What is the best firewall for a small business in 2026?
The one whose throughput holds up with IPS and antivirus running, and whose renewal bill you already know. The big number on the spec sheet barely matters.
A business firewall sits between your internet connection and your network. It filters traffic, links your offices over VPN and, in its next-generation form, inspects what passes through: intrusion prevention (IPS), gateway antivirus, web filtering. Every feature you enable costs CPU, and throughput drops.
The short answer: Fortinet FortiGate gives the most throughput per dollar with SD-WAN built in, as long as you patch it fast. Sophos is the easiest to run, Cisco Meraki MX is managed entirely from the cloud, Netgate and Firewalla sell boxes with no mandatory subscription, WatchGuard lives with managed service providers, OPNsense is the open source pick and Palo Alto suits teams with security staff.
Most vendors publish no prices. We say so, and we never quote a reseller.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always flagged on its card, and no affiliate link ever changes a score.
The best firewall for your business
8 business firewalls compared
The key column shows the throughput each vendor advertises with security features on, when it publishes one. Test methods differ between vendors, so compare orders of magnitude, not decimals.
| Best for | Throughput with security on (vendor sheet) | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fortinet FortiGate | Best throughput for the money | 600 Mbps (40F) to 1,100 Mbps (50G) advertised | 4.4/5 | Hardware about $700 to $1,000 (Fortinet range) | — | Small to midsize, multi-site | Visit → |
| 2 | Sophos Firewall XGS | Best without a network specialist | 2,000 Mbps threat protection (XGS 88) | 4.2/5 | Quote-based, no public price list | — | Small businesses with no network team | Visit → |
| 3 | Palo Alto PA-400 | Best for security teams | Benchmark application-level inspection | 4.1/5 | Quote-based, no public price list | — | Midsize companies with a security team | Visit → |
| 4 | OPNsense (Deciso DEC740) | Best open source pick | About 1 Gbps threat protection | 4.1/5 | €978 (DEC740, EU store) | — | Businesses with in-house network skills | Visit → |
| 5 | Netgate pfSense Plus | Best appliance with official pricing | No IPS throughput published by Netgate | 4.0/5 | $829 (Netgate 4200 MAX) | — | Businesses with in-house network skills | Visit → |
| 6 | Cisco Meraki MX | Best cloud-managed firewall | Fully cloud-managed, multi-site | 4.0/5 | Quote-based, no public price list | — | Multi-site businesses with no on-site IT | Visit → |
| 7 | WatchGuard Firebox | Best through an MSP | 403 Mbps full UTM scan (T25) | 3.9/5 | Quote-based, no public price list | — | Small businesses with managed IT | Visit → |
| 8 | Firewalla Gold Pro | Best with no subscription | No IPS throughput published by Firewalla | 3.8/5 | $949 (Gold Pro) | — | Small offices, schools, managed networks | Visit → |
Figures and prices read on official vendor pages in 2026. None of these tools has a Labs review yet: scores belong to this ranking. Reseller prices are left out.
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
The top results for this search mix hardware and software, praise features and stop there. Few give a throughput figure with security on, and almost none explain that the security subscription, not the box, drives the bill.
We read official spec sheets, the few vendor price pages that exist, government advisories on FortiGate VPN flaws, and admin threads on Reddit and vendor forums. For each entry-level box we kept the throughput measured with IPS and antivirus on. When a vendor does not publish it on its own sheet, we leave it blank rather than copy a reseller.
SonicWall and Check Point are left out: too few official facts we could read to score them fairly. Stormshield, a strong European pick with French government qualification, is covered on our French and Spanish pages.
- Ease of managementA console a generalist can use, changes without calling the provider.20 %
- Three-year costHardware, security subscriptions, support and setup over three years.25 %
- Security and all-on throughputIPS, antivirus, filtering, VPN, real throughput with everything on, vulnerability track record.30 %
- Support and partner networkVendor support, partner availability, documentation.15 %
- Integrations and multi-siteSD-WAN, central management of several sites, directory and MSP tooling.10 %
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
Fortinet FortiGate
FortiGate is the firewall small businesses buy most, and the lineup is the widest: 30G (500 Mbps advertised), 40F (600 Mbps), 50G (1,100 Mbps), 90G (2,200 Mbps), up to 200G (6,000 Mbps). Fortinet does not spell out the test method on that page, but the figures look like its threat protection throughput. SD-WAN, VPN and ZTNA come in the box.
