Best Firewall for Small Business in 2026: Price per Device
Six firewalls with a dollar price on the vendor's own site, priced for a 25-device office, plus four vendors that publish no price.
UniFi Cloud Gateway Max is the cheapest firewall with a dollar price on its vendor's site: $199 with no storage, or $7.96 per device for a 25-device office in year one (UniFi's own store, checked 10 October 2026). Pick Netgate 1100 when support must be included and someone can manage the rules. Pick Firewalla Gold SE at $519 when an app should be the console.
Four vendors, Fortinet, SonicWall, WatchGuard and Sophos, publish no list price on the pages we read. They sit last and are not ranked on price, because a quote is not a list price.
For most 25-to-50 person offices the UniFi Dream Machine Pro is the best all-round buy: 1,000+ client support, 3.5 Gbps of IPS routing, and an optional threat add-on you can decide on later.
Key facts10 tools compared: UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max), Netgate 1100 pfSense+, UniFi Dream…
- 10 tools compared: UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max), Netgate 1100 pfSense+, UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro), UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE), Firewalla Gold SE, Firewalla Gold Plus, Fortinet FortiGate, SonicWall firewalls (TZ Series), WatchGuard Firebox, Sophos Firewall
- Netgate 1100 pfSense+ (best for: Offices with one IT person who can manage pfSense rules and wants support included in the price): $289 one-time with TAC Lite support included; $11.56 per device at 25 devices.
- UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) (best for: Offices of 25 to 50 people that want 1,000+ client support and a UniFi console): $379 one-time ($417 with surcharges); $15.16 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly.
- UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE) (best for: Offices of 25 to 50 people that want built-in PoE switching in the same box): $499 one-time ($549 with surcharges); $19.96 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly.
A firewall is a box, then a yearly question: what does the office pay to keep its threat rules current? Most vendors answer the first part on their own site and leave the second to a quote.
This page prices both wherever a vendor published a dollar figure.
Toolradar data: we track 11,051 tools in 343 categories, and none of those categories is firewalls, so every price below comes from a vendor's own page read on 10 October 2026, not from our directory.
The scenario is a 25-person office with one connected device per person, bought in year one.
The per-device figure is the list price divided by 25, so a 50-device office halves each number.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)
The cheapest box on a vendor price list, with 2.3 Gbps of IPS routing and a threat add-on you can skip.
$199 with no storage ($219 with surcharges), one-time; $7.96 per device at 25.
Tight budgets that want a UniFi gateway with 300+ client support and an optional threat add-on
The cheapest appliance with support in the price, but it is a self-managed box and someone has to own it.
$289 one-time with TAC Lite support included; $11.56 per device at 25 devices.
Offices with one IT person who can manage pfSense rules and wants support included in the price
UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)
The UniFi box for a growing office: 3.5 Gbps of IPS routing and 1,000+ clients before any add-on.
$379 one-time ($417 with surcharges); $15.16 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly.
Offices of 25 to 50 people that want 1,000+ client support and a UniFi console
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max) | $199 with no storage ($219 with surcharges), one-time; $7.96 per device at 25. | Tight budgets that want a UniFi gateway with 300+ client support and an optional threat add-on |
| Netgate 1100 pfSense+ | $289 one-time with TAC Lite support included; $11.56 per device at 25 devices. | Offices with one IT person who can manage pfSense rules and wants support included in the price |
| UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) | $379 one-time ($417 with surcharges); $15.16 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly. | Offices of 25 to 50 people that want 1,000+ client support and a UniFi console |
| UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE) | $499 one-time ($549 with surcharges); $19.96 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly. | Offices of 25 to 50 people that want built-in PoE switching in the same box |
| Firewalla Gold SE | $519 one-time, no monthly fee for standard features; $20.76 per device at 25. | Offices that want the firewall run from a phone app and do not have a network engineer |
| Firewalla Gold Plus | $629 one-time, no monthly fee for standard features; $25.16 per device at 25. | Offices on a fast fiber or cable line that want more than 2 Gbps without a managed contract |
| Fortinet FortiGate | Contact sales. No list price on the page; buyers are sent to a quote or a regional reseller. | Offices that want a large vendor's threat services and will pay for a written reseller quote |
| SonicWall firewalls (TZ Series) | Contact sales. The SOHO, entry-level and mid-range category pages show no dollar price. | Offices that want bundled security services and an embedded warranty, once the quote arrives |
| WatchGuard Firebox | Contact sales or a reseller. The how-to-buy page says the online store is for renewals only. | Offices that already work with a WatchGuard reseller and want one partner for hardware and renewals |
| Sophos Firewall | Contact a partner. No list price on the page. | Offices migrating from another firewall that want a partner to price the move |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Oct 2026. 3 of 10 sell by quote only and publish no price; those entries say so rather than estimating. 1 of 10 has no standalone price (bundled, usage-based or free to self-host) and is described as charged, not guessed.
UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)
The cheapest box on a vendor price list, with 2.3 Gbps of IPS routing and a threat add-on you can skip.
- Pricing
- $199 with no storage ($219 with surcharges), one-time; $7.96 per device at 25.
Best for: Tight budgets that want a UniFi gateway with 300+ client support and an optional threat add-on
Pros
- The no-storage version is the base price, and the same page sells a storage version at $279.
- Vendor specs: 300+ client support and 2.3 Gbps IPS routing, enough for a 25-person office with phones and printers.
- CyberSecure is optional and billed per gateway each year, so you can start without it.
Cons
- The store shows a $219 price with surcharges on the same no-storage box, so the checkout total may differ from the base price.
- Nothing on the product page offers a managed service; someone in the office runs the UniFi console.
Netgate 1100 pfSense+
The cheapest appliance with support in the price, but it is a self-managed box and someone has to own it.
- Pricing
- $289 one-time with TAC Lite support included; $11.56 per device at 25 devices.
Best for: Offices with one IT person who can manage pfSense rules and wants support included in the price
Pros
- The price includes TAC Lite support, which the store lists as included on the same page.
- Full rule control: an IT person can see and change every firewall rule instead of accepting a preset.
- TAC Professional adds $49 for one year, a $338 year-one total on the 1100 page.
Cons
- The rules and the updates need an owner. An unmanaged firewall is a risk, not a saving.
- Support upgrades are yearly charges, so the cost over several years is higher than the sticker price.
UniFi Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)
The UniFi box for a growing office: 3.5 Gbps of IPS routing and 1,000+ clients before any add-on.
- Pricing
- $379 one-time ($417 with surcharges); $15.16 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly.
Best for: Offices of 25 to 50 people that want 1,000+ client support and a UniFi console
Pros
- Vendor specs: 1,000+ client support and 3.5 Gbps IPS routing, which covers a 50-person office with room to grow.
- It is $120 under the UDM-SE, and the product description does not list built-in PoE switching.
- CyberSecure is optional, so year one can start at the box price.
Cons
- Surcharges add $38, so budget $417 until checkout confirms the total.
- PoE switching is listed on the UDM-SE only, so PoE devices on the Pro may need a separate switch.
UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition (UDM-SE)
The UDM-Pro with built-in PoE switching for $120 more, with the same 1,000+ client and 3.5 Gbps specs.
- Pricing
- $499 one-time ($549 with surcharges); $19.96 per device at 25. CyberSecure optional, billed yearly.
Best for: Offices of 25 to 50 people that want built-in PoE switching in the same box
Pros
- The product description lists built-in PoE switching, so one box can replace a separate switch if you have PoE devices.
- The same 1,000+ client support and 3.5 Gbps IPS routing as the UDM-Pro, per the vendor's listing.
- CyberSecure remains optional.
Cons
- At $499 it costs $120 more than the UDM-Pro, and the listing gives no extra IPS throughput for that money.
- The surcharge version is $549, so the all-in sticker is $50 above the base price.
Firewalla Gold SE
An app-managed firewall with IPS, network segmentation and a VPN server with no monthly fee on standard features.
