Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] vs Cisco Secure Firewall comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Cisco are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 84% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 30, 2025

Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] and Cisco Secure Firewall are competing products in the network security space. Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] offers advantages in pricing and deployment ease, while Cisco Secure Firewall holds the upper hand with its advanced features, offering a comprehensive security solution.

Features: Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] includes integrated security management, robust intrusion prevention capabilities, and centralized policy creation. Cisco Secure Firewall features advanced threat defense, enhanced visibility across networks, and Firepower threat management for superior protection.

Room for Improvement: Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] could improve its feature set and user interface. Cisco Secure Firewall could benefit from a simpler setup process, reduced complexity in configuration, and better out-of-the-box integration with third-party solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] is noted for its straightforward deployment and strong customer support, making implementation smoother. Cisco Secure Firewall, while offering comprehensive support options, requires a more complex setup, which may pose challenges for some users.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] offers a lower upfront cost, making it an attractive option for businesses prioritizing budget control. Cisco Secure Firewall, despite a higher initial investment, justifies the cost with enhanced security features and promises long-term value, particularly for those seeking robust security capabilities.

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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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William Cambronero

Consultant at ITQS

Great firewalls, VPN, and Intrusion prevention capabilities

Some features that could be improved are advanced threat protection, sandboxing, and vulnerability management. Another point is to improve the technical support provided by Check Point UTM-1. Although the company offers different standards, including basic and premium, by mail and by telephone, they present a very large deficiency in the time it takes to comply with the provisions of the SLA. Coordinating a meeting is complicated by the schedules. The documentation should also be improved by having it unified.

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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.

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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

"One good thing about FortiGate is that you have got free training."

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

"It's a good product that significantly enhances security and protects organizational data."

"Some of the valuable features are the firewall, IPS, web filter, and gateway capabilities. Additionally, it is easy to use and flexible."

"The most valuable feature is the FortiManager for centralized management."

"The solution is very user friendly. The user interface in particular is quite nice."

"The Fortinet FortiGate IPS has a good interface and integration."

"Fortinet FortiGate has many functions, and it is one of the best next-generation firewalls with an affordable cost than other vendors."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The UTM platform has been the most valuable."

"The pricing is reasonable for the performance and support we are getting."

"The most outstanding feature is being able to centralize each of the functions in a single device."

"The most valuable feature for us was to implement negligent functionality, to direct functionality to viewer control and application control so we could disconnect, and at the same time, we installed checkpoints. We disconnected our proxy."

"It has given us the ability to securely connect remote office sites to our Core Data Network over ISP DPLC Circuits."

"The filtering was very good."

"This product is very good for the investment."

"It provides visibility and drives organizational security."

More Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] pros

"The most valuable feature is zone segmentation, which we utilize through the Firepower management console."

"Cisco offers a great educational series to train users on their devices."

"Your investments are protected because of the innovations over time and the fact that you're able to migrate to the latest and greatest technology, through Cisco."

"Once we installed the Firepower system, we started looking at the evidence, and we found a lot of exploitations and a lot of bad things that are in the network."

"Even in very big environments, Cisco comes in handy with configuration and offers reliability when it comes to managing multiple items on one platform."

"I'm a big fan of SecureX, Cisco's platform for tying together all the different security tools. It has a lot of flexibility and even a lot of third-party or non-Cisco integration. I feel like that's a really valuable tool."

"The ASAs are very stable firewalls, and they've been very good at protecting our assets here at the bank."

"The greatest benefit for the organization is the confidence that we are secured."

More Cisco Secure Firewall pros

Cons

"The solution's stability should be improved because it is extremely unstable."

"Fortinet FortiGate is not a scalable solution, as they give you a number and each box comes with concurrent connections; if you need to expand, you have to change the box."

"Fortinet FortiGate can improve by integrating the web application firewall and the DDoS protection part of the solution. Having a WAF feature, web application firewall, and proxy together would be a good benefit."

"I would like some automated custom reporting."

"One issue is that they have retired SSL VPN for existing devices. This causes significant effort for us to change customer setups."

"FortiWAN was supposed to help in doing intersite linking, but we've realized that most of the ISPs use BGP."

"The main aspect of FortiGate that could be improved is load balancing."

"The solution can have more features in a single box that can be multi-applied to integrate everything."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Memory and processing power: These devices are strictly for small business applications."

"What has been the issue of firewalls is they ask me for policies and content filtering application control and all these features that are now part of Harmony."

"The interface needs improvement."

"Customer Service: Horrible. It takes them days, sometimes weeks, until they try to help, and then they don't help enough."

"The interface needs improvement."

"The solution could be improved if there was a better way to report. The reporting functionality is not really good."

"Customer service is not their strong suite. It takes a lot of time until they fix anything, and it can be better to try and fix the issue without them."

"Some features that could be improved are advanced threat protection, sandboxing, and vulnerability management."

More Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] cons

"Initial setup was fairly complex."

"We would like to see MS Word BPM as a feature."

"One of the challenges we've had with the Cisco ASA is the lack of a strong controller or central management console that is dependable and reliable all the time."

"It can probably provide a holistic view of different appliances because many customers do not have only one brand, besides the traditional SNMP protocols, to cover all their devices."

"When we're looking at full-stack visibility, it can be difficult to get the right information out of Firepower."

"I have found that Cisco reporting capabilities are not as rich as other products, so the reporting could be improved."

"The Cisco Secure Firewall could benefit from enhancements in its API, documentation, and automation tools."

"There is huge scope for improvement in URL filtering. The database that they have is not accurate."

More Cisco Secure Firewall cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an inexpensive solution."

"Although the solution's pricing is high, compared with other products, it may be cheap."

"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten."

"I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten. Its one-year license cost is competitive with three and five-year licenses offered by other products."

"The license of Fortinet FortiGate should be reduced."

"The pricing is justified. It's a little pricey, but what you pay for is what you get."

"The pricing is better compared to other solutions like Check Point, Arista, or Cisco."

"No comment."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"This cost is between 3,000 and 5,000 euros per year, so some other solutions are cheaper and the pricing should be improved."

"The pricing is too high."

"I bought a license for three years and it was really affordable."

"It is considered on the "high end" of the spectrum."

"Its price is moderate. It is not too expensive."

"Licensing is not only for Secure Firewalls, and it's too complicated."

"We pay about $200 yearly and we have two firewalls."

"I rate the product's price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is expensive, and ten is cheap."

"The pricing of Cisco firewalls, in the security market, is fair."

"It definitely competes with the other vendors in the market."

More Cisco Secure Firewall pricing and cost advice

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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…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

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	10
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	190
Midsize Enterprise	129
Large Enterprise	232

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% 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

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Netgate pfSense vs Check Point UTM-1 [EOL]

Compared 31% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Check Point UTM-1 [EOL]

Compared 18% of the time

Sophos UTM vs Check Point UTM-1 [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

More Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] Competitors

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 10% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 9% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 3% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Secure Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

May 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Check Point UTM-1 [EOL]

May 2026

Download Check Point UTM-1 [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Firewall

May 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 UTM-1 delivers proven, best-in-class security ideal for use in industrial Ethernet and SCADA environments. Robust performance and central management provide unmatched value in a simple, all-in-one solution.

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

AccessIT Group Inc., Accuvant, Cadre Computer Resources Inc., Compuquip Technologies Inc, Dimension Data North America Inc., Forsythe Solutions Group, Gotham Technology Group LLC, GuidePoint Security LLC, Iovations, IPS

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.

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

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