

Netgate pfSense and Fortinet FortiGate-VM are two prominent firewall solutions. Fortinet FortiGate-VM seems superior due to its robust features, indicating it is worth the price.
Features: Netgate pfSense reviews highlight valuable features such as flexibility, open-source nature, and extensive documentation. Fortinet FortiGate-VM reviews emphasize its comprehensive security features, integration capabilities, and scalability. FortiGate-VM's extensive and scalable security features make it stand out, despite pfSense's praised flexibility and open-source advantages.
Room for Improvement: Users suggest that Netgate pfSense could benefit from a more intuitive setup process and better hardware options. For Fortinet FortiGate-VM, reviews indicate a need for improved licensing models and a better learning curve.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Netgate pfSense deployment is praised for its flexibility, though some users encounter challenges in the initial setup. Fortinet FortiGate-VM is noted for straightforward deployment, with robust customer service and support.
Pricing and ROI: Netgate pfSense is often cited for its cost-effectiveness and lower initial setup costs, delivering good ROI over time. Conversely, Fortinet FortiGate-VM, while higher in initial cost, offers strong ROI due to its advanced features and support.
I observed a fifty to sixty percent reduction in operational costs after migrating to FortiGate VM.
They have a platform that organizes their networks and access effectively.
We haven't used MPLS for over five years now, and it was extremely beneficial to see the changes from MPLS to SD-WAN using Fortinet FortiGate.
In four years of using it, that payment of 189 dollars per year has already paid off.
It's very favorable to have the inclusion of firewall, VPN, and router functionalities.
The total cost of ownership is extremely low when you compare it to a lot of the other devices or other gateway appliances that are available on the market.
Their support is helpful and effective.
The end-user support is delayed at levels L2 and L3.
They support us almost instantly.
The biggest fear I have, and probably the only reason I still have the old one lying around is that if something were to happen to this hardware and I had to send it back for support, I need to be able to keep my network running in the meantime.
The support is knowledgeable and responds quickly, so the questions are addressed professionally and accurately.
I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.
Fortinet FortiGate-VM adapts effectively; for example, you have a limited number of VPN connections on VM01, accommodating around 1,000 remote users, and if the customer needs another endpoint, we can deploy VM02 and manage that transition effectively.
Scalability is well-supported, with the notable ability to implement features easily.
It can start with a single core and scale up to a 32-core license for a robust deployment.
I don't think Netgate pfSense can offer much scalability for big enterprises.
Even with a jump from a 50 megabit to a 500 megabit internet connection and approximately 65 active VPN clients, our firewall operates smoothly without any strain.
pfSense is almost infinitely scalable.
The stability of Fortinet FortiGate is excellent.
The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience.
In the past couple of years, they started releasing numerous new features, and things have become somewhat unstable.
I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten.
I've noticed a substantial improvement in stability and ease of use for upgrades and patching over the past year or two.
When I replace consumer routers with pfSense for small businesses with two or three employees, they are often amazed to discover the router can run for a year without a reboot.
You should not look just at a data sheet, but also look at real tests in the field and load tests from companies who are making them.
The API needs better integration to match accounts and objects more effectively.
Now, these features require separate products like FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, and a FortiCloud subscription for reporting.
They should support the idea of configuration management as code from source code and provide a more robust API for managing the pfSense configuration.
Monitoring is crucial. The easier the monitoring and user interface, the simpler our team can work on and investigate issues.
It would be helpful to be able to query larger data sets, even if you had to break them up into smaller subsets.
The license for Fortinet FortiGate-VM costs 100K to 150K Philippine pesos per year for VM1 or VM2.
I don't have this experience with Fortinet FortiGate-VM because my colleagues in Germany are reaching better prices than me.
They could be slightly cheaper, however, Fortinet offers a good cost-benefit ratio.
It also offers a free community version that can't be beaten.
The difference between the 1100 and 2100 is double.
I rate pfSense 10 out of 10 for affordability.
The more integrated we become, the less we spend on solving bugs and issues, allowing us to reduce time focusing on understanding and improving our network.
Fortinet is the only provider to have successfully set up a unified operating system on all its products in the network security ecosystem.
For what we need to do, which is setting up a VPN connection between both sides and using it for SSL VPN connections for remote users, it works effectively and we haven't encountered vulnerabilities.
The most valuable feature is the routing capability.
It is not licensed and is not run by some corporation that watches you.
It is a firewall with built-in IDS and IPS, load balancing, and VPN connections.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Netgate pfSense | 7.7% |
| Fortinet FortiGate-VM | 2.2% |
| Other | 90.1% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 74 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 34 |
| Large Enterprise | 42 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 171 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 33 |
| Large Enterprise | 29 |
Fortinet FortiGate-VM delivers robust security services and advanced network management suitable for cloud environments, providing solutions like firewall and SD-WAN, with seamless integration across Fortinet devices.
FortiGate-VM is designed for enterprise security, offering comprehensive features like intrusion prevention and application filtering. It's known for its scalability and flexibility, supporting cloud platforms such as Azure and AWS. It enhances threat response and network management efficiency, thanks to real-time threat response, intuitive integration with existing systems, and cost-effectiveness.
What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate-VM?Fortinet FortiGate-VM is predominantly employed in industries requiring stringent data center security, enabling network segmentation and VPN services. It's particularly favored by organizations using virtual and cloud networks due to its Unified Threat Management capabilities, making it an efficient solution for protecting virtual environments from threats.
Netgate pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software known for scalability, cost-effectiveness, and community support. It includes customizable packages for varied network management needs, offering solid performance and straightforward management for diverse setups.
Netgate pfSense provides an impressive range of functionalities including firewall capabilities, VPN options, and extensive customization through packages. Its low resource usage and high availability make it viable for businesses of all sizes, especially when dealing with tailored network demands. Despite its strengths, users suggest improvements in ease of use, mobile compatibility, and support for plug-ins. Enhanced centralized management, better documentation, and additional security features are frequent requests.
What are the key features of Netgate pfSense?In education and healthcare, Netgate pfSense is employed for secure connectivity and efficient traffic management, accommodating distinct demands of remote access and content filtering. Organizations in these sectors often utilize features such as load balancing and VPNs to maintain secure and reliable network operations while integrating with services like Active Directory for streamlined identity management. Small to medium-sized enterprises benefit from its affordability and robust functionality, making it a go-to choice for managed service environments requiring effective network security and control.
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