Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Secure Firewall
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Secure Firewall delivers comprehensive threat protection for modern, distributed networks. Built to support hybrid workforces and multicloud environments, it enables Zero Trust access, application visibility, and secure remote connectivity. With integration across the Cisco Secure portfolio, including SecureX and Talos threat intelligence, the firewall powers organizations to detect and stop more sophisticated threats. Centralized management simplifies policy enforcement, orchestration,…N/A
Security Onion
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Security Onion is a free and open source Linux distribution for threat hunting, enterprise security monitoring, and log management, developed by the company of the same name in Evans. Their products include both the Security Onion software and specialized hardware appliances that are built and tested to run Security Onion. The company also offers paid support and training services.N/A
WatchGuard Network Security
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
WatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services designed for SMB’s.N/A
Pricing
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Support
Contact sales team
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Basic Security
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Total Security
Contact sales team
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Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Free Trial
YesNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Considered Multiple Products
Cisco Secure Firewall

No answer on this topic

Security Onion

No answer on this topic

WatchGuard Network Security
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
In comparison with other network security companies and its services', WatchGuard Network Security seems to be a more economic choice for our customers needs
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security integrates multiple security functionalities (firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention, antivirus, application control, etc.) into a unified platform. This integration simplifies management, enhances visibility, and ensures consistent policy enforcement …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard has in the past always been one step ahead of new security needs for network perimeters. They have managed to do this, and continue to have high throughput with all security turned on, while many of its competitors will not show you what [their] speed is with all …
Features
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Firewall
Comparison of Firewall features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Secure Firewall
8.2
171 Ratings
5% below category average
Security Onion
-
Ratings
WatchGuard Network Security
8.5
522 Ratings
1% below category average
Identification Technologies8.1153 Ratings00 Ratings8.8478 Ratings
Visualization Tools7.8154 Ratings00 Ratings7.3472 Ratings
Content Inspection8.3153 Ratings00 Ratings8.5503 Ratings
Policy-based Controls8.5161 Ratings00 Ratings9.2518 Ratings
Active Directory and LDAP7.9140 Ratings00 Ratings8.6439 Ratings
Firewall Management Console8.0160 Ratings00 Ratings8.5510 Ratings
Reporting and Logging7.7162 Ratings00 Ratings7.6506 Ratings
VPN8.7145 Ratings00 Ratings9.2500 Ratings
High Availability8.9156 Ratings00 Ratings8.7453 Ratings
Stateful Inspection8.7152 Ratings00 Ratings8.5466 Ratings
Proxy Server7.785 Ratings00 Ratings8.5335 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Small Businesses
pfSense
pfSense
Score 8.7 out of 10
LevelBlue USM Anywhere
LevelBlue USM Anywhere
Score 7.6 out of 10
pfSense
pfSense
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.2 out of 10
CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike Falcon
Score 9.1 out of 10
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Score 9.1 out of 10
CrowdStrike Falcon
CrowdStrike Falcon
Score 9.1 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(142 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
8.6
(523 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.4
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(39 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(120 ratings)
Availability
9.5
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(6 ratings)
Performance
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(6 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(78 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(30 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(5 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(266 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(5 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.3
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(5 ratings)
Product Scalability
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(6 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Secure FirewallSecurity OnionWatchGuard Network Security
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
We can create personalised policies for our environments. Support every type of old and new environments for deployments and integration. It is necessary for managing hybrid networks where network security is mandatory. Ensure better control of our networks to handle all the issues. I would rate it 9/10. So, my team always suggested it.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
