Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Upwind comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Check Point Software Technologies and Upwind Security are both solutions in the Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.4, while Upwind Security is ranked #15 with an average rating of 9.5. Check Point Software Technologies holds a 4.1% mindshare in CNAP, compared to Upwind Security’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Upwind Security users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 13, 2026

Check Point Cloud Firewall and Upwind are competing in the cloud security category. Check Point has the upper hand in comprehensive security management while Upwind excels in innovation and streamlined operations.

Features: Check Point provides advanced threat prevention, unified security management, and network protection. Upwind focuses on real-time alerts, data analytics, and proactive threat detection.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point's flexible deployment model is supported by thorough documentation and multiple support channels. Upwind's deployment is known for speed and simplicity, with efficient service.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point requires a higher setup investment but offers substantial long-term ROI with its security solutions. Upwind provides a budget-friendly setup with swift operational benefits, appealing to businesses prioritizing immediate cost savings.

To learn more, read our detailed Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Upwind Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Upwind

September 2026

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Helped 917,433 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Qualys TotalCloud

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) category, the mindshare of Qualys TotalCloud is 2.4%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is 4.1%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Upwind is 2.8%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)	4.1%
Qualys TotalCloud	2.4%
Upwind	2.8%
Other	90.7%

Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2859021

Sr Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Risk-based triage has transformed container security and now prioritizes high-impact threats

The best features Qualys TotalCloud offers currently include managing cloud infrastructure and container security while facing major challenges such as alert fatigue. Traditional vulnerability scanners flag hundreds of CVEs on short-lived Kubernetes containers, some of which have no internet exposure or are gone before we can even triage them. I leverage Qualys TotalCloud to move beyond static CVSS. I use it to implement runtime exposure, correlation risk reprioritization, and shift-left integration. This notifies developers to fix a base image upstream rather than patching live ephemeral instances. In my work with cloud and container security, the biggest operational hurdle was alert fatigue. I use Qualys to shift left from static CVSS severity to context-aware risk prioritization. I correlated raw vulnerability data with real-time risk factors such as public network exposure, active runtime execution, or overly permissive IAM roles. This allows us to immediately drop the priority of isolated containers and escalate lower-severity CVEs that sit on an exposed, high-risk path. We can map these findings directly back to our CI/CD pipelines so developers can patch the root base images upstream. We have drastically cut down the signal-to-noise ratio, saved a lot of manual hours doing triage work, and ensured engineering effort goes directly towards high-impact risk reduction.

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Oscar Nunez

Ingeniero en redes y Telecomunicaciones at K-IT

Centralized management has reduced policy time and provides reliable multitenant protection

What I would like, what I think they should improve a little is the management of objects at large scale. When you work with multiple domains, there are thousands of network objects. Detecting duplicates and consistency across domains is a very manual process that should be more automated. Another thing: the SmartConsole interface is very powerful and very good, but the learning curve, compared to other solutions in the market from other manufacturers, could be modernized. I think it does not necessarily have to be done from a client application; it could be done via web, because via web I know that not all the options you have in SmartConsole are available. So it would be good if it could also be done from the web and all the options were available. Another thing that I would really like is more automation with Ansible or Terraform. I know it has improved in recent versions, but I think it is still not mature enough. Compared to other manufacturers that do have a bit more in terms of automation capabilities in integration flows with Ansible or Terraform, Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) could improve. Another thing that could be improved a little would be the TAC response time, because when there are very complex cases, I think there should be more speed initially, more ownership of those urgent cases, and not leave the customer waiting. This has happened to me: when I have cases open with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) TAC, sometimes they do not respond and I have to keep insisting, and I think that part should improve. I do not know if it depends on who takes the ticket or on the severity of the ticket, but sometimes I have had to insist a lot, and that would be the only problem. Once they attend to me and become involved in the case, the responses they give are very professional and really help directly resolve the problems when there is a bug or troubleshooting to do. As I said, I would like to see a specific improvement in SmartConsole. I think if they improved it—how to say it—gave it a facelift so you could access all the options directly from a browser, that would be great, because sometimes, for one reason or another, you cannot download SmartConsole or, for some reason, the SmartConsole client does not start correctly, and you could do it directly from the browser. I think that would be a good option to improve. Another thing would be that in multidomain environments, I would like a global search function for objects and rules. That is, you could enter and search across all domains at once, because right now you have to go domain by domain, and in environments with many customers, you spend quite a bit of time; you have to exit one domain and enter another. So those would be the improvements I would like to see.

