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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 (2nd)
 

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

"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."
"It's a stand alone system that functions well."
"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 setup is straightforward and hassle-free."
"What I find most valuable is the total cost of ownership."
"The product is easy to connect."
"From Forticlient, the EMS, the central management is easy to use."
"For one looking for a secure virtual private network that maintains connectivity and has future development for next generations of VPN, the solution is a good place to start."
"FortiClient has good signatures, good protection and, up until recently, it integrated really well with our firewall."
"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."
"Secure and easy connect is the most valuable feature. It is a reliable solution, and it works."
"The VPN connection is the feature that I like the most."
"The centralized management dashboard is also a good feature."
"The stability is pretty good."
 

Cons

"Reporting could be improved."
"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.."
"The current version of this solution does not show the malicious websites that have been visited. They should add this to an upcoming release."
"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."
"In terms of improvements, their SSL VPN tunnel can be a lot better."
"It would be extremely useful to have an automatic updating feature."
"I feel that this product is more to bolster their marketing, rather than its use for actual synchronization."
"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."
"We'd like to see a deployment wizard to help implementation become streamlined."
"I would like Fortinet to improve FortiClient's compatibility with macOS."
 

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."
"It is not that expensive. It was within the range. A dollar per user per month is nothing."
"We are using the free version of this product."
"As a technical team member, I am not responsible to look into the pricing matters. These aspects are typically handled by the management team, who have the authority to obtain the necessary licenses based on certain established principles."
"The price of the solution depends on the type of firewall you have from FortiGate. I am satisfied with the price of the solution."
"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."
"The solution's scalability is inexpensive."
"The price is okay and competitive."
"If we pay for the yearly package that includes the FortiGate firewall, then the FortiClient VPN license is included with it."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
10%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Performing Arts
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
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, Fortinet, Tailscale and others in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN. Updated: June 2026.
903,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.