Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs SonicWall NSSP comparison

Fortinet and SonicWall are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Fortinet is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5, while SonicWall is ranked #38 with an average rating of 7.3. Fortinet holds a 1.9% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to SonicWall’s 0.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Fortinet FortiGate-VM and SonicWall NSSP are two prominent network security solutions. Although SonicWall NSSP is recognized for its advanced features, Fortinet FortiGate-VM receives higher user ratings for pricing, support, and overall satisfaction.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate-VM is praised for its robust security controls, scalability, and ease of management. SonicWall NSSP users value its superior threat intelligence, real-time analytics capabilities, and advanced analytics.

Room for Improvement: User reviews suggest Fortinet FortiGate-VM could improve on complex configuration processes, stability during heavy traffic periods, and user documentation. For SonicWall NSSP, users point out the need for better documentation, more intuitive setup processes, and enhancements in user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate-VM is highlighted for a straightforward deployment model and responsive customer support. SonicWall NSSP deployment can be more challenging, yet its customer service is consistently well-rated.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate-VM is often seen as providing better value for money, with competitive setup costs and a positive ROI. SonicWall NSSP users, however, feel that the higher cost is justified by its comprehensive security features. Users generally find FortiGate-VM more cost-effective, but SonicWall NSSP features justify its premium price for many.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. SonicWall NSSP Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. SonicWall NSSP

June 2025

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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

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 21.4%, up from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is 1.9%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall NSSP is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Sitti Ridzma Salahuddin

System Engineer at Trends and Technologies, Inc

Integrates seamlessly and helps with real-time threat response

Since the solution we offered was a complete suite with Fortinet FortiGate-VM, it was easier for them to manage because they have FortiManager as well. The main reason they wanted to position FortiGate in the cloud was so that they could easily deploy through FortiManager. That was the selling point we had for them. Especially for their multiple branches, where they had approximately 60 sites, and some assets were in AWS, it was really a good deployment opportunity. FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer were also part of that solution.

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Lenin Christopher

Director at Techfruits

Enhanced security with advanced threat protection and superior support

We serve as an integrator for SonicWall, deploying this solution for customers in the media and entertainment, banking, and finance sectors. We use SonicWall to protect their environments against digital attacks SonicWall has helped us deliver security solutions effectively, particularly in…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The features that we have found most valuable are the SSL VPN and the User Portal."

"It's a good product that significantly enhances security and protects organizational data."

"The solution is extremely reliable."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuration."

"The GUI is very simple, and what is very good is that every product, regardless of size, has the same interface."

"We can use our devices to check all of the perimeters. It secures email websites."

"FortiGate is very simple to manage and easy to use."

"The IPsec tunnels are very easily created, and quite interoperable with devices from other vendors."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The tool improved the security in our company's virtualized environment, as it was helpful in creating an additional layer of security for the organization and for the use of the internet."

"An enhanced security solution for any kind of alert that we have configured."

"The most valuable features are network security, VLAN, network protection, and encryption are very valuable to us."

"I like the visibility and monitoring features because they're easy to use to monitor traffic. Features like geo-blocking and more have AI, and we're currently using all of it. But for now, we're only using geo-blocking, and we're able to block traffic from different countries. I also like that it's highly responsive. VM04 is also very powerful."

"FortiGate VM allows me to avoid the hardware lease recycle every five to eight years"

"Overall, it's an excellent solution."

"Fortinet FortiGate-VM is purpose-built as a next-generation firewall, excelling in its performance of this specific function."

"The most valuable feature is that its IPsec works perfectly."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pros

"The product's most valuable features are simplicity and comprehensive protection capabilities, including load balancing, IPS, antivirus, and web filtering."

"SonicWall NSSP is stable and scalable too."

"I like the filtering feature, which provides easy access. The SSL certification feature is also nice. The solution enhanced our security posture."

"The VPN functionality is really good. Overall, the whole device is very easy to manage. The software that comes with it is also good."

"SonicWall has helped us deliver security solutions effectively, particularly in threat prevention and content filtering."

"The solution's pricing is good."

"It has been delivering results efficiently. Its configurations and updates have been easy. It is also user-friendly."

Cons

"There are some cloud-based features that could be much more flexible than they currently are."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility."

"I would like to have logs, monitoring, and reporting for a month without extra fees."

"Web security solutions can be improved."

"One area for improvement is the performance on bandwidth demands for smaller devices, as well as better web filtering."

"For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial."

"There are just some services that aren't available. For example, the Ethernet or point-to-point protocols. They could add these services to their product offering - especially services for ISPs."

"There are some complex administration tasks in their administration portal. That needs to be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The price model is not transparent by any means and should be made more clear. What's included in the packages is often not very obvious."

