Fortinet FortiClient vs Hillstone E-Series comparison

Fortinet and Hillstone Networks are both solutions in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category. Fortinet is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.1, while Hillstone Networks is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.0. Fortinet holds a 6.8% mindshare in EIV, compared to Hillstone Networks’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Hillstone Networks users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiClient

Read 102 Fortinet FortiClient reviews

10,451 Views
4,912 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Hillstone E-Series

Read 10 Hillstone E-Series reviews

1,733 Views
555 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiClient

Hillstone E-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 2024

Fortinet FortiClient and Hillstone E-Series compete in the cybersecurity market. Fortinet FortiClient has the upper hand in pricing and support, while Hillstone E-Series stands out with superior features, making its higher costs worthwhile.

Features: Fortinet FortiClient offers endpoint control, VPN support, and threat detection. Hillstone E-Series provides an integrated firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), and detailed traffic analysis.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiClient could improve compatibility with different operating systems, reduce resource usage, and enhance its cross-platform performance. Hillstone E-Series could benefit from better reporting capabilities, more straightforward configuration, and general user interface improvements.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiClient is noted for its easy deployment and responsive customer service. Hillstone E-Series deployment is more complex and requires specialized knowledge, but its customer service is also highly regarded.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiClient is initially more cost-effective with lower setup costs, providing good ROI. Hillstone E-Series, although more expensive to set up, offers substantial long-term ROI through its advanced features.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiClient vs. Hillstone E-Series Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient vs. Hillstone E-Series

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiClient

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

2nd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

102

Ranking in other categories

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (12th), Endpoint Compliance (1st)

Hillstone E-Series

Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

24th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (39th), SSL VPN (9th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 6.8%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hillstone E-Series is 1.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiClient	6.8%
Hillstone E-Series	1.5%
Other	91.7%

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Featured Reviews

Kok Keong-Low

Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel

Remote access has become seamless and secure while deployment remains simple for our users

Performance could be improved today. People are now moving toward SASE, which stands for Secure Access, Secure Edge Solution. Fortinet also has that offering, which would be easier since it operates through the cloud, acting as a first line of defense. When the user connects to the internet, they connect to the cloud first for posture assessment and monitoring before connecting to the outside world. The impact is significant because nowadays people are adopting SASE. During COVID time, many users were trying to connect back to their office, causing the performance or CPU utilization of the firewall to increase tremendously, which slowed down performance. I have not worked with endpoint telemetry in Fortinet FortiClient that could have been helpful for threat mitigation.

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TahirMahmood

IT Manager at Zubair Feeds

Offers good features like URL filtering, IPS, and IDS to users

We received an update for the tool in July. The update was provided for the tool as there was a problem with the firewall, where too much memory was consumed, and the firewall was hanging a lot. When we updated the tool's features, everything became okay. The tool only had some memory-related problems. It took the tool a month to fix the issues.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The functionality of the solution is pretty good and with every version the solution gets dramatically better."

"When the user gets authenticated, I can assign a different VPN or network to each user."

"The solution is stable, we have not had any issues in the time we have been using it."

"The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and access to all endpoint devices."

"The VPN has proven to be quite useful."

"We use real-time threat detection for scanning files and antivirus. It's integrated with Fortinet FortiAnalyzer. When an endpoint is compromised, Fortinet FortiClient and FortiGate trigger to block and isolate the user on the network."

"This solution allows developers and programmers to connect endpoint users with security."

"It's simple, downloadable, and there's usually no problem."

More Fortinet FortiClient pros

"Five out of five ROI."

"The most valuable features of the Hillstone E-Series are its hardware capacity, innovation, and the throughput that the hardware can take."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the ransomware protection that the tool offers."

"With Hillstone, TCO and ROI are very good, it's an easy sale."

"I am impressed with the application filtering feature."

"If an organization is not looking for a web proxy, it's a very, very good product."

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The initial setup was straightforward. It only took a few hours to deploy."

More Hillstone E-Series pros

Cons

"One area that could be improved is cost, but you've got to pay for what you get."

"Fortinet needs to cover more areas where threats can come from."

"The cost of FortiClient could be better."

"The setup process could be more simplified. There are complexities with the scalability part, particularly with routing and policy alignment."

"I would like Fortinet to improve FortiClient's compatibility with macOS."

"In terms of improvements, their SSL VPN tunnel can be a lot better. I've seen other products that have got much better VPN features than Fortinet. Some of my colleagues get this error called "License not available." When they get this error, they have to uninstall and reinstall it. This kind of problem is there, and sometimes, we have to open a case with Fortinet to resolve it. Their support is quick, so we are able to resolve and move forward. In terms of new features, when it is connecting, it should check the endpoint and say whether the end client is actually safe enough or whether there is a vulnerability. It should give a pop-up on the client itself. Because I'm on the admin side, I can also see this information in the log. However, if a non-IT user, such as a user from finance, is working on this and there is some problem, he or she would not know about this and would call IT admin to say that this is not working. If the users get a message explaining why and what is happening, it is easy for them to understand."

"More integration would be beneficial."

"FortiClient needs improvement in restricting user information and ensuring more secure customer data to better protect source code and reduce the risk of security breaches."

More Fortinet FortiClient cons

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."

"The tool only had some memory-related problems."

"SSL VPN license cost is not cheap."

"The tool provides just a general report. It does not provide a granular report. Hence, the tool should work on its reporting feature."

"The solution doesn't have a web proxy built into the system like Sophos. This is something they should work to change."

"I am not sure if this solution offers active directory integration. Adding that feature will definitely be an advantage."

"The current usage reporting is very basic."

"The tool needs to improve its price."

