Check Point Quantum Force vs Cisco Secure Firewall comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Cisco are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.7, while Cisco is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.1. Additionally, 100% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 4, 2026

Cisco Secure Firewall and Check Point Quantum Force are leading cybersecurity solutions. Cisco appears advantageous in pricing and support, while Check Point attracts organizations seeking robust protection features.

Features: Cisco Secure Firewall provides comprehensive threat protection, intuitive management, and seamless integration with existing infrastructures. Check Point Quantum Force emphasizes advanced threat prevention capabilities, zero-day protection, and extensive security management features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Secure Firewall offers streamlined deployment and robust customer support, aiding efficient network security management. Check Point Quantum Force presents a more complex deployment that requires significant resources.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Secure Firewall is cost-effective with a strong return on investment, appealing for budget-conscious organizations. Check Point Quantum Force, despite a higher initial cost, offers long-term value through its extensive security features.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 881,082 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

Read full review

Abnet Tsegaye Belay

Cybersecurity Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Has strengthened perimeter security through AI-driven protection and unified management

I have noticed some limitations with Check Point Quantum Force. There is a limitation in integrating with existing infrastructure, such as orchestration and logging, specifically with VPNs. VPNs are hard and sophisticated to deploy on this firewall. However, it is improving currently. Some performance aspects need higher resources. If you do not give it higher resources, it will slow down your network. It is a trade-off - if you have higher resources, you will have good performance. The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs. It has to be simpler to understand.

Read full review

Phil Shiflett

Senior Manager, Network Engineering at TTi Power Equipment

Unified policies streamline network management but complex licensing requires attention

Cisco Secure Firewall has some growth opportunities in terms of visibility and control capabilities regarding managing encrypted traffic. It has the ability to analyze encrypted traffic, and there is potential for more integration with APIs and AI to enhance these capabilities. Cisco Secure Firewall needs improvement in deployment time and the capability to access the CLI during support calls. I often encounter issues when technical support uses a CLI that is not familiar to me while troubleshooting through the GUI. My ongoing complaint for the last six years has been the lack of CLI functionality, which hinders my ability to work on the firewall, alongside concerns regarding deployment time. For the next release, they should look at the features offered by competitors such as Fortinet, including the ability to perform packet capture directly from the interface. If they enhanced their troubleshooting efficiency related to packet capture for each specific rule, it would simplify the process significantly.

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

"This solution made it very easy to manage our bandwidth."

"Their web interface to manage it is excellent, even compared with other providers."

"The flexibility and ease of configuration are the most valuable features."

"Security solution with a straightforward and quick setup. It's a stable and scalable product."

"FortiGate SD-WAN facilitated a smooth transition for our customers between their two internet service providers, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity without any downtime."

"The most valuable feature is the policy routing and application control."

"The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks."

"In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable features I find in Check Point Quantum Force are the security policy features, including all security features that are provided by firewall, IPS/IDS."

"The security features and layered security features are better compared to others."

"The outcomes from Check Point Quantum Force firewall gave us the ability to be fit and secure from the cyber world."

"I like the Cisco ASDM (Adaptive Security Device Manager), which is the configuration interface for the Cisco firewall."

"Regarding the zero-trust security model, Cisco Secure Firewall helps our company. Our students and staff have the ability to do whatever they need to do with their research. It helps them while keeping security top of mind."

"IPS and Snort are very important because they also differentiate Cisco from other vendors and competitors."

"URL filtering is valuable."

"Integration with all the other Cisco tools is valuable."

"The technical support for Cisco Secure Firewall once you have the SmartNet is very good."

"The Adversity Malware Protection (AMP) feature is the most valuable. It is also very easy to use. Every technical user can operate this solution without any difficulty. The dashboard of Cisco Firepower has every tool that a security operator needs. You can find every resource that you need to operate through this dashboard."

"It is a very user-friendly product."

More Cisco Secure Firewall pros

Cons

"The Web-filter in this solution is not very good."

"Fortinet FortiGate IPS could improve the configuration. In some use cases, there can be some configuration conflicts."

"There is a need for enhancement with the signature management, improving the datasheet numbers, and scalability issues."

"They should make the rule sets more understandable for the end user. When you're trying to explain to somebody how a computer network is secured, sometimes it's difficult for an end user or customer to understand. If there was a way to make the terminology more accessible to the end user, the set up could be easier. They should translate the technical jargon to an easily relatable and understandable conversation for the end user, the customer, that would be brilliant. Particularly in an environment where the IT structure is audited regularly, there's always pressure from the auditor to up the standards and up the security and you get your USCERT's that come out and there's a warning about this and the customer will want to lock out so much and when you apply it they run into issue where they can't search the internet or print to their remote office. Of course they can't print to your remote office, they just locked it up. They should make the language more understandable for the customer. If there's a product out there that made the jargon understandable to John Q. Public, I would buy that."

