The primary use case of this solution is as the main company firewall.
VP of Operations at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Stable, easy to setup the rules, versatile, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile."
- "The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of this solution is the flexibility of it, it's pretty versatile.
Also, the firewall aspect in terms of setting up rules. They worked pretty well.
What needs improvement?
The UI needs improvement because it can be a little weird at times.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Sophos XG in the last twelve months.
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August 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable. We haven't had any real issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't know if this solution is scalable. We haven't explored this area yet.
As we grow, we plan to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
Initially, the setup was a bit complex.
It was complex because we were coming off of a different setup. It was just getting used to the software, but it's not too bad.
We require one and a half staff members for the deployment and the maintenance. They seem to do a pretty good job of updating it and keeping it current.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented ourselves. We did not use a vendor or integrator.
What was our ROI?
We're military contractors, and the cybersecurity compliance aspect of it has been the most helpful.
We know how the networks operate from our end, even though we are relatively green. We don't what we are comparing it to.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We prepaid in advance to get the max discount.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Sophos XG an 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.
Technical Department Manager at Direcbusiness Technologies, Inc.
Has good VPN features and capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "We get good usage out of the features. It has enabled us to gain popularity. It has great features."
- "We get good usage out of the VPN features and its capability; it is a great feature."
- "We had a difficult time assigning IP addresses to specific MAC addresses."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for monitoring our web access, providing authentication and for security purposes.
What is most valuable?
We get good usage out of the VPN features and its capability; it is a great feature.
What needs improvement?
In terms of improvement, one of the features we are having a hard time getting a hang of is MAC addressing, like when we assign IP addresses to a specific MAC address. That is something that can be improved. For the next release, I think, it should have better feature integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XG for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We use the product for around 70 to 100 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
The support that we used was great.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was pretty straightforward. The setup took around one to two weeks.
What about the implementation team?
We did all of the deployment by ourselves and we use one person for maintenance.
What was our ROI?
I think, for the XG, I think the MAC addressing. We were having a very hard time assigning MAC addresses with specific IP.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We haven't chosen any other product, besides Sophos.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Sophos XG an 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.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos Firewall
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Sophos Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Simple, stable and secure with regular timely updates
Pros and Cons
- "The simplicity and timely updates."
- "We are using Sophos XG as the firewall for our offices, so any connections going outside of the office go through it, and we are also using VPN clients which were especially helpful during the lockdown."
- "The interface could be simplified and diagnostic system graphs improved."
- "The interface could be improved by simplifying it and making it much smarter."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is as a firewall, failover management of the internet lines. We have over 50 people using the product on 200 devices and we use it on a daily basis. I'm an IT support executive and we're a customer of Sophos.
How has it helped my organization?
We are using sophos XG as the firewall for our offices, so any connections going outside of the office go through it. We are also using VPN clients and especially during the lockdown, it was very helpful.
What is most valuable?
I like the simplicity of the solution and the timely updates. It works well.
What needs improvement?
The interface could be improved by simplifying it and making it much smarter. I would also like to see an improvement in the diagnostic system graphs. They could be modified to provide individual graphs. The present page has all graphs in a single page and it slows things down and takes more time to refresh and load.
Additional features they could consider including in any update would be symbols and tools. They could also include URL groups and all Office updates, the regular things that people do on a daily basis.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for the past year and a half.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't yet tried scaling, that will take another six months. I'll be in a better position to answer then.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is fine overall.
How was the initial setup?
I've now configured three times and although it gets easier, deployment is a little complex. We had some issues with the company, unrelated to the product, more to do with the licensing procedures in India which could be simplified. Deployment only took about half an hour and the solution doesn't require any maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing costs are generally set for three years.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
PaloAlto, FirtiGate
What other advice do I have?
Before installing this product it's worth taking some lessons from the website which also provides some support. It's almost better than the technical support which is offline. If you have a good vendor with hands-on experience that's also helpful for first time deployment. After you've implemented once, it's easier the second time.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
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 a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
User authentication rules are helpful, but the URL filtering is not good, and it suffers from instability
Pros and Cons
- "The user authentication rules are very useful."
- "Sophos needs improvements made to the console, such as host entry or defining rules directly from it."
- "This is not a product that I can recommend to anybody who wants to implement a firewall."
What is our primary use case?
We use the Sophos XG firewall as part of our network security solution.
What is most valuable?
The user authentication rules are very useful.
What needs improvement?