Pricing goes through a quote. Fortinet only publishes a range: about $700 to $1,000 of hardware for a small business, $1,500 to $4,000 for 15 to 100 users. IPS, antivirus and web and DNS filtering are FortiGuard subscriptions on top.
The weak spot is well known. Several SSL VPN flaws have been exploited in the wild, and CISA lists CVE-2024-21762 among known exploited vulnerabilities. Boxes that never enabled SSL VPN were not affected by the latest wave, and the French CERT-FR has since closed its 2025 alert, though patching remains essential. On Reddit, one admin calls FortiGate's usability "unmatched".
Tip: if you don't use SSL VPN, turn it off. If you do, patch FortiOS as soon as a fix ships and reset credentials after every advisory.
- SD-WAN and VPN included
- 500 Mbps to 6 Gbps lineup
- Console admins love
- ✓Most throughput per dollar
- ✓Official price range published
- ✓Huge partner network
- ✗SSL VPN targeted by attack campaigns
- ✗Advanced security is a FortiGuard subscription
- ✗Throughput test method not stated
The best throughput for the money here. It needs real patch discipline, especially with SSL VPN exposed.
Sophos Firewall XGS
Sophos Firewall runs on XGS appliances. The entry XGS 88 advertises 2,000 Mbps of threat protection, with firewall, IPS, application control and anti-malware on, measured on enterprise-style traffic. TLS inspection drops to 600 Mbps, so if you decrypt HTTPS, that is your number.
The base license is included with no end date. Network, Web and Zero-Day Protection modules, or the Standard and Xstream Protection bundles, are subscriptions. Pricing goes through a partner.
On review sites, one admin who tried both found it easier to set up than FortiGate but called the reporting weak. Another describes a fair price at first and license costs rising sharply since.
Tip: manage the firewall in the same cloud console as your Sophos endpoints, and get three years of renewals priced in the first quote.
- 2 Gbps with protection on
- Base license never expires
- Shared cloud console with endpoints
- ✓Easiest to pick up
- ✓High all-on throughput at entry level
- ✓Pairs well with endpoint protection
- ✗Renewal increases reported
- ✗Reporting called weak
- ✗TLS inspection at 600 Mbps
The most comfortable choice for a small team. Lock in renewal pricing before you sign.
Palo Alto PA-400
Palo Alto Networks is the enterprise benchmark. Its PA-400 series reaches down to smaller sites: the PA-410 for very small offices, the PA-440 for an entry business deployment.
We did not read the official spec sheet for these models, so we publish no throughput. Ask your partner for the PA-400 Series datasheet and look at the threat prevention line.
Price is the main hurdle. On Reddit, admins call its licenses and hardware very expensive; another sums it up: "Get Palo if your budget can afford it."
Tip: without a security team, compare the Palo Alto quote with a FortiGate plus a monitoring service. The gap often pays for the people.
- Enterprise benchmark
- PA-400 series for small sites
- Broad ecosystem
- ✓Among the deepest inspection
- ✓Built for security teams
- ✓Many integrations
- ✗Most expensive in this list
- ✗Quote-based, no public price list
- ✗Overkill for a small office
Excellent for an equipped midsize company. For a small business without security staff, the premium buys little.
OPNsense (Deciso DEC740)
OPNsense is an open source firewall maintained by Deciso, a Dutch company that also sells the hardware. The DEC740 lists at €978 on the official store, with one year of Business Edition and a two-year carry-in warranty. It advertises 10 Gbps of firewall throughput, 1.2 Gbps of IPsec and about 1 Gbps of threat protection.
No license is needed for the box to filter. On Reddit, one admin says: "I would choose OPNSense over PfSense 100% of the time because it actually gets updates".
The downside: without network skills in-house, you need a provider who knows it, and they are rarer than Fortinet partners.
Tip: buy Deciso hardware rather than a home-built PC. Support and Business Edition are worth it in a company.
