We use FortiClient primarily for remote work. It allows our agents to work from home by enabling them to connect securely to our network.
IT Manager at a media company with 201-500 employees
Seamless remote work capabilities with impressive performance and flexibility
Pros and Cons
- "The performance of FortiClient is impressive."
- "The performance of FortiClient is impressive."
- "The cost of FortiClient could be better."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The performance of FortiClient is impressive. It enhances our business by allowing our agents to work remotely, which we had not been able to do before. This is very significant for us because it expands our operational flexibility.
What needs improvement?
The cost of FortiClient could be better. Everything else in the process is good for me except the pricing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using FortiClient for three years.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
879,768 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
FortiClient is very stable. Its stability level is excellent.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
FortiClient is highly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for FortiClient is excellent.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use any other solution before Fortinet.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of FortiClient is straightforward and can be handled in-house. We did not need to use third-party services.
What about the implementation team?
We have a different team handling installations, composed of ten engineers specializing in different areas like support, development, and administration.
What was our ROI?
In terms of cost, FortiClient provides an intermediate cost compared to other vendors. It helps us maintain an acceptable level of return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Although FortiClient is generally good, price improvement would be beneficial.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend FortiClient for its stability and scalability. On a scale from one to ten, I rate it eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure Manager at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
Enhanced remote connectivity with robust security features and quick support response
Pros and Cons
- "A valuable feature of FortiClient is that we can connect from anywhere if we have Fortinet access."
- "Sometimes users stay on the old version of FortiClient. When new releases are not compatible, I need to reinstall newer versions, which can be problematic."
- "Sometimes users stay on the old version of FortiClient."
What is our primary use case?
We are using FortiClient primarily for VPN purposes. We're running FortiClient for VPN for remote work or to oversee connections. Additionally, we use it for ZTN features, software filtering, and antivirus filters.
What is most valuable?
A valuable feature of FortiClient is that we can connect from anywhere if we have Fortinet access. We appreciate its VPN capabilities and the features that offer extra security functionalities like antivirus and malware scanning.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes users stay on the old version of FortiClient. When new releases are not compatible, I need to reinstall newer versions, which can be problematic. We request improvements in compatibility, particularly for old FortiClient versions that are not compatible.
For how long have I used the solution?
For the current company, we have used FortiClient for over two years. I have been using FortiClient for more than seven years, including at my previous company.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding stability, I give it a rating of ten out of ten for our setup.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is rated as ten. We can add more licenses and Fortinet tokens, demonstrating excellent scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support can be logged on Fortinet's support portal. Sometimes, they respond quickly, but there are delays depending on the priority we choose when contacting technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have experience with products from other vendors such as Cisco, which also offers a VPN solution.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is not complex and is very simple. We are using FortiClient plus Multi-Factor Authentication through FortiToken. Only the first setup was complicated, but once configured, it becomes easy. We set it up to integrate with our systems for security with FortiToken.
What about the implementation team?
Our team did the initial setup in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
FortiClient is cost-effective since the client itself is free with the purchase of Fortinet. Licensing costs are mid-range for us, considered as five on a ten-point scale.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Cisco is one of the competitors that provide VPN solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend FortiClient for all sizes of companies due to its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and reliability.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
879,768 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Infrastructure Officer at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Support our VPN services, easier to manage and effectively identifies vulnerabilities
Pros and Cons
- "The centralized management dashboard is also a good feature."
- "One challenge we faced was with the installation."
What is our primary use case?
We use FortiClient as an antivirus and for endpoint devices, primarily for computers and laptops.
What is most valuable?
FortiClient does support our VPN services, and we haven’t faced many challenges in that area. The VPN connection has worked well. The centralized management dashboard is also a good feature. It categorizes devices, allows scanning, and collects updates directly from Active Directory. This makes it easier to manage everything.
Another strength is its ability to identify vulnerabilities, although it doesn’t categorize them into critical, medium, or low levels. It just flags everything as a vulnerability, which can be overwhelming. For example, we use a patch manager that categorizes vulnerabilities, so we know what to prioritize. But FortiClient marks many issues that aren’t even applicable to our environment.
What needs improvement?
Regarding the functionality of FortiClient, there are a few issues. One problem is how it handles blocking policies. For example, if we want to block something specific like legal or law firms, it doesn’t differentiate well and blocks anything that contains the term "law firm."
Another issue is the frequent requests for device reboots, which slows down some applications.
Also, when an application slows down due to FortiClient, it's hard to pinpoint the cause without uninstalling it and checking if the application works fine afterward. But even then, it's difficult to identify why the application wasn’t being accepted, especially if it wasn't categorized as a restricted website or something similar.