"Someone without certification and experience with other firewalls might find it a bit more challenging to grasp the FortiGate format and its platform layout."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"Its customer service could be better."

"I mostly do administration, and I found Cisco to be the hardest major firewall manufacturer to deal with, with Fortinet FortiGate being the second hardest for me."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Check Point Quantum Force does not have strong local support. We are based in India, and Check Point Quantum Force does not have extensive local support in our region."

"The complexity of configuring a VPN needs to be improved because we need to go back and forth to configure VPNs."

"I have observed weaknesses in Check Point Quantum Force, particularly when configuring tunnels from any point product to a peer, which has very complex configuration requirements."

"I would like to see more integration with third-party devices in general. There is great integration with Cisco devices, but there's not much integration with third-party devices."

"It is slowly not supported and other vendors are a few years ahead of Cisco in development."

"They should work on making it a little more intuitive for users and not quite as complex. Still, it's a good product."

"The integration, especially for APIs or with other firewall products, is a challenge for me."

"The pricing is a bit high."

"We had an event recently where we had inbound traffic for SIP and we experienced an attack against our SIP endpoint, such that they were able to successfully make calls out... Both CTR, which is gathering data from multiple solutions that the vendor provides, as well as the FMC events connection, did not show any of those connections because there was not a NAT inbound which said either allow it or deny it."

"The installation and integration of Cisco ASA with FirePOWER can be improved. The management with Fortigate is easier than Cisco ASA on FirePOWER. The management side of Cisco ASA can be improved so it can be more easily configured and used."

"Managing various product integrations, such as Umbrella, is challenging."

More Cisco Secure Firewall cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is fair."

"The price of FortiGate is reasonable as I plan to buy new switches. The initial gadgets are already booted, and the pricing seems normal on the market. As for additional costs, I haven't subscribed to many extra features, so I'm only using what I need. 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."

"Pricing for Fortinet FortiGate SWG is more suitable for enterprise or large-sized organizations because they are the ones who can afford it versus small and medium-sized organizations."

"The pricing of Fortinet FortiGate is average, not cheap or overly expensive compared to other firewall solutions in the market. It's effective and affordable for customers."

"There is no challenge in Fortinet FortiGate pricing."

"The price is really low. It's cheap in comparison to the cost of Cisco or CheckPoint, for example."

"The support subscription for the solution is annual. You are paying for support and there are two levels of support, professional and advanced."

"Its pricing is competitive with other solutions."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The price is fair. It's not the cheapest, but it's not bad."

"It was initially heavy on my pocket, but it soon actualised its worth."

"Everything with Cisco is expensive. My advice is that there are a lot better options out in the market now."

"The pricing structure for Cisco Secure Firewall can be challenging to manage."

"The licensing is not as complicated as that for some other Cisco products. There are a couple of tiers of licensing, but the price point is a little too high for the market. There are other vendors that come in lower and offer more for fewer licensing options. They may offer URL filtering or malware filtering with a single license rather than requiring two or three licenses. I think Cisco could do a bit more in this area."

"The program is very expensive."

"The pricing and licensing structure of the firewall is fair and reasonable."

"I just bought it off the shelf, and I'm using it with my previous one, so I have not spent that much."

More Cisco Secure Firewall pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user206346

Security Consultant at Webernetz.net - Network Security Consulting

Mar 11, 2015

Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto Networks

Cisco ASA vs. Palo Alto: Management Goodies You often have comparisons of both firewalls concerning security components. Of course, a firewall must block attacks, scan for viruses, build VPNs, etc. However, in this post I am discussing the advantages and disadvantages from both vendors concerning…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	180
Midsize Enterprise	126
Large Enterprise	212

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

See all answers

What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

See all answers

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

See all answers

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

In terms of pricing, setup cost, and licensing, many users and clients say that the pricing is high. The license stru...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Check Point Quantum Force?

I have observed weaknesses in Check Point Quantum Force, particularly when configuring tunnels from any point product...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Check Point Quantum Force?

I am currently working with Fortinet Firewall, Fortinet Switch, Fortinet Authenticator, FortiNet Net, Fortinet Authen...

See all answers

Which is better - Fortinet FortiGate or Cisco ASA Firewall?

One of our favorite things about Fortinet Fortigate is that you can deploy on the cloud or on premises. Fortinet Fort...

