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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]
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiClient
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (8th), Endpoint Compliance (1st), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (3rd)
 

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

"What I find most valuable is the total cost of ownership."
"The setup is straightforward and hassle-free."
"This solution is valuable because it's a stand alone system and doesn't disconnect, it functions well, it's a good software and good system, and I believe it's a better product than Cisco."
"The most valuable feature would be that you can actually narrow down your session to one application on one server, which is really nice."
"It's a stand alone system that functions well."
"The product is easy to connect."
"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiClient are ease of use and simple configuration."
"It works well and the performance is good."
"When the user gets authenticated, I can assign a different VPN or network to each user."
"Fortinet FortiClient is not disruptive, and its interface is great. It has an in-built VPN, which is very useful."
"FortiClient's most valuable features are that it's fast and safe."
"This is a solid and stable solution."
"Technical support is quite impressive and available 24/7."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiClient is its performance."
 

Cons

"Barracuda should find other ways to stir up interest about this product."
"They are good, but sometimes it can take weeks to solve an issue."
"There could be more security features included in the 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.."
"Reporting could be improved."
"There is lagging in some of the authentication tools to support the newer versions, this is happening because they are not supported."
"The tool is expensive."
"The reports could be easier to set up."
"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."
"Improvements are needed in the compatibility between different versions, as sometimes the latest version does not work, requiring a downgrade."
"It would be interesting if the solution offered a way to try to investigate and create a use case to trace vectors."
"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."
"They are clever guys. They make you buy more than one solution instead of putting everything together."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Barracuda SSL VPN is inexpensive."
"The product is affordable and reasonably priced so it would make a lot of sense for people to use it long-term."
"The price is reasonable compared to competitors, it is very good."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"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."
"Pricing is an area that I would like to see improved, as it could be lower."
"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."
"It is not that expensive. It was within the range. A dollar per user per month is nothing."
"An annual license costs about 1.5 to 3,000 US dollars. There are no additional costs."
"The cost per port is very less as compared to the other technologies."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Performing Arts
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiClient?
The solution is not cloud-based; it comes from the firewall itself.
 

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 OpenVPN, Tailscale, Fortinet and others in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN. Updated: August 2026.
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