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Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 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
Sponsored
Ranking in Firewalls
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
592
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
Ranking in Firewalls
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
143
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
GajShield Next Generation F...
Ranking in Firewalls
43rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 15.1%, down from 21.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is 2.2%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GajShield Next Generation Firewall is 0.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate15.1%
Fortinet FortiGate-VM2.2%
GajShield Next Generation Firewall0.4%
Other82.3%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

JK
IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana
Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.
Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.
KO
Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd
Faced hardware limitations and setup challenges but have improved network protection over time
I spent much time finding exact firmware on Aruba which was working with these guns, but it is not optimal because it is not the latest version, so there could be potential security problems. We decided to replace those access points with another one. I personally have trouble because I don't know the exact life cycle of Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. I don't know if the life of boxes is five years or something else; we moved from our previous company, which sold us to other companies. Before 10 years, we had a special department that took care of core networks, including firewalls. After that, this responsibility fell to me and my colleague. It is not easy to set up these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes properly because we didn't have previous experience with this kind of solution. At first, we set up only a few rules that were not secure enough, and over a couple of years, we improved the settings and security of these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. Currently, I have one Fortinet FortiGate-VM that needs to be replaced next year, and this box is not so powerful, so I need to redirect some traffic to another Fortinet FortiGate-VM. It is stable, but because the CPU processor of this box is not powerful, I need to redirect some traffic to another box. In the future, I need to choose a higher-level box to prevent potential troubles with the power of this box.
Nazish Sameer Shaikh - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Security Engineer at UNITE HERE HEALTH
Simplifies the management of complex data networks, but its technical support could be improved
Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services. The solution can adapt some of the tools where we, as network engineers, can adjust to the changing application needs. Also, the solution can provide us with multiple support, allowing us to create a network segment. The solution’s technical support could be improved.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Good performance, stability, and virtual domain ability."
"Overall, this is a very good solution and I personally haven't had any problems with it."
"The solution has a user-friendly interface."
"What's most important is the ease of use."
"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has a very high ROI"
"Before using this solution, we had many problems accessing our resources because we don't have a lot of internet bandwidth, and by using application control and traffic shaping, we were able to manage users to quickly access services that are important, and this tool has aided in the simplicity of our day-to-day management."
"By implementing Fortinet FortiGate in our organization, we can control applications and block unauthorized apps, and control security platform features such as policy enforcement and SD-WAN streaming particularly improve our work by reducing manual configuration across multiple devices, allowing faster change implementation, and reducing troubleshooting time."
"The low cost of ownership was a benefit with all of the features we wanted."
"With this solution, you can apply the zero trust concept in place with role-based access to the internet, URL filtering works well and is flexible, and with integration with other security solutions you can quickly respond to incidents so fewer security incidents appear and you can respond more quickly."
"The most valuable features we have found to be the VPN, ease of use, and overall simplicity."
"I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a very good solution."
"The solution is very easy to set up. It doesn't take a lot of time and offers a quick deployment, so you can start using it almost right away."
"The most valuable features are the IPS and Antivirus."
"The user interface is the most valuable aspect of the solution."
"Fortinet Security Fabric and real-time threat response capabilities are the main selling points."
"The setup is simple."
"GajShield has improved our mobile device-based connectivity."
"Gajshiled's enterprise cloud and DLP-level features give it an advantage over other products."
"It is a stable solution."
"The most valuable feature of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is the user-friendly settings, dashboards, and anti-threat protection. Additionally, the solution upgrades frequently which is good because we receive new features."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall's best feature is the network DLP."
"The solution's outcome is very high, and we often use it in a very high-traffic environment."
"It is an easily scalable solution...The initial setup was very easy."
"Once it is configured, it is very stable, and we don't get any calls from our clients unless they have some specific requirement, like port forwarding or something."
 

