# Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Comparison - What are their main differences? 

At a Glance

Star Rating

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**[

4.2/5(93)

](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews#reviews)

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall** [

4.3/5(92)

](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews#reviews)

Market Segments

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**
Mid-Market (43.8% of reviews)

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall**
Enterprise (44.0% of reviews)

Pros & Cons

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**
[
Ease of Use (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1168036&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Easy Management (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1168006&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Complex Coding (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1167998&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Complex Configuration (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1168029&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall**
[
Features (18)
](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2008021&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Threat Protection (18)
](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2008023&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (26)
](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2008010&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Difficult Learning Curve (11)
](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2031698&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Entry-Level Pricing

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**
No pricing available

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall**
No pricing available

Summary

AI Generated Summary

AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.

- **G2 reviewers report** that Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall excels in providing consistent security across both on-premises and cloud environments, making it a preferred choice for organizations looking for comprehensive protection. Users appreciate features like App-ID and User-ID for enhanced visibility and control.
- **Users say** that Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual offers robust protection against advanced threats, particularly for businesses with multiple branch locations or cloud-based applications. Its scalability and ease of use are frequently highlighted, with one user noting its "simple to understand interface."
- **Reviewers mention** that Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall stands out for its strong cloud and automation support, particularly with platforms like AWS and Azure. This capability is crucial for organizations looking to streamline their security management in cloud environments.
- **According to verified reviews** , Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual is praised for its high-quality support, with users rating it highly in this area. This level of support can be a significant advantage for businesses that require reliable assistance during implementation and ongoing management.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that while both products have similar ratings for ease of use, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall edges ahead with a more intuitive user interface, making configuration and management straightforward for users, especially those less experienced in firewall management.
- **Users report** that Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual has a strong performance in specific security features like logging and reporting, which are crucial for compliance and monitoring. However, the overall user satisfaction is lower compared to Palo Alto Networks, indicating a potential area for improvement.

Pricing

Entry-Level Pricing

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)
No pricing available

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall**

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall
No pricing available

Free Trial

**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)**

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)
No trial information available

**Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall**

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall
No trial information available

Ratings

Meets Requirements

8.8

83

8.8

85

Ease of Use

8.1

82

8.3

86

Ease of Setup

7.4

51

8.2

82

Ease of Admin

7.7

49

8.5

63

Quality of Support

9.1

74

8.3

82

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

8.8

47

8.6

63

Product Direction (% positive)

7.5

83

9.4

82

Features by Category

Network Security[Hide 40 FeaturesShow 40 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Penetration Testing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Audit Trail

Not enough data

Not enough data

Anti Virus

Not enough data

Not enough data

Vulnerability Scanning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Remote Monitoring & Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

VPN

Not enough data

Not enough data

Behavior Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Patch Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Event Logs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Anomaly/Malware Detection

Not enough data

Not enough data

DNS Leak Protection

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Server Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compliance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Network Provisioning

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Email Alerts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Security Auditing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Intrusion Detection System

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Visualization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Two-Factor Authentication

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Firewalls

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Anti Spam

Not enough data

Not enough data

Threat Response

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Risk Alerts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Loss Prevention

Not enough data

Not enough data

Single Sign On

Not enough data

Not enough data

Intrusion Prevention System

Not enough data

Not enough data

Secure Login

Not enough data

Not enough data

Policy Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)[Hide 14 FeaturesShow 14 Features](javascript:void(0);)

9.5

6

8.8

37

Prevention

Intrusion Prevention

9.3(won by 0.1)

5

9.2

36

Firewall

Not enough data

9.2(won by default)

37

Encryption

9.7(won by 0.5)

5

9.2

35

Security hardening

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

36

Cloud Data Protection

9.7(won by 0.9)

5

8.8

32

Detection

Intrusion Detection

9.3(won by 0.3)

5

9.0

36

Security Monitoring

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

35

Anti-Malware / Malware Detection

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

36

Administration

Compliance

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

35

Administration Console -

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

36

API / integrations

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

35

Generative AI

AI Text Summarization

Not enough data

7.7(won by default)

11

Agentic AI - Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

5

Proactive Assistance

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

5

Firewall Software[Hide 62 FeaturesShow 62 Features](javascript:void(0);)

9.3

16

8.7

70

Administration

Policy Management

8.6

13

8.8(won by 0.2)

69

Logging and Reporting

9.6(won by 0.7)

12

8.9

68

Application Gateway

9.2(won by 0.6)

11

8.6

67

Concurrent Sessions

9.2(won by 0.5)

11

8.7

66

Uptime Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Web Traffic Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compliance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Incident Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Audit Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Remote Monitoring & Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - Firewall Software

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

12

Adaptive Learning

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

11

AI/Machine Learning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Functionality

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

9.6(won by 0.8)

13

8.8

64

Antivirus

9.3(won by 0.5)

12

8.8

65

URL Filtering

9.4(won by 0.4)

12

9.0

64

Availability

8.9

12

9.0(won by 0.1)

65

IP Filtering

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Filtering

Not enough data

Not enough data

Monitoring

Load Balancing

9.2(won by 0.5)

10

8.7

65

Continuous Analysis

9.2(won by 0.5)

12

8.7

65

Intrusion Prevention

9.5(won by 0.6)

13

8.9

68

Intrusion Detection

9.4(won by 0.5)

12

8.9

65

Intrusion Detection System

Not enough data

Not enough data

Intrusion Prevention System

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

AI Text Summarization

Not enough data

7.9(won by default)

17

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Artificial Intelligence - Firewall

AI Firewall

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

14

Additional Functionality

Spam Blocker

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Escalation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Role-Based Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Network Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Visual Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Anti Spam

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Hardware Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Summary Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Server Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Two-Factor Authentication

Not enough data

Not enough data

Log Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Location

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Behavior Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Event Logs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Vulnerability Scanning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Risk Alerts

Not enough data

Not enough data

Single Sign On

Not enough data

Not enough data

Dashboard Creation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

AWS Marketplace[Hide 3 FeaturesShow 3 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - AWS Marketplace

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-step Planning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reviews

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/bac35b1c7d560638b47c46bddb26a15c/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv.svg "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 NGFWv)

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

13.5%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

43.8%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

42.7%

[![Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/f6a3d45d41e697437b84a2340cfee124/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall.svg "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

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

26.4%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

29.7%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

44.0%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

13.5%

26.4%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

43.8%

29.7%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

42.7%

44.0%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/bac35b1c7d560638b47c46bddb26a15c/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv.svg "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 NGFWv)

Information Technology and Services

18.0%

Higher Education

6.7%

Telecommunications

6.7%

Computer Software

5.6%

Hospital & Health Care

4.5%

Other

58.4%

[![Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/f6a3d45d41e697437b84a2340cfee124/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall.svg "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

Computer & Network Security

17.6%

Information Technology and Services

16.5%

Consulting

5.5%

Computer Software

5.5%

Insurance

4.4%

Other

50.5%

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**Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Alternatives**

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