Fortinet FortiGate vs IBM Security Network IPS comparison

Fortinet and IBM are both solutions in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category. Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while IBM is ranked #24. Fortinet holds a 13.9% mindshare in ID, compared to IBM’s 1.2% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 580 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

67,415 Views
6,067 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

IBM Security Network IPS

Read 4 IBM Security Network IPS reviews

397 Views
337 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

IBM Security Network IPS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

IBM Security Network IPS and Fortinet FortiGate are leading solutions in the cybersecurity space, focusing on network protection through intrusion prevention systems. While IBM excels in threat intelligence and security management, Fortinet is considered superior due to its comprehensive security features and cost-effectiveness.

Features: IBM Security Network IPS offers advanced threat detection, deep packet inspection, and signature-based analysis. Fortinet FortiGate provides integrated security with sandboxing, VPN, and web filtering, along with versatile handling of various tasks, giving it an edge in feature comparison.

Room for Improvement: IBM's areas for enhancement include better handling of complex network architectures, more flexible threat response customization, and improved integration with other security solutions. Fortinet could improve on simplifying its configuration process, enhancing its reporting capabilities, and reducing resource consumption for advanced features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Security Network IPS is straightforward to deploy with strong technical support, although complex setups may require additional assistance. Fortinet FortiGate is user-friendly for deployment and provides comprehensive documentation and support, offering a smoother user experience in both installation and ongoing management.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Security Network IPS involves a higher initial setup cost but delivers significant ROI through its focused threat mitigation capabilities. Fortinet FortiGate is competitively priced and offers strong ROI thanks to its flexible and scalable solutions, making it attractive to organizations seeking extensive security features with a balanced investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. IBM Security Network IPS Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. IBM Security Network IPS

December 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

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

580

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Firewalls (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)

IBM Security Network IPS

Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

24th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 13.9%, down from 19.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Security Network IPS is 1.2%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	13.9%
IBM Security Network IPS	1.2%
Other	84.9%

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

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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Jacob_Koithra

Project & Program manager at Shell Grp

User-friendly and has a good blocking feature but is quite expensive

Defining the new security rules and policies sometimes becomes a challenge. Integration with other platforms becomes a challenge as well. I'd like to see more integration with other tools and technologies. XGS 7100 has an end of support for the 30th of December 2022. Many are losing support. All the products of the XGS, including XGS 3100, 4100, 5100, and 7100, support is ending in December 2022. We need to know what is the plan post that? Do we need to spend money on them? Will that be extended? There has been no communication on the website either. It's an expensive device.

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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

"Fortinet FortiGate brings numerous benefits to my company."

"Offers good security and filtering."

"SD-WAN has had a positive impact by reducing the operational costs in terms of headcount and management."

"FortiGate SD-WAN facilitated a smooth transition for our customers between their two internet service providers, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity without any downtime."

"It's a flexible solution."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is its efficiency."

"The response is very quick and they can visually resolve our problems in a short period."

"I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The initial setup is simple."

"The most valuable feature is its simplicity."

Cons

"Backup can be improved."

"Fortinet FortiGate can be integrated with different platforms. They have integrations in place, but I can't say they're 100%."

"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 could be more modifications."

"It would be better if they had a dashboard where we could see what attacks were happening. It would be good to see who's trying to get into our network."

"There are some problems that support cannot give you a logical reason as to why it happened. For example, I had a case where I was dealing with a WhatsApp application that was giving issues. Technical support gave more than one reason it could be giving issues, but none of them solved the problem. Eventually I solved the problem, but it was far from the solutions that support had given."

"Being a great product, some changes in the pricing would make it a great choice for even more organizations."

"Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve to be on par with its competitors, such as Palo Alto and Sophos. They are the market leaders. Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve its capabilities. However, we are happy with Fortinet FortiGate."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"I'd like to see more integration with other tools and technologies."

"In the future, I would like to see a hybrid option so that we can work both on-premises and in the cloud."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is more affordable than Check Point and Palo Alto. Another thing is that all the features and the OS remain the same irrespective of the size of the device. Pricing-wise, Fortinet typically provides one-year support with the firewall appliance. There is also an option for three years which is how their licensing works."

"There is a licensing fee; it is on a yearly basis."

"While Fortinet FortiGate has a higher price point compared to Sophos XG, its user-friendly interface justifies the cost."

"There is a license required to use Fortinet FortiGate with all the features. It has to be updated with the threats on an ongoing basis for the signatures to prevent threats and a license is needed to receive those security updates."

"Pricing is good. They offer a lot of things, the most important is the support. Every time you upgrade your license, you also get insurance for the equipment. If you have any problem with equipment, they send in new equipment."

"The pricing of Fortinet FortiGate is average, not cheap or overly expensive compared to other firewall solutions in the market. It's effective and affordable for customers."

"Pricing for Fortinet FortiGate SWG is more suitable for enterprise or large-sized organizations because they are the ones who can afford it versus small and medium-sized organizations."

"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The cost of operations is very low."

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Comparison Review

it_user216600

Senior Technical Consultant with 51-200 employees

Jan 3, 2016

Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate

I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

No data available

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 at large. In my opinion, Fortinet would be the best option and l use Fortinet too...

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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 the firewalls change every 5 to 7 years as stated but you really do need to upg...

See all answers

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 good. The most valuable features for me are their web and email filtering. I wou...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)

January 2026

Download IBM Security Network IPS product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Security Network Intrusion Prevention System, IBM Security Network Protection, XGS, GX

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

IBM Security Network Intrusion Prevention System appliances are designed to stop constantly evolving threats before they impact your business. This means providing both high levels of protection and performance, while lowering the overall cost and complexity associated with deploying and managing a large number of point solutions.

IBM

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

Equifax, Christian Hospital Centre

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. IBM Security Network IPS

December 2025

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