Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Sophos Cloud Optix comparison

Palo Alto Networks and Sophos are both solutions in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5, while Sophos is ranked #31 with an average rating of 7.0. Palo Alto Networks holds a 11.4% mindshare in CSPM, compared to Sophos’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Sophos users who would recommend it.

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto N...

Read 111 Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks reviews

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13,576 Comparison Views

98% willing to recommend

Sophos Cloud Optix

Read 4 Sophos Cloud Optix reviews

451 Views
437 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto N...

Sophos Cloud Optix

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 24, 2025

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks and Sophos Cloud Optix are competitors in cloud security. Users see Prisma Cloud as having the upper hand in integration and comprehensive security, while Sophos Cloud Optix excels with its threat intelligence and user-friendly management features.

Features: Prisma Cloud offers extensive threat detection, continuous monitoring, and seamless integration in cloud environments. Sophos Cloud Optix provides advanced automated compliance, security analytics, and unified visibility.

Room for Improvement: Prisma Cloud could enhance its user interface for greater intuitiveness, improve alert management for better prioritization, and incorporate more detailed reporting features. Sophos Cloud Optix could benefit from expanding integration capabilities, enhancing scalability for larger deployments, and providing more customization options for users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma Cloud is known for its streamlined deployment process and robust customer support, which includes strong integration capabilities. Sophos Cloud Optix offers straightforward setup with excellent customer assistance and detailed onboarding guides, making it user-friendly.

Pricing and ROI: Prisma Cloud involves higher setup costs initially but promises long-term ROI through extensive security features. Sophos Cloud Optix is competitively priced, offering quicker returns with its efficient and rapid deployment model, making it a cost-effective option for many organizations.

To learn more, read our detailed Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs. Sophos Cloud Optix Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

September 2025

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Helped 868,787 peers since 2012

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

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto N...

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

111

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (8th), Container Security (1st), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (2nd), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (2nd)

Sophos Cloud Optix

Ranking in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

31st

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) category, the mindshare of Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks is 11.4%, down from 17.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sophos Cloud Optix is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks	11.4%
Sophos Cloud Optix	0.5%
Other	88.1%

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

Featured Reviews

Harsh_Vardhan

Cloud security architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Provides visibility and control that our customers need

Different modules are valuable for different customers. We are leveraging CSPM. It is one of the best solutions for comprehensive visibility into cloud resource configurations and compliance. It has a lot of out-of-the-box policies, and the visibility that we are getting is impressive. The DSPM module is valuable. This is the latest one that Palo Alto procured from Dig Security. No competitor provides this functionality in a single pane of glass. The support for Linux and container security is also very good. That is the beauty of Prisma Cloud. However, in terms of Windows security, Prisma Cloud is lacking because currently, there is no runtime protection available. The UI is very good. We get all the things within a single UI. It is easy to use. A new user can easily understand it. It is very user-friendly.

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Jean Desir

Sr Network Engineer at Raptor Trading

DLP is a valuable feature that we use a lot for info audits.

The dashboard and the process for applying policies could be more intuitive. Cloud Optix isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it, but the IT folks managing this want it to be more user-friendly. Deploying the agents could be more seamless, too. Ideally, Cloud Optix would automate adding agents into your environment by integrating with Active Directory or some policy.

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

"Palo Alto enables us to know what security threats are happening in the background."

"Its ease of integration is valuable because we need to get the solution out of the door quickly, so speed and ease matter."

"CSPM is very useful because it gives us good policies and violation alerts."

"Most of the customers we are tackling have different tools and solutions, like Qualys, Nessus, and vulnerability management assessment solutions. There are plugins for them, and we can integrate Prisma Cloud with them. We can enrich our telemetry with their data and use the predefined correlation rules in Prisma Cloud. That means we have that work done in seconds."

"The CVEs are valuable because we used to have a tool to scan CVEs, at the language level, for the dependencies that our developers had. What is good about Prisma Cloud is that the CVEs are not only from the software layer, but from all layers: the language, the base image, and you also have CVEs from the host. It covers the full base of security."

