

Fortinet FortiOS and Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are key players in the network security category. While both products offer robust security features, Palo Alto Networks has a slight advantage due to its advanced application visibility, machine learning capabilities, and comprehensive analytics which cater to enterprise needs for robust security and high-performance demands.
Features: Fortinet FortiOS offers a broad feature set such as Unified Threat Management, VPN services, and FortiView for monitoring. It includes intrusion prevention, antivirus, and application control, complemented by SD-WAN capabilities. Meanwhile, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls excel in advanced application visibility and control, integrated threat prevention, WildFire for threat detection, and DNS Security with App-ID for application traffic identification.
Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiOS could enhance support quality, streamline licensing costs, and improve integration with other platforms. The user interface for policy management also needs a redesign for better intuitiveness. Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls face challenges with high pricing and feature complexity, indicating a need for better integration and documentation to simplify user experience.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiOS is generally easy to deploy, but technical support during complex issues needs improvement. Customer service varies but is mostly positive. On the other hand, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer consistent deployment across environments, including public and hybrid clouds, though support could be faster in response and problem-solving, especially due to its premium cost position.
Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiOS is seen as affordable yet costly for small businesses due to subscription fees. Users perceive value in its feature set and scalability for a good ROI. Conversely, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are high-priced, reflecting premium features that justify costs for enterprises needing robust security. Its ROI is dependent on deployment scale and security needs, making it less cost-effective than Fortinet for smaller scale usage.
Once it is deployed, I do not have to revisit or replace the hardware.
The pricing of FortiOS is competitive and reasonable compared to other leading products such as Palo Alto and Check Point.
Fortinet is strong in terms of cost and compatibility with other vendors.
Their user-friendly interface and Panorama central management, which provides a comprehensive overview, make them an ideal investment.
The solution helped reduce downtime, which is crucial in time-sensitive industries like manufacturing.
I have seen a return on investment as there are definitely clear cost reductions, resource savings, time savings, and improved risk detection.
I would rate them nine or ten out of ten.
Fortinet technical support is very responsive and helpful.
Support engineers sometimes lack eagerness to assist with issues such as the memory problem.
Palo Alto's network support is excellent, and I would rate it a ten out of ten.
Their response time is within one hour.
They offer fast and competent assistance.
When customers' networks grow and needs expand, we can easily switch between models to trade up devices.
It allows for the expansion of users and devices without additional licensing costs.
We have been using Fortinet for bandwidth shaping and many other bandwidth-related functions.
Cloud deployments benefit from auto-scaling, allowing for automatic adjustments to firewall capacity based on demand.
It is important to assess the infrastructure size before choosing a model.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are scalable and reliable.
While the product is largely stable, it sometimes faces memory issues in specific versions like 11 OE, which can be disruptive.
There were no lags, there were no issues, and no hanging of the firewall.
Stability is a seven out of ten because during version migrations, and sometimes with new versions, Fortinet is not as good.
With appropriately configured policies, these firewalls can provide robust network security.
After the upgrade, we are experiencing performance issues.
I have not experienced any outages or issues.
Fortinet FortiOS faces memory issues, which can lead to unexpected downtimes.
There should be more documentation on how to use the CLI or how to perform CLI versions of tasks that can be done through the GUI.
Compared to other market leaders like Palo Alto and Check Point, FortiOS has many bugs in its initial releases.
When performance degrades due to full packet inspection, the solution should be to increase the computing power within the same firewall, not to recommend upgrading to a larger, more expensive model.
Further integration into a unified system could improve usability.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls lack built-in multi-factor authentication, requiring the purchase of a third-party tool to implement this essential security feature.
It is an affordable solution for us.
Fortinet products are somewhat pricey, similar to Cisco equivalents, however, they have justified their price point.
I am satisfied with the pricing, licensing, and setup costs of FortiOS, rating it nine out of ten compared to other familiar leading firewalls.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are expensive.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls come at a premium, exceeding the cost of most competitors by 45 percent.
Colleagues looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall can still use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls because they are affordable.
It is user-friendly when it comes to turning on features, and it has been reliable and effective.
The threat intelligence in FortiOS is very high, and the system is scalable without additional licensing costs.
The solution offers good threat intelligence, which is crucial for our customers' security purposes.
The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are DNS sync calls, enabled security features, and Wildfire.
Threat Vault allows us access to a comprehensive threat database, enabling us to get detailed information on threats and how to mitigate them.
The most valuable feature of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is Cortex Data Lake.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls | 5.2% |
| Fortinet FortiOS | 1.1% |
| Other | 93.7% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 43 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 13 |
| Large Enterprise | 23 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 77 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 57 |
| Large Enterprise | 87 |
Fortinet FortiOS is recognized for its intuitive interface, ease of use, and comprehensive security features, making it a valuable tool for network security and management. Its integration capabilities and affordability prove beneficial for small to mid-sized businesses.
Fortinet FortiOS stands out as a firewall operating system, offering solutions in network security with a user-friendly design. It provides strong management tools like Unified Threat Management, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and antivirus functionalities. Its scalability and robust support make it ideal for diverse business environments. Users can benefit from high availability, seamless integration with other networks, and SD-WAN capabilities. Though there is room for improvement in monitoring and logging features, as well as VPN complexity and browser compatibility, its comprehensive range of features supports secure operations.
What are some key features of Fortinet FortiOS?Fortinet FortiOS is leveraged across multiple industries for its strong security capabilities. Companies utilize it for secure connections, VPN setups, and traffic management. It is essential for organizations seeking to protect data centers, ensure secure branch connectivity, and deploy SD-WAN. Its design supports implementation in cloud environments and enhances virtual infrastructure protection, making it particularly suitable for small to mid-tier businesses looking for comprehensive security measures.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls deliver advanced threat protection with machine learning, enhancing security through real-time attack prevention. Known for application visibility and a user-friendly interface, they offer robust network protection and flexibility in rule creation.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are designed to secure environments with features like GlobalProtect VPN, WildFire malware detection, and unified platform integration. Their strong firewall capabilities and high-performance throughput make them suitable for perimeter and data center protection, VPN configurations, application control, and network segmentation. Users consistently highlight the ease of managing network security policies and integrating third-party tools, ensuring a comprehensive protection strategy. While enhancements in support, training resources, and configuration simplicity are needed, these firewalls are integral for securing both on-prem and cloud environments, aligning with platforms like Azure and AWS.
What are the key features of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls?Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are commonly implemented across industries for securing LAN environments, URL filtering, and ensuring Zero Trust security. They secure both on-premises and cloud infrastructures, often becoming integral parts of security frameworks within enterprises. Leveraging these firewalls in conjunction with Azure or AWS enhances the overall network protection strategies employed by organizations.
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