# Best Firewall Software *By [Lauren Worth](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/lauren-worth)* Firewalls are barriers used to secure networks from hackers, malware, and other attackers. Firewalls come in both hardware and software form, but all types provide fortified security between networks and outside threats. IT managers configure firewalls to specific system requirements, ensuring no data is vulnerable. Once implemented, they will monitor firewall tools to ensure security. Smaller companies and personal computers will rarely require hardware firewalls, but large enterprise companies will use hardware firewalls within their own systems to limit access outside the company or between departments. The [best firewall products](https://learn.g2.com/best-firewall) will have significant overlap with [network security software](https://www.g2.com/categories/network-security) and [web security software](https://www.g2.com/categories/web-security) products, as they all aim to secure systems and information. Some products may come equipped with [vulnerability management software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vulnerability-management) tools to detect and defeat threats. To qualify for inclusion in the Firewall category, a product must: - Assess and filter user access - Create barriers between networks and the internet - Alert administrators when unauthorized access is attempted - Outline and enforce security and authentication rules - Automate tasks associated with testing or monitoring ## Category Overview **Total Products under this Category:** 89 ## Trust & Credibility Stats **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 4,100+ Authentic Reviews - 89+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Best Firewall Software At A Glance - **Leader:** [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [NordLayer](https://www.g2.com/products/nordlayer/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) ## Top-Rated Products (Ranked by G2 Score) ### 1. [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) Sophos Firewall provides comprehensive next-generation firewall protection powered by deep learning and Synchronized Security. Offering unmatched insights, Firewall exposes hidden user, application, and threat risks on the network and is unique in its ability to respond automatically to security incidents by isolating compromised systems with Security Heartbeat. **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 576 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Sophos](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sophos) - **Company Website:** https://www.sophos.com/ - **Year Founded:** 1985 - **HQ Location:** Oxfordshire - **Twitter:** @Sophos (36,757 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/5053/ (5,561 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** IT Manager, IT Administrator - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 61% Mid-Market, 23% Small-Business #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (90 reviews) - Features (56 reviews) - Firewall Efficiency (54 reviews) - Customer Support (48 reviews) - Threat Protection (41 reviews) **Cons:** - Slow Performance (33 reviews) - Poor Reporting (17 reviews) - Limited Features (16 reviews) - Upgrade Issues (16 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (15 reviews) ### 2. [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) Strengthen Your Security with Check Point Gateways and Firewalls Check Point Hybrid Mesh Network Security is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution designed to protect networks from sophisticated cyber threats while ensuring seamless management across diverse hybrid environments – on-premises, cloud, SaaS, and remote users. This product encompasses advanced threat prevention, real-time global threat intelligence, and unified policy management, making it an essential tool for organizations looking to secure their IT infrastructure, including data centers, hybrid clouds, and remote endpoints. Targeted at enterprises of all sizes, Check Point's solution caters to a wide range of industries that require robust security measures to safeguard sensitive data and maintain operational integrity. The product is particularly beneficial for organizations with complex network architectures, including those utilizing cloud services, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, and remote workforces. By addressing the unique security challenges posed by these environments, Check Point enables businesses to maintain a secure and resilient IT ecosystem. One of the standout features of Check Point Hybrid Mesh Network Security is its AI-powered threat prevention capabilities. This technology allows for the identification and mitigation of threats in real-time, ensuring that organizations can respond swiftly to potential breaches. Additionally, the solution offers comprehensive security for various aspects of the IT landscape, including network security, cloud security, and workspace security. This multi-faceted approach ensures that users, applications, and data are protected regardless of their location, whether on-premises, in the cloud, or on employee devices. The deployment flexibility of Check Point's solution is another key advantage. Organizations can choose from on-premises, cloud-native, on-device, in-browser, or Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) models, allowing for tailored implementations that meet specific operational needs. This adaptability is complemented by unified security management, which simplifies operations through a single platform that provides visibility, policy enforcement, and posture control across the entire network. Furthermore, Check Point Hybrid Mesh Network Security is designed to optimize performance and cost. With high-speed, prevention-first security and on-device security controls, organizations can achieve effective protection without compromising on efficiency. The consistent application of zero-trust policies across the hybrid mesh network enhances security posture, ensuring that all components of the IT environment are uniformly protected against evolving cyber threats. This comprehensive solution empowers organizations to level up their protection and confidently navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity challenges. