Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Sangfor are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.4, while Sangfor is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.4. Palo Alto Networks holds a 2.4% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sangfor’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Sangfor users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series and Sangfor NGAF both compete in the cybersecurity sector, focusing on advanced threat management and network protection. Based on the comparison, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series has the upper hand in integration with cloud services, while Sangfor NGAF excels in cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

Features: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is known for its advanced threat management capabilities, centralized management through Panorama, and strong cloud service integration. Sangfor NGAF is recognized for its application control, ease of use across diverse environments, and robust Web Application Firewall (WAF) capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series could enhance integration with cloud platforms, improve scalability, and simplify zero-trust deployments. Sangfor NGAF could improve its interface, real-time reporting capabilities, and support for hybrid environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers flexible deployment across cloud environments with generally strong technical support, though initial configurations can be complex. Sangfor NGAF is praised for straightforward on-premises deployment and responsive customer service with personalized support from senior engineers.

Pricing and ROI: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series has a high cost, but its advanced functionality often leads to improved security posture and operational efficiency. Sangfor NGAF offers a more affordable pricing structure with satisfactory ROI due to its ease of management and competitive performance.

To learn more, read our detailed Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

June 2026

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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

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 15.1%, down from 21.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is 2.4%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	15.1%
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series	2.4%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Other	81.4%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Joseph Koomson

IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana

Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.

Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.

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MuhammadNadeem

Sr. Network Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

Has supported urgent deployments and enabled inline threat protection but pricing and features could be more flexible

I am not using Palo Alto Networks VM-Series mostly, but based on my experience, there are some deficiencies in Palo Alto Networks VM-Series. Having those features missing, we are not proposing Palo Alto Networks VM-Series to all customers. However, for urgency and for some solutions that customers need for some of their other sites and subdivisions, we are providing the same.

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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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

"The ease of setting the solution up is a valuable aspect for us."

"The best feature of Fortinet FortiGate is its SD-WAN capability, which is included and differs from other products that require an additional license."

"Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted our organization by improving our security workflow and network security, as it is quite reliable compared to traditional routers or traditional switch cores from MikroTik or Cisco."

"We are using this solution to protect our network on every site."

"FortiGate firewalls pay for themselves."

"In terms of ROI, they're inexpensive, and because they're inexpensive, they're just everywhere, in the Federal Government, schools, everywhere where budgets are fairly tight, and it is a very good product."

"FortiGate NGF is simple compared to other firewalls. It is easy to use and you don't need any training. Any person with basic firewall knowledge can use it."

"We use it to avoid unwanted traffic."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The most valuable features are the User ID, URL filtering, and application filtering."

"From a Synapse perspective, they have better visibility, better CV detection, better exposure detection, and it is in a single tool, so we are happy with it."

"It is a great product, it is a great company, and I am very glad to work with them."

"We now know a lot more detail about what our users are doing on the network."

"It gives us the ease that we are secure. We have set up the proper things that help make our data safe."

"Compared to the previous devices that we have used from other vendors, Palo Alto is very user-friendly, and we are comfortable with the features and capabilities that it offers."

"In terms of security breaches, the product aids in categorizing and monitoring traffic, allowing for the identification of potentially malicisous or incorrectly formatted applications."

"Palo Alto offers excellent security, with features such as email scanning, malware protection, and efficient VPN and antivirus capabilities."

More Palo Alto Networks VM-Series pros

"So far, the performance and reliability of the product have supported our company's critical network traffic."

"Sangfor serves most of the basic purposes of a firewall, is particularly good in the DPI where we can inspect the inbound and outbound traffic on a very granular level, gives a very good predictive measure as well as the current measure of things going on in our network, and gives us value for money overall."

"While the features are not dissimilar to other brands, configuration is much more simple, which works out great for Indonesian people."

"The top functionality is the reporting feature."

"I think this solution is a very good example of a proactive solution that can detect problems and immediately fix the problems or issues."