It doesn’t categorize vulnerabilities into critical, medium, or low levels. It just flags everything as a vulnerability, which can be overwhelming.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The problem only occurs on certain computers and servers, which makes it more challenging to identify. From my experience, I installed it on my own computer, and it’s been working fine.
The issues aren’t very critical. Maybe there's a step or two we’re missing or not executing properly.
The main reason I’m seeking help [support] is to see if we could have a session with someone who can guide us through the onboarding process and rollout. This would allow us to confirm if we’re doing things right. During that session, we could ask any questions we have about the steps we’re struggling with.
Additionally, it sometimes takes a long time to investigate issues that are raised via the dashboard. We wanted to know how to better analyze the logs and events so we can identify problems more quickly.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability and onboarding new computers, it's fine overall. However, we still need some guidance on how best to implement it across our environment.
We are trying to determine the best way to implement it. Maybe we’re not doing it correctly, which could be causing the issues.
How are customer service and support?
We do have support from Fortinet, and we’ve paid for it. We're also trying to procure local vendor support.
The person [in my team] who handles raising tickets with Fortinet isn’t available right now, but they usually track and follow up on those.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, we used Symantec, but I didn’t interact with it much—only as a user. With FortiClient, however, I’ve been involved as an administrator, so I can’t really compare the two solutions. However, I do know that Symantec was very expensive, just like many other vendors. FortiClient solution is also costly.
How was the initial setup?
One challenge we faced was with the installation. Initially, we thought it could be centrally deployed, but it turned out we had to install it on each device individually [one by one] in an isolated environment. That was time-consuming.
We’ve had some challenges with certain servers, like domain controllers, and some user computers. While 80% of the installations are fine, we still have a few issues with specific cases.
What about the implementation team?
I work in a department that handles the implementation.
What was our ROI?
We haven’t finalized the contract side yet because of the environment we're in. We wanted to implement things like single sign-on and others. Since it's a fabric, we will have it as a perimeter firewall. However, we can’t activate these features when we still have servers and computers that we're troubleshooting and facing challenges with.
Once we activate and start using all the functionalities we’ve paid for, like FortiClient's services, there's a bit of worry. We’re not getting the value for money from what we’ve invested in because of the penetration challenges and difficulties in pushing the installation across the board.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a paid license. FortiClient is costly. We work within a limited budget, and the pricing is steep compared to other vendors, which doesn't make sense for our organization. We’re currently in the rollout phase, but we want to fast-track it and achieve full deployment before moving on to the next phases.
What other advice do I have?
From a security standpoint, FortiClient’s functionality is great, and I can work with that. However, I’ve been getting a lot of negative feedback from users, particularly around performance issues—computers becoming slow or servers freezing. While it’s expected that users might complain when they feel restricted, I would prefer if these performance issues, like computers slowing down or freezing, were addressed.
Some issues I can easily resolve, like configuration settings or specific policies that I can adjust, but problems like installing a new application causing the computer to slow down are things we need to address in a more structured report.
From a technical perspective, I would rate it around eight out of ten.
But from the users’ perspective, based on their feedback, I would rate it around six out of ten. Actually, six might be too high from the user side—it might be closer to a three. The users are very crucial in the decision of whether we will continue using FortiClient or not. That’s why our focus is to address the issues they are raising, so we can continue using FortiClient’s services as a whole.
From a technical point of view, we don’t have many complaints. In fact, we appreciate it as a technical team. However, we don’t make the final decision on whether we will continue with FortiClient. That decision is driven by the users. So we’re working to improve the user experience and the rating of the antivirus solution. We know that if you ask the users to rate it, you’ll need to aim for a minimum rating.
Technically, we’re fine except for a few issues, which we think can be mitigated if we engage further with Fortinet. Our goal is to resolve the technical problems we’re facing and eliminate the user issues as part of this process.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Network Consultant at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Gives us more visibility over our network to see which users are connected to the firewalls and what they're accessing
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to use, easy to deploy, and I have more visibility over my network that shows which users are connected to the firewalls, which users are connected to the network, and what they're accessing."
- "The connectivity could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a data network consultant, and some of my clients ask me to provide a remote access solution. In India, many people were working from home because of COVID, so they needed a reliable solution to connect to their network for work. For that reason, I suggested that they use FortiClient and Fortinet firewalls, which were already deployed. I just extended their connectivity and provided them with a remote access solution.
We're using the latest version, which is being updated by my IT team. My organization is also using FortiClient to provide remote access to the internal services. It's being managed by our IT policies and the governance team. For the clients that I'm managing, I recommend Fortinet firewalls to them.
We are using on-premises devices for US-based clients and clients in Europe. We're using on-premises devices 90% of the time.
More than 1,000 users in my organization are using Fortinet FortiClient software.
We are a team of eight to 10 people who manage our own network and our clients' network. We have junior consultants, consultants, and managers who are working together to provide the solution to our customers and organizations for managing the network.
