The best use case of Sophos XGS is for customers who use CMGs that manage the gateway of Microsoft, which was made obsolete years ago. Clients want to replace their proxy with some solution, and Sophos is one of the best bets.
Regional Head Of Technical And Sales Team at Comstar - Information Systems Associates Ltd.
Great for web filtering and load balancing but needs better marketing
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is very simple."
- "The solution is good for web filtering; it's also possible to use it as a load balancer and a destination firewall and site-to-site channeling, and remote users can gain access via Sophos, so it solves a variety of uses that the client needs."
- "I would like to see them in third-party evaluation reports like Gartner, Magic Quadrant, or Forrester to make it easier for us to show our customers that Sophos is a leader in the market."
- "Unfortunately, on Gartner, Magic Quadrant, and Forrester, Sophos doesn't have a good presence."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The solution is good for web filtering. It's also possible to use it as a load balancer and a destination firewall and site-to-site channeling. Remote users can gain access via Sophos. It solves for a variety of uses that the client needs.
What is most valuable?
In our market, they offer a web filter SSL VPN and they are very useful for the customer.
The initial setup is very simple.
It's stable and reliable.
We can scale the product.
What needs improvement?
Some firewall names like Palo Alto and FortiGate are very famous for security. People find them very secure. While Sophos is fairly secure, they aren't known for their security, and it's not an obvious selling point. Unfortunately, on Gartner, Magic Quadrant, and Forrester, Sophos doesn't have a good presence. They need to get better at marketing their abilities and expanding what they can do.
I would like to see them in third-party evaluation reports like Gartner, Magic Quadrant, or Forrester to make it easier for us to show our customers that Sophos is a leader in the market. It will be easier for us to sell them. Our market depends on what products are currently in Gartner and Forrester, and these platforms.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos Firewall
July 2026
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For how long have I used the solution?
We've been working with the solution for five to six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable.
We have more than 100 clients on Sophos.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good and above average.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy to set up the solution. It's not a complex process.
While it depends on the magnitude of the customer's environment, normally the deployment only takes a day or two.
What about the implementation team?
We do not require any outside assistance. We can handle the setup ourselves.
If the client needs us to, we can deploy the solution for them. Since we sell the solution, we have a good understanding of the process. We have been doing implementations for years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is moderate. It's not overly expensive. They offer good licensing.
What other advice do I have?
We are using and selling the solution. We are deploying it for different customers.
When the customer wants to buy an appliance, definitely it's an on-prem solution. However, when it comes to an endpoint or a firewall as a service, they offer cloud solutions as well.
I'd recommend the solution to others.
I would rate the solution seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
Reliable with a nice interface and great documentation
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to use and user-friendly."
- "It is very lovely to work with Sophos in general."
- "The licensing prices are too high. There are a lot of false-positive cases."
What is our primary use case?
We did buy access points, and we did use the WiFi configuration. We did create a configuration for the WiFi to the access points on the same interface. It's great for access point integration.
What is most valuable?
The user interface is fine.
The configuration and customization capabilities are good.
It is very lovely to work with Sophos in general. It's easy to use and user-friendly.
There is a lot of great documentation available to users.
The stability is good.
It's scalable.
What needs improvement?
The licensing prices are too high.
There are a lot of false-positive cases.
We'd like to see access point integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for four months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale.
We have about 150 users on the solution right now.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used any technical support services. There is so much documentation online, I do not need assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use Microsoft products. I prefer Sophos for on-premises and Microsoft for cloud and antivirus products.
Microsoft Defender and the Microsoft Defender cloud panels admin portal are native, and we are using many Microsoft products, so it just makes sense due to the environment to use Microsoft products.
How was the initial setup?
While the deployment was done before I began work in the organization, I reset it and configured it completely.
There are a lot of Sophos post-configuration documents, Sophos videos, et cetera. It was the first time that I configured Sophos. However, it was all good.
The product is very easy to maintain.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost to license the product is a bit expensive. I'd rate the cost at a four out of five in terms of affordability. We pay about $150.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a consultant. I'm using the latest version of the solution.
Sophos is good for smaller companies. It might not be suitable for large ones.
