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Fortinet FortiClient vs SonicWall Connect Tunnel comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 6, 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 FortiClient
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (8th), Endpoint Compliance (1st)
SonicWall Connect Tunnel
Ranking in Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
28th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Enterprise Infrastructure VPN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 4.9%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Connect Tunnel is 1.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiClient4.9%
SonicWall Connect Tunnel1.3%
Other93.8%
Enterprise Infrastructure VPN
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Raghuram K M - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technology Officer at Prognosys Medical Systems
Offers advanced security features and is easy to install
The product's feature to secure remote access needs is an area that is looked after by the IT team in our company. I work in a healthcare organization where we need to protect certain private information. My organization does not focus on network or database protection. I know about the VPN encryption in the tool. My company has not faced any problems with the product's performance, speed, and connectivity. Performance-wise, my company is satisfied with the product. I will tell those who plan to purchase the product that they need to look at the level of security or encryption they expect for their environment. If there is a requirement for the different networks in the domain of those who planned to purchase the product to be isolated, then it should be done. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features are the dynamic connectors, the ability to log into the Linux server, and the automatic linking of the FortiGate web filter."
"It supports securely connections for VPN users from outside our environment during the lockdown."
"The ability to reroute traffic from the user, connecting you to the internet rather than passing through our network area, is very useful."
"Fortinet FortiClient is not disruptive, and its interface is great. It has an in-built VPN, which is very useful."
"The initial setup of this solution is easy."
"The Fortinet FortiClient is simple to use, easy to install, supports two-factor authentication, has good reporting, is user-friendly, and has good documentation."
"We use the net UTM feature, which synchronizes with our office UTM and allows us to block URLs."
"The first thing I really appreciate about Fortinet FortiClient is their preventive protection; even if a new virus is released, they have a preventive mechanism built into their client, which works along with the firewall, so it automatically gets stopped."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the advanced security features it offers."
"The best features are security and ease of use."
 

Cons

"The solution could improve by providing analytics or more detailed reports."
"Fortinet needs to cover more areas where threats can come from."
"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."
"Sometimes there are issues when we are trying to connect. The error doesn't give us the proper feedback."
"The user interface could be more inviting."
"They can improve the interface because it is very technical for a normal client to understand."
"The solution has some stability issues on the user side but is improving."
"While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft."
"An improvement would be to update the look and feel of the interface, which is very traditional and doesn't fit the current market trend."
"The product's configuration, administration, and user interface are areas of concern."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its pricing is good. One thing that has always attracted us to the Fortinet range of products is that their pricing is very competitive. Our particular licensing is on a yearly basis. However, as part of this project, we did pre-purchase three years of maintenance and support at a fairly significant discount."
"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."
"It is a yearly subscription license. I don't see a problem with the pricing. Resellers add their markup and then give it to us, but I don't see that as a major challenge. It is fine."
"Pricing is an area that I would like to see improved, as it could be lower."
"I don't know it by heart, but it is comparable to other solutions. It is based on the number of clients. It is probably 50 Euros per year per client. It greatly depends on the number of clients you're handling because the more clients you are ordering it for, the cheaper it will be."
"The cost per port is very less as compared to the other technologies."
"The pricing is a six out of ten."
"Licensing was free up to ten users and after that, it was pretty reasonable."
"Connect Tunnel is expensive."
"The product is expensive. Two or three years ago, when the solution was purchased for our company, I remember that it was not the cheapest compared to the tools offered by competitors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Construction Company
10%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise25
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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Also Known As

FortiClient
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiClient vs. SonicWall Connect Tunnel and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.