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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Symantec VIP Access Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

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 FortiAuthenticator
Ranking in Authentication Systems
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (10th), Identity Management (IM) (14th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)
Symantec VIP Access Manager
Ranking in Authentication Systems
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Access Management (18th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 3.4%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec VIP Access Manager is 2.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator3.4%
Symantec VIP Access Manager2.1%
Other94.5%
Authentication Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Supports secure remote authentication and provides comprehensive user activity tracking
The most important feature is the security capability because it provides a substantial amount of security for admin-related activities. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator can be used from anywhere in the world, and the authenticator services function globally. This global accessibility is one of the critical advantages, particularly since admin features are critical and security is a real concern. With Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, secure usage of firewall services and related functions is achieved. A complete log of all users who access the authenticator setup is maintained. Monthly logs are reviewed to check for any unnoticed activities. Each authenticated user's complete activity history is recorded. This logging capability allows for providing access to more admin users while ensuring security is not compromised and all users can be monitored.
Berk Onur - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Consultant at Cyberwise
With its mobile application, this tool offers a convenient and user-friendly experience to its users
To improve the tool, I think that the solution should consider integrations with other cybersecurity and IT technologies, such as Privileged Access Management and Site Integration. Additionally, the implementation of second-factor authentication via Symantec VIP Access Manager, CyberArk, and Delinea, among other technologies, could be best for the product. While the existing technology is okay, improving the integration capabilities for Symantec VIP Access Manager would benefit the product. I would like to see the solution meet the integration needs at our company. While many cybersecurity solutions can function independently, they often lack integration with our systems due to missed integration points. Improving the solution's integration feature would be beneficial.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like the self-registration capabilities."
"The initial setup is very easy."
"We have not had issues with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator. It is stable."
"Technical support is excellent with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator."
"The integration into tools, including CI/CD pipelines, is easy and handy."
"The initial setup of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is easy."
"It keeps track of users and their IPs no matter where they are in the network. When users roam, we don't have to worry about not mapping them to an IP."
"It integrated with the existing Cisco wireless infrastructure to solidify the way people authenticate onto the network."
"After the initial integration, the overall support calls dropped, and customer satisfaction for VPN increased."
"If you're looking for a fairly lightweight client that works very well for remote access purposes, I think Symantec is definitely a good product."
"Pricing was about 25% of the old solution, saving us about $500,000 over three years for 10,000 users."
"Integration with Citrix Access Gateway, Microsoft Office 365 and Single Sign-On (through Symantec Validation and ID Protection Access Manager) has increased the productivity of the employees for accessing resources."
"The solution has helped to increase staff productivity by approximately a minute."
"The ease of integrating into an existing authentication system."
"Other than it provides us with remote access, so it's fairly easy to install, fairly easy to set up, and provides us the ability to get into our corporate environment."
"It offers more platform support, like Apple, Android, and Microsoft."
 

Cons

"The technical support is mid-range; it's not your wow kind of support, and they're not really there when it comes to support."
"The user interface and clustering are areas with shortcomings that need improvement."
"The GUI is on the older side but I'm sure that it will be upgraded soon. It works, but it looks a little dated."
"The only issue I encounter is that when not using FortiAuthenticator for an extended period, it's typical to encounter some obstacles in the configuration process that you need to address."
"The product must provide full support for third-party FIDO security keys."
"A lot of configurations are available only from CLI."
"The solution's command line interface could be improved to provide better support for low-level debugging and advanced configurations."
"A better integration with other vendors."
"Every time that I have a new phone or computer, it takes a little longer to deploy it."
"The gateway server is a RADIUS server, but it lacks the functionality of returning RADIUS attributes other than those that are required for the gateway to authenticate the users."
"It gets out of sync with Active Directory or whatever it might be, whatever the authentication piece is on Active Directory, and they just reset it on the backend. I never have to contact the vendor."
"If they had dashboards or a report for managers or executives, then it would allow them to see the status and have it make sense to them."
"I would like to see the solution meet the integration needs at our company...Improving the solution's integration feature would be beneficial."
"In my opinion, for this solution, the technical support is not so expert when we talk about integration using the API."
"The User Store synchronization part needs to improve. Also, the logs, reports, and dashboard can be improved."
"It is challenging to use when installing a new version."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is not very expensive."
"FAC is an affordable solution for Middle Range (200E/400E) and also needs a package of mobility agents (2,000) perpetual."
"We pay for licensing on a yearly basis."
"You can pay as you go with them. You purchase a base license and add to it as needed."
"The cost of the license could be less expensive. The license is paid on a yearly basis."
"The platform provides a user-based pricing model rather than a subscription pricing model."
"The pricing is fair."
"I rate the price of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator a three out of five."
"I can say that the solution is worth the money."
"There is a one-time setup fee plus the licenses are provided as per the number of users. For SMS and voice calls, the costs are separate."
"There are additional costs for maintenance."
"Licensing and pricing seems very fair."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Construction Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet can make Fortinet FortiAuthenticator better by having a cloud version of it. Currently, Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is only available for on-premises, and it is an on-premises solution. It...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is primarily used for authenticating admin users, including remote admin use cases. Remote admin use cases utilize Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to securely authenticate a...
Ask a question
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Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
Symantec VIP
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Maine Medical Center, Aria S.p.A
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Symantec VIP Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.