"Improvements are needed for the responsive UI and JIT traffic reporting."

"In the next release, I would like to see integration capability with SIEM tools, such as QRadar, and LogRhythm."

"The interface needs to be updated and simplified."

"The solution is fairly complex."

"SD-WAN could be enhanced to provide a clear division between control and data planes, utilizing controllers to manage tasks within the network."

"The graphical user interface should be enhanced."

"Deployment can be difficult and they could dispense with reliance on FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM cons

"No security product is foolproof against hackers, intruders, and other such things. As a security product, they have to keep pace in terms of protection from new hackers and intruders."

"The EDR and XDR capabilities of SonicWall need to be improved."

"The solution's stability and scalability also need improvement."

"The product needs improvement for phishing emails."

"The platform could benefit from an improved marketing strategy."

"Its reporting functions can be improved. It has decent reporting, but you got to pay a lot more money for it. That's where it begins to fall apart. It comes with minimal zero reporting unless you buy some extra modules. With those extra modules, you can get all the data, but it takes a while to put together what you need for your customer. It is for technical people, but there is no executive summary of the reporting."

"The user interface, the GUI, could be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is cost-effective, and provides a good value for your money. The pricing, and license renewal, is very reasonable for us."

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"Fortinet bundles FortiGate with other products and because of this, the price is a little expensive to some SMB enterprises."

"We saved a bundle by not needing all the past appliances from an NGFW."

"It is not a very costly product if you compare it with other products. The return on investment is also good. If you compare the return of investment and money that you are spending on this product with Palo Alto, Cisco, Check Point, and other solutions, the investment is very less. We are happy with this solution. The optional licenses are there, and you can choose which one you want and which one to avoid."

"It is very cost-effective. You get features similar to other firewalls, such as Palo Alto, but at a lower price."

"Fortinet FortiGate's price can be reduced."

"If you purchase a one-year subscription with the hardware and then you want to renew for the second year, it is very costly."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"It's not a cheap solution but it comes with its benefits."

"The solution could be better priced."

"Of all the firewalls that we compared, FortiGate is the cheapest and most affordable, so we are satisfied with the pricing."

"We don't have to pay for the licenses. But we might purchase licenses in the future."

"The customer must buy his own license."

"The pricing and licensing are not as expensive as its competitors."

"It is more expensive than its competitor, e.g. Sophos."

"Licensing is pretty standard. It's approximately 15% of the total cost per year as a subscription cost."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pricing and cost advice

"The setup costs and licensing are reasonable, and the solution provides good value for its features."

"You got to buy some VPN licenses, and there might be a $40 to $50 one-time license fee per current user. There are different layers. They have several different levels of event security software and depending on the model, it seems to come out to be $1 to $2 a day. So, if you bought a three-year license, it is going to be anywhere from $900 to $1800 depending on the bundle and model that you buy."

"The pricing is cheap, and that's where, you know, the some of the organization goes for the SonicWall."

"I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten."

"For SonicWall NSSP high availability, active/passive, you need to buy one license, and so you get much more value for money."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Comms Service Provider

No data available

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...

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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...

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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 ...

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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...

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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...

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What do you like most about Fortinet FortiGate-VM?

An enhanced security solution for any kind of alert that we have configured.

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What do you like most about SonicWall NSSP?

The solution's pricing is good.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall NSSP?

SonicWall is a rather expensive solution with a rating of eight out of ten regarding its pricing. Despite being expen...

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What needs improvement with SonicWall NSSP?

The EDR and XDR capabilities of SonicWall need to be improved. When compared to a brand like SentinelOne, SonicWall s...

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Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 11% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos UTM vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

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Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 24% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 5% of the time

Zyxel Unified Security Gateway vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 3% of the time

Sophos XGS vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 3% of the time

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SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSSP

Compared 46% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

June 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM

June 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate-VM product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

May 2025

Download SonicWall NSSP product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM

SonicWall Network Security Services Platform

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

FortiGate Virtual Appliances allow you to mitigate blind spots by implementing critical security controls within your virtual infrastructure. They also allow you to rapidly provision security infrastructure whenever and wherever it is needed. FortiGate virtual appliances feature all of the security and networking services common to traditional hardware-based FortiGate appliances. With the addition of virtual appliances from Fortinet, you can deploy a mix of hardware and virtual appliances, operating together and managed from a common centralized management platform.

Fortinet

The SonicWall Network Security services platform (NSsp) 12000 series takes a modern approach to threat detection and prevention by combining cloud intelligence with appliance-based protection in a scalable, high-speed platform.

SonicWall

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

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. SonicWall NSSP

June 2025

Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. SonicWall NSSP

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. SonicWall NSSP and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.

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