Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Fortinet FortiOS comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Ranking in Firewalls
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
314
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd), WAN Edge (1st)
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
Ranking in Firewalls
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
114
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiOS
Ranking in Firewalls
17th
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
73
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2024, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 22.6%, up from 18.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is 2.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiOS is 0.9%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls
Unique Categories:
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions
19.7%
WAN Edge
21.4%
No other categories found
No other categories found
 

Q&A Highlights

DL
Mar 23, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

KO
Aug 28, 2019
Provides good security features, and generating FortiCloud reports is helpful to us
We use this solution for our company firewall This solution has many good features. The security features are about the best that I've seen anywhere. I really like the fact that I am able to generate FortiCloud reports. FortiWAN was supposed to help in doing intersite linking, but we've realized…
VH
Jan 31, 2024
An affordable firewall solution with enhanced security
We can control application filtering and UTM with Fortinet FortiGate-VM. We rely on it for configuring IP address filters, VPN settings, and point-to-site connections. We haven't encountered any issues with its use cases as a firewall The tool ensures inbound traffic, specifically on a specific…
Xin He - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 22, 2022
Flexible, easy to use, and meets our requirements
You can have virtual domains. On top of each virtual domain, you can see the independent system. When comparing Fortinet with other vendors, the good part is you can set different priorities. It depends on different VDOMs. In my case, I have two VDOMs. One is called a VPN VDOM; the other is called a web filter VDOM. Usually, for other vendors, no matter how many domains, just one primary device is always a primary one. However, for FortiGate, you can separate them. In my case, I have machine one, and machine two. FortiGate one, Fortigate two. And for each FortiGate, we can have multiple VDOMs. In my case, I have two VDOMs. If you want to save money, you can split the workload, and this capability helps us save on costs.

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 feature is the FortiManager for centralized management."
"Whenever I need something, Fortinet improves and updates the software for me."
"There is an easy process for configuring it, and it is straightforward to implement the device from scratch."
"I like how we can achieve total integration."
"The user interface is relatively easy. The devices are easy to deploy and figure out when you have experience with other security appliances."
"It has very easy management and an amazing ETM configuration."
"You can purchase switches and you don't need to do anything with them. You just put in the firewall and the switches get all the policies and rules that you already have in the firewall. With Fortinet, you just connect the FortiSwitch to the Fortinet and that's it."
"The reporting and monitoring are very good."
"The solution integrates well with other Fortinet products."
"Fortinet FortiGate-VM is easy to use."
"In terms of specific features, I like FortiGate's load balancing, interface, and priority on the network."
"Web filtering and the IPS functionality."
"It is highly scalable because it has a mesh architecture that allows consistent policies."
"The solution offers good documentation."
"The policies are very valuable. They allow me to secure and manage future traffic effectively."
"The most valuable feature is that its IPsec works perfectly."
"FortiOS's best features are its function as an internet gateway and how easy it is to manage."
"What I like about this solution, is that it is the only solution that currently offers VPN for clients."
"Compared to other firewalls, the segmentation is much easier in FortiGate."
"The most valuable features are the ease of use, and the overall simplicity, everyone can use it with a small introduction."
"The solution is very easy to configure and has a good interface, plus it offers more configuration options than other vendors."
"The solution is extremely scalable."
"The solution constantly adds features that are useful and user-friendly such as the ability to tweak firewalls through the CLI."
"Fortinet has optimized the WAN environment for connecting users to the application."
 