- Pricing
- $519 one-time, no monthly fee for standard features; $20.76 per device at 25.
Best for: Offices that want the firewall run from a phone app and do not have a network engineer
Pros
- The product page says there is no monthly fee for standard features, and its VPN server runs without one.
- Network segmentation keeps guest and IoT devices in their own groups, and new devices can be quarantined.
- The vendor rates it at 2 Gbps, with two 2.5 GbE and two 1 GbE ports.
Cons
- The page says future pro or business features may cost a reasonable fee, so the free standard tier is not a permanent promise.
- At 2 Gbps rated throughput, a faster ISP plan can outrun it, and the Gold Plus is the next step at $629.
Firewalla Gold Plus
Rated above 5 Gbps with four 2.5 GbE ports, for offices where the Gold SE would be the bottleneck.
- Pricing
- $629 one-time, no monthly fee for standard features; $25.16 per device at 25.
Best for: Offices on a fast fiber or cable line that want more than 2 Gbps without a managed contract
Pros
- The comparison table rates the Gold Plus above 5 Gbps, against more than 2 Gbps for the Gold SE.
- Four 2.5 GbE ports on the comparison table, against two on the Gold SE.
- The same no-monthly-fee wording and VPN server as the Gold SE.
Cons
- It costs $110 more than the Gold SE, for speeds a small office line may never use.
- The page lists no paid support tier, only an Extended Warranty option, so the help center and community forum are the support path.
Fortinet FortiGate
A large vendor's firewall line whose price comes from a quote, not from a store page.
- Pricing
- Contact sales. No list price on the page; buyers are sent to a quote or a regional reseller.
Best for: Offices that want a large vendor's threat services and will pay for a written reseller quote
Pros
- The page offers a Request a Quote path and a regional reseller finder, so a buyer can get a written price.
- It publishes threat-protection throughput per model, so a quote can be checked against a spec sheet.
- A reseller can bundle hardware with the services the office needs in one document.
Cons
- No dollar price on the page, so this list cannot rank it against the boxes above.
- A quote adds a sales conversation before you can compare prices.
SonicWall firewalls (TZ Series)
A firewall sold with bundled security services and a warranty, with no list price on its category pages.
- Pricing
- Contact sales. The SOHO, entry-level and mid-range category pages show no dollar price.
Best for: Offices that want bundled security services and an embedded warranty, once the quote arrives
Pros
- The category pages describe bundled security services and a managed protection suite.
- The security services page lists an embedded warranty alongside the bundled services.
- A managed firewall service with monitoring is an option on the same pages.
Cons
- No list price on the category pages, so the cost of the services has to come from a quote.
- The warranty is a cap, not a promise of payout, so read its terms before you count on it.
WatchGuard Firebox
WatchGuard sells new firewalls through resellers or its sales team, with its online store limited to renewals.
- Pricing
- Contact sales or a reseller. The how-to-buy page says the online store is for renewals only.
Best for: Offices that already work with a WatchGuard reseller and want one partner for hardware and renewals
Pros
- The how-to-buy page offers a reseller finder, so a local partner can handle installation and renewals.
- The page says a partner will evaluate the right solution for your environment before quoting.
- The page also names a contact-sales route, so a buyer can skip the reseller search and ask for a direct quote.
Cons
- No list price for new hardware on the page, so the box cannot be ranked here.
- The online store is for renewals only, so a new purchase starts with a reseller or a sales quote.
Sophos Firewall
A firewall whose price comes from a partner, with migration offers sent through the sales channel.
- Pricing
- Contact a partner. No list price on the page.
Best for: Offices migrating from another firewall that want a partner to price the move
Pros
- The page advertises migration offers, which a partner can quote for a switch from another firewall.
- The page points buyers to a partner rather than a store, so the price comes out of a sales conversation.
Cons
- No list price on the page, so the cost per device is unknown until a partner quotes.
- A migration offer is a sales hook, not a price: ask for the renewal figure in writing.
