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.

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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.

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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

Featured Reviews

Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd

Unified security and sd-wan have improved uptime and cut wan costs for multi-site branches

Users report stability issues in certain versions, which requires regular updates. Real-world attacks have also highlighted the need for urgent patching of vulnerabilities.Fortinet FortiGate, while a powerful and feature-rich web firewall, could improve in areas like firmware stability, documentation, and ease of use. The learning curve can be steep for some users. For beginners, support quality can vary, and frequent updates with occasional vulnerabilities call for careful patch management. However, once Fortinet FortiGate is configured, it remains highly reliable and efficient. Customer support needs improvement, as I find it very slow, with reports from other users reflecting that customer support is inadequate.

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San Naing Htun

Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Has improved threat prevention and protection but presents deployment and licensing challenges

The best features Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) offers are AI-powered threat prevention, zero-day protection, unified management, and scalability. These features have helped me in my daily work or my organization by allowing us, as a SAAS company operating across AWS, Azure, and handling external partner access or a multi-tenant model, to preemptively stop unknown attacks, which is critical. Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) has positively impacted my organization as it is a high-end enterprise grade firewall. I have noticed that it is very good if your SAAS business has high traffic volume, serious threat prevention requirements, and you are ready for the investment.

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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

"Allows for firewall rules to be programmed and named in a way that makes it “readable”"

"Fortinet FortiGate is good for helping you secure and protect mission-critical data."

"The system is very easy to scale."

"Routing and reporting are two areas where the product has an added advantage compared to any other product."

"The most valuable features are the policies, filtering, and configuration."

"The solution has a very good set of rules, the customization potential is quite impressive, it can be customized based on our licensing contracts, the initial setup was pretty simple, technical support is rather helpful, we find the stability to be pretty good, and we find the pricing to be fairly good."

"The SD-WAN feature is the most valuable; this feature evolved from link load balancing and has helped us in terms of our uptime and prioritizing applications whenever we experience an outage."

"The network security and cloud security are most valuable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable feature is the highly integrated NGFW features such as the IPS or Check Point Identity Awareness, which makes Check Point the best choice on the market."

"They have very good support. In critical scenarios, they provide us very quick solutions, are very well-trained, and have a good knowledge about the product. That is what we expect from them."

"The product's ease of use is a significant advantage, and the interface is very intuitive."

"The best features Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) offers are AI-powered threat prevention, zero-day protection, unified management, and scalability, which have helped me in my daily work or my organization by allowing us, as a SAAS company operating across AWS, Azure, and handling external partner access or a multi-tenant model, to preemptively stop unknown attacks, which is critical."

"Check Point gateways provide superior security beyond any Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)."

"I like the SmartEvent feature. When we see a threat, SmartEvent can create a rule for that. SmartEvent works with the SmartCenter to block a threat attack with a block monitor. The SmartCenter has the management for all the firewalls and data centers in a single dashboard."

"The Check Point device is better and the speed is superior."

"Check Point NGFW has positively impacted my organization by providing confidence that it's managing all the threats out there for us, even though at any one point in time, threats are coming in all over the place."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"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."

"We're really happy with WatchGuard."

"There is a site-to-site VPN configuration between others people."

"WatchGuard XTM is fairly basic. We use it as the perimeter firewall. The main point is to protect from attack software and hacking."

"Lots of enterprise-grade features in SMB firewall Cost-price performance is at its best"

"It is stable and does not require you to reboot all the time."

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

"The multi-WAN feature allows us to configure multiple external interfaces."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"There are some issues with security features and aspects like logs not being up to the mark."

"User experience for the administrator is basically not good as it needs to be more proficient."

"FortiGate's logging and reporting could be improved. I would also like to see Fortinet add a guest management portal."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve their documentation on forward error correction and failover technologies."

"Fortinet can add some Machine Learning and AI to improve its accuracy and give it an edge on IPS detection and protection."

"The cloud features can be improved."

"I want some additional features. For example, I want something to ensure that when we are using Google email or Microsoft email, or Google Workspace, emails can only be accessed on designated machines given to our employees. I would like them to access data from designated machines, not from any machine. It should work for designated mobiles and laptops. I don't know if Fortinet provides something like that out of the box."

"Fortinet's support team consists of a huge networking team, because of which there is a delay in response at times."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"There's a significant area for improvement when it comes to pricing."

"I would suggest improving the usability of the command line of Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) firewall, because the commands are hard to remember since it is based on Linux."

"Monitoring graphs for Check Point NGFW can be made better, and that is something I wish worked better."

"The perception is that Check Point NGFW is expensive, especially when all software modules are included."

"I would like the user interface to be more user-friendly. I want the UI to be easier to use than Check Point's competitors."

"I would like the graphic user interface to be easier to use. For example, the NAT policy should be easier to use. Check Point's NAT policy is somewhat confused compared to other competitors."

"Debugging is very complex when compared to Fortinet, for example."

"There should be better integration with our current NAC solution to increase the granularity of policies that we implement."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

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

"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."

"Sometimes we have had issues with stability of the product."

"Tech support is sometimes a little bit slow."

"I feel that paying a yearly maintenance fee for firmware updates is not worth it in my opinion."

"I think the anti-Spam feature, and the real time log to inspect the bandwidth users both need improving."

"The setting policies need improvement. It needs an easier way to do static NAT and check on what policy is being used for that specific traffic."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for this solution is good."

"It is too expensive for us. My organization is very small, and we have a total of ten users. We have three internal users and seven external users. The FortiGate 100D series is too expensive for renewing the licenses."

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

"I had to pay for the license for the firewall, but it is guaranteed to have updates. I expect a good service for it. It was about €1000 for a year, and there was no additional cost."

"It was worth the money overall. It's good value."

"It has a competitive price."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten"

"FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is cheaper than Cisco or CheckPoint."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Licensing is on a yearly basis and I am happy with the pricing."

"The pricing and licensing are pretty steep. They know that they are good, so they are pricey."

"The price of the appliance should be decreased."

"The solution is expensive."

"Check Point solutions are very expensive here. They're good, but they're expensive... Check Point is only useful for customers that have a big IT budget."

"One of the main reasons that we went with Check Point is that they provide a good solution for a firewall but at an affordable price. As a state agency, we can't afford Cisco Firepower. It's just out of our budget to be able to pay for something where licensing and hardware are so expensive. Check Point has really met our needs for a budget-friendly solution."

"The solution is indeed costly."

"Its cost is a little higher than other products."

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

"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."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

13%

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Construction Company

Marketing Services Firm

14%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Performing Arts

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	367
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	193

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	163
Midsize Enterprise	95
Large Enterprise	198

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

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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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 12% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

Compared 5% of the time

OPNsense 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

Cisco Secure Firewall vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 23% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 14% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 10% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW)

May 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

April 2026

Download WatchGuard XTM [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Check Point NG Firewall, Check Point Next Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

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?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

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.

Fortinet

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

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

Control Southern, Optimal Media

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls. Updated: April 2026.

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