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Cisco Prime [EOL] vs Fortinet FortiManager comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Additionally, 91% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.
Cisco Prime [EOL]
Read 35 Cisco Prime [EOL] reviews
    91% willing to recommend
    Fortinet FortiManager
    Read 70 Fortinet FortiManager reviews
    • 4,634 Views
    • 695 Comparison Views
    94% willing to recommend
     

    Comparison Buyer's Guide

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    Executive Summary
    We performed a comparison between Cisco Prime [EOL] and Fortinet FortiManager based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Fortinet and others in Network Management Applications.

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    To learn more, read our detailed Network Management Applications Report (Updated: October 2025).
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    October 2025
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    Helped 872,778 peers since 2012

    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

    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    Average Rating
    7.8
    Reviews Sentiment
    6.5
    Number of Reviews
    35
    Ranking in other categories
    No ranking in other categories
    Fortinet FortiManager
    Average Rating
    8.0
    Reviews Sentiment
    7.0
    Number of Reviews
    70
    Ranking in other categories
    Network Management Applications (4th)
     

    Featured Reviews

    ZeeshanAli1 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Robust, cost-effective, and provides good visibility, but the scalability could improve
    We are extremely satisfied with the reliability and robustness of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which we have been using for many years. Compared to newer products such as DNS centers or others, it has proven to be much more stable, which is important for large-scale operations. Stability is a primary concern for us, and we are glad that Cisco Prime Infrastructure meets our expectations in that regard. Furthermore, in regards to Legacy Plus new hardware, Cisco Prime has proven to be a reliable and adaptable solution thus far. Not only can it support older hardware, but it also has the capability to handle new features with the latest updates. If we consider new solutions such as DNS Center, we may have to sacrifice some legacy features that we still rely on. We may need to continue using these legacy features for a few more years due to various reasons such as budget constraints or the site not being a high priority. However, if we switch to a new product at this stage, we may lose a lot of the monitoring and other capabilities that we have with Cisco Prime. We have a close relationship with Cisco and understand that they are not prioritizing investments in Cisco Prime as they are encouraging customers to adopt the Cisco DNA Center. This means that we don't anticipate many new features to be added to the product in the future. While we know that we will eventually have to transition to a new solution, in the meantime, we plan to do a quick refresh of our legacy products.
    Read full review
    SudeepMaydeo - PeerSpot reviewer
    Ensures seamless integration and centralized visibility for network security operations
    The version upgrade from a single dashboard for all the firewalls in one click is the beauty of Fortinet FortiManager as the most impactful feature in managing our network security. Fortinet FortiManager's policy management enhances our security protocols by enabling us and giving integrated centralized visibility, which has proven to be very healthy. Because of this, we have identified some of the vulnerabilities in our systems, and we mitigated them through Fortinet FortiManager. The central dashboards and the visibility are what appealed to us to go with Fortinet FortiManager. Fortinet FortiManager has adapted to changes in our network scale and complexity as we have geographically 18 international locations, all equipped with firewalls and some cybersecurity initiatives and IT infrastructure initiatives.
    Read full review

    Quotes from Members

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

    Pros

    "The installation is easy."
    "The hardware Cisco provides is excellent. It's a well-made product."
    "I have found the solution to be scalable."
    "We use the solution to control the physical service station that is part of the SCADA network. We connect and control them remotely."
    "Cisco Prime can help customers fix their Wi-Fi issues with scientific and digital data."
    "The technical support team is very good."
    "Cisco Prime is a good tool for inventory monitoring and wireless management."
    "The product's most valuable features are monitoring and configuration."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pros
    "Central management system for Fortinet devices that's simple, scalable, and stable, with a straightforward setup."
    "The most valuable features are the centralized management of the firewalls."
    "The solution is very stable."
    "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiManager is the ease of manageability and policy-pushing functionality."
    "It's a scalable product."
    "It makes management very easy."
    "FortiManager's ability to scale is good."
    "It is easy to deploy to licenses."
    More Fortinet FortiManager pros
     

    Cons

    "We would like to see the inclusion of detailed alerts."
    "The product's pricing can be cheaper."
    "It should be able to monitor Palo Alto, Juniper, and Check Point products - not just Cisco solutions."
    "Cisco Prime needs to have lower prices and more customization options."
    "The product is expensive compared to other vendors in the market."
    "Cisco needs to improve Prime's monitoring tab. If any device goes down, there is a 15-second lapse before we know. It would be much better if we were alerted two or three minutes before a device is about to fail, so we can dispatch a field engineer and avoid network downtime. I would like to see a feature that allows you to access the devices directly from Prime's monitoring tab. That would make work easier for us."
    "I want the tool to improve data visibility."
    "The solution can be slow at times."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] cons
    "The graphical user interface could use improvement as it appears complex and not user-friendly."
    "There are a lot of bugs that need to be fixed, for example, the ZTP."
    "Setting up FortiManager can be complex because it involves changes from other devices and a lot of configuration."
    "The price is a bit too high."
    "We have experienced a series of minor bugs that necessitated contacted technical support on several occasions."
    "The solution should be more open to other products."
    "There may be a communication issue. However, other items may be the culprit, such as network connectivity. It depends on the customer's network."
    "Their EDR products could be better. They need to dedicate more R&D to that area."
    More Fortinet FortiManager cons
     