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Mohammed Mudasser

AI/ML Engineer at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees

Runtime context has transformed how we prioritize exploitable cloud risks and protect workloads

I appreciate runtime context, which helps connect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations with actual workload behavior and network relationships, making it easier to prioritize remediation based on real exposure rather than simply working through a long list of security findings. The best features that stand out to me are contextual vulnerability prioritization, cloud workload visibility, and runtime security. I especially value how Upwind connects vulnerabilities with actual runtime behavior, which helps focus on exploitable risk rather than working through a long list of findings. It has helped us focus on actual exploitable risk instead of treating every vulnerability equally. By considering runtime activity, exposure, reachability, and sensitive data context, the team can prioritize remediation much faster and reduce unnecessary alert noise. I also value the runtime visibility and attack path context because it connects security findings with network behavior and actual workload. This makes investigations more actionable and helps the team move from simply detecting issues to understanding their real impact. The biggest positive impact has been the prioritization of cloud security risk and improved visibility. Instead of chasing every vulnerability, we can focus on issues that are actually exposed or active at runtime, which makes the security team more efficient and remediation more targeted.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Qualys TotalCloud has significantly improved our organization by automating our reporting processes, reducing the time spent on report creation from two hours to less than fifteen to twenty minutes."

"Its excellent graphical interface makes the scanning process simple."

"If I had to say something positive about the product that brings me the biggest benefit, I would say it has accurate reports, gets new update CVEs, zero-day attack detection, and is easy to manage with its GUI."

"I found the initial setup user-friendly."

"TotalCloud offers a comprehensive suite of features, including EDR, XDR, and TrueRisk, providing a centralized platform for managing vulnerabilities and security risks."

"TotalCloud has been excellent in providing us with immediate access to all the products and features we need, such as CSPM, TruRisk Insights, and compliance reports, including CIS and HIPAA."

"Qualys TotalCloud is an excellent platform, and the beauty of the platform is that we can get all the vulnerabilities, see all the reports in a single dashboard, view them segregated, and easily learn about critical, high, and medium findings with appropriately provided remediation steps."

"The agent and agentless scanning in TotalCloud, particularly the FlexScan method, is incredibly valuable. With traditional scanning approaches, we had to give IP ranges and whitelist IPs. All that is now simplified. FlexScan requires minimal intervention, and after configuration, it automatically collects data and performs necessary scans."

More Qualys TotalCloud pros

"The advantage lies in the integration within our existing ecosystem, which is amazing."

"The 24/7 online customer support services enhance effective operations and provide quick services in case of a system failure."

"We consolidated from three management consoles and three clusters to only one, which is a big improvement."

"The solution provides me with unified security management across all environments."

"It really is a pretty complete solution."

"I value the comfort and the ability to receive proper insights almost hands-off."

"The two most valuable features for us are the central firewall administrator and the real-time cloud compliance monitoring."

"This software is great in overall performance since it can locate any trouble across the networking system and provide solutions before it affects workflows."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) pros

"They are a great overall cloud security platform and they continue innovating and adding new features."

"My advice for others looking into using Upwind is that if you are seeking a strong CNAPP with an advanced runtime and strong CDR capabilities, this is the product."

"The combination of runtime visibility, security insights, and contextual risk prioritization makes it much easier to focus on the risks that actually matter."

"Upwind has positively impacted my organization by reducing time to action and time to response by half."

Cons

"Enhancing clarity regarding its compliance capabilities would be beneficial, as the current scope is limited in geographic coverage."

"The areas in the solution that have room for improvement include the UI/UX design, which should be improved, and they should integrate more artificial intelligence into the product."

"The main area needing improvement is integration. Although the team is strengthening TotalCloud, integration can be enhanced with SIEM, SOAR, ITSM, and other sources."

"It is already perfect, but they can bring some newer dashboards and customization options for the dashboard. It would be great to be able to include on-prem assets on the dashboard."

"Two areas for improvement in Qualys TotalCloud are the speed of the public cloud platform and vulnerability detection."

"To be honest, I would move out from this tool because it does not give a full view of vulnerability."

"There is room for improvement in vulnerability scanning, particularly for PaaS environments. Currently, Qualys does not have full access to these instances, which limits its effectiveness."

"One thing that could be improved is the user experience and navigation."

More Qualys TotalCloud cons

"CloudGuard's reporting could be better. It's good now, but there is room for improvement. If you're looking for a centralized platform, there are a lot of features that can be appreciated. However, you want complete security integration with SaaS, DAST, secret scanning, etc., and a single platform for all these features."

"The setup cost is okay. The cost overall is somewhat high compared to other vendors, whether firewalls or cloud-native solutions."