I'd rate it seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos Firewall
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about Sophos Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Data Center Engineer at Emerging Communications Limited
Has security synchronization, a user-friendly setup, and competitive pricing
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is very user-friendly because they have graphical user interface options and command line interface options. I would give the initial setup a rating of five out of five."
- "It would be nice to have features like the network access control (NAC) that Cisco has for Identity Services Engine. In the next release, I would also like to see an increase in the performance of the processing units."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to secure the enterprise endpoint devices, whether they are servers, laptops, or mobile phones.
What is most valuable?
Security synchronization is one of the best features because it integrates the firewall with the endpoint devices.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice to have features like the network access control (NAC) that Cisco has for Identity Services Engine.
In the next release, I would also like to see an increase in the performance of the processing units.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Sophos XGS for about four years now.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good. They have a support portal where you can log in a case and have direct support from one of the experts.
They are responsive and follow up closely, so I would give them a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very user-friendly because they have graphical user interface options and command line interface options. I would give the initial setup a rating of five out of five.
It has three modes of deployment. You can have it deployed as physical hardware, as a virtual machine, or as software in the cloud.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented it through an in-house team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for Sophos is much better compared to that of Fortinet and Check Point. On a scale from one to five with one being expensive and five being competitive, I would rate Sophos' pricing at four.
The pricing can be for the hardware appliance and the license, or it can be subscription-based. It can be around 3000 USD up to 25,000 USD per year depending on the model or series of the hardware you choose to buy.
What other advice do I have?
Sophos XGS is suitable for enterprise customers and SMBs.
Overall, I would rate Sophos XGS at eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
It manager at MMA2
Spam filtering is my favorite feature
Pros and Cons
- "Spam filtering is what I love most about XGS."
- "The reporting could be better."
What is our primary use case?
I use XGS for filtering and spam blocking. We have 255 users.
What is most valuable?
Spam filtering is what I love most about XGS.
What needs improvement?
The reporting could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XGS for about five years.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Sophos XGS is straightforward, and it took us about four hours to deploy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I pay for a yearly license for XGS. It's not cheap, but the price is okay compared to other gateway devices. It's in the middle.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Sophos XGS eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CIO at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Good performance and reporting with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "It's much faster than the previous firewall, so you can do the work faster."
- "They need intelligent reporting, not just your simple, standard reports."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the product for firewall issues, including protecting the network and so on.
How has it helped my organization?
It's much faster than the previous firewall, so you can do the work faster. There are no delays in the internet and network.
What is most valuable?
The performance is better than the other product that we've had.
Reporting-wise, it's quite good. IPS detection and ATP is getting better and faster.
We have found the initial setup to be quite straightforward.
The solution is stable.
It can scale well.
What needs improvement?
The reporting could always be improved upon. They need intelligent reporting, not just your simple, standard reports.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for the past three months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable, reliable product. The performance is good. It's fast. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale very well. It's not a problem if a company needs to expand. There are different sizes of products. It's a good idea to pick a larger size if you expect to scale.
We have around 150 users on the solution at this point. They cover different roles from admins to front and back office.
How are customer service and support?
We have a third-party provider that is giving us support. We don't communicate with Sophos directly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used WatchGuard. That was at a previous company. When I moved here, the organization already had Sophos.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and very straightforward. Since it was also migration in our case, we had to do testing and so on. It took one week to deploy it.
We only need one person to handle the deployment and maintenance process.
What about the implementation team?
We had a third-party assist us during the implementation process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We renew the license every three years. We get better pricing that way. There are no other expenses beyond the standard pricing. That said, there are additional subscription modules you might need. However, you pick them at the beginning, and it depends if you need them or not.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did not evaluate other options. We already had the setup, and we didn't want to make any big changes.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and end-user.
I've currently using the latest version of the solution.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Engineer at Spectrum Engineering Consortium Ltd.
Excellent solution for security, traffic filtering, blocking websites and wireless protection
Pros and Cons
- "Sophos XGS is profound as a firewall and security product."
- "It would be good if we could do dual customization."
