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Fortinet FortiGate vs Stormshield Network Security comparison

Fortinet and Stormshield are both solutions in the Unified Threat Management (UTM) category. Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Stormshield is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0. Fortinet holds a 35.1% mindshare in UTMU, compared to Stormshield’s 3.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Stormshield users who would recommend it.
Fortinet FortiGate
Read 574 Fortinet FortiGate reviews
  • 72,802 Views
  • 16,016 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
Stormshield Network Security
Read 17 Stormshield Network Security reviews
  • 2,734 Views
  • 1,258 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2025

Fortinet FortiGate and Stormshield Network Security are competing in the network security arena. Fortinet FortiGate seems to have the upper hand in terms of comprehensive features and strong performance, while Stormshield Network Security stands out for its ease of use and efficient deployment.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate offers advanced threat protection, high performance, and extensive integration capabilities. Noteworthy features include VPN, intrusion prevention, and application control. Stormshield Network Security highlights its user-friendly nature, robust URL filtering, and intrusion detection system, making it adaptable and manageable for IT teams with limited resources.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate could benefit from a simplified deployment process, reduced complexity in integrations, and enhanced user interface customization. Stormshield Network Security may improve upon reporting capabilities, expand third-party integrations, and provide more comprehensive threat intelligence and analytics.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate's deployment is complex, requiring substantial IT expertise, although supported by detailed resources. Its customer service is proactive but can be demanding owing to the product's intricacies. Meanwhile, Stormshield Network Security offers a streamlined deployment process appealing to smaller teams and gains favor for its responsive and straightforward customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate involves a larger initial investment, offering substantial ROI with its inclusive security features, ideal for larger enterprises. Stormshield Network Security presents a more economical option with quicker ROI, making it accessible to mid-sized companies seeking efficient security solutions at a lower setup cost.

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To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. Stormshield Network Security Report (Updated: October 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate vs. Stormshield Network Security
October 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 Unified Threat Management (UTM)
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), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (2nd)
Stormshield Network Security
Ranking in Unified Threat Management (UTM)
13th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Unified Threat Management (UTM) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 35.1%, down from 39.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Stormshield Network Security is 3.7%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Unified Threat Management (UTM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate35.1%
Stormshield Network Security3.7%
Other61.199999999999996%
Unified Threat Management (UTM)
 

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.
Read full review
Benjamin - PeerSpot reviewer
The intrusion detection system helps our organization by automatically detecting and responding to potential threats
The tool's most valuable feature is its dashboard, which helps you manage different aspects of a single page. The intrusion detection system helps our organization by automatically detecting and responding to potential threats. It operates similarly to Darktrace, which detects and responds automatically based on the security rules you apply. Initially, you configure everything to block, and then you can whitelist specific items as needed.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I prefer FortiGate because it has a lot of other solutions embedded within it and is the easiest for our technicians to operate."
"The firewalls are valuable for threat prevention."
"We have found the product to be scalable."
"It's inexpensive compared to some of the other technology out there."
"The web tutor and automatic rules by schedule are good features."
"It is a stable solution compared to other vendors."
"The Fortinet FortiGate local partners were good. I did not have direct contact with Fortinet support."
"It can expand easily."
More Fortinet FortiGate pros
"Ease of use is the best feature of the product."
"Our organization's main concern is stability, and this is a stable solution."
"It's an easy, straightforward management platform to use."
"The scalability of the solution is good."
"This solution is quick and easy to configure."
"Easily manageable in a variety of environments."
"The tool's most valuable feature is its dashboard, which helps you manage different aspects of a single page. The intrusion detection system helps our organization by automatically detecting and responding to potential threats. It operates similarly to Darktrace, which detects and responds automatically based on the security rules you apply. Initially, you configure everything to block, and then you can whitelist specific items as needed."
"I can see what traffic is going on. I can easily block any programs from attacks."
More Stormshield Network Security pros
 

