Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL] comparison

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Fortinet and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 595 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

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65,941 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Read 34 WatchGuard XTM [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 29, 2026

WatchGuard XTM [EOL] and Fortinet FortiGate are prominent network security solutions competing in the cybersecurity landscape. Fortinet FortiGate often holds the advantage due to its extensive feature set that justifies its higher price point.

Features: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] offers strong firewall functions, flexible VPN options, and detailed analytics, appealing to administrators with its simplicity and effective management interface. It also boasts vigilant intrusion prevention and customizable rule settings. Fortinet FortiGate provides advanced threat protection, scalability, and integrated security services. Its threat detection efficacy and comprehensive service integration provide a substantial edge in feature comparison.

Room for Improvement: For WatchGuard XTM [EOL], a need exists for enhanced scalability, modernized UI for broader functionalities, and expanded threat detection capabilities. Fortinet FortiGate could benefit from simplifying its initial configuration process, offer more competitive pricing structures, and potentially reduce complexity in leveraging its advanced features for less technical users.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is praised for its straightforward deployment and effective customer service, providing value for less experienced administrators. Fortinet FortiGate's deployment can be complex due to its rich features, but its comprehensive technical support is invaluable in overcoming these challenges, ensuring users manage configurations efficiently.

Pricing and ROI: WatchGuard XTM [EOL] is economically attractive with its lower setup costs and good ROI, suitable for budget-sensitive buyers. Although Fortinet FortiGate has a higher upfront cost, its robust feature set and significant long-term security benefits lead to a substantial ROI. The investment in Fortinet FortiGate's superior capabilities often proves justified for long-term requirements.

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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

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

595

Ranking in other categories

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

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Q&A Highlights

Miriam Tover

Service Delivery Manager at PeerSpot

Mar 23, 2020

What Is The Biggest Difference Between Fortinet FortiGate and WatchGuard XTM?

The main difference between Watchguard and Fortinet is the operating system, and how it uses the hardware features. The user interface in Fortinet is cleaner and we can adjust network and security needs in a logical way. Point-of-care only for SSO, certificate usage does not work sometimes, but this issue is handled in new OS releases.

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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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Generalm4545

General Manager- IT & Automation - Serum at a pharma/biotech company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Protects from attack software and hacking but it doesn't provide the reports in a readable format

In my opinion, image clarity is very important, because I don't get the proper image product on reports. This means that functionality is not there. My engineer does not know how he can replace an order. We attach a log after any kind of keys using a utility instead. For the internet policies that we are implementing, the policy should be based on proper protocols. We use the default policies and there are a number of third-party protocols that appear here. Management with WatchGuard XTM means that out of policy is the problem from our side. In this way, we can not do effective services for people with this one. The policy definition with WatchGuard XTM is not proper for all use case requirements. I've got weekly business reports that I am expecting attachments with from WatchGuard XTM that display data for all kinds of consideration which should be required. Main User Functionality Level Order must adhere to using the admin functionality on the registry, or else our users publish their own name. Maybe these recommendations are irrelevant, but I say that the issue to improve most with WatchGuard XTM is the Main User Function.

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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 feature I like most is the SD-WAN. It allows you to manage more than one ISP at the same time. And there is a high-availability mode, so if one of your ISPs is down, you still have a backup."

"The multi-tenancy feature is most valuable. It integrates very well with FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is security. They are known for efficiency and are on the top of Gartner Quadrant reviews. Fortinet FortiGate has an easy-to-use platform with a good graphical interface. The configuration is simple and the solution provides an overall good layer of security."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate that I found are its next-generation firewall capabilities with stateful inspection and antivirus, along with features such as a reverse proxy that are missed by some other firewall products such as Palo Alto or Check Point."

"The best features of Fortinet FortiGate include the simple user interface."

"Fortinet has a product that can cater to any area of the security market."

"Customers want to load balance more than eight lines or six internet lines. FortiGate is the only solution that can accomplish this."

"This solution has a unique range of features that are not available with any other product."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Setup and configuration is straightforward with excellent management interface."

"Today, however, with the 11.9.4 version, our environment is very stable."

"XTM is more effective and friendly to use than our previous solution, and it also provides me with very good VPN tunnel stability."