- Public price
- No mandatory license
- Frequent updates
- ✓About 1 Gbps with protection on
- ✓European vendor
- ✓Open source
- ✗Needs network skills
- ✗Fewer partners
- ✗Priced in euros only
Great value for a team that can run it. Without one, pick a vendor with partners.
Netgate pfSense Plus
Netgate sells pfSense Plus on its own hardware. The 4200 MAX is $829 on the official store, with TAC Lite support and software updates for the life of the product. TAC Professional adds $399 a year, TAC Enterprise $799. Netgate notes that the price follows fluctuating memory and component costs.
It advertises 8.61 Gbps of firewall throughput with 10,000 rules and 3.2 Gbps of IPsec. IPS runs through the Snort or Suricata packages, and Netgate publishes no throughput with them on.
The end of the free pfSense Plus Home+Lab license in 2023 annoyed part of the community, and some moved to OPNsense. pfSense CE stays free, but a business is better off keeping vendor support.
Tip: turn IPS on during a pilot and measure throughput on your own line. It is the one figure the sheet leaves out.
- $829 with a public price
- Updates for the life of the product
- Optional vendor support
- ✓No yearly security license
- ✓Large community
- ✓Price known up front
- ✗No IPS throughput published
- ✗Needs network skills
- ✗Hardware warranty of one year
Solid for a team that can run it. Measure IPS yourself before sizing.
Cisco Meraki MX
Cisco Meraki MX appliances are managed entirely from the cloud. There is no local console to learn, and each new site is set up remotely. That is the draw for a business opening branches with no IT person on site, and Meraki shows up in most US small business lists for that reason.
The trade-off is written in Meraki's own documentation: every appliance needs a yearly license, Enterprise or Advanced Security, which unlocks SD-WAN, IDS/IPS, anti-malware and content filtering. Pricing goes through a partner.
As one admin on Reddit puts it, Meraki "requires annual licensing. But, Cisco's support more than makes up for it." We did not read an official spec sheet, so we publish no throughput figure.
Tip: get the license priced over five years in the first quote. An MX without a license is no longer managed.
- Fully cloud managed
- Remote site rollout
- Well-rated Cisco support
- ✓Easiest way to open a site
- ✓No local console to maintain
- ✓One view across all sites
- ✗Mandatory yearly license
- ✗Quote-based, no public price list
- ✗Tied to Cisco's cloud
The simplest option for several branches. Accept the yearly license up front, or look elsewhere.
WatchGuard Firebox
WatchGuard is a favorite of MSPs, who manage dozens of boxes from one console. The Firebox T25 advertises 900 Mbps of firewall throughput on mixed traffic, but 403 Mbps with a full UTM scan (antivirus, IPS, application control on). HTTPS inspection drops to 216 Mbps.
Security comes through the Basic Security or Total Security suites, by subscription. Pricing goes through a reseller.
The most telling complaint from the field: one user says he has to call his provider for the smallest change. That fits a product built to be run by a third party, but every request costs.
Tip: check that 403 Mbps covers your internet line. Above 500 Mbps, look at the next model up before signing.
- Built for MSPs
- Full UTM throughput published
- Clear security suites
- ✓Multi-client management for providers
- ✓Detailed spec sheet
- ✓Two suites easy to compare
- ✗403 Mbps full scan on the T25
- ✗Reliance on the provider
- ✗Quote-based, no public price list
A good pick if your MSP already knows it. Check the all-on throughput first.
Firewalla Gold Pro
Firewalla comes up again and again in US small business lists for one reason: no subscription. The Gold Pro is $949 on the official store, with no monthly fee, and the vendor aims it at small businesses, schools and managed networks.
That simplicity has limits. Firewalla publishes no throughput figure with IPS on, and it does not have the partner network or the depth of inspection of FortiGate or Sophos. For a 10-person office it is plenty; for several sites with compliance demands, it is light.
Tip: if a client or an insurer asks for a named, supported firewall with documented threat protection, check that Firewalla meets their list before you buy.
- $949, paid once
- No monthly subscription
- App-based management
- ✓Lowest running cost
- ✓Easy for a non-specialist
- ✓Public price
- ✗No IPS throughput published
- ✗Thin partner network
- ✗Light for multi-site compliance
A smart buy for a small office that wants no recurring bill. Larger businesses will outgrow it.
