Uses AI-powered threat defense (e.g., Aruba Central threat insights and integrations with third-party tools).

Barracuda’s Advanced Threat Protection leverages a multi-layered approach, including advanced threat signatures, behavioral and heuristic analysis.

Aruba IDS/IPS capabilities integrated in gateway & APs; optional ClearPass for deeper integration.

Built-in web security and IDS/IPS.

Integrated with ClearPass Policy Manager for traffic visibility and anomaly detection.

Support encrypted traffic analysis through SSL/TLS inspection. Decrypt, inspect, and then re-encrypt encrypted traffic to apply security policies and detect hidden threats.

Aruba ClearPass for role-based access control and ZTNA enforcement.

Provides network access control (NAC) supporting Zero Trust principles.

Aruba EdgeConnect for SASE; cloud-managed firewall capabilities via Aruba Central.

Barracuda SecureEdge integrates Secure SD-WAN, Firewall-as-a-Service, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Secure Web Gateway capabilities.

Aruba AIOps for automated issue resolution and optimization.

Barracuda utilizes AI-powered security through its Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service helping detect and analyze advanced threats.

Aruba Central provides centralized policy management.

Barracuda Firewall Control Center centrally manages multiple Barracuda CloudGen Firewalls, simplifying policy management.

Aruba VIA client for VPN; mostly agentless with ClearPass + SASE.

CloudGen Access Agent: This agent is installed on client devices to facilitate secure access to network resources.

Barracuda Network Access Client: This client integrates with the CloudGen Firewall to provide endpoint security and enforce network access control (NAC) policies.

Integrates with third-party sandbox solutions (e.g., Palo Alto Wildfire or FireEye).

Supports sandboxing through its integrated Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service.

Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet. 

WatchGuard, Sophos, SonicWall.

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is generally is generally considered more suitable for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rather than large enterprises, especially those with distributed networks.

Centralized Management with Control Center. ability to manage multiple firewalls through a single interface, simplifying administration across distributed networks.​

VPN Configuration. Intuitive interface allows for straightforward VPN setup, facilitating secure remote access for users.

Steep Learning Curve. Initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring a significant investment of time to understand and implement effectively.​

Functionality Tied to Active Subscription. Certain features become limited or non-functional if the subscription lapses, potentially impacting network security.