"Greater automation would reduce the need for manual configuration and management."

"Everything we do with Check Point must go through the vendor first, which is somewhat inconvenient. It would be easier to deal with Check Point directly, however, it depends on the vendor."

"Its price is fair, but it can be more favorable."

"In the past year, I noticed that the challenging part, especially in the cloud, is upgrading to the next release of the firewall. Unlike on-premise upgrades, it's not as simple in the cloud. You need to recreate the machine, which makes the process more complex."

"Our environment basically expanded to such a large scale that it wasn't feasible for us to use CloudGuard in our multiple-account production environment."

"Support is one area where efforts should be required from Check Point."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) cons

"Upwind can be improved because its UI is a bit difficult to navigate."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."

"I am not sure about the pricing. From what I understand, it is a bit on the higher side, but I do not have the exact numbers."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."

"As a middle management member, I do not have direct pricing knowledge, but based on the knowledge from our meetings, its pricing is competitive."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers good pricing that is affordable and competitive with the market. Our partnership also provides us with additional benefits."

"It isn't cheap, but it's reasonable. It helps us to manage things with very few resources."

"The cost is high, but it meets our organizational needs."

"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."

More Qualys TotalCloud pricing and cost advice

"The price is fair for most of the customers. We don't find the price excessive. It's okay."

"Check Point CloudGuard Posture Management is always known as a good solution but an expensive one. When you're using Cisco, Check Point, or Palo Alto, you know that you will pay more, but you know that it will work."

"The cost is on the higher side, as it is based on workload, hence we need to decide which VPC or workload needs to be part of CloudGuard."

"Although I am not in sales and cannot comment extensively on pricing, it is known that Check Point’s licensing can be complex. However, it is a similar experience to other gateways and not particularly unique for cloud protection."

"We have the enterprise-level license and we renew it annually because it is worth the cost."

"We have a pretty good partnership with Check Point. We have a global subscription and agreement. They give us a pretty good corporate discount."

"Licensing and costs are straightforward, as they have a baseline of 100 workloads within one license and no additional charges."

"The product is expensive but also valuable."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

18%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

16%

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	38

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	133
Midsize Enterprise	55
Large Enterprise	146

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys TotalCloud?

I was not involved in pricing, setup cost, and licensing, but I can say that the setup was fast, within a quarter, an...

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What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?

In terms of improvements, the features we are using in Qualys TotalCloud are working in the best optimal way, and I d...

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What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?

I have been using Qualys TotalCloud for the last eight months to scan the hardware and the virtual devices in our inf...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Since we use a unified standard for using policies and modules in Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Net...

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What needs improvement with Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

The main limitations of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) are not in Check Point itse...

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What is your primary use case for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is the main manager that provides network security ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Upwind?

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing process were pretty reasonable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Upwind?

I would appreciate more customizable dashboards and reporting for different teams, such as security operations, engin...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Upwind?

My main use case for Upwind is cloud security and workload protection. I primarily use it to gain visibility into clo...

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Comparisons

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JupiterOne vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Orca Security vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 6% of the time

Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Qualys TotalCloud

Compared 5% of the time

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Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 7% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 3% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 2% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 2% of the time

Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Compared 2% of the time

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Wiz vs Upwind

Compared 18% of the time

Orca Security vs Upwind

Compared 12% of the time

Sweet Security vs Upwind

Compared 7% of the time

Salt Security vs Upwind

Compared 5% of the time

Sysdig Secure vs Upwind

Compared 4% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys TotalCloud

October 2026

Download Qualys TotalCloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

October 2026

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Download Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) product report

Buyer's Guide

Upwind

September 2026

Download Upwind product report

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan

CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point vSEC, CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point Virtual Systems, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security, Check Point CloudGuard CNAPP

Upwind Security Upwind Platform for AWS Security Hub, Upwind Security Upwind for AWS Security Hub Extended

Overview

Qualys TotalCloud enhances security posture across cloud environments with continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and risk visualization, ensuring efficient threat assessment and automated remediation for improved cyber risk reduction.

Qualys TotalCloud offers a robust suite of security tools essential for organizations managing multi-cloud infrastructures. By integrating cloud accounts and automating workflows, it supports AWS, Azure, and GCP, offering comprehensive vulnerability management and zero-day detection. The platform's user-friendly design, combined with its extensive risk management and unified threat assessment capabilities, enables organizations to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively. TruRisk Insights provides clear insights on cyber risks, while the automation options streamline patch management and scanning processes. API integration across IaaS and SaaS environments further enhances resource allocation efficiency and saves time, addressing misconfigurations across cloud environments.