What your firewall really costs, and what it handles
Three things matter more than the brand: throughput with security on, the subscriptions that come back every year, and how fast you patch.
The throughput that counts
The box is the small part
Exposed VPN, open door
- Write down your real internet speed and seat count before asking for quotes.
- Ask for throughput with IPS and antivirus on, from the vendor's own sheet.
- Have every quote split hardware, subscriptions, support and setup.
- Price three years of renewals, not just year one.
- Name who applies patches, and how fast after an advisory.
- Turn off SSL VPN if unused, and require MFA if not.
Five field tips for a firewall that actually protects
Most incidents don't come from a bad box but from a neglected one: a forgotten VPN, an expired license, a default password. Here is what keeps coming up in admin threads.
Size on all-on throughput
SizingTake the throughput with IPS and antivirus on and make sure it beats your internet line by at least a third. If you decrypt HTTPS, read the TLS inspection line: it is often two to three times lower.
- Line to read
- Threat protection
Close what you don't use
SecurityEvery service open to the internet, SSL VPN or admin interface, is a target. Disable unused ones, restrict admin access to your internal network and require MFA on the VPN.
- Rule
- No admin access from the internet
Schedule patching
HygieneWrite down who applies firmware updates and how fast after an advisory. Subscribe to your vendor's security notices and CISA alerts. After an exploited flaw, reset credentials too.
- Alert source
- CISA and vendor
Track license end dates
BudgetAn expired security license often leaves the box filtering, but without updated IPS or antivirus. Put the renewal in your calendar two months ahead, with the budget.
- Reminder
- Two months before renewal
Back up the configuration
ContinuityExport the configuration after every change and keep it off the box. When hardware fails, a replacement is back up in an hour instead of a day of rebuilding.
- When
- After every change
Firewall picked, now what
A firewall guards the perimeter. These pages cover the neighboring topics.
Remote access, ZTNA and per-user pricing.
You want to protect the endpointsBest antivirus and EDR for businessEndpoint detection and alert monitoring.
Your team clicks on everythingBest security awareness trainingPhishing training for staff.
You need a clean inventory firstBest IT asset management softwareDevices, licenses and updates.
Business firewall · FAQ
Do small businesses need a hardware firewall?
If you have several staff, customer data or remote access, yes. Your ISP router filters little and inspects nothing. A business firewall adds IPS, filtering, site-to-site VPN and logs. A 10-person office can start with a no-subscription box like Firewalla or Netgate.How much does a business firewall cost?
Fortinet gives a range of about $700 to $1,000 of hardware for a small business, and $1,500 to $4,000 for 15 to 100 users, subscriptions extra. The Netgate 4200 is $829 and the Firewalla Gold Pro $949. Other vendors are quote-based, with yearly security licenses.Is there a business firewall without a subscription?
Yes. Firewalla Gold Pro ($949) has no monthly fee, and the Netgate 4200 ($829) filters without a security license, with paid support optional. OPNsense boxes also filter without a license. Fortinet, Sophos, WatchGuard, Meraki and Palo Alto need subscriptions for advanced security.UTM vs NGFW: what is the difference?
The line is blurry. A UTM bundles firewall, antivirus, filtering and VPN in one small business box. An NGFW focuses on application inspection and IPS. Today's small business boxes do both: look at the throughput with those features on.Is FortiGate still safe to use?
Yes, if you keep it patched. Several SSL VPN flaws have been exploited, and CISA lists CVE-2024-21762 as known exploited. Fixes exist. Disable SSL VPN if you don't use it, patch quickly and reset credentials after an advisory.pfSense or OPNsense for a business?
Both need network skills. OPNsense is open source, maintained by Deciso in the Netherlands, with frequent updates. pfSense Plus ships on Netgate hardware with optional paid support. Either way, buy the vendor's hardware and support.Do I need two firewalls for high availability?
If a day of downtime stops sales or production, yes: a second box takes over when the first fails. Otherwise, a saved configuration and a fast replacement contract are often enough. Ask how the second box is licensed.