{"question": "best firewall appliances for small businesses", "category": "firewall-appliances", "category_name": "firewall appliances", "audience": "small-businesses", "audience_name": "small businesses", "engine": "Claude (Anthropic) with web search", "model": "claude-opus-5", "asked_at": "2026-09-30T22:26:35Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/firewall-appliances-small-businesses-2026-09-30", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/firewall-appliances/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Fortinet FortiGate", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Fortinet FortiGate 70G", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Downside", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Firewalla Gold Pro", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Ubiquiti UniFi", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "UniFi Cloud Gateway", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Max", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "SonicWall TZ470", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Cisco Meraki MX67 / MX68", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "on-site", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 12, "brand": "Sophos XGS", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 13, "brand": "Sophos XGS 88", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 14, "brand": "Fortinet FortiGate 50G", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://www.networkstraining.com/best-hardware-firewalls-for-home-small-business/", "domain": "networkstraining.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://ifeeltech.com/blog/best-firewall-for-small-business", "domain": "ifeeltech.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://ifeeltech.com/blog/unifi-cloud-gateway-alternatives", "domain": "ifeeltech.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://networkdevicesinc.com/community/blog/fortinet-fortigate-g-series-firewalls", "domain": "networkdevicesinc.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.avfirewalls.com/fortigate-50g.asp", "domain": "avfirewalls.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.peerspot.com/products/comparisons/fortinet-fortigate_vs_sophos-xgs", "domain": "peerspot.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.esecurityplanet.com/products/sophos-xg-vs-fortinet-fortigate/", "domain": "esecurityplanet.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.techradar.com/pro/firewalla-gold-pro-review", "domain": "techradar.com", "source_type": "review"}, {"url": "https://cybersecuritynews.com/best-next-generation-firewall/", "domain": "cybersecuritynews.com", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "# Best firewall appliances for small business\n\nThe honest answer: the right pick depends less on the box's specs than on whether you have someone to manage it and whether you want to pay recurring subscription fees. Here's who I'd actually name, in order.\n\n## 1. Fortinet FortiGate 70G (or 50G for smaller offices)\nMy default recommendation for a business that wants a real next-gen firewall. The G-series runs Fortinet's FortiSP5 processor, and the 70G does ~1.4 Gbps of SSL inspection - more than double the older 60F, which matters because nearly all traffic is encrypted now and inspection throughput is where cheap firewalls fall over. Base 50G list is around $1,093; you'll add a FortiGuard UTP bundle on top. **Why:** best performance-per-dollar, huge install base, and any local IT shop can support it. **Downside:** FortiOS is the least friendly UI here, and licensing is mandatory for the security features.\n\n## 2. Sophos Firewall XGS 88 / XGS 116\nWhat I'd recommend if nobody on staff is a network engineer. Genuinely the best management experience in this class, with strong IPS detail and automated incident response. It also pairs with Sophos endpoint protection so a compromised laptop", "answer_truncated": true, "measurement": "One answer from one engine on one date. Not a ranking and not a claim about the world; brands the engine did not name are not recorded.", "limitation": "Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.", "alerts": {"name": "Answer Watch Pro", "price_usd": 79, "period": "month", "gets": "daily change alerts for up to 5 brands in what one AI answer engine says, history, CSV export. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included", "url": "https://bikoosh.com/answers"}}