Cons

"They could simplify their deployment process, especially when customers have existing devices."
"Some of the web policy reports could be improved."
"User experience for the administrator is basically not good as it needs to be more proficient."
"We are pretty happy with it. If anything, I believe the web interface could be simpler, especially for someone who has limited networking experience."
"I would suggest that Fortinet add sandboxing to their solution."
"I would like some automated custom reporting."
"They should make the rule sets more understandable for the end user."
"The performance could be a bit better. Right now, I find it to be lacking. Having good performance is very important for our work."
"Customization needs improvement."
"Fortinet could improve the availability and delivery of its products. It takes four to six weeks for every purchase to arrive."
"Their technical support is not helpful and I try to avoid using it."
"The interface needs to be updated and simplified."
"Interoperability could be improved."
"In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all."
"Yes, we encountered stability issues in IPSec Module. The tunnels freeze sometimes."
"The product is satisfactory. I haven't identified any features to improve, and based on the number of deployments I've handled with FortiGate-VM, there haven't been any complaints from the customer's side."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall could improve the flow of the settings. If somebody's using a Cisco firewall or any other brand and they want to use GajShield Next Generation Firewall the platform's UI is a bit different. If it was more similar to the others it would be better."
"We raised a support ticket, and the project didn't get a proper response. There was a skill issue in TAC support."
"Gajshield can improve SD-WAN compatibility at an enterprise cloud level."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall would be improved with the addition of a load-balancing feature."
"The UI for the administration of the firewall needs a lot of work."
"Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services."
"The firewall configuration and administration screens could use some improvement."
"We face issues with some configuration parts that we don't understand in the solution, and sometimes we face issues with the VPN connection."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Fortinet FortiGate IPS' licensing is quite simple to understand."
"There is a licensing fee; it is on a yearly basis."
"Its price is affordable and lesser than Cisco. Cisco is expensive. In terms of licensing, there is only one issue. If a customer's license has expired a month ago and they do the renewal after one month, Fortinet renews the license from the start of the previous month. The activation of the product is done from the previous month, not from the date of renewal. The customers usually shout and complain that because they are paying today, the renewal should start from today. The support contract renewals or licensing should be renewed from the date of renewal, but Fortinet starts from the day it had expired. It is a loss for customers. They might have had some problems because of which they did not take the license one month before. Fortinet should work on this. Cisco doesn't do this. Cisco always starts from the day they apply for the license."
"The Fortinet FortiGate security features cost approximately $1,500 a year. The firewall itself doesn't have a recurring cost. It's the security features on top of that that you pay for."
"The tool is a bit pricey for small businesses, but it is still bearable in terms of cost."
"The solution's price is average."
"The pricing or licensing of Fortinet FortiGate is quite effective as it offers different bundles that aggregate most required features, while also allowing clients the option to select specific components alone."
"Pricing for this product is comparatively lower than other products. It's an affordable solution, but when expanding the number of users, they'll ask you to replace the model, so that's an added cost."
"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.​"
"The price of the solution could be less expensive. There are some features that have to be purchased separately that have their own license."
"It is more expensive than its competitor, e.g. Sophos."
"It has a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model."
"At present, the SD-WAN licenses are on an annual basis."
"The price of the solution is competitive. Fortinet FortiGate-VM had a lot of advantages when it came to pricing. However, the competition has also geared up to a larger extent and it has become comparable now to the other solutions."
"I would rate the product's pricing as four out of five."
"We have been waiting a long time for the vendor to give us licenses, it has been five months and we are still waiting. However, the price is reasonable."
"The price of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is very attractive when compared to other solutions."
"GajShield is a cheaper solution as of now. The subscription is yearly."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is reasonably priced."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is not that expensive, and its pricing is better than Palo Alto."
"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is cheaper than the other products in the market. The licensing costs for the solution are on a yearly basis."
"It was about 15% cheaper compared to Sophos."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
20%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business369
Midsize Enterprise139
Large Enterprise195
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business72
Midsize Enterprise34
Large Enterprise39
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiGate-VM?
From our perspective, it's quite good. When we have the visibility, we will make our policies depending on the threat...
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Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall
FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM
GajShield NGFW
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya
Security7 Networks, COOPENAE
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Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. GajShield Next Generation Firewall and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,456 professionals have used our research since 2012.