Cisco Meraki MX
8.3/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.3/5 (G2)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN
Best Firewall (Small Business) · 2026
Cisco Meraki MX vs 
Sophos Firewall (XGS) Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall (XGS): on our data-weighted scoring, Sophos Firewall (XGS) edges ahead (8.2 vs 7.7/10). Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and is best for multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with auto vpn; Sophos Firewall (XGS) starts at Custom quote and is best for smbs and msps wanting strong ngfw protection with free cloud management and a low tco. Choose Sophos Firewall (XGS) for the stronger overall track record; consider Cisco Meraki MX if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
Sophos Firewall (XGS)
8.5/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.6/5 (~404 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- On-prem
- Best for
- SMBs and MSPs wanting strong NGFW protection with free cloud management and a low TCO
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Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Cisco Meraki MX | Sophos Firewall (XGS) |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 7.7 | 8.2 |
| User reviews | 8.6 | 9.2 |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 6.9 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall (XGS): head-to-head
| Cisco Meraki MX | Sophos Firewall (XGS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | quote | quote |
| Free trial / tier | 30 days | 30 days |
| Best for | Multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with Auto VPN | SMBs and MSPs wanting strong NGFW protection with free cloud management and a low TCO |
| Deployment | Cloud | On-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 (404) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 7.7 | 8.2 |
Choose Cisco Meraki MX if…
You need multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with auto vpn.
Pros
- Effortless multi-site management
- Strong Talos threat intelligence
- Best-in-class "set and forget" simplicity
Cons
- Mandatory per-device licensing (stops if it lapses)
- Quote-only pricing
- Pricey at scale
Choose Sophos Firewall (XGS) if…
You need smbs and msps wanting strong ngfw protection with free cloud management and a low tco.
Pros
- Free Sophos Central management lowers TCO
- Easy to use + deploy
- Strong MSP licensing model
Cons
- Quote-only pricing
- Some models lack built-in reporting
- Performance trails FortiGate at top end
Frequently asked questions
- Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall (XGS): which is better?
- Cisco Meraki MX vs Sophos Firewall (XGS): on our data-weighted scoring, Sophos Firewall (XGS) edges ahead (8.2 vs 7.7/10). Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and is best for multi-site organizations wanting cloud-managed, "set-and-forget" security with auto vpn; Sophos Firewall (XGS) starts at Custom quote and is best for smbs and msps wanting strong ngfw protection with free cloud management and a low tco.
- Is Cisco Meraki MX cheaper than Sophos Firewall (XGS)?
- Cisco Meraki MX starts at Custom quote and Sophos Firewall (XGS) starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of June 16, 2026. Sources: meraki.cisco.com, sophos.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.