantum Force requires a higher upfront investment, promising higher ROI through its enhanced capabilities, reflecting a pricing strategy aligned with feature richness.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: August 2026).

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Firewalls

August 2026

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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

Check Point Quantum Force (...

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

346

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (6th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (2nd)

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Dev Saini

Network Security Engineer at Connecting Cyber Networks

Advanced threat prevention has protected our perimeter and simplifies daily security operations

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) can be improved in several areas. First, the interface could be a little more intuitive for new users. The Smart Console is powerful, but it has a steep learning curve when you start using it. Some simple functions for common tasks would help. Second, the initial setup and configuration take quite a bit of time and expertise. It would be helpful if there were more guides, wizards, or templates to speed that up. Third, the price model could be more transparent and flexible. The license cost can add up quickly, specifically when you want to add more advanced features. Finally, I would appreciate seeing better integration with some third-party security tools we use. Right now, we have to do a lot of manual work to make everything talk to each other. Overall, these are minor things. The core product is really solid and does what it is supposed to do very well. The documentation could be more comprehensive in some areas. When we run into issues, the documentation does not have clear answers, so we end up contacting support. Speaking of support, the response time could be faster sometimes. We have had cases where we need help with a certain security issue, and it takes longer than we would prefer to get a response. As for features, it would be nice to have more general reporting options so we can customize reports for different teams and stakeholders without having to do manual work afterward. One more thing, better mobile access to the dashboard would be helpful. Sometimes we need to check on security alerts when we are away from the office, and the mobile experience is not as smooth as it could be. Again, these are improvements that would make it even better, not issues with the core product itself.

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Generalm4545

General Manager- IT & Automation - Serum at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Protects from attack software and hacking but it doesn't provide the reports in a readable format

In my opinion, image clarity is very important, because I don't get the proper image product on reports. This means that functionality is not there. My engineer does not know how he can replace an order. We attach a log after any kind of keys using a utility instead. For the internet policies that we are implementing, the policy should be based on proper protocols. We use the default policies and there are a number of third-party protocols that appear here. Management with WatchGuard XTM means that out of policy is the problem from our side. In this way, we can not do effective services for people with this one. The policy definition with WatchGuard XTM is not proper for all use case requirements. I've got weekly business reports that I am expecting attachments with from WatchGuard XTM that display data for all kinds of consideration which should be required. Main User Functionality Level Order must adhere to using the admin functionality on the registry, or else our users publish their own name. Maybe these recommendations are irrelevant, but I say that the issue to improve most with WatchGuard XTM is the Main User Function.

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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

"The biggest lesson I have learned from using Check Point's firewalls is that they are not complex."

"The platform helps our organization to save working hours."

"The central management and logging are frankly one of the top selling points."

"The solution helps out in our security goals; it acts as a primary source of protection for threats from the internet and is great for data leakage protection."

"Check Point firewall products include a lot of modules including Application Control, IPS, Email security, Mobile access, Content Awareness, URL Filtering, Antivirus, Antibot, and DLP, and Check Point meets our customers' requirements at the perimeter with an all-in-one solution."

"Managing all of our user VPNs, customer VPNs, and Cloud VPN tunnels' endpoint encryption from a single management portal is helping us."

"Check Point NGFW safeguards users by protecting their internet browsing experience with features such as antivirus, anti-spoofing, and URL filtering control, ensuring we have control over what users can access and block malicious content from entering the organization's network."

"In addition to the different security features that Check Point security solutions have, their integration with other technologies makes the security environment a complete security type."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"For the current network demand, I think the product is worth buying as it is not too expensive and it has almost all the features that I need."

"They have a reporting system which can store data over a very long period of time. Not many other firewall vendors provide a reporting system, but if they do, like Fortinet does, then you've got buy that as an additional product and that can be more than twice as expensive as the initial investment in the firewall. And without reporting over a long-term period, you're just about wasting your time."

"Packet filters and proxy policies are valuable features, as they allow you to configure restrictions by domain name and are useful to block web pages that have multiple IP addresses, such as Facebook."

"It configures in all-in-one place."

"Security is a requirement for any organization, using WG products you can deploy faster solutions to big problems with a fair price."

"This product helped facilitate and protect our environment from the inside out, with features like DLP (data loss prevention) to content filtering all the way to port filtering and traffic shaping."

"We switched because WatchGuard offered better value for money without sacrificing security."

"We have used technical support for WatchGuard many times and overall, we are satisfied with it. They are always listening and there is a good reaction time to our findings. When there are issues, they really try to resolve them."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"It would help if they were easier to deploy, without needing more technical people. It would be nice if we could just give basic information, how to connect, and that would be all, while the rest of the setup could be done remotely."

"It could greatly improve our customer experience by centralizing management."

"I would like for them to develop the ability to manage a cloud firewall with the same console. That would be very helpful."

"I'd like to see more use of applications and URLs in security policies moving forwards."

"They have few predefined reports and it would be nice to increase them since the logs are excellent."