"The web filtering is a good feature."

"Security is a requirement for any organization, using WG products you can deploy faster solutions to big problems with a fair price."

"WatchGuard XTM is fairly basic. We use it as the perimeter firewall. The main point is to protect from attack software and hacking."

"We now have the capability to manage traffic better by putting non-business critical traffic into the small bucket, while business critical traffic gets higher priority."

"We have used technical support for WatchGuard many times and overall, we are satisfied with it. They are always listening and there is a good reaction time to our findings. When there are issues, they really try to resolve them."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] pros

Cons

"The configuration option availability is not 100% from the website of the FortiGate web management site."

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

"Sometimes I experience stability issues, but sometimes they are related to hardware not functioning properly or related to a software bug."

"FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve if it had a cloud-managed solution."

"Need to Improvement in Reporting"

"I am looking to implement key authentication for admin access for the Fortinet product."

"The documentation available for Fortinet FortiGate should be improved"

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"WatchGuard doesn't have a product that allows them to get into the data center. And that's just because there is no hardware to do the job. The software could do it, but there's no hardware that allows that to happen at the moment. So it doesn't scale as well as some other products, that's for sure."

"Unfortunately, I could not disable the default Outgoing policy and if I do all clients could not access the internet even if I created another Outgoing Policy to replace the default one."

"I would like them to improve the product's overall protections. This would be good for all product users."

"The initial setup is neither simple nor complex. If you know the base in networking and how the firewall works, you will be able to figure it out."

"The problem is the high cost."

"The VPN errors are not helpful when troubleshooting."

"The issue that we had was that the integration with Active Directory was a bit of a hassle."

"Early models of the XTM2 (e.g. 21, 22, 23) line lacked sufficient memory, and caused a number of issues that required frequent reboots."

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"At the time we bought them, I was satisfied with their pricing; I don't know how the new pricing will be."

"They need to be competitive with other solutions."

"The value is the capability of having multiple services with one unique license, not having the limitation per user licensing schema, like other vendors."

"Its pricing is competitive with other solutions."

"If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable."

"It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is a very cheap solution."

"It is very cost-effective. You get features similar to other firewalls, such as Palo Alto, but at a lower price."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The licensing and renewal is very expensive."

"Like all other manufacturers, there are a lot of features and different pricing. The best is to talk to a representative."

"It costs less than the SO works and others (like SonicWall, Cisco, and Barracuda) without increasing so much CPU use."

"Get at least a maintenance contract for the updates and take a larger WatchGuard than you need. A WatchGuard creates new ways to secure your network."

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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…

Read full review

Answers from the Community

Miriam Tover

Service Delivery Manager at PeerSpot

Mar 23, 2020

What Is The Biggest Difference Between Fortinet FortiGate and WatchGuard XTM?

2 out of 17 answers

MichaelZhang

IT Director at Guangdong Technion Institute of Technology

Mar 18, 2019

Hi Nick, Thank you for email. I have no experience of WatchGuard product. Regards, Michael Zhang

Read full answer

reviewer895482

ICT Officer at a non-profit with 5,001-10,000 employees

Mar 18, 2019

Hi Nick, Sorry, but I can hardly provide relevant comparison between two products as I have never used WatchGuard XTM. As I have no intention to promote certain brand, no matter how satisfied I am with FortiGate - I feel incompetent to advise on this matter. Best regards, Vladimir

Read full answer

See all 17 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Marketing Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	24
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	3

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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Comparisons

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 15% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 14% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 6% of the time

Sophos Cyberoam UTM vs WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

Compared 6% of the time

More WatchGuard XTM [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

November 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard XTM [EOL]

October 2026

Download WatchGuard XTM [EOL] 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

Small businesses need big security, too, and the WatchGuard XTM Series firewall/VPN appliances deliver that strong protection, but without the hefty price tag. Enterprise-grade security includes full HTTPS content inspection, VoIP support, and optional security subscriptions like Application Control and Intrusion Prevention Service.

WatchGuard

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

AVG, Cyren, Kaspersky Lab, Lastline, NCP engineering, Trend Micro, Websense

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Cisco, Netgate and others in Firewalls. Updated: October 2026.

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