Fortinet FortiGate vs Waterfall Security comparison

The compared Fortinet and Waterfall Security solutions aren't in the same category. Fortinet is ranked #1 in Firewalls , with an average rating of 8.4, and holds a 20.7% mindshare in the category. Waterfall Security is ranked #14 in OT , and holds a 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Waterfall Security users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 574 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

76,928 Views
61,542 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Waterfall Security

Read 1 Waterfall Security review

359 Views
219 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Waterfall Security

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiGate and Waterfall Security based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, OPNsense and others in Firewalls.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

August 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

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), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)

Waterfall Security

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Operational Technology (OT) Security (14th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Security Systems solutions, they serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiGate is designed for Firewalls and holds a mindshare of 20.7%, up 18.6% compared to last year.
Waterfall Security, on the other hand, focuses on Operational Technology (OT) Security, holds 0.7% mindshare, up 0.6% since last year.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.7%
Netgate pfSense	11.1%
OPNsense	11.1%
Other	57.1%

Firewalls

Operational Technology (OT) Security Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Waterfall Security	0.7%
Nozomi Networks	28.5%
Claroty Platform	24.6%
Other	46.2%

Operational Technology (OT) Security

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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Iulian PAVALOAIA

SCADA & ICT SME/CConsultant at DNS

Cyber security solution used for data transmission that requires training to make use of all of its powerful features

We use this solution to manage auto operations, technology networks and information technology within our infrastructure. The SCADA controls the power network and does not interfere with accounting system. This solution is used predominantly for data transmission. This is a professional solution…

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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."

"I would advise others considering or evaluating the Fortinet FortiGate to buy it."

"The most valuable feature of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is its SD-WAN."

"The product is very stable, easy to troubleshoot, and configure, so it has reduced the time it takes for support."

"The firewall is pretty good if you understand how to use it. It performs at a very high level, and we are loving it."

"The security features that they have are quite good. On top of that, their licensing model is quite nice where they don't charge you anything for the SD-WAN functionality for the firewall."

"The user interface (UI) is very, very good."

"The impact of SD-WAN on the network performance has been significant."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"This is a professional solution which has been the most valuable aspect of its use."

Cons

"Some features of Fortinet FortiGate are actually fee enabled that are inconvenient for deploying in production. Other issues relate to isolation with Cisco products and your server."

"The product’s price is high."

"While FortiGate is cheaper than most other solutions, we're seeing increased license renewal costs. Most of our clients are asking for more significant discounts because the price is going up."

"More SD-WAN features can be integrated into the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall"

"We'd like more management across other integrations."

"Some features in Fortinet FortiGate need improvement as we discover when calling support that certain actions must be done from the command line."

"Maybe they could make some features more accessible, such as a way to translate directions between two networks that share the same subnets."

"The customization could be improved. Cisco, for example, is much better at this. They need to work to be at least as good as they are."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The interface of this solution could be more user friendly. The initial set up could also be made more simple."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not the cheapest one, but its price is very competitive."

"The price could be lower."

"It was worth the money overall. It's good value."

"We just pay a flat monthly fee to the vendor for the support."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto. In terms of pricing, it's probably a better-priced firewall solution overall."

"Pricing is good. They offer a lot of things, the most important is the support. Every time you upgrade your license, you also get insurance for the equipment. If you have any problem with equipment, they send in new equipment."

"The license is too expensive to renew. The license renewal process is also complex."

"There is a licensing fee; it is on a yearly basis."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"This is an expensive solution."

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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

Energy/Utilities Company

25%

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

11%

Non Profit

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	129
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...

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Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

OPSWAT MetaDefender OT Security vs Waterfall Security

Compared 56% of the time

Nozomi Networks vs Waterfall Security

Compared 44% of the time

More Waterfall Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

September 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Operational Technology (OT) Security

August 2025

Download Waterfall Security product report

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

Waterfall Security Solutions Enhances Support For Osisoft Pi and continues to invest in secure IT/OT integration.

Waterfall Security

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

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