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 500 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Check Point Software Technologies](https://www.g2.com/sellers/check-point-software-technologies) - **Company Website:** https://www.checkpoint.com/ - **Year Founded:** 1993 - **HQ Location:** Redwood City, CA - **Twitter:** @CheckPointSW (70,998 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies/ (8,356 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** Network Security Engineer, Network Engineer - **Top Industries:** Computer & Network Security, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 44% Mid-Market, 42% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Cybersecurity (101 reviews) - Threat Detection (86 reviews) - Features (80 reviews) - Network Security (76 reviews) - Centralized Management (66 reviews) **Cons:** - Expensive (71 reviews) - Complexity (56 reviews) - Complex Setup (49 reviews) - Slow Performance (45 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (43 reviews) ### 3. [FortiGate-VM NGFW](https://www.g2.com/products/fortigate-vm-ngfw/reviews) FortiGate-VM is a virtual firewall solution designed to help users secure their cloud environments and on-premises networks. As a next-generation firewall developed by Fortinet, FortiGate-VM integrates advanced security features with the flexibility of virtualization, making it suitable for deployment in various public and private cloud infrastructures. This solution is particularly beneficial for organizations looking to enhance their cybersecurity posture while leveraging the scalability and efficiency of cloud technologies. Targeted at enterprises and organizations of all sizes, FortiGate-VM is ideal for IT security teams that require robust protection against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Its deployment across diverse environments allows businesses to maintain consistent security policies and practices, regardless of whether their infrastructure is on-premises, in the cloud, or a hybrid of both. Specific use cases include protecting sensitive data in cloud applications, securing remote access for employees, SD-WAN, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. One of the key features of FortiGate-VM is its AI-powered threat intelligence. FortiGuard utilizes machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, enabling the identification of emerging threats in real time. This proactive approach to threat detection ensures that organizations can respond swiftly to potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Additionally, the behavioral analysis capabilities of FortiGate-VM allow for the identification of anomalous activities, further enhancing its ability to mitigate risks associated with cyberattacks. FortiGate-VM stands out in the virtual firewall category due to its seamless integration with existing Fortinet security solutions, providing a comprehensive security architecture. The solution offers advanced features such as intrusion prevention, web filtering, and application control, all of which contribute to a multi-layered defense strategy. Furthermore, its scalability allows organizations to easily adjust their security resources in response to changing business needs, ensuring that they remain protected as they grow. FortiGate-VM delivers unmatched security and value, making it a vital component for organizations seeking to fortify their defenses against the evolving landscape of cyber threats. Its combination of advanced threat protection, AI-driven insights, and flexible deployment options positions it as a critical tool for maintaining a secure and resilient network environment. **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 212 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Fortinet](https://www.g2.com/sellers/fortinet) - **Company Website:** https://www.fortinet.com - **Year Founded:** 2000 - **HQ Location:** Sunnyvale, CA - **Twitter:** @Fortinet (151,495 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/6460/ (16,112 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** Network Engineer, IT Manager - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 63% Mid-Market, 22% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (12 reviews) - Features (10 reviews) - Security (8 reviews) - Protection (7 reviews) - Control (6 reviews) **Cons:** - Difficult Learning Curve (4 reviews) - Expensive (4 reviews) - Update Issues (4 reviews) - Upgrade Issues (4 reviews) - Limited Features (3 reviews) ### 4. [Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewalls/reviews) Our next-generation firewall classifies all traffic, including encrypted traffic, based on application, application function, user and content. You can create comprehensive, precise security policies, resulting in safe enablement of applications. This lets only authorized users run sanctioned applications, greatly reducing the surgace area of cyber attacks across the organization. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 160 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/palo-alto-networks) - **Year Founded:** 2005 - **HQ Location:** Santa Clara, CA - **Twitter:** @PaloAltoNtwks (128,788 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/30086/ (21,355 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE: PANW **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** Network Engineer, Network Security Engineer - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 46% Mid-Market, 37% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (25 reviews) - Features (23 reviews) - Protection (17 reviews) - Threat Protection (17 reviews) - Firewall Efficiency (14 reviews) **Cons:** - Expensive (32 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (15 reviews) - Slow Performance (15 reviews) - Poor Interface Design (10 reviews) - Complex Configuration (9 reviews) ### 5. [Check Point CloudGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-cloudguard-network-security/reviews) CloudGuard Network Security is a comprehensive cloud security solution designed to protect public, private, and hybrid cloud environments from a wide array of cyber threats. This platform focuses on delivering advanced threat protection, ensuring that organizations can confidently transition to the cloud while maintaining robust security measures. With an impressive malware catch rate, CloudGuard is engineered to defend against various types of attacks, including ransomware and other malicious software. Targeted at enterprises and organizations that are increasingly adopting cloud technologies, CloudGuard Network Security is particularly beneficial for IT teams and security professionals who require a reliable and efficient way to manage security across multiple environments. The solution is ideal for businesses looking to enhance their cloud security posture without compromising on agility or operational efficiency. By integrating seamlessly with leading Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools, CloudGuard automates network security processes, making it easier for teams to implement security measures within their continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows. One of the standout features of CloudGuard is its advanced protection capabilities. The platform includes a suite of security features such as a firewall, data loss prevention (DLP), intrusion prevention system (IPS), application control, IPsec VPN, URL filtering, antivirus, anti-bot protection, threat extraction, and threat emulation. These tools work in concert to provide a multi-layered defense strategy that addresses various attack vectors, ensuring that organizations can mitigate risks effectively. Additionally, CloudGuard's automated network security capabilities support IaC and CI/CD practices, allowing organizations to streamline their security processes through the use of APIs and automation. This enables security teams to focus on more strategic initiatives rather than being bogged down by manual tasks. The unified security management feature further enhances the solution by providing consistent visibility and policy management across hybrid-cloud and on-premises environments. Users can access logging, reporting, and control from a single interface, simplifying the management of security policies and improving overall operational efficiency. Overall, CloudGuard Network Security stands out in the cloud security landscape by offering a robust, integrated solution that not only protects against emerging threats but also enhances the agility and efficiency of security operations. Its comprehensive feature set and automation capabilities make it a valuable asset for organizations navigating the complexities of cloud security. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 170 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Check Point Software Technologies](https://www.g2.com/sellers/check-point-software-technologies) - **Company Website:** https://www.checkpoint.com/ - **Year Founded:** 1993 - **HQ Location:** Redwood City, CA - **Twitter:** @CheckPointSW (70,998 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies/ (8,356 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** Network Engineer, Security Engineer - **Top Industries:** Computer & Network Security, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 41% Enterprise, 30% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Security (42 reviews) - Ease of Use (28 reviews) - Threat Detection (28 reviews) - Threat Protection (28 reviews) - Cloud Integration (22 reviews) **Cons:** - Complexity (26 reviews) - Difficult Setup (25 reviews) - Difficult Learning (24 reviews) - Difficult Configuration (23 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (22 reviews) ### 6. [Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews) Palo Alto Networks' VM-Series Virtual Firewall is the industry’s leading cloud security software, delivering the world’s most effective network security to any cloud or virtualized environment. It is a virtualized form factor of Palo Alto Networks' next-generation firewalls, built to protect your applications from zero-day threats, providing consistent security and easy deployment across all clouds and virtualized environments, including technologies from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, VMware, Cisco, KVM, Nutanix, OpenStack, and more. **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 92 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/palo-alto-networks) - **Year Founded:** 2005 - **HQ Location:** Santa Clara, CA - **Twitter:** @PaloAltoNtwks (128,788 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/30086/ (21,355 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE: PANW **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Computer & Network Security, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 43% Enterprise, 30% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Features (18 reviews) - Threat Protection (18 reviews) - Protection (13 reviews) - Security (13 reviews) - Deployment Ease (11 reviews) **Cons:** - Expensive (26 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (11 reviews) - Complex Configuration (10 reviews) - Slow Performance (9 reviews) - Complexity (8 reviews) ### 7. [Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-cloud-ngfw/reviews) Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW is a fully managed, cloud-native firewall service designed to enhance security, streamline operations, and provide seamless scalability across various cloud environments, including AWS and Microsoft Azure. This solution is specifically tailored to meet the demands of modern digital infrastructures, offering robust protection for applications and data through inline threat prevention, centralized management, and elastic scaling. With Cloud NGFW, organizations can focus on their core activities without the burden of managing complex infrastructure or traditional firewall appliances. The Cloud NGFW service is built on decades of cybersecurity expertise, extending Palo Alto Networks' renowned prevention capabilities into the cloud. It combines deep application awareness with AI-driven threat detection and advanced controls for users, devices, and workloads. This powerful combination enables organizations to identify and neutralize both known and unknown threats, including zero-day exploits, with automated accuracy. The service is backed by an industry-leading 99.99% availability SLA, ensuring that security measures and operational uptime are effectively aligned. Targeted at businesses of all sizes, Cloud NGFW simplifies cloud network security for both security and cloud infrastructure teams. Whether organizations are migrating workloads, managing hybrid or multi-cloud strategies, or developing new applications directly in the cloud, Cloud NGFW ensures consistent security policy enforcement across diverse environments. Its native integration with AWS Firewall Manager and Azure Virtual WAN, along with compatibility with Strata Cloud Manager, provides teams with a centralized view of their security policies, traffic, and potential threats across all deployments. Key features of Cloud NGFW include flexible consumption options such as pay-as-you-go and credit-based licensing, support for burst traffic through dynamic scaling, and tight integration with Palo Alto Networks' advanced Cloud-Delivered Security Services (CDSS). These services, which include Advanced Threat Prevention, Advanced URL Filtering, Advanced DNS Security, and WildFire, offer inline protections without sacrificing performance. This capability allows teams to effectively reduce security risks while minimizing operational complexity. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud technologies and face evolving cyber threats, they often encounter challenges such as tool sprawl, inconsistent policies, and limited visibility. Cloud NGFW addresses these issues by unifying threat prevention and policy control into a single, intuitive service. This integration helps teams eliminate security gaps, reduce misconfigurations, and respond to incidents more swiftly. By empowering organizations to secure their dynamic cloud environments confidently, Cloud NGFW supports scalability as business needs change, simplifies daily operations, and delivers the high-efficacy protection essential for today's digital-first enterprises. **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 107 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/palo-alto-networks) - **Year Founded:** 2005 - **HQ Location:** Santa Clara, CA - **Twitter:** @PaloAltoNtwks (128,788 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/30086/ (21,355 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE: PANW **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Computer & Network Security, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 34% Enterprise, 34% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Features (21 reviews) - Ease of Use (19 reviews) - Threat Protection (17 reviews) - Deployment Ease (14 reviews) - Security (13 reviews) **Cons:** - Expensive (24 reviews) - Complex Configuration (12 reviews) - Complexity (10 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (10 reviews) - Slow Performance (9 reviews) ### 8. [Zscaler Internet Access](https://www.g2.com/products/zscaler-internet-access/reviews) Zscaler Internet Access™ (ZIA) is the world’s leading cloud-native secure access solution that protects users, devices, and data by securing all internet traffic, regardless of location. Leveraging cloud native, AI-powered cyberthreat protection and zero trust access to the internet and SaaS apps, ZIA ensures fast, direct, and