Check Point Power-1 [EOL] vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Fortinet are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 100% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Check Point Power-1 [EOL] and Fortinet FortiGate-VM based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls.

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March 2026

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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 FortiGate

Featured Reviews

Abhinandan Yadav

Network Security Engineer at Arrow PC Network Pvt Ltd

Unified security and sd-wan have improved uptime and cut wan costs for multi-site branches

Users report stability issues in certain versions, which requires regular updates. Real-world attacks have also highlighted the need for urgent patching of vulnerabilities.Fortinet FortiGate, while a powerful and feature-rich web firewall, could improve in areas like firmware stability, documentation, and ease of use. The learning curve can be steep for some users. For beginners, support quality can vary, and frequent updates with occasional vulnerabilities call for careful patch management. However, once Fortinet FortiGate is configured, it remains highly reliable and efficient. Customer support needs improvement, as I find it very slow, with reports from other users reflecting that customer support is inadequate.

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William Cambronero

Consultant at ITQS

Good intrusion prevention, firewall, and VPN capabilities

Check Point Power-1 (EOL) has reached the end of its useful life, yet at the time, they could to make some changes such as: * Integration in the cloud. It is the new trend, however, Check Point has already contemplated this and already has its own cloud device. * Automation. As the automatic creation and application of policies, this would have been very beneficial. * Multi-factor authentication would have been a plus in security at the time. They must also make some improvements in their support departments since they do not comply with the SLAs that they provide.

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Karel Ondracek

Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd

Faced hardware limitations and setup challenges but have improved network protection over time

I spent much time finding exact firmware on Aruba which was working with these guns, but it is not optimal because it is not the latest version, so there could be potential security problems. We decided to replace those access points with another one. I personally have trouble because I don't know the exact life cycle of Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. I don't know if the life of boxes is five years or something else; we moved from our previous company, which sold us to other companies. Before 10 years, we had a special department that took care of core networks, including firewalls. After that, this responsibility fell to me and my colleague. It is not easy to set up these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes properly because we didn't have previous experience with this kind of solution. At first, we set up only a few rules that were not secure enough, and over a couple of years, we improved the settings and security of these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. Currently, I have one Fortinet FortiGate-VM that needs to be replaced next year, and this box is not so powerful, so I need to redirect some traffic to another Fortinet FortiGate-VM. It is stable, but because the CPU processor of this box is not powerful, I need to redirect some traffic to another box. In the future, I need to choose a higher-level box to prevent potential troubles with the power of this box.

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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

"Fortigate represents a really scalable way of delivering perimeter network security, some level of layer 7 security, WAF, and also a way to create a meshed ADVPN solution."

"FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks."

"The solution is stable."

"The user interface (UI) is very, very good."

"There is a tool called FSSO, which is a single sign-on user ID agent that works perfectly."

"What I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is that the UI is easier than what I've previously known from Sophos."

"The next-gen features, the unified threat management capabilities are something that just about everybody is interested in at this point."

"Previously, we were using another firewall device, Sophos. Compared to that, Fortinet FortiGate provides more features and better security."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"In my opinion it is right product at enterprise level network to protect the user and server from external and internal threats and attacks"

"The VPN allows users to connect remotely and securely."

"There is an interesting possibility of building a tunnel to a firewall from access points. We use this feature for small branch offices with one to two employees with access to central RDP servers."

"Fortinet FortiGate-VM is purpose-built as a next-generation firewall, excelling in its performance of this specific function."

"The most valuable feature is geofencing, where we can block all access from all non-domestic locations."

"In terms of specific features, I like FortiGate's load balancing, interface, and priority on the network."

"Technical support is very helpful."

"The stability is excellent."

"The setup is simple."

"The support is good. We don't have any issues with the technical support."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pros

Cons

"Fortinet FortiGate has started implementing AI, however, it hasn't reached full maturity."

"I would like to have SD-WAN as a part of the Next Generation Firewall. It would enhance high availability."

"Its filtering is sometimes too precise or strict. We sometimes have to bypass and authorize some of the sites, but they get blocked."

"More advanced AI capabilities would be beneficial in future updates."

"The initial setup and configuration are not intuitive and require training."

"They should consider making some improvements regarding the pricing."

"I have used technical support and they could improve."

"Web security solutions can be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"I have to pay Check Point for every new service I integrate in the firewall and it also has license related issue which needs to renew every years."

"Multi-factor authentication would have been a plus in security at the time."

"The solution can improve by adding separate interfaces for proxy and flow-based usage."

"Integration could be better. There are compatibility issues with other brands, and we need that."

"Areas for improvement would be application control and web filtering."

"The stability of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"We have encountered certain issues with the bandwidth in respect of the security layer."

"There are areas for improvement because usually, most policies don't change much."

"There were challenges during setup, and many of them were self-inflicted."

"It needs an Application Inspection."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is affordable. Most of our customers are on a three-year license to use the solution. All the features and support are included in the price."

"Work through partners for the best pricing."

"I think that the pricing is fair."

"In my opinion, the pricing of the product is reasonable."

"FortiGate's pricing falls within the mid-range when compared to other leading firewall solutions."

"Fortinet FortiGate SWG is an affordable solution."

"The license is too expensive to renew. The license renewal process is also complex."

"It is expensive. You need to pay for the subscription every year, which is very expensive. The subscription includes technical support and hardware exchange in case of failure."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

"The price is fair for what we get with FortiGate."

"There is a need to make payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"There is an annual license required to use the solution."

"There is a support fee that can be bought on a yearly or two-yearly basis. I don't think they do five years. The best benefit is that the same pricing is guaranteed for that duration. If you can afford it, I would recommend using the longest possible time span."

"The product is expensive. Users can opt for a one-year, two-year, three-year, or five-year subscription model when it comes to licensing."

"I find it quite reasonable."

"I rate the product price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."

"It is on par with what you receive. It can be expensive upfront."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	364
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	191

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	72
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	39

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point Power-1 [EOL]

Compared 29% of the time

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs Check Point Power-1 [EOL]

Compared 19% of the time

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Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 17% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 10% of the time

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

April 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

March 2026

Download Check Point Power-1 [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM

April 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate-VM product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Check Point Power-1 is the first security appliance to provide simple and flexible field performance upgradability. It has world class performance up to 25 Gbps in convenient 2-U form factor and flexible multi-function security appliance provides expandability and investment protection.

Check Point Software Technologies

FortiGate Virtual Appliances allow you to mitigate blind spots by implementing critical security controls within your virtual infrastructure. They also allow you to rapidly provision security infrastructure whenever and wherever it is needed. FortiGate virtual appliances feature all of the security and networking services common to traditional hardware-based FortiGate appliances. With the addition of virtual appliances from Fortinet, you can deploy a mix of hardware and virtual appliances, operating together and managed from a common centralized management platform.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Independence Care System, Hotel Nikko, Courtagen Life Sciences, Carmel Partners

Security7 Networks, COOPENAE

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls. Updated: March 2026.

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