Palo Alto Networks VM-Series review
A cloud-ready virtual firewall with core routing protocols, VPNs and high availability.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is a virtualized next-generation firewall for protecting workloads and inspecting traffic across public and private clouds, virtualized data centers, and enterprise branches. It is aimed at mid-market and enterprise teams that need security controls alongside basic routing, VPN connectivity, and high availability. The product combines Layer 7 inspection with network segmentation and threat prevention, so it fits environments where traffic protection is central rather than teams seeking a routing-only appliance.
Its routing coverage includes BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP, and static routes, with IPSec VPN tunnels and active/passive or active/active high-availability configurations. VM-Series can be deployed on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and Alibaba Cloud, as well as platforms such as VMware, KVM, Microsoft Hyper-V, and OpenStack. The vendor also describes automated deployment and dynamic scaling for public cloud use. This breadth makes it a fit for teams operating across cloud and virtualized infrastructure; organizations that need deeper routing functionality should compare it with products centered primarily on virtual routing.
VM-Series is not offered as a general free plan, and the pricing model is contact sales. Palo Alto Networks describes bring-your-own-license and pay-as-you-go options using Software NGFW Credits, rather than a fixed public purchase price. The vendor documents platform-specific trial offers: 15 days for AWS and 30 days for Azure and private clouds. That can support evaluation in those environments, but the trial terms are platform-dependent. Choose VM-Series when firewall inspection and cloud deployment matter as much as routing; look elsewhere if a transparent fixed price or routing depth beyond its security-led feature set is essential.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Inspects traffic at Layer 7 with inline security controls
- Supports BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP and static routing
- Runs across major public clouds and virtualization platforms
- Where it doesn't
- Security-focused rather than a deep standalone routing platform
- Pricing requires a sales conversation
- No general free plan
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series fact sheet, pricing and score →
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