See all answers

How does Cisco's ASA firewall compare with the Firepower NGFW?

It is easy to integrate Cisco ASA with other Cisco products and also other NAC solutions. When you understand the Cis...

See all answers

Which is better - Meraki MX or Cisco ASA Firewall?

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the operating software for the Cisco ASA suite. It supports netw...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 24% of the time

Zscaler Cloud Firewall vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 23% of the time

Palo Alto Networks PA-Series vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Check Point Quantum Force

Compared 10% of the time

More Check Point Quantum Force Competitors

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 11% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 9% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Secure Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

January 2026

Download Check Point Quantum Force product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Firewall

January 2026

Download Cisco Secure Firewall product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Firewall, Cisco ASA NGFW, Adaptive Security Appliance, Cisco Sourcefire Firewalls, Cisco ASAv, Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Virtual - BYOL

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 is an advanced cybersecurity platform providing robust protection for enterprise environments. Designed for flexibility and scalability, it effectively safeguards sensitive data and ensures secure network operations.

As a next-generation cybersecurity platform, Check Point Quantum Force integrates multiple security layers to address emerging threats. It offers powerful threat prevention tools, adaptive security policies, and real-time threat intelligence. The platform caters to dynamic business needs, supporting seamless integration across technology infrastructures.

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

Threat Prevention: Real-time analysis and mitigation of potential cyber threats.
Adaptive Security: Automated security policy adjustments based on activity insights.
Scalability: Supports growth with seamless cybersecurity infrastructure expansion.
Threat Intelligence: Continuous updates providing insights on recent threats.

What benefits or ROI should users evaluate in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Affords long-term savings through minimized risk of data breaches.
Enhanced Security: Provides comprehensive protection against varied cybersecurity threats.
Operational Continuity: Ensures minimal disruption to business functions with proactive security measures.
Ease of Integration: Simplifies integration into existing IT systems without extensive overhauls.

Check Point Quantum Force is implemented in industries like finance, healthcare, and retail, offering tailored security solutions to meet sector-specific regulatory and operational demands. By leveraging its adaptable architecture, businesses in these industries effectively manage risk while ensuring customer data privacy and compliance with industry standards.

Check Point Software Technologies

Cisco Secure Firewall provides comprehensive network security with advanced features such as application visibility, URL filtering, and malware protection. It combines a user-friendly interface with robust VPN capabilities, making it a reliable choice for varying network environments and industry applications.

Cisco Secure Firewall offers exceptional protection with its integration into Cisco's broader ecosystem, ensuring enhanced threat detection and policy unification. Despite its complexity in command-line interfaces and management, Cisco Secure Firewall remains a potent tool for safeguarding data. It is widely adopted for edge security, VPN services, perimeter defense, and traffic segmentation, especially in hybrid settings. Essential sectors like banking and telecom benefit from its stable connectivity and centralized security management. Though there are challenges with costs and support for third-party APIs, the firewall's scalability and high availability provide comprehensive support for protecting network assets.

What are the key features of Cisco Secure Firewall?

Application Visibility: Offers in-depth visibility of application traffic to monitor and protect against threats.
Advanced Malware Protection: Protects against known and emerging malware threats with powerful detection capabilities.
URL Filtering: Manages and restricts access to websites, enhancing organizational data security.
VPN Capabilities: Ensures secure remote access and encrypted communication through strong VPN features.
Integration with Cisco Ecosystem: Enhances security measures with seamless integration with Cisco's suite of security tools.

What benefits and ROI should be expected from Cisco Secure Firewall?

Comprehensive Protection: Offers multi-layered security for diverse network environments, increasing overall data protection.
Performance Efficiency: High availability and scalability lead to improved network performance and resource management.
Management Simplification: Centralized security management streamlines policy deployment across networks.
Enhanced Threat Detection: Integration capabilities improve threat detection and mitigation for better security posture.

Cisco Secure Firewall is widely implemented across sectors like banking, education, ISPs, and telecoms. It fortifies data centers and network edge security, delivering strong protection for client access, hybrid environments, and intrusion prevention. In these industries, firewall solutions ensure secure connectivity and manage RTU traffic effectively, leveraging centralized management and integration with Cisco's security tools.

Cisco

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

Information Not Available

There are more than one million Adaptive Security Appliances deployed globally. Top customers include First American Financial Corp., Genzyme, Frankfurt Airport, Hansgrohe SE, Rio Olympics, The French Laundry, Rackspace, and City of Tomorrow.

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall

December 2025

Free Report: Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall

Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Check Point Quantum Force vs. Cisco Secure Firewall report.

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.