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Fortinet FortiClient vs ZoneAlarm comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (13th), Endpoint Compliance (2nd), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (1st)
ZoneAlarm
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (23rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Endpoint Security solutions, they serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiClient is designed for Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) and holds a mindshare of 1.8%, down 2.7% compared to last year.
ZoneAlarm, on the other hand, focuses on Anti-Malware Tools, holds 2.5% mindshare, up 1.7% since last year.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

MuhammadJahangir - PeerSpot reviewer
Users only need to install the VPN and authenticate with their email address
I primarily use remote VPN solutions to connect securely. We have configured both site-to-site VPN and remote VPN, and it is connected to FortiClient Implementing this solution has streamlined time management in our organization. Without SSO, we would need manual configuration for each PC, but…
Nagendra Nekkala - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly stable solution that protects computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers
ZoneAlarm doesn't require much maintenance. You only need to update the application when there are any latest updates. ZoneAlarm is deployed on-cloud in our organization. With an increase in the bring your own device concept, ZoneAlarm should be part of every device to help us make the operational work very easy. Overall, I rate ZoneAlarm a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"EMS central reporting with fabric connectivity to FortiGate and FortiAnalyser is great and has seamless integration which makes managing 3000 devices a breeze."
"It’s really easy to use."
"You can scale the product."
"It's simple, downloadable, and there's usually no problem."
"Implementing this solution has streamlined time management in our organization."
"The return on investment was very reasonable. It was low cost and it functioned, so the return on investment was excellent."
"The solution's TNA feature blocks devices from entering the network that do not meet compliance protocols."
"The most valuable feature is that it's easy to deploy. Deployment, configuration, and troubleshooting are very easy."
"Personally, I find the Game Mode of the Firewall very useful."
"The solution maintains reasonable scalability."
"The solution really focused on giving more security than an antivirus."
"It is easy to use through interfaces and easy to configure each of the customizations we created based on the characteristics that we wanted."
"ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers."
"It gives us security for the users' mobiles and ends up protecting us in a significant way."
"The product's most valuable feature is the detection engine due to its ability to identify threats."
"This antivirus is regularly updated, and the updates can be scheduled."
 

Cons

"While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft."
"Technical support is awful. Their online response time is not prompt. They should not respond after four or five days. Their support guys are not competent enough. Small issues are taking time."
"I would like to see an improvement in the web filter, because I think it can be more user-friendly."
"I heard that Fortinet is going to enhance the firmware to have mobile versions. One is like Linux long-term support SCS and one with new features, but there is no support here. We spoke with the vendor multiple times, and they said that they will release these features soon."
"The tool could use more features, such as improved antivirus scanning with filters and application control to manage users. If you don't have FortiGate for web filtering and application control, you can use these in Fortinet FortiClient EMS. This gives you two options: on-site and off-site."
"The software inventory part is not yet up-to-date. It doesn't have a great interface, which is a disadvantage. I wish we could leverage it, but we don't use it at all because it's not that reliable."
"It would be nice to see more in hand features in terms of the DLP, so that the solution can be integrated with the DLP, as well as more reporting features on the end point."
"The features for application control and device control must be improved."
"Currently, the client is only available for the Windows Operating System but it would be good if it were released for Mac OS as well."
"The solution's efficiency in threat containment and overall protection needs improvement."
"Some of our users say that the interface is a little bit outdated for 2020, and want it to be more modern and cozy."
"They should release a single update with all the necessary characteristics to avoid being in a cycle of consecutive updates."
"The support is not always so effective."
"We'd like better performance of the network equipment. There are high-speed environments where an immediate response is required."
"They need to update and improve the features available for Mac."
"ZoneAlarm should be a light application that does not take too much memory in mobile phones."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"FortiClient is quite reasonably priced."
"The price is reasonable compared to competitors, it is very good."
"The solution is more cost efficient than Cisco, as FortiGate tends not to charge for the client license, which allows one to make free use of whatever is supported on the device."
"I don't know it by heart, but it is comparable to other solutions. It is based on the number of clients. It is probably 50 Euros per year per client. It greatly depends on the number of clients you're handling because the more clients you are ordering it for, the cheaper it will be."
"An annual license costs about 1.5 to 3,000 US dollars. There are no additional costs."
"The price is okay and competitive."
"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."
"I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten."
"I rate the product pricing a seven out of ten."
"This is a freeware product and I recommend using it."
"The pricing is reasonable, with a yearly renewal license costing seventy dollars."
"We have to pay a yearly licensing fee for ZoneAlarm, which is cheap."
"We use the free version of the software, but it can be upgraded to the paid Extreme Security edition."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
17%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Hospitality Company
9%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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...
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...
What do you like most about ZoneAlarm?
ZoneAlarm protects all computers from viruses, spyware, and hackers.
What needs improvement with ZoneAlarm?
As for improvements, ZoneAlarm enhances Check Point’s solution by having a very efficient engine. The engine checks all components of the device, such as the memory process, to detect and stop thre...
 

Also Known As

FortiClient
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Terma, Optix, Samsung Research Amercia, SF Police Credit Union, Independence Care System, Mattias Thomsen, Carmel Partners, Desert Research Institute, CRIF, FXCM Inc, US State Agency
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and others in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP). Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.