Difference Between UTM and Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

In 2011, Gartner representatives decided that UTM now only suits small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, next-generation firewalls, in their opinion, were supposed to interest large company cybersecurity leaders. By that time, UTM appliances were already struggling poorly with the increased volume of network traffic. Universal gateways processed it slowly, as the engines of each built-in security tool were launched sequentially. As a result, the more functions were in the UTM, the longer the processing of one network packet took. Processes in NGFW began to launch simultaneously, and without loss of performance. They managed to get rid of slow traffic processing thanks to built-in specialized chips, or rather programmable logic integrated circuits (FPGAs).

The second architectural challenge that the creators of NGFW solved concerned writing files to the hard disk. If its performance was low, the UTM could not fully perform its tasks. In the best case, some gateway functions stopped working; in the worst case, it shut down completely. In NGFW, its own memory appeared. All files during traffic processing were no longer written to the hard disk. And this significantly simplified and sped up the operation of functions that were embedded in the new firewalls.

Gradually, the standard functionality of UTM began to include firewall, VPN, web filter, antispam, antivirus, and DLP. All these and other capabilities later also appeared in the next-generation solution—NGFW. The main security modules of such solutions today include URL filtering, IDS/IPS, Application Control, user authentication, DPI, antivirus, VPN, SSL inspection, antispam.

According to the well-known cybersecurity company WatchGuard Technologies, the difference in modern UTM and NGFW may concern the business approach to managing the solution. So, security gateways are more liked by companies looking for simple administration options—default security policies, standard reports, etc. If more fine-tuning and a custom approach to building cybersecurity processes are needed, it is better to pay attention to NGFW.

In summary: the significant difference between UTM and NGFW exists only in architecture. Thanks to this difference, next-generation firewalls are usually more performant, faster in operation, and more flexible in management. At the same time, the difference in functionality of modern UTM and NGFW is often conditional and depends on the capabilities of a specific vendor. Different solutions usually include the same set of security modules, except for some additional features.

While NGFW and UTM might seem interchangeable, these tools bring unique strengths to the table. Understanding their overlap and differences can help you decide which one aligns best with your business needs.

Unified Threat Management (UTM) is a security solution that combines multiple protective features into one easy-to-use system. Often described as an all-in-one cybersecurity tool, UTM integrates capabilities such as firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection, web filtering, and VPN support into a single package. By consolidating these functions, UTM simplifies security management, making it an attractive choice for businesses with limited IT resources. Designed for simplicity, UTM systems are easier to deploy and manage, especially for smaller organizations or businesses with limited IT resources.

A Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is an advanced security tool that builds on traditional firewalls by incorporating features like deep packet inspection, application awareness, and intrusion prevention systems (IPS). NGFWs not only block harmful traffic but also allow businesses to monitor and control application usage, providing more granular control and protection against sophisticated threats. NGFWs can identify and control applications, allowing for more granular policy enforcement. They include robust IPS capabilities to detect and block threats in real time. NGFWs enables control based on user identities, enhancing network security.

In practice, the line between NGFW and UTM has blurred as modern NGFWs often integrate UTM functionalities. Many NGFW solutions now include antivirus, web filtering, and VPN support—features traditionally associated with UTMs. This integration allows NGFWs to act as a comprehensive security solution while maintaining their advanced traffic inspection and application control capabilities. While Unified Threat Management emphasizes simplicity and breadth for small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Next Generation Firewalls offer scalability and advanced controls for enterprises. These distinctions are now more about positioning than strict technical differences, as many NGFWs can serve as unified solutions.

Yes, many modern Next Generation Firewalls incorporate Unified Threat Management functionalities, offering businesses a unified approach to cybersecurity services. This blend allows NGFWs to provide both granular control and the broad protection that UTMs are known for. As such, the decision often boils down to the level of customization and scalability your business requires. In today’s cybersecurity landscape, there is no need to choose between Unified Threat Management and Next Generation Firewalls—because NGFWs encompass UTM functionalities and much more. By opting for an NGFW, businesses gain access to a comprehensive security solution that combines the simplicity of UTM with the advanced capabilities of NGFW, such as deep packet inspection, application awareness, and intrusion prevention.