- "It is not a stable solution, and improvements can be made to firmware and hardware."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for security purposes, traffic filtering, voice filtering, blocking websites, traffic shaping, and wireless protection. We also use this solution to analyze malware threats and email protection logs.
How has it helped my organization?
Sophos XGS is profound as a firewall and security product. We have deployed Sophos XGS and Endpoint in several banking systems and government sites. Our customers are satisfied that Sophos XGS is continuously blocking websites and giving us reports on which apps, users or websites are vulnerable. As partners, we also benefit and have deployed several parallels on the customer side. In addition, Sophos has improved its technical support service, and customers are happy about the support.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the network policy and SD-WAN policy.
What needs improvement?
There was a hardware conflict with the software. Recently we did five RMA of Sophos hardware, and several customers said the hardware and firmware were faulty, so there is a dependency on the hardware. For some customers, EQuIS is also an issue, and when we claim RMA from Bangladesh, it takes almost one month to get the product.
In addition, the firmware has some bugs because it continuously updates in 5.1, 5.3, and 5.7. So, if we randomly change the firmware, it's not fixable, and this should be improved.
In Sophos XG Firewall, we can create a different zone, like LAN, DMZ, and MZ, but we cannot customize the WAN dual, so it would be good if we could do dual customization.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for five years. It was called Sophos XG Firewall Endpoint before Sophos XGS. Recently we deployed XGS version 4300. It is deployed on-premises.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is not a stable solution, and improvements can be made to firmware and hardware.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability could be improved.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is helpful, but the response time could be faster. When we raise a case, there is sometimes a delay in responding. There is no toll-free number to call for emergency support in Bangladesh, so we call a Singapore number and wait a long time for technical support. When they eventually answer, they ask us many questions, which consumes a lot of time, and they sometimes transfer us to other technical engineers. This is a significant issue for us in Bangladesh and should be improved.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Sophos XGS was a tender proposal, and we chose it.
How was the initial setup?
It was an easy setup, and it was not complex. The deployment depends on the customer's timeline, requirements and scope of work. Basic configuration takes about one or two days, and we deployed both in-house and in the customer environment. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. One person can do deployment because we're not doing any mounting, and mounting requires two people. So configuration can also be done by one person.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
They have annual licenses, and we have a three-year license. Unfortunately, I do not have information on the licensing costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution a nine out of ten, and I would recommend this solution to others.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
VP of Operations at Caprihans India Ltd
A stable firewall solution with a useful tunneling feature.
Pros and Cons
- "I like the tunneling part which we are using for the VOIP. We have various other sites where we connect via tunneling. The tunneling part is very fast and easy to implement."
- "The deployment is very easy for my network team, and it is very easy to implement policies."
- "It would be better if they made their own hardware like Palo Alto and Fortinet. They use their own ASICs and claim it is more secure."
What is our primary use case?
We use Sophos XG for the firewall.
What is most valuable?
I like the tunneling part which we are using for the VOIP. We have various other sites where we connect via tunneling. The tunneling part is very fast and easy to implement.
The deployment is very easy for my network team, and it is very easy to implement policies. The support that Sophos provides for the upgrade of new features and their interaction with the customer is very good.
Customer engagement is what I like about the product. We are very well informed about what is going on and new best practices. If anything new has gone wrong or anything in the world of cybersecurity we should know about, they will let us know.
Any firewall is dependent on how you use it. It's also on the user, how you configure it, what you allow, and what you don't allow, and so on. The ease of defining policies and the customer connect is what I appreciate about Sophos.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if they made their own hardware like Palo Alto and Fortinet. They use their own ASICs and claim it is more secure.
The SD-WAN can be improved. The traffic optimization somehow needs to be improved, or there is a scope for improvement in Sophos XG.
It would be better if they moved towards the cloud side of things. Now a lot of things are moving on to the cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XG for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sophos XG is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sophos XG is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The Sophos forum and Sophos direct support are excellent.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Sophos support a ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had Cyberoam, which Sophos took over.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and took us about a week to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
An internal team made up of two people implemented Sophos XG.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We generally buy it for a three-year license.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Sophos XG to potential users.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Sophos XG an eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network Security Engineer at TECHBASE
As system integrators, we like the dashboard because it's easier to configure all the features.