Cons

"They sometimes hide some features and if you want to enable them, you have to go in the CLI, enable the feature and configure it through the CLI. Customers, typically, like everything to be done by the GUI."
"The solution lacks sufficient filtering."
"I would like to see better pricing in the next release, as well as a simplification of the installation."
"The documentation available for Fortinet FortiGate should be improved"
"FortiGate's reporting features could provide a better picture of what is happening in the box."
"I often ask for help from the local provider. I haven't found the required efficient help."
"It is essential to leverage its capabilities more professionally to achieve an even higher level of security."
"Fortinet should improve its software, as we are seeing lots of firmware versions generated for each vulnerability issue. It becomes difficult for us to keep updating the firmware frequently due to bugs."
More Fortinet FortiGate cons
"A more user-friendly interface would be helpful."
"Improvement is needed in terms of the technical support of the manufacturer."
"It could be better if it were more user-friendly. It's too complicated for us to use it. The price could be better as well."
"With Stormshield, there are difficulties joining things, and it can be complex depending on the architecture."
"The product must improve its pricing."
"The filtering configuration could be better. We have some difficulties with the filtering configuration and the filter extension. It's not that easy. It's not that straightforward. In the next release, I would like to see a reporting system. Stormshield doesn't have any tutorials on how to do the configuration and things like that. They just have documentation on the website. If you want to configure, for example, Cisco or Fortinet, you can find tutorials on YouTube. They show you how to configure the features, and so on. In Stormshield, there is nothing on social media or the internet on how to configure different things. The lack of documentation or the lack of material makes it difficult for others to adopt this solution."
"The biggest issue was their support department was not able to help us, then everything stops. This is a no-go area for me."
"This is not a next-generation firewall."
More Stormshield Network Security cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate SWG a seven and a half out of ten since it is not a cheap solution, though I feel it is a good product for the money one pays."
"The Fortinet FortiGate security features cost approximately $1,500 a year. The firewall itself doesn't have a recurring cost. It's the security features on top of that that you pay for."
"Fortinet FortiGate IPS is cheaper than other solutions like Cisco or Check Point."
"We purchased a five-year bundle package, which worked out cheaper than competing solutions."
"It was pretty affordable. We did go a little bit above MSRP, but the service pack that was included was quite worth the additional costs. It is competitively priced compared to other major players in the market. It is significantly cheaper than Check Point, which is a primary competitor. Additionally, its pricing is comparable to that of Cisco's ASA and a few other vendors."
"If you compare the price of Fortinet FortiGate IPS to other firewalls, Check Point is priced very high followed by Palo Alto and Sophos. Fortinet FortiGate IPS price is more reasonable."
"I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
"It's a year based license."
More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice
"We chose Stormshield for its price, as the Azure firewall was too expensive."
"The price of this solution and the price of support are ok."
"I think the price is good."
"The pricing could be better."
"For mid-sized companies, they sell their appliances for good prices."
"We bought a three-year license, and we renew it whenever it expires. The price could be better. It's always very expensive."
"The SN200 series costs between $500 USD and $600 USD per year, whereas the SN700 series costs approximately $1,000 annually."
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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
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
19%
Comms Service Provider
18%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business350
Midsize Enterprise130
Large Enterprise187
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise2
 

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
What advice do you have for others considering Stormshield Network Security?
The tool is like a firewall and works well. I don't have any issue with it. I rate it an eight out of ten.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time
Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 9% of the time
OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 4% of the time
Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate Logo
Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate
Compared 4% of the time
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Netgate pfSense vs Stormshield Network Security Logo
Netgate pfSense vs Stormshield Network Security
Compared 13% of the time
OPNsense vs Stormshield Network Security Logo
OPNsense vs Stormshield Network Security
Compared 8% of the time
WatchGuard Firebox vs Stormshield Network Security Logo
WatchGuard Firebox vs Stormshield Network Security
Compared 7% of the time
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Stormshield Network Security Logo
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Stormshield Network Security
Compared 5% of the time
Sophos XGS vs Stormshield Network Security Logo
Sophos XGS vs Stormshield Network Security
Compared 5% of the time
More Stormshield Network Security Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
October 2025
Fortinet FortiGate reportDownload Fortinet FortiGate product report
Buyer's Guide
Stormshield Network Security
September 2025
Stormshield Network Security reportDownload Stormshield Network Security product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
NETASQ Firewalls
 

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
NETASQ's integrated intrusion prevention engine uses protocol conformity analysis, application filtering and antivirus analysis to inspect authorized traffic flows and strengthen application security. NETASQ enables you to establish and configure user-based security policies, giving you greater control over which network resources each user is authorized to access.
Stormshield
 

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
ACESUR group, Ministry of Education Oman, Anios Laboratories, Zain, DLM Location
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate vs. Stormshield Network Security
October 2025
Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate vs. Stormshield Network Security
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