Security Onion works well for setting up within a Linux environment. This brings a new platform to run and maintain though. The application its self has helped to keep track of logs and vulnerabilities in the environment. Alert triage and case creation is simple to start and follow through to the end.
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WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard Network Security is a true next generation firewall vendor, and they are constantly improving their products. The account management is engaged, and support is responsive and knowledgeable. We've had consistent quality experiences with deployment and warranty response. The feature set is robust and effective when properly configured. Any questions or concerns with configuration have always been handled efficiently and effectively. They've been a great vendor to partner with.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Cisco's firewall actually does its job of blocking what it is supposed to block. We had an old Firewall that led to slippages. Cisco catches 97% of malware and vulnerabilities during testing. For Coitiar, that means an engineer who clicks a link with malware is handled quickly.
  • We actually tested if failovers would affect running sessions. We pulled our primary unit during a certification submission period. The firewall just switched, and the connection kept running.
  • The AI assistant in policy management is excellent, and for our lean team, it makes the whole process easy and efficient. I don't have to audit 200 policies manually; the AI steps in and does its thing.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
  • GUI
  • Support
  • Easy of use
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • Incoming Torrent attempts were blocked, but outgoing (by a user) were permitted. Similarly, other direct attempts were summarily blocked.
  • provides full administrative support for analysis of usage and scope.
  • strong Wi-Fi support and security - area wi-fi maps
  • They think of all the things secure and I don't have to worry about it.
  • I have not identified anything else that needs improvement - I am well satisfied.
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Cons
Cisco
  • I mean I think a lot of the technology with managing them is getting better. There's a few cons to the new firewall management console. You can't sort through routes or I think you can with interfaces now, but there's a few caveats that they haven't really worked out yet, but they're implementing AI into it, so it's getting to be a lot easier to use.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
  • Requires Linux
  • Training
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • Better integration with VoIP services, such as templates for policies handling traffic for Bria or Asterisk endponts and servers.
  • Get webblocker to work without breaking secure websites.
  • Lower cost on endpoint agents for antivirus and include application control and webblocker with the agents.
  • Make the cost per endpoint with TDR and Netowrk access control lower than the cost of Antivirus licensing that is not integrated.
  • Make it easier to set up network access control and VLAN assignment by device, perhaps with templates.
  • Get webblocker and application control working with QUIC.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
It works really well. We can do most anything we want or need to with it, and you don’t have to have a doctorate or multiple certs to necessarily figure it out. The thing that would probably have to happen to make us switch would be if we just got priced out - Cisco’s more powerful and higher bandwidth models cost a pretty penny.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
I'm giving this note to WatchGuard Network Security due to its ease of daily support (after acquiring necessary knowledge in the solution), which allows agility in configuration changes, its integration of several reliable security features (such as SSL VPN, VPN Virtual Interfaces between companies, and others) and functional and stability in operation, with no downtime in the equipment due to problems or malfunctions
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Usability
Cisco
i think overall after ALOT of tac cases it works allright now. But still have alot of issues if you use cloud based mangement. fx, if you open 2 windows of access policys, both of the pages, rules starte to jump form side to side. if you then open one more list, its start to jump even faster. if you close the 2 of them, its back to normal. ALSO the extended access lists for VPN, SUCKS. Its the tiniest window when opening the editor, and you are not able to give the rules names, Which means finding and editing rules SUCKS, its a horrible experience, and eveytime we have to we want to yell :P
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
Although it might take some time to figure out, we have been able to use WatchGuard's online reference library and tech support to create/implement/modify all of our filtering rules and exceptions needed. There really has not been a shortcoming other than perhaps a learning curve.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
Rationale:


