Sophos vs. Fortinet: A Deep Dive into Firewall Performance and Security
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, firewalls play a critical role in defending organizations against cyber threats. Two major players in the firewall industry—Sophos and Fortinet—offer next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) with advanced security capabilities. However, how do they stack up in real-world performance?
While both vendors market impressive performance numbers on their datasheets, the reality is often different when security features such as IPS, SSL/TLS decryption, and threat intelligence are enabled. Let’s take a deep dive into Sophos XGS firewalls vs. Fortinet FortiGate firewalls and see how they compare in actual deployments.
1. Hardware & Architecture: ASIC vs. Software-Based Processing
Sophos XGS Series
- Uses Intel x86 CPUs for processing.
- Introduces Xstream Flow Processors for network acceleration (only on higher-end models).
- No dedicated ASIC hardware for deep packet inspection (DPI) or SSL inspection.
- Heavy reliance on software-based security scanning, leading to performance bottlenecks when multiple security features are enabled.
Fortinet FortiGate Series
- Uses custom ASICs (SPU, NPU, CP chips) to offload security tasks.
- FortiASIC NP (Network Processor) and CP (Content Processor) ensure high-speed packet processing with minimal CPU load.
- Hardware-based SSL/TLS inspection acceleration for better performance.
- SOC (System-on-Chip) design in entry-level models for optimized efficiency.
Winner: Fortinet ✅
Fortinet’s dedicated ASIC architecture allows for significantly better throughput and efficiency compared to Sophos’ software-based approach.
2. Datasheet Numbers vs. Real-World Performance
Firewall vendors often publish performance figures under ideal conditions, but real-world usage involves deep packet inspection, SSL/TLS decryption, and IPS scanning. Let’s compare two equivalent models:
| Feature | Sophos XGS 2300 | FortiGate 100F |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall Throughput | 7.7 Gbps | 20 Gbps |
| Threat Protection | ~ 1.6 Gbps | 3 Gbps |
| IPS Throughput | ~ 2.2 Gbps | 4.5 Gbps |
| SSL Inspection | ~ 600 Mbps | ~ 2.5 Gbps |
| IPsec VPN | ~ 2.5 Gbps | 9.5 Gbps |
| Concurrent Sessions | ~ 2 million | ~ 2.5 million |
| New Sessions/sec | ~ 30,000 | ~ 80,000 |
Key Takeaways:
- Firewall throughput numbers look high, but real-world performance drops significantly when enabling security features.
- SSL Inspection: FortiGate 100F processes 4X more encrypted traffic than Sophos XGS 2300.
- IPS & Threat Protection: Fortinet provides almost double the threat protection performance.
- VPN Performance: Fortinet offers 4X higher IPsec VPN throughput.
Winner: Fortinet ✅
When it comes to real-world security performance, Sophos’ numbers drop significantly, whereas Fortinet maintains higher efficiency.
3. SSL/TLS Inspection Performance
- Sophos struggles with SSL/TLS decryption, especially with TLS 1.3 traffic, often reducing performance by 80% from its datasheet claims.
- Fortinet’s ASIC-driven SSL acceleration allows real-world speeds that are much closer to datasheet numbers.
- FortiGate 100F can handle 2.5 Gbps+ of SSL/TLS traffic, while Sophos XGS 2300 manages only 600 Mbps.
Winner: Fortinet ✅
SSL decryption is one of the biggest weak points for Sophos, while Fortinet offers high-speed SSL/TLS inspection with minimal performance loss.
4. Security Features & Threat Intelligence
| Feature | Sophos XGS | Fortinet FortiGate |
| Deep Packet Inspection | Software-based | Hardware-accelerated |
| SSL/TLS Decryption | Available, but slow | Available, high-speed |
| IPS (Intrusion Prevention) | Available, performance impact | Available, optimized |
| Sandboxing | Cloud-based (Intercept X) | Cloud-based (FortiSandbox) |
| Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) | Available (requires licenses) | Built-in with FortiClient ZTNA |
| SD-WAN Capabilities | Available | Available, superior routing |
Winner: Fortinet ✅
Fortinet’s security fabric and ASIC acceleration provide faster security processing and deeper threat visibility.
5. Ease of Management
| Factor | Sophos XGS | Fortinet FortiGate |
| Centralized Management | Sophos Central Cloud | FortiManager, FortiCloud |
| Policy Configuration | Simple, GUI-focused | Advanced, CLI & GUI |
| Logging & Reporting | Requires Sophos Central subscription | Built-in, detailed reports |
| Third-Party Integration | Limited | Extensive (SIEM, SOAR, etc.) |
Winner: Tie 🤝
Sophos is simpler for SMBs, while Fortinet is better for enterprise-level security visibility.
6. Licensing & Cost
- Sophos firewalls require multiple subscriptions for features like IPS, Web Filtering, and Sandboxing.
- Fortinet includes most security features in its FortiGuard bundle, making it more cost-effective.
- Fortinet has built-in SD-WAN and ZTNA, while Sophos requires additional licensing.
Winner: Fortinet ✅
More features included in the base price, reducing overall TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).
7. Reliability & Stability
- Sophos firewalls can struggle under high loads, especially with multiple security features enabled.
- Fortinet devices maintain high traffic volumes with greater stability due to hardware acceleration.
- Firmware updates on Sophos sometimes introduce stability issues, whereas Fortinet’s FortiOS is known for being stable and reliable.
Winner: Fortinet ✅
Better performance and stability under real-world workloads.
Final Verdict: Fortinet vs. Sophos
| Feature | Winner |
| Hardware Performance | Fortinet |
| Firewall Throughput | Fortinet |
| SSL/TLS Inspection | Fortinet |
| IPS & Threat Protection | Fortinet |
| VPN Performance | Fortinet |
| Security Features | Fortinet |
| Ease of Management | Tie |
| Licensing & Cost | Fortinet |
| Reliability & Stability | Fortinet |
Overall Winner: Fortinet 🚀
For organizations looking for a high-performance, cost-effective firewall solution, Fortinet clearly outperforms Sophos in security, throughput, and efficiency.
