--- title: Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Reviews meta\_title: 'Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta\_description: Filter 92 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall works for a business like yours. aggregate\_rating: rating\_value: 4.3 review\_count: 92 scale: '5' date\_modified: '2026-08-09' parent\_category: name: Network Security url: https://www.g2.com/categories/network-security --- # Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Reviews & Product Details Claimed ###### Profile Status This profile is currently managed by Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall but has limited features. Are you part of the Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall team? [Upgrade your plan](https://sell.g2.com) to enhance your branding and engage with visitors to your profile! 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. * * * Seller [Palo Alto Networks](https://www.g2.com/sellers/palo-alto-networks) Discussions [Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Community](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/discuss) Languages Supported German, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional) Solution Type Best-of-Breed Overview by Suzi Jacobs Show More ## Value at a Glance Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 3 months ### Return on Investment 13 months [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/pricing) ## Top-Rated Alternatives [ ![Sophos Firewall](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Sophos Firewall") Sophos Firewall 4.7/5(869) ](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) [ ![Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)") Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) 4.5/5(594) ](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) [ ![Netgate pfSense](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Netgate pfSense") Netgate pfSense 4.7/5(326) ](https://www.g2.com/products/netgate-pfsense/reviews) [ View All Alternatives ](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/competitors/alternatives) ## User Insights Average based on 92 real user reviews. Implementation Time 3 months Perceived Cost $$$$$ [Log in to unlock pricing and user insights](/login) ## Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Integrations (6) What do users say about integrations? Integration information sourced from real user reviews. [ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) ](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-application-centric-infrastructure-aci/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) ](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-identity-services-engine-ise/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") FortiSIEM ](https://www.g2.com/products/fortisiem/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Nutanix Database Services ](https://www.g2.com/products/nutanix-database-services/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Palo Alto Networks Panorama ](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-panorama/reviews)[ ![Product Avatar Image](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Product Avatar Image") Wazuh ](https://www.g2.com/products/wazuh/reviews) Show More ![Cristian C.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Cristian C.") CC Cristian C. Administrador Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 8/25/2025 "Flexible virtual firewall with strong security features" 5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? The most helpful aspect of the VM-Series is its flexibility in virtualized environments. It allows us to enforce consistent security policies across multiple cloud and on-premises instances, giving strong visibility into traffic and applications. Automated threat detection and AI-driven alerts help us respond to incidents faster, reducing the time spent on manual monitoring. The integration with our existing cloud infrastructure has also simplified management and improved overall efficiency. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? The initial deployment can be complex, especially when scaling across multiple virtual networks. Fine-tuning policies and integrating with other monitoring tools took longer than expected, requiring extra training for the team. Pricing can become significant as the number of virtual instances grows. While the firewall is powerful, the documentation could be more user-friendly for first-time administrators. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? The VM-Series Virtual Firewall has helped us centralize security across multiple virtualized environments, including cloud and on-premises workloads. Before using it, managing separate firewalls for each instance created inefficiencies and increased the risk of misconfigurations. Now we can enforce consistent policies, detect threats faster, and reduce manual monitoring. This has improved our incident response times and overall confidence in network security. However, setting up complex policies and integrating with existing monitoring tools still requires extra effort, and scaling the solution can increase costs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Defense & Space](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Defense & Space") CD Verified User in Defense & Space Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 1/20/2026 "Consistent On-Prem and Cloud Security with Deep App Awareness" 4/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? What I like most about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall is the consistency it brings between on-premises and cloud security. The same App-ID, User-ID and Threat Prevention capabilities available on physical firewalls are preserved in virtualized and cloud environments. This makes it easier to enforce uniform security policies, reduce operational complexity, and integrate with centralized management. Its deep application awareness, strong threat intelligence, and cloud-native deployment models enable strong security controls without sacrificing visibility or control in dynamic cloud architectures. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? One of the main downsides of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall is its cost and licensing complexity, which can be challenging, especially in highly large-scale cloud environments. Additionally, performance tuning and sizing require careful planning, as improper instance selection can lead to unexpected throughput limitations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall helps us address the complexity of securing hybrid cloud environments while maintaining the same security posture as on-premises. It solves challenges around consistent traffic inspection, east-west and north-south visibility, advanced threat prevention, and granular application-level control in the cloud. By using VM-Series, we benefit from centralized policy management, uniform security controls across data centers and cloud workloads, improved compliance, and reduced operational risk when scaling or redesigning cloud architectures. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerSource: G2 invite ![Oluwaseun A.