{"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": "2026-10-07T23:06:03Z", "permalink": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/firewall-appliances-small-businesses-2026-10-07", "question_page": "https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/firewall-appliances/small-businesses", "brands_named": [{"position": 1, "brand": "Fortinet FortiGate", "label": "recommended"}, {"position": 2, "brand": "Sophos XGS", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 3, "brand": "Cisco Meraki MX", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 4, "brand": "Firewalla Gold / Gold SE", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 5, "brand": "Palo Alto PA-410", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 6, "brand": "Palo Alto PA-410 / PA-415", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 7, "brand": "Alto", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 8, "brand": "Ubiquiti UniFi", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 9, "brand": "UniFi", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 10, "brand": "Max", "label": "mentioned"}, {"position": 11, "brand": "Fortinet FortiGate 70G", "label": "mentioned"}], "sources_cited": [{"url": "https://www.business.org/it/cyber-security/data-security-tips-for-protecting-your-small-business/", "domain": "business.org", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://meter.com/resources/best-firewall-for-small-business", "domain": "meter.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.thenetworkdna.com/2026/05/fortinet-firewall-vs-sophos-firewall.html", "domain": "thenetworkdna.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.esecurityplanet.com/products/sophos-xg-vs-fortinet-fortigate/", "domain": "esecurityplanet.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.optinoc.com/en/blog/firewall-pme-moins-50-salaries/", "domain": "optinoc.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.shi.com/product/49371500/Fortinet-FortiGate-70G", "domain": "shi.com", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://datacenter360.ca/news/fortinet/fortinet-vs-cisco-firewalls-for-small-businesses/", "domain": "datacenter360.ca", "source_type": "other"}, {"url": "https://www.atlantic.net/hipaa-compliant-hosting/top-10-firewalls.md", "domain": "atlantic.net", "source_type": "other"}], "answer_text": "# Best firewall appliances for small businesses\n\n**1. Fortinet FortiGate (50G / 70G / 90G)** - My default recommendation for most small businesses. Custom ASIC hardware means the throughput numbers hold up even with inspection turned on, which is where cheaper boxes collapse. SD-WAN is included without an extra license. Hardware runs roughly $360-440 for the 50G and ~$900-1,400 for the 70G, plus a UTP/ATP subscription. Downside: FortiOS has a real learning curve, so budget for a VAR or a competent IT person.\n\n**2. Sophos XGS (107/116/136)** - The pick if nobody on staff is a network engineer. The management UI and reporting are the most approachable in the category, and Synchronized Security (firewall talking to the endpoint agent) genuinely helps when you have no SOC. Appliances start around $400-1,000. Slightly less raw throughput per dollar than FortiGate.\n\n**3. Cisco Meraki MX (MX67 / MX68 / MX75)** - Best if you have multiple sites or no on-site IT. Everything is cloud-managed, zero-touch deployment, and the dashboard is genuinely good. Hard constraint to understand: it is license-locked - let the license lapse and the box stops forwarding traffic after ~30 days. Hardware ~$55", "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"}}