Run the full Sophos Firewall on your own virtual infrastructure and get the same protection as an XGS appliance, with no new hardware to rack. This entry tier fits small deployments, labs, and branch
sites, and with RAM limits gone it is sized by CPU cores alone.
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Specifications
Virtual Firewall at a Glance
Full Feature Parity
Every Sophos Firewall feature is available on the virtual appliance, exactly as it is on XGS hardware.
That means the Xstream DPI engine, IPS, application control, TLS inspection, web
filtering, and unlimited remote access and site-to-site VPN. Nothing is locked behind a bigger form
factor.
Licensing
Licensed by CPU core count, not by a hardware model. As of the 2025 Sophos change,
virtual, software, and cloud licenses no longer cap RAM, so this 1 core license runs with all the memory
you allocate. Pair the base license with a protection bundle and a support term.
Where It Runs
Deploy on VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, or Citrix, in Microsoft Azure or AWS with
pay-as-you-go or bring-your-own-license pricing, or on Nutanix AHV. You can also install the same
software on your own Intel x86 hardware.
Management
Managed like every Sophos Firewall, locally or through Sophos Central. One console
handles policy, reporting, and Security Heartbeat across your hardware and virtual firewalls, so a
virtual deployment slots into an existing Sophos estate without a new toolset.
Not sure how many cores you need?
The Sophos Virtual Firewall comes in 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 core tiers plus an unlimited option. Line them up
and match the core count to your throughput and user load.
It is licensed by CPU core count, not by a hardware model. You buy a base license
sized to the number of cores your VM will use, then add a protection bundle and a support term. Since
Sophos removed RAM limits on virtual, software, and cloud licenses in 2025, this 1 core license runs
with unlimited RAM, so you size on cores alone.
One core is the entry point, and it suits small offices, lab and test builds, and
lightweight branch deployments. Virtual firewall performance scales with the cores and host resources
you assign it, so heavier traffic, TLS inspection, or more concurrent users are reasons to move up to
a 2, 4, or 6 core license. If you are unsure, tell us your throughput and user count and a
Sophos-certified rep will size it for you.
You can run it on VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and Citrix, deploy it in Microsoft
Azure or AWS with pay-as-you-go or bring-your-own-license pricing, or run it on Nutanix AHV. You can
also install the same Sophos Firewall software on your own Intel x86 hardware if you would rather use
a physical server.
This is a software and license product, so there is no box to ship. You download the
Sophos Firewall installer, spin it up on your hypervisor or cloud, and apply the license we send you.
Note that Sophos license and renewal products can only be activated in the United States.
The base license covers the firewall, networking, and unlimited remote access and
site-to-site VPN. Most buyers add Xstream Protection for the TLS and DPI engine, IPS, ATP, and
Security Heartbeat, while Standard Protection covers the essentials for lighter needs. Add an Enhanced
or Enhanced Plus support term for 24/7 support and feature updates.
Yes. Sophos offers a free 30-day trial of the firewall software, and you can download
the ISO to evaluate the interface on your own hardware or in a VM. When you are ready to buy, the paid
license transfers onto your trial serial number so you keep the configuration you have already built.
Take your Sophos Firewall virtual
Tell us your environment and traffic, and we will size the right core count, protection bundle, and
support term. Sophos-certified reps reply within the hour.
