Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H vs Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max: Specs & Price Comparison

Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H

★ 3.7 Value Score

Firewall Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (secondary source, unverified; not in Palo Alto's published docs)
Threat Prevention Throughput: Not published
IPsec VPN Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (secondary source, unverified)
Max Sessions: 80,000 (secondary source, unverified)
New Sessions/sec: 6,000 (secondary source, unverified)
Interfaces: 6x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 (Ports 1-2 WAN/LAN as RJ-45/SFP combo) + 2x RJ-45/SFP combo WAN/LAN + Port 0 (1GbE) + 4x 1GbE L2 switch LAN ports + 1 bypass port pair; 1 RJ-45 console; 2x USB 3.0 Type-A
Form Factor: Fanless desktop/rack/wall-mount, 9 x 13 x 1.73 in (228.6 x 330.2 x 43.9 mm), 9.85 lb, IP40
Storage/Memory: 128GB eMMC / 8GB RAM
Power: 180W external adapter; redundant DC 12-48 V input (4 A)
Operating Temperature: -40 C to 70 C (0 C to 60 C with provided adapter)
PoE: None on the H variant (PoE is on the non-H ION 3200)
Wi-Fi/AP: None listed for ION 3200H
Cellular: ION 3200H-C5G-WW variant adds worldwide 5G with TPM; carrier certifications AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
Research Note: Throughput/session figures conflict across sources: Palo Alto best-practices page lists 1.3 Gbps / 1.7 Gbps (metric not stated); CDW lists 1.7 Gbps. Official device-spec page (docs.paloaltonetworks.com) gives ports, power, and physical specs but no performance numbers. Price range is an estimate, not a verified USD list price; CDW lists request-pricing only.

✔ Pros: Official docs list 4x L2 switch LAN ports and a bypass pair, so it covers branch LAN switching and inline failover in one box; Fanless design with wide -40 C to 70 C operating range suits harsh or unconditioned sites; Redundant DC 12-48 V input supports industrial and vehicle power; Certified to IEEE 1613 and IEC 61850-3 for power-substation use; 5G WW variant (ION 3200H-C5G-WW) provides built-in cellular backup with TPM key storage; Managed through Prisma SD-WAN with centralized policy and VPN orchestration
✘ Cons: Firewall, VPN and session performance are not published in Palo Alto's official docs, and the figures found are inconsistent and from secondary sources; Only 8GB RAM versus 16GB on the standard ION 3200; No PoE on the H variant, unlike the standard ION 3200; Public USD list price is not available (CDW shows request-pricing only), so pricing is quote-based; Low claimed throughput (about 1.5 Gbps) is limiting for multi-gigabit WAN links; Requires Prisma SD-WAN controller and licensing to be useful
Est. Price: $3,500 - $5,500

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max

★ 4.9 Value Score

Firewall Throughput: 2.5 Gbps (routing, IDS/IPS off)
Threat Prevention Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (IDS/IPS on)
IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti; WireGuard/Site-Magic VPN up to 500 Mbps (third-party review, untested method)
Max Sessions: Not published
New Sessions/sec: Not published
Interfaces: 5x 2.5GbE RJ45 (1 WAN + 4 LAN, one LAN port can be remapped to a second WAN)
Form Factor: Compact desktop, 142 x 127 x 30 mm, USB-C 5V/5A power (max 16.1 W)

✔ Pros: 2.5GbE WAN and LAN ports on a compact, low-power chassis (max 16.1 W); 512GB built-in NVMe storage on the standard SKU for local UniFi data; Integrated UniFi controller with IDS/IPS and no license or subscription fees; Supports 300+ clients and 30+ UniFi devices; Multi-WAN capable through the remappable LAN port
✘ Cons: Only 1.5 Gbps with IDS/IPS enabled, well below the 2.5 Gbps routing figure; IPsec VPN throughput, session counts and new sessions per second are not published; No PoE output and no built-in Wi-Fi access point; No LAG/LACP support; 500 Mbps VPN throughput is limiting for high-volume site-to-site tunnels
Est. Price: $240 - $279

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