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Hillstone E-Series vs SonicWall NSSP comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

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

Hillstone E-Series
Ranking in Firewalls
40th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (10th), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (24th)
SonicWall NSSP
Ranking in Firewalls
25th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 0.9%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall NSSP is 0.6%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
SonicWall NSSP0.6%
Hillstone E-Series0.9%
Other98.5%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

TahirMahmood - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at Zubair Feeds
Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users
We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.
NP
Pre Sales at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd
Comprehensive threat detection has protected diverse clients and supports flexible network design
I cannot fully assess the Secure SD-WAN capabilities of SonicWall NSSP as I have recently implemented SonicWall SD-WAN on a recent project for better performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. SonicWall NSSP Zero Trust model is important as it requires user authentication, authorization, and continuous verification, which is why the Zero Trust model is necessary. I use metrics such as Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and RTDMI technology to evaluate SonicWall NSSP Advanced Breach Detection, along with encrypted traffic inspection using DPI-SSL and TLS inspections for malware and exploit detection for IPS anti-malware. Unknown and zero-day detection utilizes the Capture ATP Sandbox, and memory-level threat analysis uses RTDMI, with cross-layer visibility supported by Capture Client and XDR. Regarding pricing of SonicWall NSSP, I find it reasonable and average, though pricing varies among different models. While it may not be an issue for SMB cases, enterprise customers are more concerned about prices, especially when purchasing higher-end boxes. I rate this review a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."
"Very reliable solution with good scalability and straightforward implementation."
"With Hillstone, TCO and ROI are very good, it's an easy sale."
"If an organization is not looking for a web proxy, it's a very, very good product."
"The most valuable feature of the Hillstone E-Series is its user-friendliness."
"The installation is easy, we have not had any complaints from our customers."
"The initial setup was straightforward. It only took a few hours to deploy."
"SonicWall NSSP is stable and scalable too."
"I like the filtering feature, which provides easy access. The SSL certification feature is also nice. The solution enhanced our security posture."
"If I had to pick between the top three firewalls with all things being equal, I would go with SonicWall just for the support and ease of management."
"It has been delivering results efficiently. Its configurations and updates have been easy. It is also user-friendly."
"SonicWall NSSP offers features such as stateful firewall, deep packet inspections, IPS, application intelligence, user-based policies, centralized visibility from the management console, advanced protection with RFDPI, high-speed scanning, RTDMI technology, Capture ATP, cloud sandboxing, and encrypted traffic inspection with DPI-SSL and TLS."
"The interface of SonicWall NSSP console is user-friendly with comprehensive features, and the web filtering and access control policy are top priorities for me as it very effectively prevents any indecent behaviors in the network or from outside the network."
"The sandbox and the DPI-SSL are two main key features that I find valuable."
"The solution's pricing is good."
 

Cons

"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."
"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."
"Having frequent live webinars on a monthly basis would really help."
"The room for improvement would be the SSL VPN license cost."
"The current usage reporting is very basic. I would like to be able to access more granular data."
"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."
"Support from Hillstone E-Series has a shortcoming that needs improvement."
"The tool only had some memory-related problems."
"No security product is foolproof against hackers, intruders, and other such things. As a security product, they have to keep pace in terms of protection from new hackers and intruders."
"This series of ownership changes made the company appear somewhat untrustworthy to the market."
"The product needs improvement for phishing emails."
"The initial setup is quite complex because we have to get a lot of policies."
"The user interface, the GUI, could be improved."
"In my opinion, SonicWall NSSP needs improvements, particularly in Gen 7 devices, where I face high data plane and management plane issues, especially when enabling User Level Authentication."
"Its reporting functions can be improved. It has decent reporting, but you got to pay a lot more money for it."
"The platform could benefit from an improved marketing strategy."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."
"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."
"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."
"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."
"The setup costs and licensing are reasonable, and the solution provides good value for its features."
"I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."
"You got to buy some VPN licenses, and there might be a $40 to $50 one-time license fee per current user. There are different layers. They have several different levels of event security software and depending on the model, it seems to come out to be $1 to $2 a day. So, if you bought a three-year license, it is going to be anywhere from $900 to $1800 depending on the bundle and model that you buy."
"The pricing is cheap, and that's where, you know, the some of the organization goes for the SonicWall."
"For SonicWall NSSP high availability, active/passive, you need to buy one license, and so you get much more value for money."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
18%
Construction Company
18%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What needs improvement with SonicWall NSSP?
In my opinion, SonicWall NSSP needs improvements, particularly in Gen 7 devices, where I face high data plane and management plane issues, especially when enabling User Level Authentication. I beli...
What is your primary use case for SonicWall NSSP?
I recommend SonicWall NSSP for multiple clients, including manufacturers and pharmaceutical clients, and based on the requirement, I perform proper sizing and suggest the appropriate model.
 

Also Known As

No data available
SonicWall Network Security Services Platform
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO
Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council
Find out what your peers are saying about Hillstone E-Series vs. SonicWall NSSP and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.