Cons

"Fortigate's hardware capacities could be improved."
"If they had better integration with security products, such as Cisco ISE or Rapid Threat Containment, then it would be an improvement."
"The command line is complicated, and the interface could be better."
"The platform's interface could improve."
"Fortinet FortiGate can be integrated with different platforms. They have integrations in place, but I can't say they're 100%."
"There can be more security in hybrid implementations. When a customer has a hybrid environment where some parts are in the cloud, we need a consistent security solution for such scenarios."
"I'm not sure if it's something that they already have or are developing something, however, we need some dedicated features for container security."
"There are a lot of bugs I have found in the solution and it is difficult to upgrade. These areas need improvement."
"If I could add one feature, it would be free security profiles."
"The user interface (UI) and the performance of interface both need improvement."
"The user interface could be improved."
"The interface needs to be updated and simplified."
"The GUI could be improved."
"The reporting is not as good as it is with other firewalls and it should be improved."
"Integration could be better. Whatever devices I'm using with FortiGate are all compatible. The access points and switches are also FortiGate, so I can easily integrate them. But it would be better if we could embed other devices as well. There are compatibility issues with other brands, and we need that. We can only integrate universal brands with FortiGate. The initial setup could also be easier."
"It would be useful to have integration with different reporting tools. This is something we are sorely missing. It would be a plus to have reporting integrations. It would be good to have more integration with the identity suites, such as Office 365 and Azure Active Directory, of different providers that we use. Integrations are already available, but it would be nice to have some more advanced options."
"FortiOS's bandwidth and interface could be improved."
"The reporting and monitoring could improve, they have a lot of limitations. The monitoring is not easy compared to the other firewall."
"The central management can improve in Fortinet FortiOS. It is sometimes difficult to manage all the devices."
"For me, it is important to be able to block VPN applications, like Facebook, so I would like to see that included in the next release. With this version, if you want to block or allow a site, you now have to drag all the domains related to this site."
"Fortinet FortiOS is stable. However, last month we had an issue with a released patch. We had to receive another update to fix the firewall issue consuming all of the resources. The patches should be tested more before going into circulation."
"Their first-level support is often poorly trained."
"The implementation could be simplified."
"The solution's graphic interface could be a bit more responsive and include notations when changes are made."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is fair compared to the other competitors."
"They need to be competitive with other solutions."
"For our organization, the licensing costs are approximately $7,000 per year."
"It has a competitive price."
"It is affordable. Palo Alto is much more expensive than Fortinet."
"As far as I'm aware, in our case, it's just a yearly pricing arrangement with no additional licensing costs."
"It is quite affordable for our customers. There is a separate cost for IPS, antivirus, web filtering, and other features. They have a great choice of licenses. You can go for the license that you want, which is quite useful."
"It is a good product from a price perspective versus functionality."
"The pricing and licensing are not as expensive as its competitors."
"The price could be lower."
"It's not a cheap solution but it comes with its benefits."
"It is an expensive solution if you are migrating from an open source solution."
"If you are in a licensed solution, like Cisco or Palo Alto, it is cheaper. I do recommend using it with a license, because it is a security solution and it needs updates.​"
"I would rate the product's pricing as four out of five."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"It is a medium-priced product."
"Be sure to choose a licensing plan that leaves a little headroom so performance is not an issue."
"The pricing could always be lower."
"A yearly subscription might be around $20,000 to $30,000."
"The solution is cost effective. I would rate the pricing a five out of ten."
"The best solution in the category including the price in Thailand is Fortinet FortiOS."
"The solution is quite affordable and I rate the cost a four out of ten."
"The scalability of Fortinet FortiOS is good. However, central management is intuitive for the end-users. We had a lot of questions about central management, and sometimes they didn't use it and did their firewall management directly on FortiGate instead of using Fortinet FortiOS."
"It is not cheap; it is also not expensive. It is somewhere in the middle."
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Answers from the Community

DL
Mar 23, 2021
Mar 23, 2021
In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it kind of depends what you value most. PA is good at app control, web filtering and such like, they have always been top of the pile there. The GUI is very good, and their product is very user-focused. Fortinet is good for scalability and predictable high throughput (ASICs in the...
2 out of 4 answers
AT
Mar 20, 2021
Hi, Both FT and PA have compelling features for large Enterprises. I would like to add a few good points about Fortinetwhich might be helpful ( from my 13 years of engagement with them as Distributor and Partner) Fortinet:  Have higher throughput; which comes with competitive rates Wide range of models to select to meet your requirement, without spending heavliy Outstanding customer support and very active customer care team Easly available skilled resources from the channel for deployment and post-implementation support  Regards Abhilash
LD
Mar 22, 2021
Hi PaloAlto is better when working on app control feature and special virtual wire links. Execpt that specific point, Fortinet is above. Best Regards, Damien
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
21%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
23%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?
When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...
What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?
From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...
What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?
As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...
Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls
In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...
Which would you recommend - FortiGate VM or Azure Firewall?
Both of these solutions are excellent options that provide flexible scalability and solid security. Fortinet Fortigat...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiGate-VM?
An enhanced security solution for any kind of alert that we have configured.
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiOS?
The SSL VPN is fee for use is most attractive.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiOS?
The solution is cost effective. I would rate the pricing a five out of ten.
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate
FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

1. Amazon Web Services 2. Microsoft 3. IBM 4. Cisco 5. Dell 6. HP 7. Oracle 8. Verizon 9. AT&T 10. T-Mobile 11. Sprint 12. Vodafone 13. Orange 14. BT Group 15. Telstra 16. Deutsche Telekom 17. Comcast 18. Time Warner Cable 19. CenturyLink 20. NTT Communications 21. Tata Communications 22. SoftBank 23. China Mobile 24. Singtel 25. Telus 26. Rogers Communications 27. Bell Canada 28. Telkom Indonesia 29. Telkom South Africa 30. Telmex 31. Telia Company 32. Telkom Kenya
Security7 Networks, COOPENAE
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Fortinet FortiOS and other solutions. Updated: July 2024.
793,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.