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FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) pros and cons

Vendor: Fortinet

4.2 out of 5

50 reviews
95% willing to recommend

Pros & Cons summary

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers easy setup with scalable performance, featuring SD-WAN, UTM protection, and user-based policies. Enhancements include SSL inspection and threat intelligence. Despite excellent security capabilities, pricing is high, support is poor, and stability issues such as memory leaks are present. Integration with FortiAuthenticator and VPNs is limited, while IPS needs improvement in vulnerability management. Rapid deployment is emphasized, yet technical support responses and better affordability are needed.

Buyer's Guide

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is easy to set up and configure.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) provides excellent threat detection and protection features, including firewall and VPN capabilities.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers scalability and high performance, particularly with its SD-WAN and UTM protection.

Application control, IPS, and reporting features are highly valuable in FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) delivers a high return on investment with robust security and integration capabilities.

CONS

Technical support is not helpful, with response times being very bad, requiring improvement in global customer support.

The pricing and licensing model of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is expensive and needs improvement without much discount policy.

There are notable security vulnerabilities, including issues with viruses in the OS, hackable images, and insufficient protection features.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall lacks SD-WAN features at scale, and integrating them could enhance high availability.

Stability is an issue as the platform is extremely unstable and experiences frequent hang-ups, requiring regular upgrades.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Pros review quotes

IT and Network Security Manager at Ouranos Technologies

Jul 7, 2023

I found the upgrades valuable.

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AM

Network Consultant at Jooya

Jun 12, 2023

When I survey FortiGate products, I see that they have a good performance, especially in terms of next generation firewalls.

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BB

Managing Director at Inter-Caribbean Networking Solutions

Jun 13, 2024

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has a very high ROI

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FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Free Report: FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.

849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.

IT Lead at CMH

Jun 23, 2023

The scalability is very good.

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Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

Jun 12, 2024

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has IBS/IPS systems

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Network Admin at Naivas Ltd

Jun 11, 2024

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has a stateless balance proposition

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Technical Head at Quoinx Technologies private Limited

Jul 10, 2023

Routing and reporting are two areas where the product has an added advantage compared to any other product.

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Key Account Manager at INTDEV INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD

Jul 21, 2023

The most valuable features we found are the SD-WAN, FortiGate SD-WAN, and the standard UTM protection, among others.

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Einstein Rozario

Principal Consultant at Sapienze Tech FZE

Dec 1, 2023

The most valuable aspects of FortiGate NGFW are its top-notch reputation in peer reviews, user-friendly interface, and excellent support.

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Technical Support Engineer at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd

Jul 11, 2023

It is easy to install. There is not much complexity involved.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 49)

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Cons review quotes

IT and Network Security Manager at Ouranos Technologies

Jul 7, 2023

One area for improvement is the IPS engine.

Read full review

AM

Network Consultant at Jooya

Jun 12, 2023

One of the weaknesses of the solution is something we noticed, especially after comparing the tool with SD-WAN features, since, unfortunately, in a massive scale size environment, the solution is not good. I

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BB

Managing Director at Inter-Caribbean Networking Solutions

Jun 13, 2024

The pricing of the solution should be more affordable

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FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Free Report: FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.

849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.

IT Lead at CMH

Jun 23, 2023

There have been several vulnerabilities in the firewall. It is hackable, some of the images are hackable.

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Information Security and Compliance Officer at Carnation

Jun 12, 2024

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

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Network Admin at Naivas Ltd

Jun 11, 2024

The solution should allow more user-friendly integrations or deployment

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Technical Head at Quoinx Technologies private Limited

Jul 10, 2023

Vulnerabilities owing to viruses in the OS need to be reduced in FortiGate Next Generation Firewall from an improvement perspective.

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Key Account Manager at INTDEV INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD

Jul 21, 2023

Someone without certification and experience with other firewalls might find it a bit more challenging to grasp the FortiGate format and its platform layout.

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Einstein Rozario

Principal Consultant at Sapienze Tech FZE

Dec 1, 2023

I see room to explore its integration with Secure Service Automation for a more comprehensive security view.

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Technical Support Engineer at ITCG SOlutions Pvt Ltd

Jul 11, 2023

The pricing of the solution is expensive, so it could be cheaper.

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Show 10 more reviews (out of 49)

Product Categories

Product Categories

Unified Threat Management (UTM)

Fortinet Secure Networking

Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

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Product Categories

Product Categories

Unified Threat Management (UTM)

Fortinet Secure Networking

Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Popular Comparisons

Popular Comparisons

Fortinet FortiGate vs FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Netgate pfSense vs FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

OPNsense vs FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

Azure Firewall vs FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)

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