"To enhance the user experience, Check Point should consider adopting an incremental upgrade approach, similar to competitors like Palo Alto or Fortinet, as it would help minimize downtime and streamline the upgrade process, making it more efficient and user-friendly."

"There is a scope of improvement in detecting zero-day threats using the SandBlast technology, by introducing emulation of Linux-based operating systems."

"Check Point NGFW could be more stable. I think the problem is that the kernel sometimes won't play ball and isn't stable."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

"Licensing should be improved."

"The web interface is easy to use but it looks complicated and could be simplified."

"One huge issue with WatchGuard XTM is that I'm not getting reports in a readable format."

"We still haven't got the Terminal Service agent to work in our Citrix environment Application Signature also doesn't work well especially in SSL traffic"

"Our device was not functioning properly, so we returned the product and as a result, our business was down for two days."

"The initial setup is neither simple nor complex. If you know the base in networking and how the firewall works, you will be able to figure it out."

"Now, you need to replace the appliance."

"In my experience they need to make changes in web filtering access for Skype as that's the time we had problems."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They sell it in one box. In that one box, they sell Antivirus and Threat Prevention. They have everything, so we are not required to purchase additional IPS hardware for it."

"The licensing is straightforward; there are only three types of licenses that include NGFW, NGTP, and SNBT, so the organization can choose its license according to their requirements."

"The licensing includes the cost of support."

"The product provides value for pricing in terms of performance and technical features compared to other firewalls."

"It's an expensive solution"

"Use the basic sizing tool to do the correct sizing so you don't waste too much money, because it's not a very cheap solution when compared to other vendors."

"The price is on the higher side."

"The price may be perceived as relatively high when compared to the features and capabilities they provide."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pricing and cost advice

"It costs less than the SO works and others (like SonicWall, Cisco, and Barracuda) without increasing so much CPU use."

"Get at least a maintenance contract for the updates and take a larger WatchGuard than you need. A WatchGuard creates new ways to secure your network."

"Like all other manufacturers, there are a lot of features and different pricing. The best is to talk to a representative."

"The licensing and renewal is very expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

19%

Construction Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

15%

Marketing Services Firm

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	164
Midsize Enterprise	94
Large Enterprise	198

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

How does Check Point NGFW compare with Fortinet Fortigate?

I have experience on both from Disti and channel experience. Please find below my comments (nothing new as such). -Check Point GUI is a bit complicated, -Application and Web filtering are better t...

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Which would you recommend - Azure Firewall or Check Point NGFW?

Azure Firewall is easy to use and provides excellent support. Valuable features include integration into the overall cloud platform, autoscaling, and the ability for users to create virtual IP addr...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point NGFW?

Our experience with pricing for Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) has been mixed. The initial setup costs were fairly significant because we needed to buy the hardware appliances and then pay for th...

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Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 17% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 11% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 4% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 22% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 18% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 7% of the time

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

August 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

July 2026

Download WatchGuard XTM [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW provides centralized management with scalable security for network perimeters. As a reliable firewall, it ensures advanced threat prevention and offers seamless integration, making it suitable for various network environments.

Offering comprehensive security, Check Point Quantum Force NGFW helps control ingress and egress traffic, secures data center firewalls, and integrates seamlessly with cloud and on-premises setups. Users appreciate its application control, deep packet inspection, and identity awareness features for enhanced protection against cyber threats. Despite pricing issues and interface complexity, its IPsec VPN and robust logging provide valuable insights into network activities.

What are the key features of Check Point Quantum Force NGFW?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administrative tasks across different environments.
Advanced Threat Prevention: Shields against evolving cyber threats with real-time protection.
Deep Packet Inspection: Analyzes traffic to prevent intrusions without impacting performance.
Application Control: Manages access to applications, enhancing security policies.
IPsec VPN: Secures remote connections with encrypted tunnels.

What benefits should users consider for Check Point Quantum Force NGFW?

Scalability: Adapts to the changing needs of organizations of different sizes.
Integration Capabilities: Works alongside existing systems for a comprehensive defense strategy.
Logging and Reporting: Offers detailed insights into network activity and threats.
User-Friendly Interface: Streamlines management with intuitive controls despite initial complexity.

Check Point Quantum Force NGFW is deployed across industries for securing network boundaries, supporting critical data center operations, and enabling secure VPN connections. In finance, it helps meet stringent compliance standards, while in healthcare, it's crucial for protecting sensitive patient data through robust security protocols.

Check Point Software Technologies

Small businesses need big security, too, and the WatchGuard XTM Series firewall/VPN appliances deliver that strong protection, but without the hefty price tag. Enterprise-grade security includes full HTTPS content inspection, VoIP support, and optional security subscriptions like Application Control and Intrusion Prevention Service.

WatchGuard

Sample Customers

Control Southern, Optimal Media

AVG, Cyren, Kaspersky Lab, Lastline, NCP engineering, Trend Micro, Websense

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