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Fortinet FortiClient vs WatchGuard EPDR comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 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
5.7
Fortinet FortiClient improved productivity, enabled better remote work, reduced costs, and enhanced security despite some unused features.
Sentiment score
3.7
WatchGuard EPDR optimizes operations, reduces costs, enhances security, and provides efficient endpoint management, especially valued in Latin America and schools.
The VPN performance has a substantial impact on our remote workforce.
Technology Consultant at 1ware
I can say that knowing you have a product like WatchGuard EPDR that's working 24/7 to help protect students in a school is good for ROI.
IT Manager at Redeemer Baptist School
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Fortinet FortiClient's support is praised for responsiveness but criticized for inconsistency and delayed responses compared to competitors.
Sentiment score
6.2
WatchGuard EPDR's customer service is praised for knowledge and resolution speed, but some experience inefficiencies and availability issues.
They initiate the troubleshooting process quickly and resolve issues in a timely manner.
Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
In 99% of cases, we do not have to do configurations on our own as they are normally handled by their service providers.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
They provide very good support, and an issue I had was resolved quickly over the phone.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
They create a case, tell me to refer to articles, and if not resolved, they take a remote session to solve the issue.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
Technical support for Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is provided by the reseller, and they also do preventive maintenance yearly.
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
The technical support from WatchGuard would rate at about an eight on a scale of 1 to 10, where one is the worst technical support and 10 is the best technical support.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiClient is scalable, suitable for small to large enterprises, but reviews on ease of scaling are mixed.
Sentiment score
7.6
WatchGuard EPDR offers excellent scalability and integration, efficiently supporting diverse users across platforms, particularly small to medium businesses.
We normally take into consideration while installing the product that it can scale up to approximately 20%, but not more than that.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Most of our clients are using the free version rather than the paid version due to the high range of maximum users available for the free version.
Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel
I hope Fortinet will start an insider developer program where professionals can provide feedback on new releases to ensure improvements.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
WatchGuard EPDR is very competitive regarding its scalability.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiClient is highly stable, with minor issues mostly network-related, and users frequently rate it nine or ten.
Sentiment score
8.3
WatchGuard EPDR and Panda Security Adaptive Defense are stable, with high user satisfaction, minor update issues, and effective malware detection.
Its stability level is excellent.
IT Manager at CNE
I normally get a call within 15-20 minutes after logging a complaint.
Director at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Fortinet FortiClient is a stable product with no glitches or latency issues.
Senior Technical Manager at Flexaccel
It is very stable with no hanging problems.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
WatchGuard EPDR is a very stable solution and is not resource intensive.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
The stability is approximately a seven to eight out of ten.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiClient needs improved management, simplicity, features, compatibility, pricing, connectivity, scalability, authentication, and better support across OS.
WatchGuard EPDR needs improved integration, data protection, intuitive administration, DNS security, stability, deployment, reporting, and lower processor load.
FortiClient needs improvement in restricting user information and ensuring more secure customer data to better protect source code and reduce the risk of security breaches.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
There are advanced features like Zero Trust that I currently do not use but could be beneficial for security.
Senior Manager Tech Compliance at Qenta Inc.
Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing.
Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Panda Adaptive Defense 360 is not compatible with certain network devices like access points, switches, or routers, which would be an area for improvement.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
Other firewalls allow adding categories and in-app controls which WatchGuard currently lacks.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
An area for improvement would be the software deployment to seamlessly deploy software packages across multiple machines simultaneously.
Citrix Solutions Architect at Digital Generation
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiClient is cost-effective for basic VPNs, with competitive licensing for advanced features despite recent price increases.
WatchGuard EPDR offers flexible subscription pricing that's seen as reasonable, with advanced features justifying higher costs.
FortiClient is a value-for-money product and is not considered expensive compared to similar products on the market.
Global Head of IT Infrastructure at EPL Americas
Justifying the price to clients can be difficult.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
FortiClient is included in a package with the UTM features, so there is no separate cost for it.
Senior Manager Tech Compliance at Qenta Inc.
It is worth the money and provides good return on investment.
The pricing is slightly high, but the product quality justifies it.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
Regarding pricing, I am not sure because I did not compare it with other antivirus; maybe it is pricey.
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiClient provides cost-effective, comprehensive security with seamless integration, advanced features, and ease of deployment and management.
WatchGuard EPDR simplifies threat detection and enhances IT productivity with advanced search, real-time insights, and robust endpoint protection.
The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its high security level.
Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions
We appreciate its VPN capabilities and the features that offer extra security functionalities like antivirus and malware scanning.
Infrastructure Manager at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
I strongly recommend this solution, especially for Fortinet customers who use FortiGate or other Fortinet products, as they can easily integrate these features and exchange information seamlessly.
Technology Consultant at 1ware
The cloud of WatchGuard lets me see all my devices, updating me to minute levels with detailed information, such as patch status and vulnerabilities.
Solution Architect at Simvicitsolutions
The detection capabilities for malicious activities are effective.
IT System Support Administrator at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
The EDR has a high accuracy rate with only a few false positives.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiClient
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (1st), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (1st)
WatchGuard EPDR
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
37
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) (13th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 1.7%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard EPDR is 2.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
WatchGuard EPDR2.1%
Fortinet FortiClient1.7%
Other96.2%
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

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.
NJ
Section Head, Information Technology at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
Using cloud-based console for software inventory management and email alerts
I have no idea if I use some automation functions. I can't find any disadvantages; maybe that is because many companies haven't used it. I would prefer to see some features such as AI in antivirus solutions. I appreciate reporting, but it could be better with monthly reporting or auto-generated monthly reports.
report
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879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Hospitality Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business26
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise2
 

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 do you like most about WatchGuard EPDR?
The product's most valuable features are the zero-trust application service and its capability to detect threats and attacks.
What needs improvement with WatchGuard EPDR?
I would not be able to say what areas of WatchGuard EPDR have improved, as I do not work with the product myself so much anymore. I just used to assist with installation and deployment, especially ...
 

Also Known As

FortiClient
Panda Adaptive Defense 360
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Indra, Valea AB, Fineit, Aemcom, Data Solutions INC., Gloucestershire NHS, Golden Star Resources Ltd, Hispania Racing Team, Instituto Dos Museus e da ConserÊo, Escuelas Pias Provincia Emaus, Axiom Housing Association, Municipality of Bjuv, Lesedi Nuclear, Mullsj_ municipality, Eng. skolan Norr AB, Dalakraft AB, Peter Green Haulage Ltd
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiClient vs. WatchGuard EPDR and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.