We performed a comparison between Fortinet Fortigate and Cisco SD-WAN based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison of Results: Based on the parameters we compared, Fortinet Fortigate seems to be the superior solution. All other things being more or less equal, our reviewers found Cisco SD-WAN rather expensive to purchase, not as secure as it should be, and somewhat difficult to deploy.
"I have found the solution's main features are its ability to be customized, network traffic classification, and has a wide range of features that can be set."
"The deployment is quite simple and straightforward."
"The cloud environment, including cloud security integration, is very valuable because of the many API integrations with the SD-WAN."
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy to deploy."
"Encryption, which is native to the solution, is a valuable feature. Also, central management, onboarding of devices, QS, and routing applications are all okay."
"It's a scalable solution."
"The tool is stable, and its troubleshooting capabilities are good. It helps us identify and fix any issues. It simplifies VPN setup for both side-to-side and multisite connections. This allows for easier data sharing between main and branch offices, creating a local network feel even for distant sites."
"This solution can scale from SMB to the enterprise level. It is very impressive."
"The initial installation is very straightforward."
"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection."
"LinkGreat firewall capabilities"
"The most valuable features are SD-WAN, application control, IPS control, and FortiSandbox."
"The security features are about the best that I've seen anywhere."
"The most important feature, normally for small business customers, is link load balancing."
"Overall, the pricing of the solution is very good. The product offers good value."
"The solution is scalable."
"The Cisco way of thinking is to create umbrella-like solutions. I would prefer it if this solution was separate from the entire monstrous Cisco portfolio."
"The technical support is a bit slow."
"The solution could be a bit cheaper."
"The main issue is that not in the technology, but it comes back comparison. When we do a comparison with other SD WAN solutions, they are priced better."
"The deployment is complex."
"The client portal needs to be improved in order to make the solution much better."
"The initial setup was not very straightforward, but it gets easier the more deployments you complete."
"We recently found some bugs."
"The cloud features can be improved."
"The solution lacks sufficient filtering."
"It should come integrated or have its own type of network monitor tool in a module. There should just be one package, and you are good to go."
"I would prefer to have more detailed logs within the FortiGate products themselves rather than relying on a separate tool."
"Its reporting and pricing need improvement."
"One area for improvement is the performance on bandwidth demands for smaller devices, as well as better web filtering."
"Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box."
"Tunnel flapping was one of the major things I had seen wherein your internet link remains but your VPN tunnel is down. However, since I got a fix from the TAC team, I have not noticed it, but the customer complained a few times that they couldn't access the internet because of this problem."
Cisco SD-WAN is ranked 1st in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 86 reviews while Fortinet FortiGate is ranked 2nd in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions with 306 reviews. Cisco SD-WAN is rated 8.0, while Fortinet FortiGate is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Cisco SD-WAN writes "A solution for integrating services to enhance up-time, performance and lower costs". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Fortinet FortiGate writes "It's a reliable solution that's easy to install and cheaper than competitors ". Cisco SD-WAN is most compared with Meraki SD-WAN, VMware SD-WAN, Juniper Session Smart Router, Versa Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platform and Cato SASE Cloud Platform, whereas Fortinet FortiGate is most compared with Sophos XG, Cisco Secure Firewall, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX and OPNsense. See our Cisco SD-WAN vs. Fortinet FortiGate report.
See our list of best Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions vendors and best WAN Edge vendors.
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