secure connections to the internet and SaaS applications, eliminating the need for traditional on-premises security hardware. With ZIA, you can optimize internet security and user experience while aligning with Zero Trust principles through Zscaler Internet Access. ZIA's advanced features like Secure Web Gateways, DNS Security, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Secure Enterprise Browsing, and Cloud Sandboxing provide comprehensive protection against advanced threats such as malware, ransomware, and phishing while safeguarding sensitive corporate data. It combines robust threat prevention with granular policy enforcement to ensure secure, seamless access for users across remote, branch, or hybrid environments. With ZIA, organizations can embrace cloud transformation while leveraging simplified management, reduced complexity, and consistent security across global teams. Key Features and Benefits: • Prevent cyberthreats and data loss with AI: Protect your organization against advanced threats with a suite of AI-powered cyberthreat and data protection services, enriched by real-time updates sourced from 500 trillion daily threat signals from the world’s largest security cloud. • Get an unmatched user experience: Get the world’s fastest internet and SaaS experience—up to 40% faster than legacy security architectures—to boost productivity and increase business agility. • Reduce costs and complexity: Realize 139% ROI with Zscaler by replacing 90% of your costly, complex, and slow appliances with a fully cloud-native zero trust platform. • Secure your hybrid workforce: Empower employees, customers, and third parties to securely access web apps and cloud services from anywhere, on any device—with a great digital experience. • Unify SecOps and NetOps Efforts: Drive faster, more collaborative security outcomes with shared tooling like real-time traffic insights, API-first integrations, and granular RBAC. • Achieve Total Data and Content Sovereignty: Enforce compliance for secure and localized access without performance tradeoffs using Egress NAT, geolocalized content, and in-country data logging. • Secure AI in Your Environment: Enable the secure use of Microsoft Copilot and other AI applications. • Protect Developer Environments at Scale: Automate SSL/TLS inspection for 30+ developer tools while sandboxing code and unknown or large files with instant AI-verdicts—all without slowing innovation. Zscaler Internet Access is trusted by organizations worldwide to ensure secure, reliable, and fast internet connectivity that supports both modern workflows and digital transformation initiatives." **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 185 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Zscaler](https://www.g2.com/sellers/zscaler) - **Company Website:** https://www.zscaler.com/ - **Year Founded:** 2008 - **HQ Location:** San Jose, California - **Twitter:** @zscaler (17,530 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/234625/ (9,540 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software - **Company Size:** 48% Enterprise, 28% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Security (48 reviews) - Internet Security (47 reviews) - Protection (41 reviews) - Cloud Services (26 reviews) - Email Security (26 reviews) **Cons:** - Slow Performance (27 reviews) - Complex Implementation (24 reviews) - Complex Configuration (22 reviews) - Connection Issues (22 reviews) - Internet Connectivity (18 reviews) ### 9. [Azure Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-firewall/reviews) Azure Firewall automatically scales with your usage during peak load or as your business grows, eliminating the need to predict and reserve capacity for peak usage. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 26 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Microsoft](https://www.g2.com/sellers/microsoft) - **Year Founded:** 1975 - **HQ Location:** Redmond, Washington - **Twitter:** @microsoft (13,114,353 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/ (227,697 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** MSFT **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 50% Mid-Market, 30% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Security Protection (2 reviews) - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Helpful (1 reviews) **Cons:** - High System Requirements (1 reviews) - Slow Performance (1 reviews) ### 10. [WatchGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/watchguard-network-security/reviews) For over 20 years, WatchGuard has pioneered cutting-edge cyber security technology and delivered it as easy-to-deploy and easy-to-manage solutions. Our unique approach to network security focuses on bringing best-in-class, enterprise-grade security to any organization, regardless of size or technical expertise. Ideal for SMBs and distributed enterprise organizations, our award-winning Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliances are designed from the ground up to focus on ease of deployment, use, and ongoing management, in addition to providing the strongest security possible. **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 247 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [WatchGuard](https://www.g2.com/sellers/watchguard) - **Company Website:** https://www.watchguard.com - **Year Founded:** 1996 - **HQ Location:** Seatle, WA - **Twitter:** @watchguard (19,461 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/166878/ (1,218 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** IT Manager, IT Director - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 53% Mid-Market, 44% Small-Business #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Cybersecurity (3 reviews) - Ease of Use (3 reviews) - Customer Support (2 reviews) - Integrations (2 reviews) - Security (2 reviews) **Cons:** - Expensive (3 reviews) - Complex Setup (1 reviews) - Difficult Installation (1 reviews) - Lack of Interfaces (1 reviews) - Limited Customization (1 reviews) ### 11. [Cloudflare One (SASE)](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-one-sase/reviews) Cloudflare One is a single-vendor secure access service edge (SASE) platform that converges security and networking services into a unified, global connectivity cloud. It replaces legacy, fragmented hardware and first-generation SASE solutions with a composable, programmable architecture. Cloudflare One connects and protects an organization's workforce, AI agents, and infrastructure. Learn more at https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/ Designed for agility, it enables teams to: - Accelerate safe AI adoption with granular visibility, control, and AI agent governance. - Modernize remote access by replacing clunky VPNs with zero trust access. - Block email phishing attacks with flexible, SASE-native email security. - Protect web traffic for remote users and branch offices with lightweight DNS filtering. - Deploy “coffee shop networking” with a light branch, heavy cloud approach. **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 101 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 6.7/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Cloudflare, Inc.](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cloudflare-inc) - **Year Founded:** 2009 - **HQ Location:** San Francisco, California - **Twitter:** @Cloudflare (279,070 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/407222/ (6,898 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE: NET **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 37% Small-Business, 34% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (8 reviews) - Protection (7 reviews) - Reliability (7 reviews) - Security (7 reviews) - User Interface (6 reviews) **Cons:** - Steep Learning Curve (5 reviews) - Complexity (4 reviews) - Difficult Learning (4 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (4 reviews) - Difficult Setup (4 reviews) ### 12. [Arista NG Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/arista-ng-firewall/reviews) NG Firewall simplifies network security with a single, modular, software platform that provides a browser-based, responsive and intuitive interface enabling you to quickly gain visibility into the traffic on your network. NG Firewall delivers a comprehensive, enterprise-grade network security platform including content filtering, advanced threat protection, VPN connectivity, application-based shaping for bandwidth optimization. **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 17 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Arista Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/arista-networks-39d4d864-54b5-4f9b-bebc-dc5cf72757ca) - **Year Founded:** 2004 - **HQ Location:** Santa Clara, US - **Twitter:** @arista_channels (2,448 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/80069/ (5,422 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NYSE:ANET **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Company Size:** 59% Small-Business, 41% Mid-Market ### 13. [Juniper Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/juniper-firewall/reviews) Juniper Networks' SRX Series Firewalls are high-performance, next-generation firewalls designed to protect enterprise networks, data centers, and cloud environments. These firewalls integrate advanced security services with robust networking capabilities to deliver comprehensive threat protection and secure connectivity. Key Features and Functionality: - Next-Generation Firewall Services: The SRX Series offers application awareness, user identity recognition, and content inspection, enabling granular control over network traffic. This includes intrusion prevention systems (IPS), application security (AppSecure), and user role-based access controls. - Advanced Threat Prevention: Incorporates dynamic threat protection mechanisms such as malware sandboxing, threat intelligence feeds, and encrypted traffic insights to detect and mitigate both known and unknown threats. - Secure SD-WAN Capabilities: Provides unified control over WAN connections across various network interfaces, managing and securing MPLS, broadband, and 4G LTE links to ensure reliable and secure connectivity. - High Performance and Scalability: Designed to deliver high throughput and low latency, the SRX Series supports scalable security solutions suitable for small branch offices to large data centers. - Centralized Management: Managed via Juniper Security Director Cloud, offering a unified management experience and consistent security policy enforcement across all environments. Primary Value and Solutions Provided: The SRX Series Firewalls address the evolving security needs of modern enterprises by providing integrated, scalable, and high-performance security solutions. They protect critical assets from advanced threats, ensure secure and efficient network operations, and support the seamless adoption of cloud services. By consolidating security, routing, switching, and WAN connectivity into a single platform, the SRX Series simplifies network management and reduces operational costs, enabling organizations to focus on their core business objectives. **Average Rating:** 3.9/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 30 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 7.5/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Juniper Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/juniper-networks) - **Year Founded:** 1996 - **HQ Location:** Sunnyvale, CA - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/2240/ (9,799 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 45% Enterprise, 39% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Firewall Efficiency (1 reviews) - Versatility (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Lack of Features (1 reviews) - Poor Interface Design (1 reviews) - Poor Management (1 reviews) ### 14. [NordLayer](https://www.g2.com/products/nordlayer/reviews) NordLayer is a toggle-ready network security platform that helps businesses connect, protect, detect, and respond to cyber threats. Built on NordVPN standards, it ensures a secure and reliable connection to the internet and private company resources. NordLayer is designed for modern businesses of all sizes, offering cutting-edge business VPN, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), advanced threat protection, and threat intelligence. It helps companies meet regulatory compliance requirements and enhance cyber resilience while remaining hardware-free, scalable, and adaptable to any work model. With user-centered security and intuitive deployment, NordLayer integrates easily into any existing infrastructure, ensuring best-in-the-market protection for remote, hybrid, and on-premises teams. -- Looking for a partnership? The NordLayer Partner Program helps MSPs, resellers, and agents grow their businesses with high profit margins, dedicated training, 24/7 technical support, and no upfront investment. Learn more: nordlayer.com/partner-program **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 126 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Nord Security](https://www.g2.com/sellers/nord-security) - **Company Website:** https://nordsecurity.com/ - **Year Founded:** 2012 - **HQ Location:** Global - **Twitter:** @NordPass (9,506 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/nordsecurity/ (1,883 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** CTO - **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 56% Small-Business, 35% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (6 reviews) - Setup Ease (4 reviews) - Easy Access (3 reviews) - Easy Management (3 reviews) - Easy Setup (3 reviews) **Cons:** - Performance Issues (5 reviews) - Limited Features (4 reviews) - Connection Issues (3 reviews) - Complex Configuration (2 reviews) - Complex Setup (2 reviews) ### 15. [Barracuda CloudGen Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-cloudgen-firewall/reviews) Barracuda's Cloud Generation Firewalls redefine the role of the Firewall from a perimeter security solution to a distributed network optimization solution that scales across any number of locations and applications, connects on-premises and cloud infrastructures, and helps organizations transform their business. **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 50 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Barracuda](https://www.g2.com/sellers/barracuda) - **Year Founded:** 2002 - **HQ Location:** Campbell, CA - **Twitter:** @Barracuda (15,238 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/barracuda-networks/ (2,229 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** Private **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 56% Mid-Market, 24% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Centralized Management (2 reviews) - Features (2 reviews) - Network Connectivity (2 reviews) - Versatility (2 reviews) - Advanced Security (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Complex Configuration (2 reviews) - Compatibility Issues (1 reviews) - Complexity (1 reviews) - Dependency Issues (1 reviews) - Expensive (1 reviews) ### 16. [Netgate pfSense](https://www.g2.com/products/netgate-pfsense/reviews) pfSense® Plus software is the world’s most trusted firewall. The software has garnered the respect and adoration of users worldwide - installed well over three million times. Made possible by open source technology. Made into a robust, reliable, dependable product by Netgate. **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 317 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Netgate](https://www.g2.com/sellers/netgate) - **Year Founded:** 2002 - **HQ Location:** Austin, US - **Twitter:** @NetgateUSA (8,702 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/netgate/ (121 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 68% Small-Business, 26% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (4 reviews) - Customizability (3 reviews) - Customization (2 reviews) - Easy Setup (2 reviews) - Features (2 reviews) **Cons:** - Difficult Learning Curve (3 reviews) - Complex Configuration (2 reviews) - Expertise Required (2 reviews) - Learning Curve (2 reviews) - High Resource Usage (1 reviews) ### 17. [FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (CNF)](https://www.g2.com/products/fortigate-cloud-native-firewall-cnf/reviews) FortiGate CNF is an enterprise-grade cloud-native firewall delivered as a service. It automatically scales protection to meet the dynamic demands of your cloud environments to prevent threats such as malware, data exfiltration, botnets, and compliance violations. **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 13 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.0/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Fortinet](https://www.g2.com/sellers/fortinet) - **Year Founded:** 2000 - **HQ Location:** Sunnyvale, CA - **Twitter:** @Fortinet (151,495 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/6460/ (16,112 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NASDAQ: FTNT **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Company Size:** 46% Mid-Market, 31% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Advanced Security (1 reviews) - Deployment Ease (1 reviews) - Ease of Management (1 reviews) - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Integrations (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Dependency Issues (1 reviews) - Difficult Learning Curve (1 reviews) - Pricing Issues (1 reviews) - Slow Performance (1 reviews) - Time Consumption (1 reviews) ### 18. [Huawei Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/huawei-firewall/reviews) Huawei Enterprise is a leading global ICT solutions provider. **Average Rating:** 4.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 13 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.7/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Huawei Technologies](https://www.g2.com/sellers/huawei-technologies) - **Year Founded:** 1987 - **HQ Location:** Shenzhen, China - **Twitter:** @HuaweiEnt (412,898 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/3014/ (135,837 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 80% Mid-Market, 13% Enterprise ### 19. [SonicWall Next Generation Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sonicwall-next-generation-firewall/reviews) SonicWall real-time breach detection and prevention solutions protect more than one million networks worldwide **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 143 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [SonicWall](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sonicwall) - **Year Founded:** 1991 - **HQ Location:** Milpitas, CA - **Twitter:** @SonicWall (29,322 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/4926/ (1,951 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Who Uses This:** Network Engineer, IT Manager - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer & Network Security - **Company Size:** 61% Mid-Market, 30% Small-Business #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (3 reviews) - Performance Speed (2 reviews) - Response Speed (2 reviews) - Threat Protection (2 reviews) - Advanced Security (1 reviews) **Cons:** - System Instability (2 reviews) - Upgrade Issues (2 reviews) - Complex Configuration (1 reviews) - Complexity (1 reviews) - Connection Issues (1 reviews) ### 20. [Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews) Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly FTDv/NGFWv) is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect virtualized environments across private and public clouds. It integrates Cisco's proven network firewall capabilities with advanced threat defense features, including Snort Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), URL filtering, and malware defense. This virtualized firewall ensures consistent security policies and deep visibility into network traffic, enabling organizations to detect and mitigate threats before they impact operations. Key Features and Functionality: - Advanced Threat Defense: Combines network firewall with Snort IPS, URL filtering, and malware defense to protect against known and emerging threats. - Consistent Security Policies: Maintains uniform security policies across physical, private, and public cloud environments, ensuring seamless protection as workloads move. - Deep Network Visibility: Provides comprehensive insights into network traffic, allowing for quick detection of threat origins and activities. - Automated Risk Ranking: Prioritizes threats with automated risk rankings and impact flags, enabling efficient resource allocation to critical events. - License Portability: Offers flexibility to move from on-premises private clouds to public clouds while maintaining consistent policies and unified management. - Centralized Management: Utilizes Cisco Smart Software Licensing for easy deployment, management, and tracking of virtual firewall instances. Primary Value and User Solutions: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual addresses the need for robust security in dynamic, virtualized environments. By providing consistent security policies and deep visibility across various cloud platforms, it simplifies threat protection and management. Organizations benefit from automated threat prioritization, flexible deployment options, and centralized control, ensuring efficient and effective defense against a wide range of cyber threats. This solution is particularly valuable for businesses undergoing data center consolidation, office relocations, mergers, acquisitions, or experiencing fluctuating application demands, as it offers the agility and scalability required to adapt to changing security needs. **Average Rating:** 4.2/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 89 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Cisco](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cisco) - **Year Founded:** 1984 - **HQ Location:** San Jose, CA - **Twitter:** @Cisco (721,495 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/cisco/ (95,742 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NASDAQ:CSCO **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Telecommunications - **Company Size:** 45% Mid-Market, 42% Enterprise #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Easy Management (1 reviews) - Firewall Efficiency (1 reviews) - Network Security (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Complex Coding (1 reviews) - Complex Configuration (1 reviews) - Complexity (1 reviews) - Dependency Issues (1 reviews) - Difficult Management (1 reviews) ### 21. [Cisco Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv)](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-adaptive-security-virtual-appliance-asav/reviews) Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance is a virtualized network security solution based on the market-leading Cisco ASA 5500-X Series firewalls. **Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 17 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Cisco](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cisco) - **Year Founded:** 1984 - **HQ Location:** San Jose, CA - **Twitter:** @Cisco (721,495 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/cisco/ (95,742 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NASDAQ:CSCO **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Company Size:** 41% Mid-Market, 29% Enterprise ### 22. [GlassWire Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/glasswire-firewall/reviews) GlassWire's next generation visual firewall helps you easily see detailed network activity with your devices in real-time. Our software is very easy to use and set up. **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 49 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.6/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [GlassWire](https://www.g2.com/sellers/glasswire) - **Year Founded:** 2014 - **HQ Location:** Austin, TX - **Twitter:** @GlassWire (9,170 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/glasswire/ (3 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Computer & Network Security, Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 70% Small-Business, 26% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Monitoring (1 reviews) ### 23. [Avast Small Business Cybersecurity](https://www.g2.com/products/avast-small-business-cybersecurity/reviews) Avast delivers all-in-one cybersecurity solutions, protecting over 400 million users. Our Endpoint Protection solutions like Next-gen Antivirus and automated Patch Management work together to protect your devices, data, and applications - saving both time and money. **Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 99 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Gen Digital](https://www.g2.com/sellers/gen-digital) - **Year Founded:** 2022 - **HQ Location:** Tempe, Arizona - **Twitter:** @GenDigitalInc (4,487 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/gendigitalinc (3,421 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NASDAQ: GEN **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software - **Company Size:** 63% Small-Business, 25% Mid-Market #### Pros & Cons **Pros:** - Centralized Management (1 reviews) - Dashboard Usability (1 reviews) - Deployment Ease (1 reviews) - Easy Management (1 reviews) - Efficiency (1 reviews) **Cons:** - Alert Issues (1 reviews) - Configuration Issues (1 reviews) ### 24. [Check Point ZoneAlarm for Business](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-zonealarm-for-business/reviews) ZoneAlarm solutions provide enterprise-level security to protect PC and mobile devices for small businesses and consumers. **Average Rating:** 4.2/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 22 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Check Point Software Technologies](https://www.g2.com/sellers/check-point-software-technologies) - **Year Founded:** 1993 - **HQ Location:** Redwood City, CA - **Twitter:** @CheckPointSW (70,998 Twitter followers) - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/check-point-software-technologies/ (8,356 employees on LinkedIn®) - **Ownership:** NASDAQ:CHKP **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 38% Small-Business, 35% Enterprise ### 25. [Comodo Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/comodo-firewall/reviews) A Personal Firewall controls network communication in and out of a single users computer and will restrict the communication based on security policies. **Average Rating:** 4.0/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 35 **User Satisfaction Scores:** - **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Availability:** 7.7/10 (Category avg: 8.9/10) - **Intrusion Prevention:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10) - **Continuous Analysis:** 7.6/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10) **Seller Details:** - **Seller:** [Xcitium](https://www.g2.com/sellers/xcitium) - **Year Founded:** 2018 - **HQ Location:** Clifton, NJ - **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/163167/ (676 employees on LinkedIn®) **Reviewer Demographics:** - **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services - **Company Size:** 74% Small-Business, 13% Enterprise ## Parent Category [Network Security Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/network-security) ## Related Categories - [Antivirus Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/antivirus) - [Unified Threat Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/unified-threat-management-utm) - [Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/intrusion-detection-and-prevention-systems-idps) --- ## Buyer Guide ### What You Should Know About Firewall Software ### What is Firewall Software? Firewalls are a key aspect of network security. Firewall solutions are implemented to dictate incoming and outgoing network traffic using a mix of security rules created by the network administration team. By setting restrictions like access authorization and allowed/blocked websites, businesses create a barrier between their own protected network and untrusted external servers and sites. Firewalls can vary greatly in their complexity, but their overall purpose remains the same. Small businesses implement simpler solutions due to a smaller scope of protection and less overall data needing to be protected. In contrast, enterprise firewalls are typically extensive, with complex rule sets to protect hundreds of devices and huge quantities of data. Key Benefits of Firewall Software - Protection at network and endpoint levels - Improved data security - Event reporting and analysis ### Why Use Firewall Software? Firewalls are a core aspect of network security. In many ways the gatekeepers of network traffic, firewalls help prevent unwanted visitors into your network and also can prevent in-network users from accessing potentially dangerous websites or servers. Regardless of the size of a business, firewall software is an important step in protecting a business’ data and any devices on the network. As the digital age continues to evolve, the importance of using a firewall solution will grow significantly. ### Who Uses Firewall Software? Digital security teams are a company’s main users of firewall solutions. Particularly, network administrators will have the greatest control and use, since firewalls