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Oluwaseun A.") OA Oluwaseun A. 11/4/2025 "Seamless Deployment with Robust Security" 4.5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? I really appreciate the ease of configuration provided by the Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall. The user interface and experience (UI/UX) make it very straightforward and intuitive for someone like me to configure and manage the firewall effectively. This seamless interface significantly aids in deploying the firewall into our infrastructure without much hassle. Additionally, the support from Palo Alto Networks during deployment was invaluable, allowing us to implement the firewall quickly and efficiently. The integration into our network was smooth, enhancing our productivity by enabling us to perform large configurations and then focus our efforts on other tasks. Overall, this firewall is incredibly efficient and productive, ensuring we're able to perform our security functions effectively as a team. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? I feel that the integration of more AI capabilities into the Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall could significantly elevate its functionality. Although there are current functions that touch on this, a more comprehensive AI integration would enhance the ability to analyze incoming logs and automatically generate a visual representation of the network's status. This would be incredibly beneficial for quickly understanding what's happening within the network and for generating management and board reports without needing to manually interpret raw data or logs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? I use Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall for deep packet filtering, enhancing our security by blocking outside threats and analyzing traffic logs. It simplifies configuration and deployment, making our work more efficient and productive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Bisrateab G.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Bisrateab G.") BG Bisrateab G. Cyber Security officer Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 9/13/2025 "It has good Performance" 4.5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? I like that the VM-Series offers strong security features such as advanced application and user identification, along with effective threat prevention including malware and zero-day attack detection. Its ability to provide detailed visibility and control over network traffic in virtual and cloud environments is a major advantage. The firewall’s flexibility to deploy across different cloud platforms and virtual infrastructures makes it very adaptable to various environments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? The main downsides are the relatively high licensing and subscription costs, which can add up over time. There is also a steep learning curve for teams new to the platform, making setup and optimization complex. Performance can be limited by the host environment, especially under heavy traffic or with many security features enabled. Additionally, some users find the interface less responsive and troubleshooting can be challenging in complex deployments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solves critical security challenges in virtualized and cloud environments by providing advanced threat prevention, granular visibility, and consistent policy enforcement across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures. It addresses the problem of securing dynamic workloads that traditional physical firewalls can’t easily protect, enabling organizations to maintain strong security posture while scaling their operations flexibly. This benefits me by ensuring that network traffic is closely monitored and controlled, reducing the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. It also simplifies management through centralized control, saving time and effort while improving compliance and operational efficiency. Overall, it helps protect valuable assets without slowing down business growth or complicating cloud adoption. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 11/4/2025 Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Mwawai H.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Mwawai H.") MH Mwawai H. Information Security Engineer Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 11/3/2025 "A powerful Firewall with excellent results but high cost and complex setup" 4/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? What i like best about Palo Alto Network VM- Series Virtual Firewall is that it is easy to implement and use. The interface in place its so interactive hence one is able to manage and create policies across the cloud and virtual environments. The integration with third parties application for instance AWS , Azure makes is more viable in deployment in hybrid setups. The customer support is very reliable in managing the tickets raised with no delay which helps me having to use it all the time whenever i face any challenges. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? What i dislike about VM-Series is that it is complex to setup ,configure and manage it especially for new users and performance depends on the size of the cloud. However it is still used the licensing is expensive making it impossible for smaller teams with limited resources. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? It has protected me against cloud workloads from cyber threats because of its advanced threat prevention and visibility across network traffic which reduces data breaches and security risks Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite SH Seid H. Senior Network Security Engineer Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 12/16/2025 "Consistent Security and Powerful Cloud Integration" 4.5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? What I like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall is: Consistent NGFW security across on-prem and cloud App-ID, User-ID, and Threat Prevention for deep visibility and control Strong cloud and automation support (AWS, Azure, GCP, Terraform, APIs) Centralized management with Panorama Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? What I dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall: High cost, especially with licenses and subscriptions Complex initial setup for new users Resource-intensive (needs strong CPU/RAM for good performance) Throughput depends heavily on cloud instance sizing Advanced features require multiple licenses Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solves: Inconsistent security in cloud and on-prem → same NGFW policies everywhere Lack of visibility → app- and user-level control Cloud security gaps → protects virtual workloads Manual deployments → automation and central management Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Our network of Icons are G2 members who are recognized for their outstanding contributions and commitment to helping others through their expertise.G2 IconValidated ReviewerSource: G2 invite ![Teddy T.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Teddy T.") TT Teddy T. Enteprise Network and Cybersecurity Team Lead Computer & Network Security Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 9/16/2025 "A top-tier security product, rarely seen,yet vital for strengthening Africa’s digital transformation" 4.5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? I like the fact that VM series firewall delivers the same full enterprise-grade security functionality as appliance-based solutions, but with instant deployment, avoiding the challenges of international shipping and customs clearance in East Africa, especially Ethiopia. It requires no rack space and also offers flexibility to scale with our country’s dynamic economy, because it allows you to start small and expand as needed. Its intuitive, easy-to-learn GUI is also one of my favorite features. Overall, it’s the best security solution you can get without the logistical headaches Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? One of the things I dislike is the complex licensing model, which can be difficult for some of our customers, along with the high product price and mandatory annual subscriptions. For a country with a weaker economy like ours, securing foreign currency (USD/forex) for these payments is a major challenge. Related to this, the VM series sometimes lags when applying configurations, even after allocating significant resources, which can be frustrating. Another major challenge for Palo Alto in general is the lack of a true local presence. There is a demand for these solutions in Africa, and I would like to see Palo Alto engage more actively in East Africa, especially Ethiopia. