# Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Safing Portmaster: side-by-side comparison (2026) [Cato Networks Network Firewall](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cato-networks-network-firewall) is a commercial [Next-Gen firewalls](https://cybersectools.com/categories/next-generation-firewalls) solution by [Cato Networks](https://cybersectools.com/companies/cato-networks). [Safing Portmaster](https://cybersectools.com/tools/safing-portmaster) is a free [Next-Gen firewalls](https://cybersectools.com/categories/next-generation-firewalls) solution by [Safing](https://cybersectools.com/companies/safing). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side. ## Our take What our shortlists say about the one we picked. ### [Cato Networks Network Firewall](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cato-networks-network-firewall) Best for: Teams eliminating on-premises firewall hardware entirely The SIEM integration is worth noting. Cato logs network events and can forward them to your existing SIEM for correlation. This is important because FWaaS creates a new log source that your SOC needs to ingest and normalize. Verify that Cato's log format works with your SIEM before you commit. The cloud-native architecture also means you cannot do the kind of low-level packet capture and analysis that you can with an on-premises appliance, which matters for some incident response workflows. From [Best Next-Generation Firewall Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-next-generation-firewalls), Fall 2026. Reviewed by [Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze](https://cybersectools.com/about). Need the answer fast? [Best Next-Generation Firewall Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-next-generation-firewalls) picks Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls, Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall, Cisco Secure Firewall and 4 more. ## Side-by-side comparison | | Cato Networks Network Firewall | Safing Portmaster | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Free | | Category | Next-Gen Firewalls | Next-Gen Firewalls | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises | | Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup | | Company | Cato Networks | Safing | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Cato Networks Network Firewall | Safing Portmaster | |---|---|---| | SASE | Yes | – | | Linux | – | Yes | | Open Source | – | Yes | | Windows | – | Yes | | Network Monitoring | – | Yes | ### Core features **Cato Networks Network Firewall** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Safing Portmaster** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. ## Which one fits you Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source. - [Cato Networks Network Firewall](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cato-networks-network-firewall) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a small business or a mid-market company or an enterprise. - [Safing Portmaster](https://cybersectools.com/tools/safing-portmaster) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup and you need a free product. ## Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Safing Portmaster FAQ Common questions when comparing Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Safing Portmaster for Next-Gen firewalls. ### What is the difference between Cato Networks Network Firewall and Safing Portmaster? **Cato Networks Network Firewall**: Cloud-native FWaaS solution providing NGFW capabilities for network security, built by Cato Networks. **Safing Portmaster**: An open-source application firewall that monitors network traffic with custom rules, built by Safing. The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ. ### Who makes Cato Networks Network Firewall and Safing Portmaster? **Cato Networks Network Firewall** is made by Cato Networks. **Safing Portmaster** is made by Safing. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit. ### Is Cato Networks Network Firewall a good alternative to Safing Portmaster? Often, yes. Cato Networks Network Firewall and Safing Portmaster are both Next-Gen Firewalls products. Key differences: Cato Networks Network Firewall is Commercial while Safing Portmaster is Free. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ. ## Related comparisons - [Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Fortinet Secure Networking](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cato-networks-network-firewall-vs-fortinet-secure-networking) - [Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Endian UTM](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cato-networks-network-firewall-vs-endian-utm) - [Cato Networks Network Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cato-networks-network-firewall-vs-palo-alto-networks-strata-network-security-platform) - [Safing Portmaster vs Fortinet Secure Networking](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortinet-secure-networking-vs-safing-portmaster) - [Safing Portmaster vs Endian UTM](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endian-utm-vs-safing-portmaster) - [Safing Portmaster vs Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://cybersectools.com/compare/palo-alto-networks-strata-network-security-platform-vs-safing-portmaster) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Cato Networks Network Firewall alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cato-networks-network-firewall) - [See all Safing Portmaster alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/safing-portmaster) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cato-networks-network-firewall-vs-safing-portmaster For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/cato-networks-network-firewall.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md. More on Cato Networks Network Firewall and Safing Portmaster: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md