Strengths:


High availability (HA) and failover configurations ensure continuous operation during hardware or network issues.


Minimal unplanned outages reported; system remains responsive under full inspection load.


Centralized monitoring and proactive alerts help prevent downtime.




Minor Considerations:


Occasional maintenance windows or updates may require brief service interruptions.


Complex integrations with other systems may sometimes require extra attention to maintain uptime.




Overall, Cisco Secure Firewall is highly available and dependable, supporting business continuity and operational resilience.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
Availability has always been a strong point of this product, it is rare that watchguard does not have a solution for customers' network monitoring needs.
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Performance
Cisco
We have not had any performance issues with Cisco Secure Firewall, even with DPI and IPS enabled, we have not seen a performance hit. Emoployes have not complained about any slow network speeds that could have been attributed to the secure firewall it has always been something else within the office network.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
The performance of WatchGuard Network Security is very good, in the years that we have used the solution we have only had a single error and Watchguard itself was able to solve it. Furthermore, when purchasing any product, the partner always evaluates the capacity of the solution to recommend the most appropriate product for our needs.
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Support Rating
Cisco
Firewall support is professional just like any other technology Cisco sells. From answering simple questions to bringing out outages affecting a large population of our workforce, Cisco support is always courteous, professional, and communicates with our team to keep our request on their radar. Some of the brightest people I've met are from Cisco support both in IQ and EQ which shows the talent Cisco is able to onboard to their team.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
We have only had to contact them once during the initial set up to help bring the internet back on line. After that for the most part our systems have been automated, and could easily be checked form their online FAQ and Knowledge base that they provide. Everything else is easily handled from their browser based interface
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In-Person Training
Cisco
very good
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
We participate to a in person training and the three days of learning was really useful and complete to gain skill to solve the major part of the problem we encounter during our life. And more the in person training give us the opportunity to create a network with other WatchGuard partner.
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Online Training
Cisco
was a good training but questions was answered not so good. Training was "Fundamentals of Cisco Firewall Threat Defense and Intrusion Prevention (SFWIPF)".
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
Online training is good for learning how to use the product. It does not teach security strategy because that is not its intent.
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
Our initial implementation was aided by Cisco's professional services and was excellent. The engineer was very knowledgeable and helped us work through issues while building out our new internet security edge Part of this involved tools to migrate the firewall configuration from old to new.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
I had my key information for setting up the firewall, and they assisted me in finding the settings and appropriate places to enter data. They also helped troubleshoot when I didn't understand some of their feature concepts, and we got it running.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
Cisco Secure Firewall works better with the Cisco ecosystem when we can utilize it and feels beefy enough when we utilize it in the data center. The Fortinet we have found are great, small cost boxes for remote offices with a better UI then Cisco Secure Firewalls. The feature set included with the firewalls feels similar from a security point of view.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
Other vendors may have a more robust solution but for our needs, Security Onion was the one to move forward with. We have tested some of the others but the cost of those platforms makes the ROI not as desirable. There is a learning curve with Security Onion but it is worth it for the value provided.
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WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard is what I use exclusively now. I have removed all other firewalls. WatchGuard is easier to maintain and easier to set up, PLUS WatchGuard Tech Support is very responsive and helpful. I am very familiar with both the System Management software and the Web-based access to the firewalls, and feel comfortable with the programming and troubleshooting in both areas.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Cisco
A solid, realistic rating most people give for Cisco Secure Firewall pricing is 7 or 8 out of 10 (because the product is strong but licensing can be a bit complex)
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
No answers on this topic
Scalability
Cisco
Cisco Secure Firewall has never given us any trouble, it has stayed up at all times, upgrading the appliance has also become much simpler. We operate the appliance in a HA pair, so 0% downtime within our organisation. During switchover while upgrading, not a single packet seems to get lost, so this has been a very valuable asset to our company.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
This product is very scalable since previously everything related to Watchguard was on premises but that has now changed with the inclusion of watchguard cloud. Now the product has evolved to have full control of firewalls at the cloud level.
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Professional Services
Cisco
was not involved
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
No answers on this topic
WatchGuard Technologies
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Cisco Secure Firewall gives details on the possible intrusions attempts that are occurring on the network, which gives stakeholders confidence that the network is being protected.
  • Cisco's reputation as a longstanding network leader provides the trust that is needed in keeping networks secure.
  • The wide variety of tools and features that Cisco Secure Firewall provides allows business owners to plan for changes that can occur in the network as Cisco is able to adapt to the different needs.
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Security Onion Solutions, LLC
  • Makes Alert Triage easier to handle
  • Analysis of threats simple
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • WatchGuard is a well-established company in the industry, and we are confident in its security solutions.
  • This solution meets/exceeds our security objectives for CMMC and the DoD standards.
  • I wish their cloud management were much stronger and provided more features similar to those of Meraki. If it did, we would exclusively sell these devices.
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ScreenShots

Cisco Secure Firewall Screenshots

Screenshot of Cisco Secure 1200 Series Firewall FamilyScreenshot of Cisco Secure 4200 SeriesScreenshot of Cisco Secure 4200 SeriesScreenshot of Cisco Secure Firewall 1200 Stack FamilyScreenshot of Cisco Secure Firewall 200 SeriesScreenshot of Cisco Secure Firewall 200 Series

WatchGuard Network Security Screenshots

Screenshot of WatchGuard Cloud Customizable DashboardScreenshot of Threat Monitoring SummaryScreenshot of Device Security SummaryScreenshot of Automated ReportingScreenshot of User Authentication SummaryScreenshot of Endpoint Protection Summary