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

22,397 Views
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

Download the report

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).

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

August 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 908,834 peers since 2012

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Check Point NGFW helps us significantly by preventing sophisticated cyber attacks, controlling user access to application websites based on policy and user identity, segmenting the internal network, and providing centralized firewall management."

"The Anti-Spoofing has the ability to monitor the interfaces. Suppose any spoofed IP addresses are coming from an external interface, it won't allow them. It will drop that traffic. You have two options with the Anti-Spoofing: prevent or detect. If any kind of spoof traffic is coming through the external interface, we can prevent that."

"In the four years I have worked on the five firewalls we have not had any downtime caused by stability issues."

"It has provided us with great protection from threats."

"All policies can be deployed and managed in a very simple way."

"It is easy to deploy or upgrade. There is no need to do this manually with commands. This solution can be set up online."

"Configuration and deploying are easy."

"It creates granular security policies based on users or groups to identify, block or limit the usage of web applications."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) pros

"Today, however, with the 11.9.4 version, our environment is very stable."

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

"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."

"Setup and configuration is straightforward with excellent management interface."

"Simply, give this tool a try; it will generate great benefits in terms of the scalability and environment."

"We now have the capability to manage traffic better by putting non-business critical traffic into the small bucket, while business critical traffic gets higher priority."

"XTM is more effective and friendly to use than our previous solution, and it also provides me with very good VPN tunnel stability."

"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."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"Technical support and scalability both require improvement."

"You have an administration tool that is not on the appliance, and it should be in line with the appliance."

"The area where Check Point can improve is the antivirus, as it only provides a small number of updates for it. Updates should be more frequent."

"It might not be able to handle future growth, but right now, it is managing it well."

"The only thing that we've seen is instances where console and administrative interfaces get locked up or freeze, and we have to get the machine rebooted."

"Check Point could offer a cloud-managed approach similar to that of Cisco Meraki."

"Check Point NGFW needs to run marketing events. They have also to set up a support center in India."

"Customer support is not always as responsive with solutions as you might need."

More Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) cons

"Unfortunately, I could not disable the default Outgoing policy and if I do all clients could not access the internet even if I created another Outgoing Policy to replace the default one."

"I would like them to improve the product's overall protections. This would be good for all product users."

"Early models of the XTM2 (e.g. 21, 22, 23) line lacked sufficient memory, and caused a number of issues that required frequent reboots."

"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"

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

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

"Using the SSL VPN remote feature is great, but we additionally needed two-factor authentication, and employed a third-party product."

"Initially WatchGuard assured us regarding endpoint security, but we are not sure that the product provides endpoint security features to its full extent."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing falls in the middle, meaning it's neither cheap nor expensive."

"The pricing and licensing are the worst part of Check Point. I usually don't know what I really am buying. When I have to do an inventory of the license, I don't know what it is being used for. Sometimes I feel I am being cheated, and the others times, I feel it is a bargain. Nobody knows! Even the Check Point representatives, they aren't clear on somethings, such as, what is the right license for what I need."

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

"Its price is reasonable. If we compare its TCO for three years, it is more reasonable than some of the other vendors such as Fortinet, Palo Alto, etc."

"The price is too high."

"I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten. It costs around 100,000-200,000 dollars per month. Besides standard licensing fees, we paid extra for enterprise-level premium support. There were also onboarding costs factored in. These additional costs made it more expensive overall. The total cost was around 100,000 dollars, which was challenging for our budget. Check Point was also pricey, not much different from Palo Alto Networks. However, we decided switching to Check Point was better because it offered more capabilities for a similar price."

"While it may be slightly more expensive, when compared with competition it is reasonable."

"Check Point needs to lower its price drastically, and the licensing model is very complex."

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."

"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."

"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."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

908,834 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

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

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

DOWNLOAD NOW

908,834 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

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.