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Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL] vs Fortinet FortiClient comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 19, 2026

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

Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL]
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
31st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (14th)
Fortinet FortiClient
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (12th), Endpoint Compliance (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL] is 1.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 7.8%, down from 14.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiClient7.8%
Barracuda SSL VPN1.1%
Other91.1%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

Ikh-Erdene Namsrai - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Administrator at Mongolian Mining Corporation
Provides good scalability and has a simple setup process
We use Barracuda SSL VPN for network connection The product is easy to connect. There could be more security features included in the product. We are the latest version of Barracuda SSL VPN. I rate Barracuda SSL VPN's stability an eight or nine out of ten. We have 30-40 Barracuda SSL VPN…
KL
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature would be that you can actually narrow down your session to one application on one server, which is really nice."
"The product is easy to connect."
"The setup is straightforward and hassle-free."
"It's a stand alone system that functions well."
"The VPN has proven to be quite useful."
"What I like most about FortiClient is that it's easy to use. The way it displays information is very straightforward."
"I find it very easy to configure and also very stable."
"The EMS server gives us good control and central management."
"The first thing I really appreciate about Fortinet FortiClient is their preventive protection; even if a new virus is released, they have a preventive mechanism built into their client, which works along with the firewall, so it automatically gets stopped."
"The integration of the vulnerability scan, mobile detection, and VPN client."
"It's simple, downloadable, and there's usually no problem."
"It is very simple to use. I've used some of the others in the past, such as Cisco AnyConnect, which was a nightmare. I've used a couple of others, but FortiClient is very simple to use."
 

Cons

"Reporting could be improved."
"Barracuda should find other ways to stir up interest about this product."
"Since it's not going to be getting any more software updates as per the end of this year, we have to move off to a different product.."
"There could be more security features included in the product."
"The deployment status is not good in Mac devices and sometimes in Windows-based devices using GPO, like Active Directory, that are not on the local network."
"The cost of FortiClient could be better."
"There is lagging in some of the authentication tools to support the newer versions, this is happening because they are not supported."
"The solution could add data to the endpoint."
"We've had some problems with having to remove the current version and either reinstalling an old version or updating to the new one."
"Working with Distribution sometimes comes at a cost due to a lack of knowledge of the current status of your licensing and products."
"The connectivity could be improved."
"The quality and response time of the support team must be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable and reasonably priced so it would make a lot of sense for people to use it long-term."
"Barracuda SSL VPN is inexpensive."
"The pricing is a six out of ten."
"Pricing is an area that I would like to see improved, as it could be lower."
"Its pricing is good. One thing that has always attracted us to the Fortinet range of products is that their pricing is very competitive. Our particular licensing is on a yearly basis. However, as part of this project, we did pre-purchase three years of maintenance and support at a fairly significant discount."
"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."
"Licensing was free up to ten users and after that, it was pretty reasonable."
"We are using the free version of this product."
"The price of the solution depends on the type of firewall you have from FortiGate. I am satisfied with the price of the solution."
"It is a yearly subscription license. I don't see a problem with the pricing. Resellers add their markup and then give it to us, but I don't see that as a major challenge. It is fine."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Educational Organization
10%
Performing Arts
10%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise25
 

Questions from the Community

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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...
 

Also Known As

No data available
FortiClient
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Barracuda SSL VPN[EOL] vs. Fortinet FortiClient and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
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