ESET Inspect vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

ESET and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) category. ESET is ranked #31 with an average rating of 8.0, while WatchGuard is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0. Additionally, 80% of ESET users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

WatchGuard Firebox and ESET Inspect compete in the network security category. ESET Inspect takes the lead with its advanced security features and strong threat detection capabilities, while WatchGuard Firebox is preferred for its cost-effectiveness.

Features: WatchGuard Firebox provides robust firewall capabilities, VPN support, and versatile intrusion prevention. ESET Inspect excels in advanced threat detection, automation, and detailed threat analysis, enhancing endpoint security.

Room for Improvement: WatchGuard Firebox could improve its threat detection and automation features. ESET Inspect requires a simpler deployment process and a more intuitive interface.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Firebox offers a user-friendly deployment process and excellent customer support. ESET Inspect requires technical expertise for setup but is praised for its knowledgeable customer service.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard Firebox is known for its competitive pricing and attractive ROI for budget-conscious buyers. ESET Inspect, while more expensive, justifies its cost with cutting-edge features and higher ROI from comprehensive security solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed ESET Inspect vs. WatchGuard Firebox Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect vs. WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

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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

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.

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Moshiur-Rahman Khan

CEO at IOPoint.com

Provides reliable and comprehensive internet security solutions without significant system slowdowns

My organization uses ESET Inspect for antivirus and internet security on laptops and desktops. On the enterprise side, we utilize it on our Windows Server. The platform has improved our organization's security by providing comprehensive antivirus and internet security solutions. It is fast and…

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Pedro Soteras

CEO at ajuntament del Prat

Network protection has improved with stronger VPN connectivity but administration remains complex

Deploying WatchGuard Firebox was quite easy, but we have had some problems regarding the VPN and the administration of the tool and the two firewalls that we have. When comparing WatchGuard Firebox with our previous solution, Palo Alto, we have had some problems in administration because of the tools. I think that they have some aspects in their system that are cloud-provided, but they also have an on-premise solution, which makes this combination good. Although I should say that when compared to Palo Alto, we have taken a step backwards. In general, I would rate WatchGuard Firebox around 6-7; it is a good firewall, but they lack good administration tools. We experience many problems with the performance and administration tools on the web, including several issues with VPNs.

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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

"It has upscaled our security posture, especially regarding external connectivity, because any access or connection from the company has to go through the Fortinet FortiGate firewall."

"You have access to CLI in case you have no web access."

"Overall, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten."

"The solution is user-friendly."

"It has the same functionalities throughout the range of products."

"The biggest lesson would be that Fortinet FortiGate provides a high level of security at a good total cost of ownership."

"The interest of the Fortinet FortiGate appliance is the ability to manage quickly and easily the different functionalities."

"The CLI and GUI do a good job of putting a lot at your fingertips."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"ESET Enterprise Inspector's most valuable feature is EDR."

"Rules are the most valuable feature of ESET Inspect. They are created through XML language, and they track and filter events from endpoints. If the event matches the rule, the rule is triggered. Exceptions are the second most valuable feature because it gives you the power to filter false positives in large numbers. The third most valuable feature is the Learning mode that facilitates making exceptions for known processes with a good reputation."

"The product's most valuable features are its performance and stability."

"I find the multilayered endpoint security the most valuable feature."

"The rules are the best and most useful features."

"ESET Enterprise Inspector's greatest asset lies in its user-friendly interface, which allows for easy navigation and thorough analysis of incidents."

"Scalability-wise, it is a very good solution."

"The firewall aspect and the branch office VPNs are the most valuable features... We don't have any issues with it. We don't have to spend a lot of time maintaining it."

"I haven't a problem with anti-virus stability using WatchGuard for over two years."

"The solution is very easy to use."

"The GUI is easy and intuitive."

"It provides us with Layer 2 and Layer 3 security."

"Zero-trust and threat-hunting services are most valuable."

"WatchGuard Firebox's two-factor authentication feature is particularly useful and provides an added layer of protection."

"When you download the executable file from the internet, it automatically sandboxes to make sure it's not doing anything incorrectly."

