Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (PA-Series/VM-Series)

Name: Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (PA-Series/VM-Series)
Brand: Palo Alto Networks
Rating: 4.6 (1605 reviews)

Leader

The industry's most comprehensive AI security platform.

Est 2005|Valuation $284.1B|Raised $261.3M|125 Ref Customers

LinkedIn 2.0M|Website|Web traffic 3.9M|FTEs 21,921|HQ Santa Clara, CA

MarketsCloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)Web Application & API Protection (WAAP)Firewalls Security Service Edge (SSE)Enterprise Networking

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (PA-Series/VM-Series) screenshot

01Competitive Landscape

| Aspect | Palo Alto NGFW (PA-Series/VM-Series) | Fortinet FortiGate NGFW | Check Point Quantum (NGFW line) | |---|---|---|---| | Starting Price | Sold via quoted price with subscriptions and support; public list pricing is not consistently published | Public pricing varies; some buyers report lower acquisition cost in comparable models | Quote-based pricing; often positioned for enterprise customers with various licensing options | | Best For | Application-aware policy control and centralized management across physical and virtual/cloud form factors | Perceived value for cost/performance across form factors | Enterprises standardized on Check Point management and threat prevention ecosystems | | Key Strength | Application-centric policy model (App-ID) and extensive deployment options in cloud and virtualization | Broad product portfolio and strong price/performance positioning in many buyer accounts | Established enterprise management paradigm and integrated feature set for existing customers | | Key Weakness | Reported support experience variability and subscription/renewal cost concerns in community discussions | Vulnerabilities and operational tradeoffs exist; support experiences vary by region | Licensing complexity and operational overhead reported by some users | - Direct competitors and differentiators - Fortinet: often positioned on unified OS across hardware and cloud, with aggressive price/performance messaging. - Check Point: competes on management and threat prevention features; specific advantages depend on selected product blades and management model. - Cisco Secure Firewall: commonly selected in Cisco-standard environments; evaluations vary by generation and deployment. - Feature comparison summary - Strengths for Palo Alto observed in this research run include an application-aware policy model and broad virtual/hardware deployment options. - Reported weaknesses include recurring community concerns about support experience and subscription/renewal economics. - Pricing comparison and market perception - Community discussions frequently describe Palo Alto as positioned at a higher price point versus some alternatives. Fortinet is commonly perceived as more cost-competitive in some buyer accounts, though security efficacy and operational characteristics vary across deployments. - Market share and adoption trends - Current market share figures and analyst positioning were not retrieved in this research run. Buyers should consult up-to-date analyst reports for quantified market positioning.

01Competitive Landscape

Aspect	Palo Alto NGFW (PA-Series/VM-Series)	Fortinet FortiGate NGFW	Check Point Quantum (NGFW line)
Starting Price	Sold via quoted price with subscriptions and support; public list pricing is not consistently published	Public pricing varies; some buyers report lower acquisition cost in comparable models	Quote-based pricing; often positioned for enterprise customers with various licensing options
Best For	Application-aware policy control and centralized management across physical and virtual/cloud form factors	Perceived value for cost/performance across form factors	Enterprises standardized on Check Point management and threat prevention ecosystems
Key Strength	Application-centric policy model (App-ID) and extensive deployment options in cloud and virtualization	Broad product portfolio and strong price/performance positioning in many buyer accounts	Established enterprise management paradigm and integrated feature set for existing customers
Key Weakness	Reported support experience variability and subscription/renewal cost concerns in community discussions	Vulnerabilities and operational tradeoffs exist; support experiences vary by region	Licensing complexity and operational overhead reported by some users

Direct competitors and differentiators
- Fortinet: often positioned on unified OS across hardware and cloud, with aggressive price/performance messaging.
- Check Point: competes on management and threat prevention features; specific advantages depend on selected product blades and management model.
- Cisco Secure Firewall: commonly selected in Cisco-standard environments; evaluations vary by generation and deployment.
Feature comparison summary
- Strengths for Palo Alto observed in this research run include an application-aware policy model and broad virtual/hardware deployment options.
- Reported weaknesses include recurring community concerns about support experience and subscription/renewal economics.
Pricing comparison and market perception
- Community discussions frequently describe Palo Alto as positioned at a higher price point versus some alternatives. Fortinet is commonly perceived as more cost-competitive in some buyer accounts, though security efficacy and operational characteristics vary across deployments.
Market share and adoption trends
- Current market share figures and analyst positioning were not retrieved in this research run. Buyers should consult up-to-date analyst reports for quantified market positioning.

Aspect

Palo Alto NGFW (PA-Series/VM-Series)

Fortinet FortiGate NGFW

Check Point Quantum (NGFW line)

Starting Price

Sold via quoted price with subscriptions and support; public list pricing is not consistently published

Public pricing varies; some buyers report lower acquisition cost in comparable models

Quote-based pricing; often positioned for enterprise customers with various licensing options

Best For

Application-aware policy control and centralized management across physical and virtual/cloud form factors

Perceived value for cost/performance across form factors

Enterprises standardized on Check Point management and threat prevention ecosystems

Key Strength

Application-centric policy model (App-ID) and extensive deployment options in cloud and virtualization

Broad product portfolio and strong price/performance positioning in many buyer accounts

Established enterprise management paradigm and integrated feature set for existing customers

Key Weakness

Reported support experience variability and subscription/renewal cost concerns in community discussions

Vulnerabilities and operational tradeoffs exist; support experiences vary by region

Licensing complexity and operational overhead reported by some users