"The most valuable feature is the closed VPN connection, which provides better performance than traditional VPN boxes. For example, let's say a user in New York State normally connects in the East, but if they travel to the UK, they can connect to the same portal, which automatically redirects to any VPN gateway. We can control traffic based on Active Directory groups instead of the user's IP. That means a user in New York can access his application based on his user ID and AD group access when he travels to the UK or anywhere else."

"We have standardized vendor process management, so we want to reduce multiple vendors. Prisma Cloud is part of Palo Alto. We use Palo Alto firewalls and other solutions. Prisma has many features that intelligently cover cloud security. One solution can cover runtime for EC2 systems, containers, and Fargate. We also have EKS/Kubernetes integration. So, whatever the cloud-native solution in Pfizer, we can use one solution to secure that."

"Prisma Cloud's most valuable asset is its ability to provide detailed visibility into container activity."

More Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks pros

"DLP is a valuable feature that we use a lot for info audits."

"I find Cloud Optix to be a valuable solution since it provides a single, unified dashboard to monitor cloud assets, such as AWS and Azure."

"The most valuable feature of Sophos Cloud Optix is the simple way to manage my devices on the network. Additionally, it is easy to navigate and has a user-friendly interface."

"The most valuable feature for me would be the solution's endpoint protection."

Cons

"The innovation side of the solution could be more efficient and more detailed."

"Palo Alto needs to add more support staff to improve their response time."

"Sometimes we do get false alerts. That should be improved."

"While the documentation continually improves, it still has limitations compared to the extensive resources available for older products like hardware firewalls, which have been around for approximately 20 years."

"While Prisma provides a lot of visibility, it also creates a ton of work. Most customers that implement Prisma Cloud have thousands of alerts that are urgent."

"The information presented in the UI sometimes doesn't look intuitive enough."

"We face some GUI issues related to new permissions for AWS. So far, we don't have any automation to complete them through the GUI. We have to manually update the permissions. Our customers have faced some issues with that."

"The alignment of Twistlock Defender agents with image repositories needs improvement. These deployed agents have no way of differentiating between on-premise and cloud-based image repositories. If I deploy a Defender agent to secure an on-premise Kubernetes cluster, that agent also tries to scan my ECR image repositories on AWS. So, we have limited options for aligning those Defenders with the repositories that we want them to scan. It is scanning everything rather than giving us the ability to be real granular in choosing which agents can scan which repositories."

More Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks cons

"There are times when the devices are at maximum capacity, and it takes a while before the device is updated. For example, if the device has a virus, and it's not aligned to connect to the network, even after you've scanned the device, and cleaned out the virus, once the management clears the system to allow it back on the network it takes some time. It can be frustrating when you have your line manager or in management affected trying to access the network."

"The dashboard and the process for applying policies could be more intuitive. Cloud Optix isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it, but the IT folks managing this want it to be more user-friendly."

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

"The setup was a little bit complex."

"Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks carries a higher cost, but its enhanced security measures justify the expense."

"One thing we're very pleased about is how the licensing model for Prisma is based on work resources. You buy a certain amount of work resources and then, as they enable new capabilities within Prisma, it just takes those work resource units and applies them to new features. This enables us to test and use the new features without having to go back and ask for and procure a whole new product, which could require going through weeks, and maybe months, of a procurement process."

"This solution is good for a company with at least 400 people that must be connected remotely. For smaller companies, it can be too expensive."

"The price is high. In the future, when there are more competitors at the same level with different clouds, maybe the position will be different."

"Prisma Cloud is cost-efficient, but the credits are on the higher end."

"The pricing is good. They gave us some good discounts right at the end of the year based on the value that it brings, visibility, and the ability to build in cloud, compliance, and security within one dashboard."

"You can expect a premium price because it is a premium quality product by a leading supplier."

"The pricing structure is easy to understand. Depending on the use case the pricing of the solution can be different. There are not any additional costs to the standard living fees."

More Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks pricing and cost advice

"Regarding the pricing for Sophos Cloud Optix, I would say that it was a very good price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Insurance Company

Government

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	34
Midsize Enterprise	20
Large Enterprise	58

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your primary use case for Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks?

Prisma Cloud helps support DevSecOps methodologies, making those responsibilities easier to manage.

See all answers

What Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform do you recommend?

We like Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks, since it offers us incredible visibility into our entire cloud system. We are able to easily see where our container vulnerabilities lie and and where cl...

See all answers

What do you think of Aqua Security vs Prisma Cloud?

Aqua Security is easy to use and very manageable. Its main focus is on Kubernetes and Docker. Security is a very valuable feature and their speed of integration is very good. The initial setup was ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sophos Cloud Optix?

Sophos should enhance its AI-driven detection features and anomaly detection. The solution focuses on cloud security posture management. Fortinet, having acquired Lacework, seems to be a step ahead...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sophos Cloud Optix?

One primary use case for Sophos Cloud Optix is cloud visibility. I use it for compliance requirements and improving end user experience. The solution provides a unified dashboard for multi-cloud en...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Sophos Cloud Optix?

I rate Sophos Cloud Optix seven out of ten overall. I recommend it for any size of company, considering their current ecosystem and workload. It's particularly suited for those in a Sophos ecosyste...

See all answers

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Compared 34% of the time

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Compared 31% of the time

Wiz vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 22% of the time

AWS Security Hub vs Sophos Cloud Optix

Compared 13% of the time

More Sophos Cloud Optix Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks

September 2025

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks report

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Buyer's Guide

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

August 2025

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Also Known As

Prisma Public Cloud, RedLock Cloud 360, RedLock, Twistlock, Aporeto

No data available

Overview

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks provides comprehensive cloud-native security solutions. It covers dynamic workload identity, automated forensics, and multi-cloud protection, ensuring robust security across diverse cloud platforms.

Prisma Cloud delivers advanced capabilities for managing cloud security across AWS, Azure, and GCP platforms. It offers dynamic workload identity creation, real-time monitoring, and seamless integration into CI/CD pipelines. With automation, centralized dashboards, and enhanced visibility, users effectively manage security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. While optimizing cloud environments through runtime protection and compliance, Prisma Cloud faces challenges with its navigation, pricing, and limited automation capabilities. Users seek improvements in API security, role-based access controls, and documentation quality, emphasizing the need for enhanced customization and reporting features.

What are the important features of Prisma Cloud?

Dynamic Workload Identity: Enables unique workload identities for security purposes.
Automated Forensics: Offers detailed insights into threats and incidents automatically.
Runtime Protection: Provides ongoing detection and blocking of suspicious activities.
Multi-Cloud Security: Protects environments on AWS, Azure, and GCP simultaneously.
Compliance Management: Assists in meeting regulatory standards across cloud platforms.

What benefits or ROI should users consider in reviews?

Enhanced Security Posture: Strengthens cloud defense lines with proactive monitoring.
Centralized Dashboard: Offers unified oversight of multiple cloud environments.
Efficient Misconfiguration Handling: Quickly identifies and addresses security lapses.
Seamless CI/CD Integration: Integrates security within development workflows.
Improved Visibility: Provides transparent insights into security operations and alerts.

Industries like finance and telecom rely on Prisma Cloud for managing cloud security posture and container security. Teams utilize its capabilities across hybrid and multi-cloud settings to ensure compliance and robust threat protection. Features like misconfiguration detection and runtime monitoring are critical in promoting security objectives in these sectors.

Palo Alto Networks

Easily identify cloud resource vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, and respond to threats faster.

Sophos

Sample Customers

Amgen, Genpact, Western Asset, Zipongo, Proofpoint, NerdWallet, Axfood, 21st Century Fox, Veeva Systems, Reinsurance Group of America

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs. Sophos Cloud Optix

September 2025

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