More WatchGuard Firebox pros

Cons

"In an incident, after a restart, Fortinet FortiGate did not connect to FortiGuard servers. Due to that reason, on the customer end, all websites got blocked."

"More advanced AI capabilities would be beneficial in future updates."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve the user interface. There should be more functionality and options through the GUI."

"Improvements could be made when companies expand and need better equipment and more licenses."

"In my case, the 101F is not scalable. I faced problems with scalability related to memory. When we hit 100% memory usage, it stops the internet connection, so we need to control the traffic. We cannot increase the memory."

"Quality control on their firmware versions needs improvement. When they introduce new firmware, there tend to be bugs."

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

"The routing capability on the FortiGate devices has room for improvement."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The product is complex to configure, and there are too many errors that are not errors, making it an area that can be considered for improvement."

"The platform's price could be better."

"It is not a stable product. We were disappointed in the stability of this product in comparison to McAffee."

"Every vendor is working on making the job of SOC analysts easier, with fewer false positives and more precise detections. ESET uses LiveGrid technology that provides feedback on the reputation of files and operations. It's hard to eliminate all of the false positives, but hopefully, we'll see some improvement with the advances in AI."

"The solution could improve the consumption of resources. The RAM and CPU usage increases during usage which can cause issues. We have three separate services and it would be beneficial if all were executed from one agent limiting the over usage of system resources."

"One area that needs improvement for the product is ransomware protection, which does not offer complete security."

"It may be difficult for a first-time customer to understand all of the functions that are available to him."

"I believe there is a need for additional measures to connect mobile devices securely to the Firebox router."

"WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention catches so little. When I've implemented it, it just can't look at the traffic in a thorough enough manner to capture as much as it should. And I find that I'm disenchanted with all data loss protection solutions I've tested and looked at."

"They need to stop the VLAN limitation. They have a VLAN limitation on the size of their boxes. It is the worst thing ever. They basically sell their boxes by the size and the number of VLANs it can handle, which is a real issue. You spend a couple of thousand dollars for a firewall, and you can only do 30 VLANs, which is extremely silly, as a matter of fact. It would be really great to have something for easier mass rule changes. It also needs a drag-and-drop function so that you don't have to constantly duplicate firewall rules. It would be nice to have such a feature because you got one WatchGuard, and you want to mirror its config and change a couple of things in another one and move some things around. It is not as easy as you would necessarily think. It is kind of expensive, and its pricing can be a little better for sure."

"There should be more reports available on different subjects."

"Some of the configuration options are somewhat confusing."

"They could expand the amount of applications that are on the list, but it's pretty intensive anyway, so it's pretty good."

"The ease of detecting where an issue is should be improved."

"I would like to have a little more control over access points and the ability to see the bandwidth that is passing through a specific access point. We are not able to see that. We can see what traffic is passing through the Firebox itself, but we can't identify if it is coming from a particular access point or not."

More WatchGuard Firebox cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is not a cheap solution but it isn't expensive, either. It's a good solution for the right price."

"We are on an annual license to use Fortinet FortiGate."

"Its pricing is good. It's average or normal as compared to Palo Alto and Check Point firewalls."

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

"Pricing is lower than Cisco."

"Fortinet is competitive price-wise."

"The price of FortiGate is comparable to that of most other firewall solutions and is more affordable than Cisco."

"The initial setup is super straight forward and as far as the licensing goes for the small product that we have, the pricing was pretty competitive. It wasn't as simple and as cheap as a SonicWall but for the service we would get it was a good price."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The platform's licensing is affordable and straightforward."

"I feel it is a very expensive product."

"The platform is expensive; it could be cheaper."

"The pricing and licensing are the big issue now, in my opinion. If the price was less than other companies, or a one-time charge for service was available, I think there would be more users of this solution."

"This is true in the case of licensing, we do not have the most expensive products, and we don't have the cheapest product, it's somewhere in the middle. Perhaps a little higher from the middle, but we are known for what we provide to our customers, and they are pleased."

"The licensing costs are comparatively lower than other providers, and I would rate the pricing as five out of five."

"There is an additional cost for support on top of licensing. When I bought my new unit, I received additional time added to my support."

