Fortinet FortiClient vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway comparison

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 6, 2024

We compared Fortinet FortiClient and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway based on our user's reviews in several parameters.

Fortinet FortiClient stands out for its strong security measures, user-friendly interface, and comprehensive firewall policies. On the other hand, Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is praised for its reliable and secure connections, ease of deployment, and cost-effective pricing structure. While Fortinet FortiClient excels in customer service and customizability, Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is valued for seamless integration and high network throughput. Both products offer a positive return on investment but require improvements in different areas - Fortinet FortiClient in speed and user-friendliness, and Azure VPN Gateway in performance and stability.

Features: Fortinet FortiClient is appreciated for its strong security, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration with other Fortinet products. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway excels in reliable and secure connections, efficient VPN management, and easy deployment and configuration.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiClient offers reasonable and hassle-free setup costs, while Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway provides a quick and straightforward setup process. Fortinet FortiClient's licensing options are flexible, while Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway offers convenient and customizable licensing options., Fortinet FortiClient offers robust features, seamless integration, and improved security, while Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway provides seamless integration, reliable performance, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced security.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiClient could benefit from enhancements in user-friendliness, speed, customer support, bug fixes, customization options, and flexibility. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway needs improvements in performance, stability, connection drops, configuration, authentication, documentation, user interface, and integration with other Azure services.

Deployment and customer support: The user feedback regarding time to establish a new tech solution varies for Fortinet FortiClient and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. FortiClient users mentioned both 3 months and 1 week for deployment and setup, while Azure Gateway users mentioned 3 months for deployment and 1 week for setup., Customers have given high praise for both Fortinet FortiClient and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway in terms of customer service. Users have commended the knowledgeable and responsive support staff in resolving their issues.

The summary above is based on 53 interviews we conducted recently with Fortinet FortiClient and Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiClient vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Report (Updated: May 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

May 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 787,779 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Netgate TNSR

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2024, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Netgate TNSR is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 16.5%, up from 13.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is 8.1%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

Unique Categories:

Routers

2.4%

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)

2.3%

Endpoint Compliance

34.0%

No other categories found

Featured Reviews

Harish (Kumar)

Cyber Security and IT Head at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees

Apr 3, 2023

Good gateway with helpful traffic shaping and load balancing

There must be a wizard section as per the use case. For example, if we need a simple firewall there must be an auto-install of most required packages. In the same way, if we need a more strict firewall, then different configuration settings. There must be a more easy-to-use GUI. More documentation should be available within the package manager. A visible ON/OFF button must be there and can be easily configured as required. An additional non-us electrical plug must be inside the box. There should be an option to upgrade RAM (i.e. 8GB to 16GB). It can enhance the capacity of the proxy server.

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reviewer2144703

Principal Software Engineer at Infopulse

Mar 29, 2023

Unstable, with lots of false positives and poor filtering

The solution is easy to configure and manage. It is designed to bring additional safety to the machine (it is hard to uninstall by an ordinal user, and it has an in-built web filter). However, implementation is far behind industry standards. For instance, the Web filter is a component that provides protection against web-based threats by blocking access to malicious or inappropriate websites. It might bring additional safety. However, in the real world, it constantly produces: * False Positives, which can result in legitimate websites being blocked. This can be frustrating for end-users and potentially impact their productivity. * FortiClient's Web filter may also over-block certain websites, even if they are not malicious or inappropriate. This could result in users being unable to access legitimate websites that are important for their work, causing delays or disruptions.

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reviewer2147565

Senior Infrastructure Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 16, 2024

Terminates VPNs for us and allows us access into our tenancy

The scalability is not too bad, though limited depending on the SKU you select. You can uplift the SKU to certain degrees, but compared to third-party appliances, it's more limited. In terms of scalability, it's limited because scalability without changing your SKU, it's pretty limited. For instance, the Gen1 Gateway can only do like a maximum of 30 VPN site-to-sites, which can be limited. If you uplift to the Gen2s, then you can get a maximum of a hundred. Third-party appliances can support up to 500. So, it is slightly limited but for our use case it is fine. I would rate the scalability a six out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's an ideal gateway solution for small and medium businesses, i.e., around 300 devices can be easily handled."

"The solution has good performance."

"It is very easy and useful. A normal user with basic information can easily connect to any environment."

"Starting from FortiGate and from the EMS server, you have to begin at the endpoint, and that's the most useful thing about using FortiClient."

"It's easy to use, easy to deploy, and I have more visibility over my network that shows which users are connected to the firewalls, which users are connected to the network, and what they're accessing."

"The service is centralized."

"The configuration is the most valuable feature."

"I think the solution is highly scalable."

"The integration of VPN services with endpoint security is valuable."

"The initial setup of this solution is easy."

More Fortinet FortiClient pros

"It is easy to configure."

"It works perfectly for me. It is very user-friendly in terms of the configuration and the setup process."

"The ability to connect old protocols like Border Gateway Protocol is valuable."

"The most valuable feature is the networking. I didn't have a good experience with the networking that Sophos has."