What is most valuable?
It's easy to use, easy to deploy, and I have more visibility over my network to see which users are connected to the firewalls, which users are connected to the network, and what they're accessing.
What needs improvement?
The connectivity could be improved. It should be more user-friendly. For a layman user who doesn't have any information about VPNs, they won't know how it connects.
There's an overhead when we use the solution and deploy users. You need to configure FortiClient for each individual user. Their systems need to be configured to connect to the VPN. It would be better if the process was automated.
Some configuration and VPN features could more user-friendly.
Now, I'm working on a solution from Palo Alto firewall. It's basically an endpoint firewall. When a user opens his laptop, the laptop is already connected to a VPN, so it's secure before the login feature. I would like to see that feature in Fortinet as well. The system connects to the VPN as soon as it starts, no matter if it's connected to a network.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used FortiClient for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's been stable for most of the time that I've used it. I spend nearly 8 to 12 hours on the VPN. It depends on the internet connection, but the VPN itself is stable enough.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is helpful and responsive. Whenever we need any support, they are there to help us.
I would rate technical support as four out of five.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Cisco AnyConnect and Cisco Meraki. I use this software to connect to the VPN.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup would be better if it was automated. It will take a couple of minutes to set up a VPN. If there are more than 100 or 1,000 users in an organization, you can multiply that number with the number of employees.
The number of people needed for maintenance depends on the deployment. For our organization, there are 10 people managing it. There are some projects that I'm single-handedly managing, so I am doing the Fortinet firewall's configuration, the VPN configuration, and site to site VPN for the client's VPN. There are some instances where I require more support from my team. It depends on the deployment and the project on which we're working.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was done by my own team.
We took some assistance from Fortinet support, but we did most of the configurations ourselves. There were some cases in which we required some expert assistance, so we contacted Fortinet support. They were super helpful and useful.
What was our ROI?
There was a return on investment, mainly in terms of security. After COVID, there were a lot of incidents in my country and in the banking sector. Some of our customers lost a lot of data, which was worth a lot for them. After investing in Fortinet, their network has been quite secure. They've been audited from multiple organizations and have achieved their mark.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution as eight out of ten.
If there was an automation feature and it was more secure, I would rate it as 10 out of 10.
I would recommend this solution to others. We had some incidents and were asked to provide solutions to some of our commercial clients. We provided Fortinet. We shortlisted the firewall and gave them a technical solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Enhances security for users working from home.
Pros and Cons
- "Remote users connect to the office using FortiClient, where they can access business URLs through a VPN tunnel configured on the FortiGate firewall."
- "Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing."
- "Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing. We encounter issues due to multiple vulnerabilities, which leads to problems."
What is our primary use case?
We use FortiClient for remote users to connect to office resources. It acts as a VPN client, enabling secure access for employees working from home.
How has it helped my organization?
Currently, the version we are using of FortiClient has all the features required for us to run our business. It serves as a VPN client, allows connections to business URLs, and includes SAML authentication and multifactor authentication.
What is most valuable?
Remote users connect to the office using FortiClient, where they can access business URLs through a VPN tunnel configured on the FortiGate firewall. We use family authentication and multifactor authentication via Office 365 email ID, which enhances security for users working from home.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing. We encounter issues due to multiple vulnerabilities, which leads to problems. Fortinet should focus on better iOS testing before release to avoid these bugs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet products for approximately ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of FortiClient is excellent. I would rate its stability as ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We can recommend FortiClient for small organizations with 50 to 60 users as well as for larger enterprises due to its extensive features.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Fortinet is good. We have not faced any issues. They initiate the troubleshooting process quickly and resolve issues in a timely manner.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a straightforward process. It is easy to configure with FortiClient.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Recently, Fortinet has increased prices for its products. It could be made more affordable for end-users.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The main competitor for FortiClient is Palo Alto Firewall.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet overall as nine out of ten. It is a one-stop shop for IT services, offering integration for WiFi, switches, and firewalls in one interface.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Acts as an additional layer for the firewall and enables organizations to manage users and traffic
Pros and Cons
- "The product is user-friendly."
- "The tool is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use the tool for our internal private network. We have many in-house servers. If we want to connect to the servers from home, we need to use FortiClient to connect to the network and access the virtual machines.
How has it helped my organization?
We cannot access the network without FortiClient. It can be used as an additional layer for the firewall.
What is most valuable?
We can manage users and traffic using the solution. We can use it for personal communications and virtual tunnels. Only authorized employees are allowed to access and use the VPN. Others can’t make any changes. We can create a hierarchy for the employees and allow them to access particular networks. For example, we do not allow any employee to use social media.
We can monitor and restrict some websites. The product is user-friendly. The level of security depends on how well we configure the product. We can enhance the security level by adding proper configuration. We only allow access to limited websites. There is a minimum chance of clicking on any malware links.
