Fortinet FortiGate vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #35 with an average rating of 9.0. Fortinet holds a 12.9% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 595 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

95,567 Views
65,941 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Read 2 Palo Alto Networks CN-Series reviews

1,683 Views
1,616 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto Networks CN-Series are competing products in the network security space. Fortinet FortiGate is favored for its supportive ecosystem and cost-effectiveness, while Palo Alto CN-Series is preferred for its advanced features, which users believe justify its higher price.

Features: FortiGate provides comprehensive threat protection, ease of integration with existing networks, and reliable security measures. Palo Alto CN-Series impresses with its AI-driven threat intelligence, automated policy management, and advanced security capabilities, ideal for enterprises seeking sophisticated security solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: FortiGate is praised for straightforward deployment and robust support that facilitates quick integration into existing infrastructures. Palo Alto CN-Series, although more complex, compensates with extensive documentation and responsive customer service, supporting a wide range of configuration options.

Pricing and ROI: FortiGate offers a lower entry cost, appealing to budget-conscious buyers and delivering favorable ROI in standard environments. Conversely, Palo Alto CN-Series requires a higher initial investment but provides a substantial ROI through reduced security incidents and improved threat management.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks CN-Series Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

November 2026

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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 Firewalls

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

595

Ranking in other categories

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

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Ranking in Firewalls

35th

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 12.9%, down from 20.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	12.9%
Palo Alto Networks CN-Series	0.5%
Other	86.6%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vijay Ramani

Practice Head at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Unified security has protected diverse environments and supports consistent policies everywhere

I would say 8 out of 10 regarding the stability of Fortinet FortiGate. It requires a lot of bug fixing and what I understand, Fortinet is fast enough to provide bug fixes and patches, but usually I suggest Fortinet should do thorough testing of their releases and software releases and once probably they can reduce the frequency of new releases but make it stable. That's what my recommendation is. As far as the core objective of Fortinet FortiGate is concerned, I think they are meeting the targets but I guess for rolling out new features and new updates, they are doing a bit of hurry just to cope with the market dynamics. But possibly, I understand that they are compromising on the quality of the software and stability. So over there they have to improve. Rest of the aspects, I guess they are doing pretty good. We are happy. Regarding my experience with Fortinet FortiGate in comparison to maybe some other vendors such as CyberArk, Fortinet is in the top three and they give a lot of competition to their nearest peers in the market. But I guess Fortinet is really struggling in software-defined LAN, Wi-Fi, and FortiSwitches space. So they have to make their products more affordable in Forti-switching and Forti-WiFi space. They are not able to compete effectively with the nearest competitor HP Enterprise and HP Aruba.

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Ahmed_Shalaby

Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology

Application control excels and integration with monitoring system boosts efficiency

I am an integrator working with Palo Alto Networks CN-Series and Panorama. I have been involved with the implementation of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series The stability of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series is excellent. Application control is one of the most valuable features. Its monitoring capability…

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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 solution is easy to use and checks the access control as a firewall."

"The most valuable feature is the FortiManager for centralized management."

"FortiGate is easy to configure. We configured one of the units and sent it to Indiana to be installed. We asked them to give us a call when they got it, so we could help them through the process, but they called us back to tell us it works great."

"The dynamic segmentation feature in Fortinet FortiGate is pretty good."

"Fortinet FortiGate positively provides my clients' organizations with a high return on investment."

"The CLI and GUI do a good job of putting a lot at your fingertips."

"It is value for money product as we’ve purchased it with Fortinet's three-year warranty package."

"It provides security purposes, and it makes our network safe from outside attacks."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The app inspection is very helpful for network security."

"The stability of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series is excellent."

Cons

"The technical support from Fortinet FortiGate is terrible. They can improve."

"The price of FortiGate should be reduced because there are some other leading products that are cheaper."

"An area for improvement for Fortinet FortiGate is that their support needs to be more customer friendly."

"FortiGate should have a better way of detecting and managing the system memory because otherwise if the memory is too low, a system restart is required."

