Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall vs Forcepoint Network Security Platform

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall9.4Visit Forcepoint Network Security Platform8.8Visit

Higher score Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall #1 in Next Generation Firewall Software 9.4/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit site

vs

Forcepoint Network Security Platform #6 in Next Generation Firewall Software 8.8/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Forcepoint

• Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall fits best

  Enterprises needing broad, threat-focused NGFW

• Forcepoint Network Security Platform fits best

  Enterprises prioritizing deep traffic inspection

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Side by side

Feature	Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Forcepoint Network Security Platform 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Next Generation Firewall Software	#6 in Next Generation Firewall Software
Best for	Enterprises needing broad, threat-focused NGFW	Enterprises prioritizing deep traffic inspection
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Windows, Linux
Support	Phone, Docs	Live chat
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall 0/3 · Forcepoint Network Security Platform 0/3
Intrusion prevention	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Application control	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
VPN support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment type	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Max firewall throughput	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	App-ID classifies traffic for application-aware policy control. Inline prevention covers known, unknown and zero-day threats. Supports TLS inspection, VPN and centralized management.	Inspects decrypted SSL/TLS and full traffic streams, with payload reconstruction Combines intrusion prevention, exploit detection and anti-DDoS protections Centralizes policy management, incident response and reporting
Cons	Pricing requires contacting sales. Hardware, virtual and cloud offerings make selection product-specific. Cloud-delivered security features require subscriptions.	Pricing requires contacting sales, complicating upfront budget comparisons Appliance throughput varies by model, so capacity needs model-level review Designed for mid-market and enterprise networks, not a free-plan option
Our verdict	Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall is a family of network security offerings for organizations protecting branch offices, campuses, data centers and public clouds. PA-Series hardware appliances, VM-Series virtual firewalls and… Read the review →	Forcepoint Network Security Platform combines network access control, VPN connectivity, intrusion prevention and traffic inspection for mid-market and enterprise networks. It is positioned for distributed environments, with purpose-built… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall — where it wins

  • App-ID classifies traffic for application-aware policy control.
  • Inline prevention covers known, unknown and zero-day threats.
  • Supports TLS inspection, VPN and centralized management.

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales.
  • Hardware, virtual and cloud offerings make selection product-specific.
  • Cloud-delivered security features require subscriptions.

• Forcepoint Network Security Platform — where it wins

  • Inspects decrypted SSL/TLS and full traffic streams, with payload reconstruction
  • Combines intrusion prevention, exploit detection and anti-DDoS protections
  • Centralizes policy management, incident response and reporting

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales, complicating upfront budget comparisons
  • Appliance throughput varies by model, so capacity needs model-level review
  • Designed for mid-market and enterprise networks, not a free-plan option

• Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall9.4/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad NGFW family for organizations combining threat prevention, traffic control and VPN.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Forcepoint Network Security Platform8.8/10 · Pricing on request

  Deep traffic inspection and centralized controls for distributed enterprise networks.

  Visit ForcepointFull verdict →