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall is helping us deal with the logistical and cost challenges of deploying appliance-based firewalls in Ethiopia. International shipping and customs clearance are one of the major barriers in our region that slow down projects, but with the VM-Series we get full enterprise-grade security functionality through instant deployment without those challenges. the VM products flexibility feature to start small and scale as our infrastructure grows is also valuable, especially in a dynamic economy like Ethiopia’s. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Thomas G.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Thomas G.") TG Thomas G. Treat and Vulnerability expert Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 9/5/2025 "I have Experiences in Cortex" 5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? It seamlessly integrates with cloud environments, offering consistent protection across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures. The VM-Series provides robust threat prevention, deep traffic inspection, and granular application control without compromising performance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? Additionally, the initial learning curve and complexity of the platform can be challenging for teams new to Palo Alto’s ecosystem. Improved documentation or more simplified setup guides could help speed up deployment for some users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? It effectively solves problems related to securing dynamic workloads, controlling application traffic, and preventing advanced cyber threats across hybrid infrastructures. By integrating seamlessly with our existing Cortex software, we benefit from enhanced threat intelligence and automated response capabilities, which improve our overall security posture and streamline incident management. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Nicolaos N.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Nicolaos N.") NN Nicolaos N. Connectivity & Provisioning Engineer Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 9/18/2025 "A deep review of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall" 5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? One thing i like a lot that it does not lack any features from physical firewalls, almost everything you have and need in physical FW, you can have it on VM-Series. Also i like the depth of the security it provides. Deep pack inspection, user/device context, URL filtering, DNS Security and the list goes on, are must features for any company that takes cybersecurity serioysly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? I don't like that in VMware ESXi only certain drivers are supported and i dont like the fact, that except that i think that fully deployment is kinda expensive, also required a lot of resources (CPU, RAM etc) to meet performance requirement. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? The number one problem it solves is about security, more specifically cloud enviromenent without missing any feature or policy from traditional FW. A plus is the deep inspection and monitoring in applications/users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Mohamed H.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Mohamed H.") MH Mohamed H. Senior Security Engineer Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 9/5/2025 "It's stable" 3.5/5 What do you like best about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? Stability of the palo alto and reliability of the palo series also the GUI is more easy to use . Also the palo Alto give us more functions that can be use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall? That the virtual PaloAlto firewall isn't on premises so it can be attacked by hacker more than the Hardware PaloAlto firewall. Also the OS need to be more smoothly to upgrade. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall solving and how is that benefiting you? It can be functional easily to user and can use the user id . And easy to improve without needing to upgrade the hardware chase or the box all we need is the certificate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ## Pricing Insights Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 3 months ### Return on Investment 13 months ### Average Discount 11% [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/pricing) Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Comparisons ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_8b3109519c061f3739371275d691098a/palo-alto-networks-cloud-ngfw.png "Product Avatar Image") Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW 4.3/5(142) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/palo-alto-networks-cloud-ngfw-vs-palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_4e2b08dd17397bdc99a5658447cbc589/azure-web-application-firewall.jpg "Product Avatar Image") Azure Web Application Firewall 4.4/5(31) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-web-application-firewall-vs-palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_4e2b08dd17397bdc99a5658447cbc589/azure-firewall.jpg "Product Avatar Image") Azure Firewall 4.5/5(31) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/azure-firewall-vs-palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall) ##### ##### Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Virtual Firewall Features Prevention Firewall Security hardening Detection Anti-Malware / Malware Detection Administration Policy Management Logging and Reporting Application Gateway Monitoring Load Balancing Continuous Analysis Intrusion Prevention [ View More Features ](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/features) ##### Categories on G2 [Firewall Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/firewall-software)[Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/intrusion-detection-and-prevention-systems-idps) ##### Explore More [What platform offers the best integration with productivity tools?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-platform-offers-the-best-integration-with-productivity-tools)[Top-rated estimating platforms for large construction firms](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-estimating-platforms-are-top-rated-for-large-construction-firms)[Which client portal offers the most customization options?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-client-portal-offers-the-most-customization-options) [Classroom Messaging](https://www.g2.com/glossary/classroom-messaging-definition)[Popular product information management software options](https://www.g2.com/discussions/popular-product-information-management-software-options)[Pros and Cons Details](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-vm-series-virtual-firewall/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) [Show MoreShow Less](javascript:void(0);)