Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max) vs Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H-C5G-WW: Specs & Price Comparison

Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max (UCG-Max)

★ 4.9 Value Score

Firewall Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti in the sources reviewed
Threat Prevention Throughput: 2.3 Gbps IDS/IPS per Ubiquiti spec page (older listings show 1.5 Gbps)
IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Ubiquiti; third-party reviews report about 800-1,000 Mbps for WireGuard and 300-400 Mbps for OpenVPN
Max Sessions: Not published in the sources reviewed
New Sessions/sec: Not published in the sources reviewed
Interfaces: 1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN, 4x GbE RJ45 LAN (one LAN port can be reconfigured as a second WAN for multi-WAN)
Form Factor: Compact desktop; UCG-Max-NS variant includes 512GB NVMe storage

✔ Pros: Low entry price at $199 MSRP; Compact desktop form factor; Five-port layout with multi-WAN support via a reconfigurable LAN port; Runs UniFi OS with integrated IDS/IPS, site-to-site and remote VPN options (IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP); Manages 30+ UniFi devices and 300+ clients per Ubiquiti listing
✘ Cons: Routing and IPS throughput (2.3 Gbps) is modest for multi-gigabit WANs with inspection enabled; Published throughput figures conflict across sources (1.5 vs 2.3 Gbps IPS, varying VPN numbers); Only one 2.5GbE port, with the remaining ports at 1GbE; Vendor does not publish IPsec tunnel, session, or new-connection limits; Some resellers list prices well above MSRP (one US listing at $394.79)
Est. Price: $199 - $279

Palo Alto Networks ION 3200H-C5G-WW

★ 4.3 Value Score

Firewall Throughput: Not published by Palo Alto Networks. Third-party listings cite 1.5-1.7 Gbps, unverified
Threat Prevention Throughput: Not published
IPsec VPN Throughput: Not published by Palo Alto Networks. Third-party listings cite 1.5 Gbps, unverified
Max Sessions: Not published (third-party listing cites 80,000, unverified)
New Sessions/sec: Not published
Interfaces: 6 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 + 2 x RJ-45/SFP combo WAN ports; 1 x Ethernet 1Gbps Port 0; 4 x 1Gbps RJ-45 L2 switch LAN ports (C5G-WW); 2 x RJ-45 bypass pair; 1 x RJ-45 console; 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A; 4 x 5G antennas; dual nano-SIM slot
Form Factor: Desktop, rack or wall-mount appliance, 9 x 13 x 1.73 in (228.6 x 330.2 x 43.9 mm), 9.85 lb, fanless, IP40
Cellular / 5G: 5G (worldwide), dual nano-SIM; cellular certifications listed for AT&T, T-Mobile, PTCRB and Verizon
PoE: Not listed for ION 3200H-C5G-WW (the base ION 3200 lists 90W system / 60W per port PoE)
Power Input: Redundant DC 12-48 V, 4 A; 180W power adapter option
Memory / Storage: 8 GB RAM / 128 GB eMMC
Operating Temperature: -40C to 70C (-40F to 158F); 0C to 60C when using the provided power adapter
Certifications: FCC Class A, CE Class A, VCCI Class A, UL/CSA/IEC 62368-1, IEEE 1613, IEC 61850-3

✔ Pros: Temperature-hardened, fanless design rated for -40C to 70C operation; Integrated 4-port L2 switch with 5G cellular and dual-SIM failover in one branch device; Redundant DC 12-48 V power input suits harsh or remote sites; Cellular carrier certifications for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon; Part of the Prisma SD-WAN ecosystem with centralized management and IP40 rating
✘ Cons: Palo Alto Networks does not publish firewall, threat prevention, IPsec or session throughput figures for this model; Only 8 GB RAM and 128 GB eMMC storage, limiting it for heavier workloads; Designed as an SD-WAN branch device, not a full next-generation firewall; Heavier at 9.85 lb than comparable compact branch units; Pricing is quote-only from some vendors and third-party listings vary widely; PoE budget for the C5G-WW variant is not documented
Est. Price: $897 - $1,614

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