Sophos needs improvements made to the console, such as host entry or defining rules directly from it.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Sophos XG for the past five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I do not feel that this is a stable product. URL filtering is not good.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had any experience with technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It took a week to deploy.
What other advice do I have?
This is not a product that I can recommend to anybody who wants to implement a firewall.
I would rate this solution a four out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network & System Administrator at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Easy to set up, monitor, and block traffic, but the stability could be better
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the central management, the user VPN, and communications."
- "I need to open the email to see what it contains and the value of it before I know whether to access it or not."
- "Stability needs improvements."
What is our primary use case?
We are using this product to monitor traffic, payments, and VPN access to our branches. Some are using VPN with hooks, Sophos XG 210, and the main one they are using in the data center is Sophos XG 310.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the central management, the user VPN, and communications.
You can monitor and block traffic.
What needs improvement?
In regards to email as an example, if you experience any malware, it is contained in the container but doesn't give you any information about the email, or what is contained in the email. You only have the option to reject it or to release it.
I need to open the email to see what it contains and the value of it before I know whether to access it or not.
Stability needs improvements.
For how long have I used the solution?
We started with Sophos SG UTM 9, then we upgraded to XG. We have been using the latest version of XG for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability could be better.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable and good for small businesses.
We have approximately 120 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have contacted technical support three to five times per year.
It's good, but I don't have many questions to ask.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I was using Sophos SG. We were not using any other software from any other vendor. We have only dealt with Sophos.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was simple. It was not complicated.
If you are familiar with the technology, the implementation will not be difficult.
It also depends on the business needs.
From testing and switching from SG to XG, it took approximately one week to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
We had help from the vendor. The maintenance and the VPN connection is done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is not expensive, it's a reasonable price.
There are some additional fees for additional tools.
What other advice do I have?
I can recommend Sophos XG to others who are interested in using this solution.
I would rate this solution a 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.
System Administrator Server and Networks at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Good filtering capability, but the interface is slow and it is difficult for beginners to understand
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is web filtering."
- "We use this product to protect all of the connections to our sites and for web filtering."
- "The reaction time of the GUI is terrible when compared to other manufacturers."
- "For now, this is not a product that I can recommend."
What is our primary use case?
We use this product to protect all of the connections to our sites and for web filtering.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is web filtering.
What needs improvement?
The behavior with the zones was a little bit tricky to understand and the beginning of the project.
Sophos XG is difficult to manage and it is difficult to understand when you first begin.
The reaction time of the GUI is terrible when compared to other manufacturers.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Sophos XG for about a year and a half.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product, although the web GUI is slow. We plan to use it for another couple of years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a small site, and we have 15 users.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Sophos XG was not straightforward. We already had experience with Sophos UTM, but they are completely different systems. The deployment took us one week to complete.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed this solution in-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I now have a proof of concept with a FortiGate firewall and we are trying some test cases on it.
What other advice do I have?
For now, this is not a product that I can recommend.
I would rate this solution a six 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 Director of IT Operations at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A good tool that offers stable and reliable protection
Pros and Cons
- "It's a good security tool and it aligns with the rest of our security stack."
- "This product is part of our infrastructure and we use it every day, and the internet stays up with no outages, so I think that Sophos XG is a stable product."
- "The VPN is in need of improvement."
- "The VPN is in need of improvement. For us, it is hard to set up and it not working properly."
What is our primary use case?
This firewall is being used to protect our site.
What is most valuable?
It's a good security tool and it aligns with the rest of our security stack.
What needs improvement?
The VPN is in need of improvement. For us, it is hard to set up and it not working properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the Sophos XG at one of our sites for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is part of our infrastructure and we use it every day. The internet stays up with no outages, so I think that Sophos XG is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not had the need to scale to this point. Our entire organization is protected by it.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not been in contact with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this solution, we were using Meraki. My company has a better partner channel with Sophos, which is why we switched.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house technical team deployed this firewall.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is looking into implementing this product is to trust your techs.
This is a good product, although there is always room for improvement.
I would rate this solution an eight 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. Partner
Manager IT at a retailer with 201-500 employees
Stable IPS features and good technical support, but the reporting needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the intrusion prevention system."
- "Overall, I find that this is a good product."
- "The two main areas where this product needs improvement are routing and reporting."
What is our primary use case?
We use this firewall as part of our security solution.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the intrusion prevention system.
What needs improvement?