Historically, Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) appliances were designed to deliver a very specific set of security services – firewalling, IPS, and URL filtering. Anything that consolidated more than those services was commonly referred to as a Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliance. Today, however, we see significant blending of these two markets and products. The performance gap has disappeared and solutions marketed as NGFW appliances are being released with the same security services once unique to offerings marketed as UTM appliances.

UTM appliances provide out-of-the-box policies, management, and reporting tools designed for ease of deployment and ongoing management while NGFW appliances cater to organizations that wish to customize their security policies and prefer manual reporting and management techniques. Neither approach is wrong, however, many organizations do not have the time, resources, or security expertise required to manually build security policy and manage a variety of disparate appliances. UTM solutions give those organization the same enterprise-grade security without the extra layer of management. This is particularly useful for small, midsize, or widely distributed organizations that typically don’t have dedicated security or IT teams.

It has been long debated if one appliance that centralizes a variety of network security tasks could ever compete with the performance of dedicated point solutions. Not only is the answer yes, but the performance of some UTM appliances, with all security engines running, outperform many dedicated NGFW point solutions.

As such, there is not a static definition of what services should be considered standard within a UTM appliance. Never make any assumptions – always be sure to ask exactly what is included in the offering you are evaluating. Fueling the confusion for end-users, vendors all take a slightly varied approach when it comes to pricing and packaging.

However, every Firebox can be purchased as a standalone NGFW appliance as well, however, we never recommend the deployment of a NGFW without other security mechanisms in place. The best approach to security is a layered approach.

Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) and unified threat management (UTM) systems are two of the most popular network security tools on the market today. They achieve similar goals in defending against cyberattacks, but the way each type of product approaches that task is different. Understanding the core differences between NGFWs and UTM systems is essential to building the right arsenal of network security tools for each organization’s unique needs.

A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is a network security device that does more than stateful firewalls (i.e., traditional firewalls). Stateful firewalls inspect everything inside data packets up to open systems interconnection (OSI) transport layer four. Next-generation firewalls, on the other hand, can go up to application layer seven, which allows them to block certain applications and maintain control over specific applications. Application awareness is one of many additional features NGFW firewalls can use to protect your business network.

A unified threat management (UTM) system is a comprehensive system that provides a single protection point against many of the most common cyber security threats. A UTM appliance provides several layers of network protection. These layers consist of next-generation firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion and detection prevention systems (IDPS), website and spam filtering, and virtual private network (VPN) functionality.

Both NGFW and UTM products aim to protect a business network from cyber security threats and vulnerabilities. These network security solutions may serve similar purposes, but they are slightly different. The most significant difference between the two solutions is that UTM systems incorporate NGFW capabilities with other network security tasks: Endpoint protection protects desktops, laptops, and servers with antivirus and web security software. Web protection guards against web threats, controls online activity, and manages application bandwidth. Modifiable intrusion protection and adjustable VPN options provide flexible site-to-site connectivity and remote access. Email protection stops spam and viruses while keeping data secure with Data Loss Protection (DLP) processes and technology. Webserver protection uses a reverse proxy that protects servers from exploits and authenticates client requests to the appropriate backend server. Though UTM systems generally offer a wider variety of network protections, they may not be able to accommodate advanced security needs as easily as a dedicated NGFW product. Organizations with highly complex networks may benefit more from a combination of standalone solutions rather than an all-inclusive appliance. Many network security specialists believe UTMs are best suited for small to midsize businesses because of their versatility, whereas NGFWs are for large corporations with large volumes of data traversing the network.

The decision to use an NGFW or a UTM should be based on the size of the company and the expertise, experience, and size of the security staff. Small to midsize companies with limited security staff may opt for a UTM solution, and larger companies that are adequately staffed with experienced IT security personnel may lean toward an NGFW solution. Both products work for their respective organizations, but companies can enhance their posture with additional network security tools and best practices.