Fortinet FortiGate vs Juniper Session Smart Router comparison

Fortinet and Juniper are both solutions in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category. Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Juniper is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.0. Fortinet holds a 18.3% mindshare in SDW, compared to Juniper’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 574 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

72,802 Views
5,096 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Juniper Session Smart Router

Read 4 Juniper Session Smart Router reviews

1,203 Views
1,023 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Juniper Session Smart Router

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2025

Fortinet FortiGate and Juniper Session Smart Router are competing products in the network security arena. While Fortinet FortiGate is known for its combination of security features and customer support, Juniper Session Smart Router stands out for its advanced feature set which offers a unique routing intelligence advantage.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate is noted for its high-performance threat protection, efficient traffic management, and centralized management capabilities. In contrast, Juniper Session Smart Router excels in intelligent routing, WAN optimization, and seamless integration with SD-WAN solutions.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet could enhance its scalability and integration with third-party tools. Improvements in analytics and reporting features could offer more insights. Lastly, refining their advanced threat intelligence could provide more proactive security measures. For Juniper, simplifying the initial setup process would be beneficial. More intuitive management interfaces and enhanced compatibility with diverse networking hardware could improve user experience. Additionally, expanding their support and troubleshooting resources would better assist users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate offers a straightforward installation process and responsive customer service, making it a reliable choice for organizations seeking quick implementation. Although Juniper’s deployment might be more complex, its comprehensive documentation and customer service provide tailored solutions to suit unique network requirements.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate typically presents a lower setup cost and competitive ROI for cost-conscious enterprises. Juniper Session Smart Router, despite its higher initial investment, offers superior features and long-term value, targeting organizations focused on advanced infrastructure and future-proofing investments.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. Juniper Session Smart Router Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

September 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 Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

574

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Firewalls (1st), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (2nd), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)

Juniper Session Smart Router

Ranking in Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

12th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Routers (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper Session Smart Router is 2.8%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.3%
Juniper Session Smart Router	2.8%
Other	78.9%

Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions

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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SRI GANESH PHANIYAPPA

Sub Divisional Engineer NOC Bangalore at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

Delivered tailored features and meets requirements effectively

We are using it as a DNG. This means all subscriber PPPoE sessions or ILS Smart VPN connections are terminated through the access network to this BNG, Uniphore BNG. From there, they are managed Everything has been fine. Although we did not explore much about the solution, they provided us with a…

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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

"You can integrate certain other services with FortiGate and use additional threat intelligence services because they allow you to combine various solutions, enhancing your overall security."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the APIs. They are the most widely known."

"Their interface is very easy to use, it is without bugs."

"For application filtration, I really appreciate many features of Fortinet FortiGate because it is more reliable, easy to use, and the reports are easy to read and understand."

"It is useful for protecting and segregating the internal networks from the internet. Most of our customers also use the FortiGate client to connect to their offices by using the VPN client, and of course, they usually activate the antivirus, deep inspection, and intrusion prevention services. They are also using it for web filtering and implementing various policies dealing with forwardings, NAT, etc."

"The security fabric is excellent."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection."

"Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Customer service is very prompt."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Session Smart Router is its unique SDR channel."

"The solution is especially Session's smart, application-aware, AI-based."

"As compared to the other major vendors in the SD-WAN market, such as VeloCloud, Cisco, and others, the tunnel-free and secure vector routing technology is its major USP, which gives plenty of room to discuss with the customer why IPSec from 1998 is a bit outdated."

"They provided us with a customized product according to our requirements."

Cons

"They have recently acquired a CNAP solution which should be integrated into FortiGate boxes natively for protection at any application layer. Since Fortinet FortiGate has Layer 7 protection, they should integrate that as soon as they can for threat detection and network detection."

"The Wi-Fi controller needs a lot of improvement."

"There's a limitation wherein you can only have about 30 virtual or secondary IPs on a particular interface."

"Vulnerability scanning could be improved."

"Difficult to add or define, and not that easy to configure and manage."

"One of the problems I was having was with user mapping, and it is an issue for which I have escalated tickets with Fortinet support."

"The solution must improve the support provided for customers around the globe, considering the time differences in different places."

"There should be some open-source training or free training for decision makers, or some webinars should be available."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Regarding improvement, we still need to see what it can do."

"The UI of the SSR conductor is the main part where improvements can be done. Today, for every configuration step, you have to do a series of clicks. What we are missing there are wizards. For example, I have two applications, and I want one application to be prioritized against the other. In such a case, a wizard for assigning policies to a service without configuring each step by hand would be very helpful. There should be an overhaul of the GUI of the conductor. The functionality they have got in the Mist portal should be baked into the conductor itself. It would be really great, but as we all know, that won't happen."

"Juniper Session Smart Router could be better in terms of software performance."

"Juniper Session Smart Router can improve the integration for Wi-Fi devices and add additional Sassy deployments."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate when compared to other solutions is high. However, my knowledge of the price is from third parties and I am not sure how accurate it is. I typically work in the technical area of my organization."

"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten."

"This is not a cheap solution but it isn't expensive, either. It's a good solution for the right price."

"The licensing costs are very low."

"It's very affordable."

"I give the pricing of the solution a six out of ten."

"The licensing scheme of Fortinet is better than Cisco. It is more logical."

"The product is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"It is a simple bandwidth-based license and the orchestration comes bundled with the solution by default."

"We are currently renegotiating the offer for the licenses and the license bundle model. The license for an ISP has to be different from the license for an end customer. This is something we are currently renegotiating with Juniper, but, of course, the pricing for the licensing is always an issue when you want to get more customers."

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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

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

17%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

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...

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

See all answers

What do you like most about Juniper Session Smart Router?

The most valuable feature of Juniper Session Smart Router is its unique SDR channel.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Session Smart Router?

Juniper Session Smart Router is not significantly cheaper than, for example, Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper Session Smart Router?

I did not find any problem with Juniper. Regarding improvement, we still need to see what it can do.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 18% of the time

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Compared 11% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 23% of the time

Aruba EdgeConnect SD-WAN Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 14% of the time

VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 9% of the time

NFX Series Network Services Platform vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 8% of the time

Peplink SpeedFusion vs Juniper Session Smart Router

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Routers

October 2025

Download Juniper Session Smart Router product report

Also Known As

No data available

128T Networking Platform, 128 Technology SD-WAN, Juniper SSR Series

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

The 128T Networking Platform (128T) natively provides network-based security, control, and insight across data centers, wide-area networks (WAN), and edge locations for enterprises, service providers, and cloud companies alike. 128T is reshaping the way organizations design, deploy, and operate real-world networks by making them dramatically simpler, smarter, and more secure — it’s going to fix the router — and ultimately the network — as we know it.

Juniper

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

Revation Systems

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

September 2025

Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate vs. Juniper Session Smart Router

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