More Hillstone E-Series cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing was free up to ten users and after that, it was pretty reasonable."

"The price of the solution depends on the type of firewall you have from FortiGate. I am satisfied with the price of the solution."

"I don't have the licensing schema for the VPN solution because we just purchased the VPN gateway."

"The solution is not expensive. We need more discounted rates in Pakistan. The price of the solution could be reduced to be more affordable for the solution."

"It is not that expensive. It was within the range. A dollar per user per month is nothing."

"If we pay for the yearly package that includes the FortiGate firewall, then the FortiClient VPN license is included with it."

"The pricing is good because you get and end-to-end security solution in one package price."

"Fortinet FortiClient comes free with the purchase of the FortiGate solution. There is a license required for this solution. You later can upgrade from the free version which will allow more endpoints. The cost of the license subscription is based on how many endpoints you require."

More Fortinet FortiClient pricing and cost advice

"The cost per year for licensing, and hardware, is approximately $850 for the basic plan."

"The licensing model is very complex with many subcategories of licenses you can purchase. They could make it more simplified for customers to understand."

"Hillstone's pricing is economical and neither very high nor very low."

"The tool's pricing is reasonable. It depends on the model. The product's pricing is around 600 USD. You need to buy a software license to activate the features. You need to pay around 150 USD for that."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

14%

Construction Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	59
Midsize Enterprise	23
Large Enterprise	25

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1

Questions from the Community

How does Fortinet FortiClient compare with Open VPN Access Server?

Fortinet FortiClient is a feature-rich solution that is easy to use and deploy without sacrificing safety and security. It has a very fast connection rate and has a built-in VPN. With this solution...

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What's the difference between Fortinet's FortiEDR and FortiClient?

I suggest Fortinet’s FortiEDR over FortiClient for several reasons. For starters, FortiEDR guarantees solid protection because it continually scans servers for emerging vulnerabilities, which gives...

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What do you like most about Fortinet FortiClient?

The product is user-friendly.

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What needs improvement with Hillstone E-Series?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Hillstone E-Series?

I use the solution in my company for site-to-site VPN, SSL VPNs, URL filtering, IPS, IDS and all the other features which are available in the firewall.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Hillstone E-Series?

Our company did not use the tool's micro-segmentation features. There were no issues while integrating the tool. I have not used any AI in the tool. I recommend the tool to others. I rate the tool ...

See all answers

Comparisons

OpenVPN Access Server vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 15% of the time

SentinelOne Singularity Complete vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 4% of the time

Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 3% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiClient Competitors

OpenVPN Access Server vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 17% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 12% of the time

Sangfor SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 9% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco IOS SSL VPN vs Hillstone E-Series

Compared 7% of the time

More Hillstone E-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient

April 2026

Download Fortinet FortiClient product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

March 2026

Download Hillstone E-Series product report

Also Known As

FortiClient

No data available

Overview

FortiClient is a fabric agent that delivers endpoint protection, endpoint compliance, and secure access in a single, lightweight, lightweight client, providing visibility, information, and control to your endpoints. In addition, it enables secure, remote connectivity to the security fabric. It also integrates network and endpoint with segmentation and automation. FortiClient enables unified endpoint awareness by sharing endpoint telemetry with the security fabric. It is compatible with third-party EDR (endpoint detection and response and anti-malware solutions.

The FortiClient fabric agent can:

• Report on the status of a device, including firmware version and applications running.
• Send all suspicious files to a fabric sandbox.
• Enforce USB control, application control, URL filtering, and firmware upgrade policies.
• Provide application firewall service and malware protection.
• Enable devices to connect securely to the security fabric over either ZTNA tunnels or VPN (IPsec or SSL), both encrypted. The connection to the security fabric can be either a SASE service or a FortiGate next-generation firewall.

You can purchase FortiClient with one of three levels of capability:

Zero Trust security - The ZTNA edition enables both VPN and ZTNA encrypted tunnels, as well as USB device control and URL filtering.
Endpoint security - The EPP/APT edition adds AI-based NGAV (next-generation antivirus), application firewall, endpoint quarantine, and support for cloud sandbox.
Cloud-based endpoint security

Benefits and Features

• Fabric agent leverages integrations and provides telemetry information to the rest of the Fortinet security fabric.
• SAAS control and web/content filtering
• Dynamic access control helps with automation and simplifies compliance.
• Software inventory management enables visibility as well as management of licenses.
• Automated response detects and isolates any endpoints that may be compromised.
• ZTNA delivers better remote access and consistent application access policies
• Managed endpoint security services remotely assist with setup, configuration, deployment, vulnerability monitoring, and overall monitoring of endpoint security.

Reviews from Real Users:

PeerSpot users like that FortiClient is easy to use and integrates well with other solutions. They also appreciate the richness of its features and find it to be inexpensive in comparison to other products that require separate purchases for separate features.

Fortinet

Hillstone E-Series is a comprehensive network security solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats. It offers a range of features including a firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), virtual private network (VPN), and application control.

With its advanced threat intelligence capabilities, E-Series can detect and prevent sophisticated attacks, ensuring the security of critical data and systems. It also provides granular control over applications, allowing organizations to enforce policies and optimize network performance.

E-Series is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized management console. It offers high-performance throughput and scalability, making it suitable for small businesses to large enterprises. With its robust security features and ease of use, Hillstone E-Series is an ideal choice for organizations looking to enhance their network security posture.

Hillstone Networks

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Bank of China Macao, Instituto Tecnológico Bolivariano, Ministry of Labor in San Salvador, FEDCO

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient vs. Hillstone E-Series

March 2026

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