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Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
3.3
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center delivers notable ROI for many, though initial costs and varied financial impacts are acknowledged.
Sentiment score
9.0
FortiGate CNF offers a strong ROI with affordable comprehensive features, reducing costs versus alternatives, ideal for telecom use.
There are a lot of solutions which can provide the same features.
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall provides the same features that higher-end models offer, but at a much lower cost.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco support is mixed; helpful in some regions but inconsistent, with complex documentation and access issues due to sanctions.
Sentiment score
7.6
FortiGate CNF offers professional support, with high satisfaction and effective problem-solving, despite occasional variable response times.
There is local support through the distributor, which is efficient and provides a friendly relationship.
Customer service for Fortinet is rated at four out of five.
Technical support from Fortinet is rated high, a nine out of ten, though there is always room for improvement.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.5
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is highly scalable and adaptable, efficiently supporting organizations of various sizes and user numbers.
Sentiment score
6.8
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall is scalable for enterprises, but concerns exist about its efficiency and need for open-source integration.
I would rate scalability capabilities as ten out of ten.
Unfortunately, FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is not very scalable.
For scalability, if the hardware isn't fit or working, the box needs changing.
There are plans to launch new projects, and once that's done, we will definitely scale our FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall as needed.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is stable and reliable, with minor issues, improved newer versions, and effective technical support.
Sentiment score
8.6
FortiGate CNF is highly stable and reliable, meeting security needs without issues, earning user satisfaction.
The stability of FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is highly appreciated by the people I work with, as they love its reliability.
I would rate the stability of FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) as nine out of ten, indicating it is very stable.
When we install FortiGate firewall, I do not hear back from the clients often, indicating there are usually no issues caused by the appliance.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center needs improvements in performance, user interface, integration, and training to compete effectively and ease regional restrictions.
FortiGate CNF lacks DNS features, faces support and stability issues, is costly, and performs poorly in several areas.
I remember version 6.4 had an integration with Eddie, allowing me to define a policy according to my users, however, the latest version, lacks this integration.
The Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) in Fortinet products, including FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF), is not very strong; we often prefer Cisco IPS instead.
The prices for FortiGate are way too high and are perceived as overpriced.
Migration can be quite challenging when moving from a different firewall to FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is considered expensive but flexible, with varied opinions on cost and competitive pricing.
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall's pricing is seen as flexible and cost-effective, with opinions varying due to exchange rates.
A $80 or $200 device translates to approximately 8,000 to 10,000 Rand, which includes licensing costs.
FortiGate CNF has medium pricing, making it an attractive option for many businesses.
The pricing is considered too high and does not justify the value provided by the devices.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center excels in user-friendly interface, integration, scalability, and robust security features for comprehensive network protection.
FortiGate CNF is a cost-effective, scalable, easy-to-use firewall praised for its comprehensive security features and robust support.
It provides full visibility of my devices, whether I have six or ten devices.
It enables better segregation and integration with on-premise firewalls and infrastructure so that I can seamlessly handle both on-prem physical firewalls and cloud firewalls.
The visibility and exposure to logs provide valuable insights for our InfraSec team, aiding in monitoring and managing communication and policies.
The Unified Threat Management, URL filtering, application control, antivirus, web filter, DNS control, and intrusion prevention are valuable features.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Firewall Manag...
Ranking in Firewall Security Management
6th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
FortiGate Cloud-Native Fire...
Ranking in Firewall Security Management
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Firewall Security Management category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center is 1.0%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewall Security Management
 

Featured Reviews

Yonas Abebe - PeerSpot reviewer
Great dashboard with extensive visibility and good support
I expect more integration with AI. I expect Cisco to be easier for users in India, especially for junior users. For a junior one, it may somehow be complex, especially when configuring something. I remember version 6.4 had an integration with Eddie, allowing me to define a policy according to my users, however, the latest version, lacks this integration. The logging of FMC should be improved as it does not offer real-time solutions like DazaSodo.
MuhammadJahangir - PeerSpot reviewer
Provided us with a good experience, making it the best firewall for our needs
We are using two Fortinet firewalls. One is as an office firewall for all users behind it, configured with remote VPN for users working from home. The other firewall is for production use, with our applications behind it, ensuring PCI DSS compliance. It is deployed in AWS Cloud FortiGate has…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewall Security Management solutions are best for your needs.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
22%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Engineering Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
18%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Media Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center?
The platform has significantly enhanced our organization's operations by providing secure communication channels between different office locations.
What needs improvement with Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center?
I expect more integration with AI. I expect Cisco to be easier for users in India, especially for junior users. For a junior one, it may somehow be complex, especially when configuring something. I...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)?
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) offers a very flexible price policy, with medium pricing, making it an attractive option for many businesses.
What needs improvement with FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)?
The Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) in Fortinet products, including FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF), is not very strong; we often prefer Cisco IPS instead. AI features are not wel...
 

Interactive Demo

Demo not available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center vs. FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.