

Fortinet FortiGate-VM and OPNsense compete in the firewall solutions category. Fortinet FortiGate-VM appears to have the upper hand due to its superior threat detection and prevention capabilities.
Features: Fortinet FortiGate-VM offers advanced security features, integrated threat intelligence, and high performance under load. OPNsense provides flexible VPN options, effective traffic shaping, and extensive capabilities, making it cost-efficient.
Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate-VM users suggest improvements in its configuration complexity, navigation system, and setup process. OPNsense could enhance its documentation, streamline updates, and improve its overall support material.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate-VM has a relatively smooth deployment process but requires initial training to leverage its full potential. OPNsense is known for straightforward installation and strong community support. Fortinet FortiGate-VM offers professional customer service, while OPNsense benefits from community resources providing a user-friendly experience.
Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate-VM users identify higher setup costs but acknowledge favorable ROI due to its premium features and reliable performance. OPNsense is well-regarded for its lower initial costs and high ROI, making it appealing for budget-conscious users seeking effective firewall solutions.
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.
The network attacks reduced by approximately 60% after using that, even without customizing the custom configuration yet.
For a very little investment, I was able to increase the security of my network.
Their support is helpful and effective.
The end-user support is delayed at levels L2 and L3.
They support us almost instantly.
Compared to some open-source projects with weak support, OPNsense stands out for having both a strong community and commercial backing options.
I mainly rely on community support since the solution is open source.
If you say you do not have one, it is finished. This is where the monopoly starts.
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 use Zenarmor, pinning it to one core for packet inspection, and the CPU performance seems very good.
OPNsense's scalability is excellent; I just need to resize my hardware and upgrade the server, and voilà, I am good to go.
In theory, OPNsense can handle small home networks and even large enterprise environments if deployed on sufficiently powerful hardware or virtualized on a clustered system.
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.
For home and small network use, OPNsense is also reliable, providing enterprise-grade security at no cost.
The only challenge faced was its inadequacy to manage large voice traffic effectively, even with dedicated hardware.
At the latest code level, I haven't experienced any crashes.
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.
Enhancing its performance for significant amounts of data traffic would make it closer to a perfect solution.
It would be beneficial if they could create some videos on how to set it up themselves.
The documentation should be clearer because I faced some difficulties navigating many options.
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.
As long as there is competition, they go with 50% + discounts.
I consider the pricing of OPNsense to be high when compared with other market products.
OPNsense is free, the licensing and setup was easy.
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 features include the basic firewall functionality and the GeoIP location services.
I can have a Wi-Fi VLAN and feel secure that the server network or the VM network that I have on a different VLAN are isolated, and they cannot talk to one another, which adds a great level of security.
It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| OPNsense | 7.0% |
| Fortinet FortiGate-VM | 2.2% |
| Other | 90.8% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 74 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 35 |
| Large Enterprise | 43 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 32 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 8 |
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.
OPNsense is a robust open-source platform known for its intuitive GUI, firewall capabilities, and seamless network management. It provides essential security features such as VPN and IDS/IPS, catering to organizations looking for reliable and custom-configurable solutions.
Renowned for its user-centric approach, OPNsense integrates functionality with scalability, making it a preferred choice for both on-premises and cloud deployments. Employing regular updates, OPNsense enhances security and offers modular configurations, DNS-level filtering, content control, and load balancing. Users value the platform's resilience and its ability to support features like WireGuard and Zenarmor for improved security management, especially appreciated by budget-conscious entities. However, complexity in its interface and reporting, along with challenges in cloud integration and API, require attention. Users also suggest improvements in VPN and firewall customization and seek better documentation and tools, considering the current pricing structure.
What are the key features of OPNsense?In industries ranging from corporate enterprises to home offices, OPNsense is implemented for securing server data, managing VPN links, and enforcing firewall policies. It is particularly favored for providing secure remote access, efficient network management, and the flexibility needed for specific business requirements, whether deployed in cloud environments or traditional setups.
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