"The solution is very quick to connect."

"The side-to-side connections are valuable."

"It sends us a lot of detections when we have any anti-virus updates. It provides the extended time needed to update a set of time needs and notifications."

"What I like best about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is that it's a managed VPN, so it's one of the most powerful VPNs I've ever found. It also provides point-to-site VPNs configurable within a few minutes."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pros

Cons

"There must be a more easy-to-use GUI."

"They have an EDR feature for end protection detection and response, and this is actually with an add-on subscription, which is charged separately. What I would like to see is this included with the base cost."

"It takes too long to install."

"The features for application control and device control must be improved."

"The solution could be more secure. I would like to see more safety features."

"Fortinet FortiClient could improve the compatibility with mobile applications that are allowed and sometimes they do not respond. However, Microsoft Windows applications are very good."

"FortiClient is not great in Linux."

"I don't think FortiClient is bad, but it's very buggy. We ran into some issues with the EMS, which amounted to more than 10 cases last year."

"It would be extremely useful to have an automatic updating feature."

More Fortinet FortiClient cons

"The connectivity should be faster."

"In future releases, I would like to see the ability to inject BGP routes."

"Make it completely routable, for example, if I have a gateway, I should be able to connect to whatever network I want on either side of the gateway, and the gateway should figure out which packet goes where."

"More configuration options could be included in Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway."

"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway could improve by providing IPS zero-day threat protection. For example, the IPS zero-day threat protection can monitor the user behavior to protect the infrastructure. The solution can only be used as a VPN, it is lacking features."

"They should release a less expensive version of the solution."

"I would like for them to improve the troubleshooting features. We have some problems with traffic and I can't identify where the problem is coming from. I have to open a ticket with support until it gets resolved. Microsoft doesn't offer enough tools to resolve the issue."

"The product must provide a single sign-on."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is not a license required for this solution but the price should be less expensive."

"Fortinet requires you to buy a lot of product in order for you to have proper protection."

"The price is okay and competitive."

"I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten."

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

"Generally, Fortinet is not cheap. The features that are available for free are only for FortiClient VPN clients, not other solutions. It includes web security, antivirus, and one more feature."

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

"The pricing is a six out of ten."

"Anyone can download this product for free, but you have to have a FortiGate gateway that you are connecting to."

More Fortinet FortiClient pricing and cost advice

"The product costs us $140 to $180 per month."

"The software has good pricing compared to other vendors."

"It's saved us money compared to getting a third-party appliance."

"Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway is the cheapest way for us to connect to our cloud infrastructure. Other solutions, such as ExpressRoute are very expensive."

"The costs are quite high."

"Payment for licensing the solution is part of the operating model. So, one needs to keep on paying while consuming the solution. In short, the payment is based on the solution's capacity."

"There is a monthly license and the price depends on how many users are using Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway. The price could be less expensive."

"The solution is subscription-based and very cheap."

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Government

Educational Organization

36%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Netgate TNSR?

It's an ideal gateway solution for small and medium businesses, i.e., around 300 devices can be easily handled.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Netgate TNSR?

The product is very cost-effective and has no requirement for additional licenses. The setup is not easy. Users need ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Netgate TNSR?

THe solution is used as a primary gateway with two lease lines of 450 Mbps total. Around 200 users are under it. Ther...

See all answers

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 securit...

See all answers

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 protectio...

See all answers

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiClient?

The product is user-friendly.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

The solution is user-friendly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

The solution should provide metrics to monitor the inbound and outbound traffic easily. The point-to-site connections...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway?

Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 39% of the time

Cisco Enterprise Routers vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 32% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 16% of the time

Juniper MX Series Routers vs Netgate TNSR

Compared 14% of the time

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OpenVPN Access Server vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 21% of the time

Fortinet FortiEDR vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 6% of the time

Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 5% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Fortinet FortiClient

Compared 4% of the time

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OpenVPN Access Server vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 19% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 11% of the time

Ivanti Connect Secure vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 4% of the time

AWS PrivateLink vs Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Infrastructure VPN

June 2024

Download Netgate TNSR product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient

June 2024

Download Fortinet FortiClient product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

June 2024

Download Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway product report

Also Known As

TNSR

FortiClient

MS Azure VPN Gateway

Learn More

Netgate

Fortinet

Microsoft

Overview

TNSR is an advanced open source-based secure networking software platform with highly-scalable packet processing, manageability, and service expansion capabilities. This video provides a high-level introduction. that address a number of commonly asked new product questions - in just a couple of minutes.

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.

A VPN gateway is a specific type of virtual network gateway that is used to send encrypted traffic between an Azure virtual network and an on-premises location over the public Internet. You can also use a VPN gateway to send encrypted traffic between Azure virtual networks over the Microsoft network. Each virtual network can have only one VPN gateway. However, you can create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway. When you create multiple connections to the same VPN gateway, all VPN tunnels share the available gateway bandwidth.

Sample Customers

UCLA, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, shopify

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiClient vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

May 2024

Free Report: Fortinet FortiClient vs. Microsoft Azure VPN Gateway

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