    Pricing and Cost Advice

    "Cisco Prime is an expensive solution."
    "The price of Cisco Prime was reasonable because we purchased it as part of a Cisco One package. The package was a bundle of Cisco solutions together, such as Cisco ISE and CMX. The price is reasonable com compared to other solutions."
    "The solution is not inexpensive but is worth it for large-scale environments."
    "The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive."
    "I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten."
    "You need to get special quotes from the company for each order."
    "I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."
    "We update the license every five years."
    More Cisco Prime [EOL] pricing and cost advice
    "The pricing is based on a licensing model by feature."
    "This is an affordable solution, and its licensing model is based on the number of devices."
    "In comparison with other products, the price of FortiManager is reasonable."
    "The solution requires you to have a license for every device, as well as for any advanced features being used, which makes it costly for high-volume users. However, for a large-scale environment with a lot of customers we have found it to be a worthwhile investment."
    "On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."
    "Fortinet FortiManager is a low-priced product."
    "Pricing could improve a little bit so I rate it a seven out of ten."
    "On a scale from one to ten with one being the highest price and ten being the lowest price, I would rate FortiManager's price at three."
    More Fortinet FortiManager pricing and cost advice
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    Top Industries

    By visitors reading reviews
    Computer Software Company
    14%
    Government
    14%
    Manufacturing Company
    8%
    Healthcare Company
    7%
    Computer Software Company
    13%
    Manufacturing Company
    9%
    Financial Services Firm
    8%
    Comms Service Provider
    8%
     

    Company Size

    By reviewers
    Large Enterprise
    Midsize Enterprise
    Small Business
    By reviewers
    Company SizeCount
    Small Business9
    Midsize Enterprise4
    Large Enterprise23
    By reviewers
    Company SizeCount
    Small Business34
    Midsize Enterprise15
    Large Enterprise19
     

    Questions from the Community

    What do you like most about Cisco Prime?
    The most valuable features of Cisco Prime include its comprehensive functionality as a one-stop solution for basic SNMP port management.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Cisco Prime?
    The product's performance monitoring feature could be more intuitive.
    See all answers
    What is your primary use case for Cisco Prime?
    We use Cisco Prime for centralized configuration management backups and monitoring.
    See all answers
    What do you like most about Fortinet FortiManager?
    The most valuable feature is the centralized management console.
    See all answers
    What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiManager?
    I am satisfied with the licensing cost, and I would rate it an 8.5.
    See all answers
    What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiManager?
    In future updates, I would like to see more customization and AI integration. We have not actually validated Fortinet FortiManager with AI per se, but we would like to have AI inbuilt in Fortinet p...
    See all answers
     

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    Compared 68% of the time
    Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
    Cisco DNA Center vs Fortinet FortiManager
    Compared 7% of the time
    Fortinet FortiOS vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
    Fortinet FortiOS vs Fortinet FortiManager
    Compared 6% of the time
    AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
    AlgoSec vs Fortinet FortiManager
    Compared 4% of the time
    Fortinet FortiPortal vs Fortinet FortiManager Logo
    Fortinet FortiPortal vs Fortinet FortiManager
    Compared 2% of the time
    More Fortinet FortiManager Competitors
     

    Product Reports

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Prime [EOL]
    October 2025
    Cisco Prime [EOL] reportDownload Cisco Prime [EOL] product report
    Buyer's Guide
    Fortinet FortiManager
    October 2025
    Fortinet FortiManager reportDownload Fortinet FortiManager product report
     

    Also Known As

    Cisco Prime Infrastructure
    No data available
     

    Overview

    Cisco Prime products deliver next-generation management by supporting an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience and integrated lifecycle operations across Cisco architectures, technologies, and networks.

    Cisco

    Fortinet FortiManager is used for centralized management of FortiGate firewalls, utilizing zero-touch deployment techniques to optimize configuration and deployment, reducing installation time and errors while improving network security and efficiency.

    By centralizing policy management and monitoring across devices and locations, Fortinet FortiManager enhances security and operational efficiency. Automation tools simplify management, control, and consistent configuration across environments. It offers scalability for managing large numbers of devices, beneficial for organizations seeking unified threat protection and streamlined administration from one console. The platform integrates effortlessly with Fortinet products, supporting zero-touch provisioning, SD-WAN, and traffic analysis. Although intuitive, the graphical interface and overall performance require refinement, alongside enhanced support and documentation for troubleshooting and configuration.

    What are the key features of Fortinet FortiManager?
    • Centralized Management: Streamlines device configuration across multiple systems.
    • Automation Tools: Simplifies implementation and maintenance of configurations.
    • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Reduces setup time and minimizes errors.
    • SD-WAN Support: Enhances wide-area network efficiency and effectiveness.
    • Traffic Analysis: Monitors network traffic for improved security insights.
    • Policy Pushing: Facilitates efficient deployment of security rules.
    What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?
    • Operational Efficiency: Reduces installation time and configuration errors.
    • Scalability: Supports management of numerous devices.
    • Improved Security: Centralized management enhances threat protection.
    • Time Savings: Automation reduces manual intervention needs.
    • Cost-Effectiveness: Simplified administration can lower management costs.

    Fortinet FortiManager is implemented across diverse industries like telecommunications, finance, and healthcare, where centralized management and enhanced security are crucial. Its ability to streamline processes and integrate with existing Fortinet products makes it ideal for organizations looking to maintain robust network security standards.

    Fortinet
     

    Sample Customers

    Mohawk Industries, Universidad EAFIT, Halton Healthcare
    Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
    Buyer's Guide
    Network Management Applications
    October 2025
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    We monitor all Network Management Applications reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.