"Sangfor is a good solution that provides a WAF and firewall solution; most other vendors, like Sophos and Fortinet and Cisco, only provide one solution, and that's a valuable feature of Sangfor."

"The VPN connectivity feature is really nice."

"It offers application control features."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"More SD-WAN features can be integrated into the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall"

"The firewall engine is not so strong as of now, in my opinion... My second concern is that, while they have Zero-day vulnerability and anti-malware features, the threat engine needs to be strengthened, its efficiency can be increased."

"Fortinet technical support is lacking, as OEM support is slightly better."

"We were not getting proper support from Fortinet. That's the reason we had to phase out FortiGate."

"Their support's response time can be better. In the past six months, they took quite a long time to respond to the support tickets."

"Customer service is poor."

"To stay ahead of the competition Fortinet FortiGate IPS needs to think about how to adjust pricing."

"Fortinet should focus on enhancing the capabilities of FortiGate by consolidating its various products, such as FortiGate Cloud, FortiManager, and FortiAnalyzer."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"In the next release, I would like to see better integration between the endpoints and the firewalls."

"Enhancing the ease of accessing technical support would be useful."

"The utilization monitoring and GUI have room for improvement."

"All areas need improvement: manufacturing, education, financial, etc."

"The scalability could be improved further."

"The flexible throughput in Palo Alto Networks VM-Series can be improved"

"There is a need for two-factor authentication, particularly for VPN and CloudProtect."

"The only minor issue we've faced is with the app's ID configuration, which requires specific matching for application filtering."

More Palo Alto Networks VM-Series cons

"An area of improvement for Sangfor NGAF could be in the field of reporting and logging."

"The tool's support is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"An area for improvement would be the number of ports defined on the box. In the next release, I would like them to develop their provisioning stage of enrolling end devices."

"The support offered by the product has certain shortcomings where improvements are required. The knowledge levels and response time of the support team need improvement."

"Sangfor NGAF could improve the policies and default criteria. They could be much better."

"There is room for improvement in dependency on certain infrastructure, like the DNS dependency on the current DNS server that the company has. It should be standalone. It should not depend on any other DNS server."

"The solution has too many bugs and these slow down the implementation."

"The tool is expensive."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Pricing is good. They offer a lot of things, the most important is the support. Every time you upgrade your license, you also get insurance for the equipment. If you have any problem with equipment, they send in new equipment."

"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."

"We pay about $4,000 for a yearly license, and there aren't any additional fees."

"The pricing for the product is alright."

"I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten"

"The price of FortiGate is average and I would say that based on the top five products available on the market, it is in the affordable range."

"FortiGate SWG is reasonably priced."

"I think the price of Fortinet FortiGate is very reasonable."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The pricing was expensive but it was comparable to the competition."

"The solution is expensive. I rate its pricing a three out of ten."

"Based on the customer budget, they can choose from 12-month, 36-month, or 60-month licensing models."

"One of the factors for selecting Palo Alto was they had flexible pricing. They had a pay-as-you-go model. Comparable to other products, such as Check Point, the price point was definitely a plus."

"Because the solution was getting deployed on AWS, it was the best place to go and it was available there."

"Palo Alto is more expensive than other products."

"The solution is a little bit expensive compared to other vendors."

"Do not buy larges box if you do not need them. Rightsizing is a great task to do beforehand."

More Palo Alto Networks VM-Series pricing and cost advice

"The pricing is reasonable."

"It costs about 8 to 10 thousand dollars per year for 500 users, standard licensing fees included."

"When it comes to the price of firewall solutions, Sangfor NGAF takes the cake."

"Price-wise, I would not consider Sangfor NGAF to be a cheap product. It is an expensive firewall solution, though not as expensive as something like Palo Alto, which is costly. However, the higher price point is justifiable given the feature set the tool provides that other firewalls may not offer in a single dedicated appliance."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"The product is very cost-effective compared to other brands or vendors."

