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Fortinet FortiGate vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series comparison

Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Fortinet is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3, while Palo Alto Networks is ranked #31 with an average rating of 8.7. Fortinet holds a 20.8% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Palo Alto Networks’s 0.1% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Palo Alto Networks users who would recommend it.
Fortinet FortiGate
Read 411 Fortinet FortiGate reviews
  • 73,536 Views
  • 58,829 Comparison Views
91% willing to recommend
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
Read 34 Palo Alto Networks K2-Series reviews
  • 1,139 Views
  • 1,082 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto Networks K2-Series are leading security solutions. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series stands out for its superior features, justifying its price.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate offers advanced threat protection, integrated network security, and a user-friendly interface. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series provides next-gen firewall capabilities, robust application control, and enhanced security policies.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate needs better VPN capabilities, more intuitive rule management, and improved reporting tools. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series requires enhancements in reporting tools, reduction in false positives, and better integration with third-party solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate users report straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series users find deployment slightly complex but commend comprehensive customer support.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate is praised for cost-effectiveness and satisfactory ROI. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series, though pricier, provides significant ROI through its advanced features.

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To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
July 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 Firewalls
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
411
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st)
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
Ranking in Firewalls
31st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.8%, up from 17.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is 0.1%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls
 

Q&A Highlights

DL
Mar 23, 2021
Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls
Hi PaloAlto is better when working on app control feature and special virtual wire links. Execpt that specific point, Fortinet is above. Best Regards, Damien
See all answers
 

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala - PeerSpot reviewer
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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Krishnakumar M - PeerSpot reviewer
One of the best tools for the prevention of evasive threats
There is a feature called granular application controls, which I liked. Instead of relying on ports and IP addresses, they use AMP ID. This kind of solution is very good. Another valuable feature is the prevention of evasive threats, which is one of the best tools I've encountered. SSL decryption and app ID-based SSL decryption are also impressive, along with the integration with user ID. Identity-based policies ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources are excellent features. Normally, there is something called SIM or SCIM in IDA IDM, but this feature is provided on the box, which is exemplary.
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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

"Offers good security and filtering."
"The ECC management and the GUI that offers single interface management are the most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate."
"This is an easy solution to deploy."
"The most valuable features are the policies, filtering, and configuration."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is URL filtering."
"Good performance, stability, and virtual domain ability."
"The main benefit is the grouping of our security monitoring."
"The inspection and web security features are most valuable."
More Fortinet FortiGate pros
"One of the most valuable features is Palo Alto's firewall management. We find it easier to manage the firewall centrally."
"Palo Alto has an approach that makes the configuration easier not only for the customers but also for the IT help for the customers."
"The solution offers effective security features such as HIDS (Host-based Intrusion Detection System) in global products."
"Simple integrations with the domain controllers and other inventories"
"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is its management abilities. Additionally, the updates are very good."
"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is the configuration, it is very clear."
"The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is the performance which is above their competitors. The throughput they have delivered is good. When we used other solutions they failed the deployment when we were using different rules. They have a theory perform performance light and performance degradation. However, Palo Alto Networks K2-Series never fails in that scenario."
"I like the tool's WildFire feature."
More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pros
 

Cons

"One area for improvement involves FortiAnalyzer, specifically regarding the SOC part and log interpretation. Sometimes interpretation is very difficult."
"I would like reporting to be improved and should offer a lot more tools to monitor the products."
"There are mainly two areas of improvement in Fortinet FortiGate— the licensing cost and the timing of upgrading licenses for boxes."
"The pricing could be reduced or include the first year warranty."
"If they had better integration with security products, such as Cisco ISE or Rapid Threat Containment, then it would be an improvement."
"I would like to see a more intuitive dashboard."
"The scalability could be better."
"As far as wanting more scalability or things in the network diagram, it's going to cost you."
More Fortinet FortiGate cons
"The scalability of Palo Alto Networks K2-Series is good. It is good for larger environments over smaller ones."
"The solution needs a series of OS changes."
"The tool needs to improve integration with more products from other vendors. I would like the product to add threat intelligence features as well."
"The ease of management and configuration should be improved."
"There are a lot of bugs in this solution."
"The solution's commitment time could be reduced as it often takes a lot of time to execute."
"The product should get frequent updates allowing us to add new signatures."
"If we have issues, they take anywhere from two days to a week to respond. I even wrote to their CEO because there was no response. When it comes to support, this is the worst company."
More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price for the Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable. Secure SD-WAN is free of charge. If you have their firewall, it's free of charge. It's very tempting."
"It is somewhat expensive compared to other solutions such as Sophos."
"It's expensive, but compared to the competition it's okay."
"The value is the capability of having multiple services with one unique license, not having the limitation per user licensing schema, like other vendors."
"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."
"We have the full license that included all of the features and support."
"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."
"The price is fair for what we get with FortiGate."
More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice
"The price of the solution is expensive."
"This is an expensive solution, although you will get value for the price."
"Palo Alto firewalls are very expensive."
"Products by the leader in the field are justifiably a bit more expensive compared to other vendors."
"When comparing Palo Alto Networks K2-Series with other solutions it is on the higher end of the price scale."
"The pricing is expensive."
"This product is designed for large companies. The price would not be suitable for a small or medium size company."
"It is an expensive solution."
More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series pricing and cost advice
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Comparison Review

it_user216600 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
Read full review
 

Answers from the Community

DL
Mar 23, 2021
Mar 23, 2021
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 kind of depends what you value most. PA is good at app control, web filtering and such like, they have always been top of the pile there. The GUI is very good, and their product is very user-focused. Fortinet is good for scalability and predictable high throughput (ASICs in the...
2 out of 4 answers
AT
Mar 20, 2021
Hi, Both FT and PA have compelling features for large Enterprises. I would like to add a few good points about Fortinetwhich might be helpful ( from my 13 years of engagement with them as Distributor and Partner) Fortinet:  Have higher throughput; which comes with competitive rates Wide range of models to select to meet your requirement, without spending heavliy Outstanding customer support and very active customer care team Easly available skilled resources from the channel for deployment and post-implementation support  Regards Abhilash
Read full answer
LD
Mar 22, 2021
Hi PaloAlto is better when working on app control feature and special virtual wire links. Execpt that specific point, Fortinet is above. Best Regards, Damien
Read full answer
See all 4 answers
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Performing Arts
23%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

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 at large. In my opinion, Fortinet would be the best option and l use Fortinet too...
See all answers
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...
See all answers
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 kind of depends what you value most. PA is good at app control, web filtering a...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?
The pricing for the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series solution is affordable and there are no complaints about the licensing.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks K2-Series?
The graphical user interface is a little complex and difficult to manage. L1 engineers cannot work on the Palo Alto Networks K2-Series because it's too complex, which requires L2 and above level of...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time
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Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 12% of the time
Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 11% of the time
Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 5% of the time
SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 4% of the time
More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Logo
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
Compared 61% of the time
Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Logo
Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
Compared 39% of the time
More Palo Alto Networks K2-Series Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
August 2025
Fortinet FortiGate reportDownload Fortinet FortiGate product report
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
August 2025
Palo Alto Networks K2-Series reportDownload Palo Alto Networks K2-Series product report
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall
No data available
 

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

Designed to handle growing throughput needs due to increasing amounts of application-, user-, and device-generated data, the K2-Series offers amazing performance and threat prevention capabilities to stop advanced cyberattacks and secure mobile network infrastructure, subscribers, and services.

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
State of North Dakota, SEGA, Alameda County Office of Education, Temple University, VERGE, CAME
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
July 2025
Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate vs. Palo Alto Networks K2-Series and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
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