What needs improvement?
The tool is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a nine out of ten. We are using the enterprise version. We have purchased licenses for 100 users, but our organization has 50 to 70 users.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay an annual subscription fee.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network Administrator at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to manage networks and useful to handle cybersecurity threats
Pros and Cons
- "The product's initial setup phase is easy."
- "The licensing feature of the product requires improvement since whenever the license expires, the tool logs out its users automatically, irrespective of whether they are on the network or not, which can be problematic for me."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company to make use of SSL VPNs during work-from-home setup during COVID-19, specifically for those people and workers who were working from home. The employees working from home were provided with Fortinet FortiClient for VPN connectivity and security purposes since it offers a more secure environment for our company, especially when compared to the other local VPNs in the market. My company also uses IPSec VPN or site-to-site VPN.
What needs improvement?
In Fortinet FortiClient, the syncing features or capabilities of the database are areas of concern where improvements are required.
The licensing feature of the product requires improvement since whenever the license expires, the tool logs out its users automatically, irrespective of whether they are on the network or not, which can be problematic for me.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiClient for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Before Sangfor NGAF, my company's 30 to 40 people used Fortinet FortiClient.
How was the initial setup?
For our company's remote workforce environment, Fortinet FortiClient is installed on every single laptop of our employee who wants a connection while working from home. My company has deployed the product manually.
Fortinet FortiGate has a library on the internet from where users can see videos of any configuration they want to know about Fortinet products. Fortinet has archived materials that are very easily available on the internet. I viewed the online videos and started the deployment of the tool.
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
For deployment, you have to install and set up the .exe file and connect it with the FortiClient server, after which you configure the server policy. It will then sync the whole antivirus database, and you can use it.
The solution can be deployed in five to ten minutes.
What other advice do I have?
For endpoint protection, I find the vulnerability scanner provided by the tool to be very effective. The web filter and application control filter are very good in the product. The tool offers timely remediation plans. It detects viruses and trojan attacks actively and is very responsive, making it a very good software.
The VPN feature of the tool has increased network security since it helps the tool provide protection whenever users want to access the local network from the internet, and users need to apply only those resources to which they access be provided. It is very easy to handle the tool from the firewall and Fortinet FortiClient VPN, as well as Fortinet FortiClient Endpoint Security. The tool can provide a very comprehensive protection to secure your data and and deal with security breaches.
I recommend the product to those who plan to use it since it is a very good product, especially if you use the firewall products offered by Fortinet. People can go with Fortinet FortiClient Endpoint Security since it is very easy to manage your local PCs, local endpoints, and external and internal networks. The tool single-handedly manages your firewall, making it very easy to manage the network.
The product can handle cybersecurity threats, especially if you have a hold on your endpoints and servers. On a single-click page, the tool allows you to detect vulnerabilities and active threats and block them or quarantine them with a single click.
The product is beneficial if you use the firewall product offered by Fortinet FortiGate since it acts as a centralized tool to handle all the endpoints in your network from a single server. You can see the traffic and see what is going out or what is coming in, and also handle the inventory of your network, like how many PCs are infected, making it a solution that is quite easy to use.
I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure System's Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees
Enhance secure remote access with feature-rich VPN and content filtering
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of FortiClient are its VPN capabilities and its use as an anti-malware and anti-spam solution."
- "Improvements are needed in the compatibility between different versions, as sometimes the latest version does not work, requiring a downgrade."
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use FortiClient as a VPN client. Additionally, we use it for anti-malware, anti-spam, and as a content filter. When a user is outside the company, we can use FortiClient as a content filter to control the sites the user can access.
How has it helped my organization?
FortiClient has improved our security posture by providing a secure, encrypted VPN tunnel. It is easy to use, has a friendly user interface, and offers stable performance.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of FortiClient are its VPN capabilities and its use as an anti-malware and anti-spam solution. Another key feature is the content filter.
What needs improvement?
Improvements are needed in the compatibility between different versions, as sometimes the latest version does not work, requiring a downgrade. Additionally, performance enhancements are expected as it sometimes takes a while to connect.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using FortiClient for about four to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
FortiClient is stable and very reliable. I would rate its stability as eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on the type of box being used. The solution is scalable with the right infrastructure, and I would rate its scalability as eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We have not used any support for FortiClient, which indicates its stability and ease of use.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Cisco and SonicWall products. We switched to FortiClient since it is easier to use and one of the top-rated products in its category. SonicWall became outdated and more complex than FortiClient.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and easy, with no need for external assistance.
What about the implementation team?
The installation process involved my colleagues and around 15 engineers across our group.
What other advice do I have?
I strongly recommend FortiClient because it's easy to use, stable, and has no significant operational issues.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: January 2026
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