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OPSWAT Filescan Sandbox vs WatchGuard Firebox comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 9, 2025

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
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
581
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Firewalls (1st), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)
OPSWAT Filescan Sandbox
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (21st)
WatchGuard Firebox
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
129
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (11th), Firewalls (11th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (5th), Anti-Malware Tools (6th), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (18th), Application Control (4th), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (4th)
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
reviewer2390334 - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Engineer at a security firm with 11-50 employees
An easily integratable solution that helps scan files
I recommend leveraging the data and using case transcripts to understand how the tool can address your needs. Additionally, testing the solution in your environment can be helpful. If we keep it updated and ensure that the engines and the latest definitions are up-to-date, the solution functions without problems. It continues scanning without any delays. I rate the product an 8 out of 10. With OPSWAT Filescan Sandbox, we can scan various file types, including IOCs, Python compressors, and QR codes from images. All the configuration settings are user-dependent and can be modified over time. It's highly configurable—you can easily navigate to the console, click on any option, and quickly adjust settings, including the default size.
PS
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Fortinet FortiGate is good for helping you secure and protect mission-critical data."
"Reliability is the best feature. We faced some issues when we were setting it up, but the service, portal, and administration are good."
"I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability."
"Whenever I need something, Fortinet improves and updates the software for me."
"The ECC management and the GUI that offers single interface management are the most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate."
"Their interface is very easy to use, it is without bugs."
"Run Script is the best tool to use in Fortinet FortiGate with multiple environments."
"Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so."
"What I find most valuable about it is the design interface."
"The set up of the VPN is pretty straightforward. Being able to build VPNs on the fly for certain users, if need be, is also valuable."
"The most valuables feature of WatchGuard Firebox are the VPNs, and web filtering where we can stop users from going to malicious sites."
"The most valuable are the VPN and proxy features."
"It provides us with Layer 2 and Layer 3 security."
"It has everything we need in terms of functionality."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The Firebox offers valuable features such as network security, URL filtering, UTM features, intrusion prevention and detection, and authentication."
"The solution is very easy to use."
 

Cons

"I would prefer to have more detailed logs within the FortiGate products themselves rather than relying on a separate tool."
"There's a limitation wherein you can only have about 30 virtual or secondary IPs on a particular interface."
"Integrating OpenVPN with FortiGate would provide a powerful combination of secure remote access and comprehensive network security."
"I would suggest that Fortinet add sandboxing to their solution."
"More SD-WAN features can be integrated into the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall"
"I have used technical support and they could improve."
"While the security is good, we'd always prefer if it was even better to ensure protection."
"When we cluster the two Fortinet FortiGate boxes together we have some issues."
"There's a size limitation, allowing us to scan only small files."
"It's sometimes not easy to understand and can require specialist assistance."
"The solution can improve by adding a feature to tag a MAC address of a computer system in the policy and more IP configuration settings."
"In terms of what could be improved, I would say their web blocker feature. It is still quite a confusing setup, especially when you want to filter out a particular category for granularity. For example, you do not want to filter Facebook but you do want to filter Facebook games only. It can be done, but the process to do it is very confusing."
"It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall."
"A 12-hour power outage... got our batteries."
"The solution is lacking a professional website, they should be updated more often."
"The product can improve in terms of layout to provide easier access and viewing to users, especially for the reports."
"It is also difficult to diagnose issues if any devices get compromised; for example, if someone hacks our system, it becomes hard to trace who made changes or accessed the firewall."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product pricing is reasonable."
"We purchased a five-year bundle package, which worked out cheaper than competing solutions."
"Its price is affordable and lesser than Cisco. Cisco is expensive. In terms of licensing, there is only one issue. If a customer's license has expired a month ago and they do the renewal after one month, Fortinet renews the license from the start of the previous month. The activation of the product is done from the previous month, not from the date of renewal. The customers usually shout and complain that because they are paying today, the renewal should start from today. The support contract renewals or licensing should be renewed from the date of renewal, but Fortinet starts from the day it had expired. It is a loss for customers. They might have had some problems because of which they did not take the license one month before. Fortinet should work on this. Cisco doesn't do this. Cisco always starts from the day they apply for the license."
"Pricing is lower than Cisco."
"We are currently evaluating a Palo Alto solution, and the pricing could be a reason for going for Palo Alto."
"Setup cost may be not so low, as you expect, because it depends on different factors, but TCO for 5 years may pleasantly surprise you."
"The price of FortiGate is good."
"We have the full version of Fortinet FortiGate and we are on a three-year contract with a commitment of five years."
"The tool is free, but there's a size limitation, allowing us to scan only small files."
"As per my knowledge, the product is more affordable than alternatives."
"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."
"The solution is cheap."
"Each one, for the primary unit, was $8,600 and the High Availability unit was $2,000. That's with three years of subscription and support and the Total Security Suite."
"We paid $4000 in AUD for WatchGuard Firebox per year. There were no additional costs."
"We don't have any other costs other than the licensing stuff."
"Firebox is priced reasonably."
"WatchGuard Firebox has good quality, but it is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business357
Midsize Enterprise133
Large Enterprise189
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business93
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise15
 

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?
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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...
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 ...
What do you like most about OPSWAT Filescan Sandbox?
What I find most valuable about it is the design interface.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OPSWAT Filescan Sandbox?
The tool is free, but there's a size limitation, allowing us to scan only small files.
What is your primary use case for WatchGuard Firebox?
We are providing our services to all WatchGuard customers in the region.
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...
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.
 

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall
No data available
WatchGuard Threat Detection and Response, WatchGuard Application Control, WatchGuard Data Loss Prevention, WatchGuard Gateway AntiVirus, WatchGuard Intrusion Prevention Service
 

Overview

 

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