The two main areas where this product needs improvement are routing and reporting.
The security can be improved, as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XG for more than two or three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability has not been a problem for us.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am satisfied with the scalability.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support from Sophos is excellent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used the Microsoft Firewall. It is easy to use but it doesn't the IPS and malware detection capabilities that Sophos has.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup and configuration are not difficult for somebody with firewall experience. However, for somebody who has not worked on one in the past, it will be complicated.
What about the implementation team?
We had assistance with the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is cheaper than that of some competing vendors.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Prior to implementing Sophos, I tried using a solution by Fortinet. However, it was much more expensive.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is implementing this solution is to ensure that somebody with firewall experience handles the deployment.
Overall, I find that this is a good product. That said, there are improvements that need to be made in the routing, reporting, and security.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technical Analyst- Presales and delivery at TechNexa Technologies Private Limited
Endpoint firewall and proxy that is user-friendly, easily scaled, and has good synchronization features
Pros and Cons
- "it's user-friendly, not complex."
- "The features that are most valuable are synchronized security, the security hard build, the application synchronization, and the events synchronization; it's user-friendly, not complex."
- "The uploading and downloading of reports should be included."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of this solution is as an endpoint firewall and proxy.
What is most valuable?
The features that are most valuable are synchronized security, the security hard build, the application synchronization, and the events synchronization.
it's user-friendly, not complex.
What needs improvement?
The uploading and downloading of reports should be included.
We are looking for a firewall to block the uploads from the user, not the downloads. I would like to see this feature updated.
In the next release, I would like the uploading and downloading reports to be included.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for almost two years.
We will be upgrading to the newest version that was released two or three months ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is easily scalable. We have 15 to 20 users.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
It's easy to understand and to install.
What about the implementation team?
I am a technical analyst and handling the pre-sales. We provide and implement the solution to our customers.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight 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. partner
Chief Operational Officer at Merchant Light LLC
Easy to set up, keeps extensive logs, and scans all traffic for malware
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that it scans all of the data for any kind of malware."
- "Our network is now much better protected than it was."
- "It would be helpful if they had a set of standard templates because it would assist in the beginning, when you are just getting started."
What is our primary use case?
We are going to be hosting our own website and we are using the Sophos XG because we want to make sure that it is well protected. We also want to make sure that the rest of our LAN is not compromised.
In addition to using this firewall ourselves, we resell the product to our customers. We have a well-trained team that can perform the implementation and deployment.
How has it helped my organization?
Our network is now much better protected than it was. If you don't have your network and your infrastructure secured, as a business, which is about more than just putting a firewall in place, then you're asking for trouble. There is a lot of hunting going on, and it's not just the large corporations. It's the small businesses, too.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that it scans all of the data for any kind of malware.
It logs everything that goes in or out, and the logs are helpful.
The simplicity of the setup is very good. I can add whatever ports I need and it's pretty easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
It would be helpful if they had a set of standard templates because it would assist in the beginning, when you are just getting started. They do have a template, but I mean specifically for different use cases. For example, an existing template for setting up a web page would suggest what kind of security we need to have in place. They do have help menus and videos, but additional templates would be useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos XG for about eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been rock solid and it hasn't gone down once.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For me, there is essentially no limit when it comes to scaling. I have never used all of the connections but the limitation is between 50,000 and 200,000. I would say that scalability is enormous. If we had a bigger network then I would probably get a bigger Sophos.
At this point, we're just starting and only have three or four people who are regularly using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is awesome.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did have a Cisco router prior to using Sophos XG, but I don't know much about Cisco or how to get it operational. I also realized that it was getting old, so we switched to a high-end Sophos model. With malware in this day and age, where we have a 6000% increase in the number of malware attacks compared to two years ago, we wanted to be well protected.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. If I can do it then anyone can do it. The deployment took a couple of hours. Because we are new to this type of solution, our strategy will be to begin by blacklisting everything and then whitelisting only the things that we need.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team handled the implementation and deployment. We have more than 200 people that are very well trained, so we can set up pretty much anything.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We paid for our licensing for three years, upfront, and there are no costs in addition to the standard fees.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated several options and sought out advice before selecting Sophos XG.
What other advice do I have?
I am happy with this solution, which is one of the reasons that we are selling it. I don't like to sell or recommend things that I have not used. I have tried a lot of the features but I would say that there is a lot more potential I haven't even tested at this point.
I would rate this solution a ten 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
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Updated: August 2026
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