"For four to five physical appliances for a licensed firewall, it costs approximately $4,000."

"The solution has a TCO that is 32% to 50% less than Sophos, Fortinet, and SonicWall."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	369
Midsize Enterprise	139
Large Enterprise	195

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	24

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

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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Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...

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How does Azure Firewall compare with Palo Alto Networks VM Series?

Both products are very stable and easily scalable. The setup of Azure Firewall is easy and very user-friendly and the...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks VM-Series?

The pricing is more on the expensive side, but it is justified due to its functionality, reliability, and throughput,...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sangfor NGAF?

We are hosting applications over the platform, including websites and NAT traffic from our side. Because it's deploye...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% 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

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Azure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

Compared 3% of the time

More Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 9% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 8% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 7% of the time

Hillstone X-Series Data Center Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 3% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

June 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

June 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks VM-Series product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

May 2026

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

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

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series offers robust threat prevention and advanced security capabilities. Key features like traffic control and malware protection enhance its usability in cloud and hybrid environments.

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series specializes in delivering comprehensive network security with features such as traffic inspection, threat management, and firewall functionalities. It supports secure remote access and integrates easily with third-party solutions. With features like GlobalProtect VPN and Advanced Threat Protection, enterprises leverage the VM-Series in cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployments to protect data and enhance cybersecurity. Despite its strengths, improvements in cloud solutions, integration, and scalability are needed.

What are the most important features of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series?

Traffic Control: Manages and inspects traffic for security risks.
App-ID: Identifies and controls applications for enhanced security.
WildFire: Provides threat intelligence and malware detection.
Centralized Management: Streamlines security management from a single pane.
Cloud Integration: Seamlessly fits into cloud services for flexible deployment.

What benefits should users expect from Palo Alto Networks VM-Series?

Ease of Deployment: Quick setup and easy integration reduce disruption.
Scalability: Adaptability to growing network demands.
Threat Intelligence: Informed decisions through comprehensive threat data.
Traffic Inspection: Detailed analytics for informed security posture.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and technology, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series plays a crucial role in network security. Companies implement it to secure remote access, protect sensitive data, and ensure compliance. Its compatibility with cloud environments allows versatile deployment across sectors needing stringent cybersecurity measures.

Palo Alto Networks

Sangfor NGAF offers a user-friendly firewall solution with a strong virus database and competitive pricing. It supports SSL VPN connectivity, intrusion detection, and is known for easy deployment and integration capabilities.

Sangfor NGAF is a comprehensive security platform providing robust network protection through its application control and detailed threat insights. While effective in preventing threats and ensuring network security, it has areas needing improvement such as real-time reporting and system support. It delivers secure internet and VPN connections, proficiently handling malware threats. However, it faces challenges with user experience, reporting capabilities, hardware scalability, and needs better third-party integration. Licensing costs are noted to be high, and there are performance variations between versions.

What are the key features of Sangfor NGAF?

User-friendly deployment: Offers an uncomplicated setup process.
Robust virus database: Provides reliable threat detection.
SSL VPN connectivity: Ensures secure remote access.
Application control: Manages application usage for enhanced security.
Intrusion detection: Detects unauthorized access attempts.
URL filtering: Prevents access to malicious websites.

What benefits should users expect when evaluating Sangfor NGAF?

Affordability: Competitive pricing compared to peers.
Integration: Good capabilities with existing systems.
Support: Noted for providing reliable customer service.
Threat prevention: Effective in securing networks against various threats.

Sangfor NGAF is widely used across industries including education, healthcare, and finance for its reliable network security. It is favored for securing internal servers, offering robust threat protection, and managing bandwidth efficiently at a budget-friendly rate.

Sangfor

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

Warren Rogers Associates

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Buyer's Guide

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

June 2026

Free Report: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF

Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs. Sangfor NGAF and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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