"They have an annual subscription license. Initially, we had opted for three years. After that, we went for another three years, and after that, we have been doing it yearly. They also have a license for five years."

"It costs me about $800 a year."

"The solution is cheap."

"The price is so small that I don't pay attention to it anymore. I think we pay a few thousand dollars for two to three years, so about $100 per month. That's for all of our users. There is an additional cost if we want to go with a deeper licensing model, but we just pay for antivirus, IPS, and main product support."

"We license the WatchGuard Firebox annually. There are different types of subscriptions available. We are paying approximately $15,000 annually. The cost can increase if you purchase different subscriptions."

"I think we might be subscribed to one or two of the premium features."

More WatchGuard Firebox pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	92
Midsize Enterprise	27
Large Enterprise	15

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...

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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...

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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 ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ESET Inspect?

The platform's licensing is affordable and straightforward. We purchase soft keys, install them, and manage the licen...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ESET Inspect?

One area that needs improvement for the product is ransomware protection, which does not offer complete security.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ESET Inspect?

My organization uses ESET Inspect for antivirus and internet security on laptops and desktops. On the enterprise side...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We just use it as a secondary WiFi device. We're a small office and we needed to set up a WiFi device for a few of ou...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?

We're a hospital and we use it for developing our incoming and outgoing policies, and we also use it for VPN.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% 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 WildFire vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

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HP Wolf Security vs ESET Inspect

Compared 17% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs ESET Inspect

Compared 15% of the time

Fortinet FortiEDR vs ESET Inspect

Compared 7% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs ESET Inspect

Compared 6% of the time

Kaspersky Anti-Targeted Attack Platform vs ESET Inspect

Compared 3% of the time

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Sophos Firewall vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

OPNsense vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 7% of the time

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs WatchGuard Firebox

Compared 4% of the time

More WatchGuard Firebox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect

January 2026

Download ESET Inspect product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Firebox

January 2026

Download WatchGuard Firebox product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

ESET Enterprise Inspector

WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service

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

ESET Inspect is an essential component to help ensure the highest level of enterprise security. While standard ESET Endpoint Security provides strong protection, ESET Inspect takes your environment's security to a new dimension. A security tool is needed to help security professionals protect their sensitive data and detect and investigate security incidents, advanced threats, and targeted attacks or breaches on endpoint devices. ESET Inspect is a tool that offers the peace of mind of continuous protection and security monitoring in a powerful and easy-to-use solution.

ESET

WatchGuard Firebox is a high-performance firewall known for its ease of setup, offering robust security with layered protection and centralized management capabilities.

WatchGuard Firebox stands out for its intuitive management and high throughput, addressing security needs with features like VPN, web filtering, and threat detection. Its centralized control and reporting abilities, along with Active Directory integration, make it popular among varied organizations. Its user-friendly interface and ongoing updates enhance usability and reliability. However, there's a call for better cloud-based administration, scalability, and improved integration with third-party vendors.

What are the key features of WatchGuard Firebox?

Ease of Setup: Quick and straightforward installation process.
GUI: User-friendly graphical interface for simplified navigation.
VPN Features: Secure and efficient virtual private network management.
Web Filtering: Advanced filtering for safer browsing experiences.
Threat Detection: Proactive monitoring and detection of cyber threats.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated?

Centralized Control: Streamlined management from a single point.
High Throughput: Efficient data handling and processing capacity.
Stable Performance: Consistent and reliable operational functionality.
Active Directory Integration: Seamless connection with user directories.
Customer Service: Strong support service for customer inquiries.

WatchGuard Firebox is implemented across industries to secure internet gateways and protect data in multi-site businesses. Its applications span from Unified Threat Management (UTM) and intrusion prevention to compliance support in business environments requiring secure connectivity through VPNs.

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

Mitsubishi Motors, Allianz Suisse, Cannon, T-Mobile

Ellips, Diecutstickers.com, Clarke Energy, NCR, Wrest Park, Homeslice Pizza, Fortessa Tableware Solutions, The Phoenix Residence

Buyer's Guide

ESET Inspect vs. WatchGuard Firebox

December 2025

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