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Fortinet FortiGate IPS vs Zscaler Cloud IPS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 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 FortiGate IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zscaler Cloud IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
18th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is 7.0%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zscaler Cloud IPS is 1.5%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Bart Homblé - PeerSpot reviewer
Real-time updates strengthen our network edge security with effective threat detection
We use Fortinet FortiGate IPS to enhance our network security. It is especially necessary to secure the edge of the company The whole IPS suite is valuable, especially with the updates from FortiGuard. It provides real-time updates, offering a good vision on any changes. For example, if the…
Atdhe Zyhranaj - PeerSpot reviewer
It allows for a separation between cloud applications and URL filtering
We recently had a significant issue with Zscaler. I think they have too many customers and some of their connection edge nodes went down because there were too many requests. I think they aren't scaling enough to keep up with the demand in some areas. That's one thing they should improve.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Has a very user-friendly interface and doesn't require any prior knowledge."
"I like the solution's stability."
"I like its ability to prevent external intrusion into our database. It's so fun."
"The solution provides an easy way to filter information and Fortinet lab is a great place to discover new things."
"The most valuable features are security and vision, and all of the UTM functionality."
"The most valuable feature is the deep inspection for traffic, which is capable of identifying zero-day attacks."
"I like FortiGate's zero-trust capabilities and protection against zero-day threats. Zero-day threat protection is critical because we're seeing constant changes in the threat landscape. The sandboxing and web access controls are also robust."
"Fortinet FortiGate IPS has an easy-to-use interface and configuration."
"The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection."
"The initial setup process is easy."
"Cloud IPS integration is seamless, and it uses a Zero Trust model. It also simplifies overall user access management."
"The best feature is that Zscaler allows for a separation between cloud applications and URL filtering. For example, under the cloud application segment, I can bypass Microsoft Office 365 without the need to add URLs manually. It's one click, so that's handy."
"The initial setup is straightforward and easy in comparison with other solutions."
 

Cons

"Deploying FortiGate is hard."
"I have contacted the support from Fortinet FortiGate IPS. The service was good but the speed could be better."
"There could be more modifications."
"The user interface needs a bit of upgrading."
"While the security is good, we'd always prefer if it was even better to ensure protection."
"They should provide us with a CSV number for patch updates. It will help us block specific signatures as well."
"Right now, it's not really scalable, but it's okay for us. However, looking ahead to three years from now, we might have a problem with scalability. We foresee a little risk down the road. The stability is okay for now."
"They can probably improve the reporting feature. Reporting and report alerting are the main key features of this solution. They can always find ways to improve these."
"They have given limited free access for a year. Instead, they should increase the file size and give limited free access for around two months. It will allow engineers to evaluate the product."
"We encounter issues sharing IP addresses with other companies using the software."
"We recently had a significant issue with Zscaler. I think they have too many customers and some of their connection edge nodes went down because there were too many requests. I think they aren't scaling enough to keep up with the demand in some areas. That's one thing they should improve."
"There is always room for improvement."
"When it comes to scalability, the IPsec could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform offers a reasonable price point compared to its competitors."
"The solution is very expensive so pricing is rated a one out of ten."
"The pricing is based on a licensing model for each IPS in your environment."
"I give the pricing of the solution a six out of ten."
"We are currently evaluating a Palo Alto solution, and the pricing could be a reason for going for Palo Alto."
"There is only a standard license cost to use the solution."
"It cost us around $73,000 for three years."
"There is a license required to use Fortinet FortiGate with all the features. It has to be updated with the threats on an ongoing basis for the signatures to prevent threats and a license is needed to receive those security updates."
"The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises."
"The software has become more expensive at present."
"Zscaler has so far been solely responsible for all the sales we have done with it, so it would be more suited than us to address any issues concerning the pricing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Healthcare Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiGate IPS?
The most significant aspect of IPS is self-explanatory as it primarily focuses on intrusion prevention, which is crucial for Fortinet's internal outbreak prevention efforts and ensuring compliance ...
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiGate IPS?
The operational logic is not as straightforward as a Sophos XGS device. When creating rules in the Sophos firewall, they are more intuitive than in the Fortinet FortiGate IPS device. The Fortinet F...
What do you like most about Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product's most valuable feature is complete SSL inspection.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler Cloud IPS?
The product is not affordable for small and medium enterprises.
What needs improvement with Zscaler Cloud IPS?
They have given limited free access for a year. Instead, they should increase the file size and give limited free access for around two months. It will allow engineers to evaluate the product.
 

Also Known As

FortiGate IPS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Riverside Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Dell SecureWorks, Credit Bank Zagreb
Zenith Live, Azure, Carlsberg Group
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate IPS vs. Zscaler Cloud IPS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,164 professionals have used our research since 2012.