are, by design, targeted towards securing networks from undesired intrusions. Network management and network security usually take specific training, experience, and certification. This is what limits who has access to firewall software in a business setting. ### Kinds of Firewall Software Firewall software can be built for a variety of deployment options, each suited to a different need. **Hardware —** Most options on this site will not provide hardware security as their main functionality (aside from securing individual endpoints), but some firewall solutions will have this functionality available as an offering. **Endpoints and Software —** Endpoint and software firewalls will protect user devices and applications from malware and hackers. These are some of the most common firewalls available. Some of these tools will include a cloud firewall, but most cloud-focused tools can be found in our [cloud security software](http://www.g2.com/categories/cloud-security) category. **Virtual —** Virtualized environments will be a little trickier since there are many variations and factors, but many firewall solutions can adapt to a range of virtualized environments. Some may focus directly on virtualized environments due to their more specialized needs for protection. ### Firewall Software Features **Access Control —** Firewall solutions act as the gatekeeper for network access to users and the internet. Access and authentication rules only allow authorized users to enter the network, and from there, they are restricted to whatever servers and websites are not filtered out. **Custom Restriction —** With firewall software, network admins have the ability to dictate what websites and servers users on the network are allowed to access. This can be set strictly to block non-business-related websites, but it can also be used to block servers or IP addresses of known or potential threats. **Alerting —** If an unauthorized access attempt occurs, firewall solutions will send an alert to network admins detailing the breach. This can help network admins understand potential threat sources, as well as who within a network may be trying to access sources they should not be. **Automation —** Part of the benefit of firewall software is the ability to automate some of the more menial tasks of network administration. Firewall solutions can automate monitoring tasks and rule-testing, leaving time for administrators to focus on more pressing network issues and tasks. **Reporting —** Reporting can be an incredibly helpful component to a company’s security practices. Some tools will document all kinds of historical data, from logins and access points to penetration attempts and security failures, but others provide little documentation for a network’s security history. If a business has a dedicated security staff, consider getting the tightest security for sensitive data, and invest in a solution with in-depth reporting features that provide insight on vulnerability points, event outcomes, and unapproved access attempts. #### Additional Firewall Software Features **Integration Capabilities —** Check prospective products’ integrations lists to see how they match up with your company’s existing IT strategy and software. Various integrations and plugins can provide a vast array of needed functions, from device support and content filtering to data integration and dashboards. Other tools may help security staff build custom dashboards to improve monitoring and reporting. Content filtering is another integration that can prevent users from accessing unapproved websites or visiting dangerous links hidden in emails. ### Trends Related to Firewall Software **Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) Solutions —** NGFW solutions are the newest and most all-encompassing firewall solutions available. They provide increased inspection and filtering capabilities to improve reporting and restrict unauthorized access. These tools use features like packet filtering, traffic inspection, and identity management integration. They are likely more expensive than traditional firewall solutions but may equal out in cost through their improved threat prevention. **Firewalls and Artificial Intelligence (AI) —** AI and machine learning have been invaluable integrations into a variety of security software, most heavily in threat intelligence and detection. Companies are experimenting now with AI integration into firewall solutions as a more proactive and evolving threat defense that provides greater overall network security. ### Potential Issues with Firewall Software **Range of Devices —** This era has made the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practice incredibly popular for businesses of all sizes. The range of laptops, tablets, phones, and other smart devices raises a number of vulnerability concerns. When looking into firewall solutions, be sure they support the range of devices used. If there are a few missing, consider enforcing stricter BYOD guidelines to allow only approved devices. If a company doesn’t practice BYOD, be sure the devices distributed to employees are supported by any potential firewall solutions. **Over-Restriction —** Firewall solutions allow network administrators to set as strict or relaxed policies as a business would need. But tightening the reins with firewall solutions, while more secure, can also potentially inhibit the ability to perform certain business needs by shutting off access to certain servers or web domains. Be sure that, when implementing a firewall, restrictions do not become inhibitors of productivity. **Outdated Security Measures —** Port-based rules built on firewalls are becoming particularly difficult to enforce in the digital age. Applications and traffic now use SSL or default to any open port to make connections, which makes older port-based rules futile. When implementing firewall solutions, consider taking a more broad approach to security rules and not constructing as many rules focused on specific port traffic. ### Software and Services Related to Firewall Software [**Secure Email Gateways Software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/secure-email-gateway) **—** Secure email gateways and secure web gateways help limit user access to dangerous content. This could mean protecting against anything from risky websites to phishing emails. Some firewall solutions provide or integrate with secure gateways, but many don’t. Since human error is most often the cause of security failures, consider these features to limit potentially hazardous content from accessing the network. [**Web Application Firewall (WAF) Software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/web-application-firewall-waf) **—** In a similar function to a standard firewall, WAF solutions focus specifically on protecting interactions that go through web applications. Some firewall solutions may natively include this functionality, but others leave this function for dedicated WAF solutions to handle. [**Identity Management Software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/identity-management) **—** Many firewall tools integrate with identity management software to help manage access better. This includes options like single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication as ways to ensure only authorized users are able to access information.