What are the most important features of Qualys TotalCloud?

Accurate Vulnerability Reports: Delivers precise and actionable insights for risk mitigation.
Zero-Day Detection: Identifies and addresses zero-day vulnerabilities proactively.
Unified Threat Assessment: Offers comprehensive evaluation of threats across the environment.
Extensive Risk Management: Manages risks effectively with advanced insights and prioritization.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides non-stop surveillance for vulnerabilities and threats.
Cloud-Native Automation: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts using automation.
FlexScan for Internet-Facing VMs: Scans external VMs efficiently to detect vulnerabilities.
Dashboard Risk Visualization: Clear visualization helps prioritize vulnerabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances threat detection and response across clouds.
Time Savings: Automation reduces time spent on manual vulnerability management.
Resource Efficiency: Better allocation of resources through streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Risk Prioritization: Focus on critical vulnerabilities for effective mitigation.
Integrated Cloud Accounts: Facilitates seamless cloud management and security.

Qualys TotalCloud is deployed in sectors needing rigorous vulnerability management, such as finance and healthcare. Companies utilize it to secure multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, focus on compliance, and integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to detect and remedy threats pre-deployment.

Qualys

Check Point Cloud Firewall, previously known as CloudGuard Network Security, provides advanced threat prevention, centralized management, and VPN capabilities, enabling robust cloud security across various platforms including Azure and AWS.

Check Point Cloud Firewall delivers seamless cloud integration with advanced automated threat prevention and centralized management to enhance security posture. It offers auto-scaling for dynamic environments and a comprehensive policy enforcement framework in hybrid settings. The unified interface streamlines administration across cloud infrastructures, ensuring consistent protection and reducing risk.

What important features does it offer?

Advanced Threat Prevention: Safeguards against sophisticated threats.
Centralized Management: Simplifies control for cloud infrastructures.
Auto-scaling: Adapts to changing workloads seamlessly.
VPN Capabilities: Enables secure connections across environments.
Integration with Azure and AWS: Ensures compatibility with leading cloud services.
Visibility Tools: Enhanced monitoring and management for security enforcement.

What benefits can users expect?

Enhanced Security: Comprehensive threat management reduces risk.
Operational Efficiency: Automation capabilities streamline processes.
Cost Management: Efficient resource usage with auto-scaling reduces expenses.
Integration Flexibility: Adapts easily into existing cloud platforms.
Simplified Administration: Unified management reduces complexity.

In manufacturing and conglomerate sectors, Check Point Cloud Firewall is utilized for protecting cloud environments and implementing network segmentation. It supports secure cloud migration on AWS, Azure, and GCP, ensuring compliance, perimeter defense, and traffic inspection, facilitating sophisticated threat prevention strategies.

Check Point Software Technologies

Upwind is a comprehensive tool designed to optimize wind energy management for industry specialists. Streamlining processes and enhancing operational efficiency, it provides actionable insights and innovative features critical for achieving energy objectives.

The primary focus of Upwind is to provide a robust platform that fosters operational advancements in wind energy management. With its cutting-edge technology, Upwind is poised to deliver precise analytics and predictive maintenance capabilities. Its integration into existing infrastructures helps enhance the delivery of renewable energy, thereby facilitating a seamless transition towards more sustainable practices. Leveraging these capabilities, businesses can significantly augment their energy output while simultaneously reducing costs.

What are the most important features of Upwind?

Analytics Dashboard: Offers insightful data visualization for making informed decisions.
Predictive Maintenance: Proactively identifies potential issues to minimize downtime.
Real-time Monitoring: Ensures ongoing performance tracking for immediate action.
Scalability: Integrates easily with growing operations to enhance capability.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Reduced Costs: Efficiently manages resources to lower operational expenditure.
Increased Efficiency: Optimizes energy production strategies for better yield.
Improved Reliability: Consistent monitoring contributes to long-term operational stability.
Enhanced Insights: Provides critical data analytics to drive strategic decisions.

In the wind energy sector, implementing Upwind is directly aligned with industry goals of sustainability and economic growth. Whether integrated into large-scale wind farms or smaller localized projects, it adapts to diverse scenarios, ensuring alignment with industry-specific demands like regulatory compliance and technological advancements.

Upwind Security

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Physicians Choice Laboratory Services, Helvetica Insurance

StockX, Yotpo, bill, Digital Turbine, nanit, CallRail, boomi

Buyer's Guide

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Upwind

September 2026

Free Report: Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Upwind

Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Upwind and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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