"Their support's response time can be better. In the past six months, they took quite a long time to respond to the support tickets."

"One of the main reasons we're considering switching from FortiGate is because many companies have a lot of features and you don't have to pay for."

"We can improve the UI readability when working with large configurations."

"I face difficulties integrating Fortinet FortiGate with Active Directory."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"I'd like to see more IOPs features."

"Palo Alto Networks CN-Series could improve on its pricing as it is quite expensive."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would say that all things considered, the pricing is pretty good."

"It cost us around $73,000 for three years."

"Fortinet FortiGate as a less expensive solution than Palo Alto."

"Before choosing a piece of equipment you have to take into account the cost-benefit offered by each one. Sometimes it is not worth paying a very cheap price to have a minimum level of security."

"When comparing this solution to others, I would rate it a ten out of ten in terms of pricing. However, the issue of requiring a separate license for redundancy is a drawback, and I would rate it a nine out of ten."

"FortiGate's pricing falls within the mid-range when compared to other leading firewall solutions."

"The initial setup is super straight forward and as far as the licensing goes for the small product that we have, the pricing was pretty competitive. It wasn't as simple and as cheap as a SonicWall but for the service we would get it was a good price."

"If the customer is looking for SD-WAN, it comes free with FortiGate."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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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

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

University

11%

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	373
Midsize Enterprise	139
Large Enterprise	195

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks CN-Series?

The pricing of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series is quite expensive, rating around eight on a scale of one to ten for cost.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks CN-Series?

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series could improve on its pricing as it is quite expensive. The SD-WAN implementation using Panorama needs enhancement because it involves a specific plugin and configuring ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks CN-Series?

I am an integrator working with Palo Alto Networks CN-Series ( /products/palo-alto-networks-cn-series-reviews ) and Panorama. I have been involved with the implementation of Palo Alto Networks CN-S...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

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Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Compared 20% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Compared 7% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Compared 6% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Compared 6% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

November 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

October 2026

Download Palo Alto Networks CN-Series product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

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

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series offers advanced container security and micro-segmentation for Kubernetes environments, known for robust threat prevention, ease of deployment, and seamless integration with existing security infrastructure.

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series enables application-level visibility and control, providing comprehensive protection for dynamic workloads. Its scalable architecture suits modern cloud-native applications, making it a top choice for securing containerized environments and microservices. Users appreciate its automated policy creation, granular micro-segmentation, and enhanced container security. Although it offers great features, users suggest improvement in integration with other security tools, better scalability for larger environments, and enhanced documentation. Performance in high-traffic scenarios and intuitive configuration processes are areas for potential enhancement, along with improved customer support.

What are the key features of Palo Alto Networks CN-Series?

Advanced Threat Protection: Addresses and mitigates security threats efficiently.
Seamless Kubernetes Integration: Integrates easily within Kubernetes environments.
Comprehensive Visibility: Offers visibility across multi-cloud environments.
Automated Policy Creation: Simplifies the policy creation process.
Granular Micro-segmentation: Provides detailed network traffic segmentation.
Enhanced Container Security: Strengthens security measures for containerized applications.
Ease of Deployment: Simplifies overall deployment process.
Scalability: Adapts to growing needs of cloud-native applications.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from Palo Alto Networks CN-Series?

Increased Security: Effective protection against sophisticated threats.
Improved Operational Efficiency: Streamlined deployment and policy management.
Greater Visibility: Enhanced insight into network traffic and potential vulnerabilities.
Cost Savings: Reduced costs through automation and integration of security processes.
Enhanced Compliance: Helps meet regulatory requirements with strong security controls.

Palo Alto Networks CN-Series is implemented across diverse industries including finance, healthcare, and technology. In financial institutions, it addresses stringent security and compliance requirements. In healthcare, it ensures patient data protection within dynamic cloud environments. In tech, it supports innovative cloud-native applications with robust security measures.

Palo Alto Networks

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

November 2026

Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks CN-Series

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks CN-Series and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.

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