Pros and Cons
- "Web filtering and intrusion detection are essential features. As system integrators, we also like the dashboard because it's easier to configure all the features."
- "Aside from the price and the support, the solution is excellent."
- "I rate Sophos' support five out of 10. It's sometimes difficult to contact them, and finding a solution is not easy."
What is our primary use case?
We are system integrators implementing Sophos fvarious of clients, including government agencies, industry, small offices, and schools. We can implement this solution for any organization. They have Sophos on the cloud, but we only install on-premises for our clients.
How has it helped my organization?
We receive an email report on the number of attacks Sophos has stopped each day. Since we installed the solution, the number of detected attacks has increased considerably.
What is most valuable?
Web filtering and intrusion detection are essential features. As system integrators, we also like the dashboard because it's easier to configure all the features.
What needs improvement?
Our only issue is the price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started working with Sophos about four years ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sophos is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sophos is scalable. You can do high availability and a lot of other things with it.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Sophos' support five out of 10. It's sometimes difficult to contact them, and finding a solution is not easy.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Sophos is one of the best solutions on the market, but Meraki and FortiGate are on the same level. We only work with Sophos and Meraki. We don't use any other vendors. Meraki is installed for specific situations, but we use Sophos for the rest.
How was the initial setup?
There is an installation wizard, so the deployment is straightforward. The basic installation takes about an hour. However, it takes longer to build a customized solution for a client with multiple policies that must be configured. It is easy to do it, but it takes time.
After the deployment, there isn't much maintenance. They notify us when they need to install an update. We can do it without rebooting the system, so the customer has no downtime.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Sophos XGS five out of 10 for affordability. Sophos has several license tiers. The basic license is Network Protection, and you can purchase additional modules. Right now, if I want to upgrade one client to the new one, they give me a 99 percent discount on hardware. However, the hardware cost is nothing because the license is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Sophos XGs nine out of 10. Aside from the price and the support, the solution is excellent. My only advice is to be careful because you cannot renew the license again once Sophos products reach the end of life. You have to purchase a new solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
CTO at Joan Cross Infosystems Ltd
Useful synchronized security, helpful support, and progressive innovations
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Sophos XGS are a set of functionalities that are quite commendable, they call it synchronized security, where all the solutions share defense lines with each other."
- "Sophos XGS could improve the price."
What is our primary use case?
Sophos XGS can be deployed on the cloud or on-premise.
Sophos XGS can be used as a firewall, secured appliance firewall, routing, and depending on the licensing on it, to secure web servers.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Sophos XGS are a set of functionalities that are quite commendable, they call it synchronized security, where all the solutions share defense lines with each other.
What needs improvement?
Sophos XGS could improve the price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XGS for approximately four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sophos XGS is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Sophos XGS is good.
We have approximately 1,000 cumulative users using the solution. We have approximately 15 customers using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Sophos XGS is great.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Sophos XGS is straightforward, but if you are not experienced it would be difficult.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing cost for Sophos XGS is high. However, they do apply competitive discounts and different layers of discounts.
What other advice do I have?
Sophos XGS is rated number one on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for the current year. They are doing well with respect to innovations.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Sophos XGS an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of IT at Somani
Good threat detection and prevention but scalability needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "Sophos XGS' most valuable features are protection and intrusion prevention detection."
- "Sophos XGS's response to zero-day attacks could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Primarily, I use XGS for security and authentication.
What is most valuable?
Sophos XGS' most valuable features are protection and intrusion prevention detection.
What needs improvement?
Sophos XGS's response to zero-day attacks could be improved. In the next release, Sophos XGS should include signature filtering, hybrid cloud support, and the ability to scale without replacing the hardware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Sophos XGS for four to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sophos XGS is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sophos XGS can scale up and down to 1,200 users, but if you want more users, you have to change the appliances too.
How are customer service and support?
Sophos' technical support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Sophos XGS is easy to set up if you have knowledge of the system.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Sophos XGS costs around $6,000 for a basic license.
What other advice do I have?
I would give Sophos XGS a rating of seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: July 2026
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