What it is
A small business firewall is a gateway appliance that sits between the office internet line and its devices, applies traffic rules, and can block known attack traffic with intrusion prevention. The box is the one-time cost.
Threat signatures, support and warranty upgrades are often sold on top, so the yearly line matters as much as the sticker.
A firewall is not a VPN service or endpoint antivirus. It decides which traffic may enter and leave the office network, and it cannot clean a laptop that is already infected.
Why it matters
The spread between the cheapest and the dearest priced box here is $430, or $17.20 per device at 25 devices. That is the hardware gap. The yearly gap can be larger.
Each UniFi threat add-on, CyberSecure, is $99 per gateway a year, billed annually.
On the UDM-Pro, year one becomes $478, or $19.12 per device, which is close to the $19.96 a UDM-SE costs before any add-on.
Four vendors on this list publish no dollar price for new hardware. A partner quote is the only number a buyer gets there, so ask for it with the renewal price in writing.
Key features to look for
Pricing
Methodology: every USD price was read on the vendor's own store or pricing page on 10 October 2026, then divided by 25 devices for the per-device figure. Optional add-ons appear on their own rows and are not added to the base price.
Quote-only vendors are not ranked on price.
Sources: UniFi Store, Cloud Gateway Max, UniFi Store, Dream Machine Pro, UniFi Store, Dream Machine Special Edition, Netgate shop, 1100, Firewalla, Gold SE and Firewalla, Gold Plus.
Per-device math at 25 devices: UCG-Max at $199 is $7.96.
Netgate 1100 at $289 is $11.56, or $13.52 with TAC Professional for one year ($338). UDM-Pro at $379 is $15.16, or $19.12 with CyberSecure ($478). UDM-SE at $499 is $19.96, or $23.92 with CyberSecure ($598). Gold SE at $519 is $20.76, and Gold Plus at $629 is $25.16.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| UniFi Cloud Gateway Max, no storage | $199 one-time | $219 with surcharges; 300+ client support; 2.3 Gbps IPS routing |
| UniFi Cloud Gateway Max, with storage | $279 one-time | $307 with surcharges; storage version on the same page |
| UniFi CyberSecure (any UniFi gateway) | $99 per gateway a year | Optional threat signatures, billed annually |
| Netgate 1100 pfSense+ | $289 one-time | TAC Lite support included |
| Netgate 1100 TAC Professional | $49 for 1 year | Adds to the 1100 for a $338 year-one total |
| UniFi Dream Machine Pro | $379 one-time | $417 with surcharges; 1,000+ client support; 3.5 Gbps IPS routing |
| UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition | $499 one-time | $549 with surcharges; built-in PoE switching |
| Firewalla Gold SE | $519 one-time | Rated 2 Gbps; no monthly fee for standard features |
| Firewalla Gold Plus | $629 one-time | Rated above 5 Gbps; four 2.5 GbE ports; no monthly fee for standard features |
| Fortinet FortiGate | Contact sales | No list price on the page; quote or regional reseller |
| SonicWall firewalls | Contact sales | Category pages show no dollar price |
| WatchGuard Firebox | Contact sales or reseller | Online store is for renewals only |
| Sophos Firewall | Contact a partner | No list price on the page; migration offers through partners |
The bottom line
UniFi Dream Machine Pro is the buy for most 25-to-50 person offices that want a console, 1,000+ client support and optional threat services. Netgate 1100 is the buy when support must be included and an IT person can own the rules.
Firewalla Gold SE is the buy when an app should be the console and the office has no network engineer.
Get a written quote before you sign for Fortinet, SonicWall, WatchGuard or Sophos, and compare its year-one total with the totals above, not with its sticker price.
If a quote arrives from Sophos or Barracuda, check its renewal price against the UniFi figures before you accept it.
Cite this: Cyberpresso, "Best Firewall for Small Business in 2026: Price per Device", prices checked 10 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best firewall for a small business in 2026?
How much does a small business firewall cost?
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UniFi or Netgate for a 25-person office?
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