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IT Manager at SAI Systems
Real User
Good device control, knowledgable support, and capable of expansion
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is easy."
  • "Sometimes there are issues when we are trying to connect."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for endpoint protection. 

Since there has been a lot of work from home, the product has given us more control over the users and what they are browsing. We can restrict their activity to our Fortinet cloud only. Having those controls in place - including what website they should browse, what data they should transfer or use, whose server is coming into their devices, how they're connected with geographical location, et cetera - keeps our company safer. Everything is helping us maintain the security of the devices that are not in the office.

What is most valuable?

With FortiClient we can control the devices which are not in the office. We are enforcing them to work with FortiClient only. If FortiClient is off, they cannot connect to the internet. They need FortiClient to be on. That one friction is what is making our life easier as system administrators and IT security support.

The initial setup is easy.

The solution scales well.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes there are issues when we are trying to connect. The error doesn't give us the proper feedback. Exactly what is wrong and how we can troubleshoot it is not clear.

We have approximately 500 users who are using FortiClient. They do not provide us a central point of how to deploy on all the users from one location. Manually, we have to go and install it on every user's system.

If we could have multiple VPN connections at the same time or a VPN channel to different VPNs, that would be ideal.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used the solution for six or seven years. 

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable and very reliable. Its performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

I'd rate the stability eight out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is easily scalable.

We have about 100 users. 

How are customer service and support?

I've used support many times. 

There are two aspects. One is reaching them and the second is getting support. So reaching them is a pretty tedious process. That said, if we reach them, then our resolution is a hundred percent what we get. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Symantec. Then Symantec was overtaken by Broadcom. Once Broadcom took over, we were not getting the support that we used to get when it was really Symantec only.

We also tried to work with CrowdStrike and did not have a good experience with them. They wouldn't properly let us test the solution. They only let us test the basic antivirus and nothing else. 

Earlier, we were using SonicWall. That global VPN client was not that stable, so we moved to Fortinet.

FortiClient is much better than the global VPN client of SonicWall as SonicWall Client is very limited, and it doesn't have a feature set, that we can upgrade in future. Fortinet Client can be upgraded. We don't have to reinstall, only handle the feature enabling. The scalability is excellent. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is simple. It's not overly complex. 

It's just three clicks, and it is installed. It doesn't take long at all. 

We have about seven team members that can handle deployment and maintenance tasks. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is more on the expensive side. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and end-user. 

We had the solution deployed on-premises and on the cloud. We have a cloud-based appliance and physical appliances in each of our offices too. When our office wants to connect to Azure's cloud, we use the Fortinet appliance on the cloud to get connected and have the VPN established.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. I'd recommend it to others any day of the week. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Richard Torrenueva - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 10
Efficient remote access enhanced by VPN with room for better connectivity
Pros and Cons
  • "It's simple, downloadable, and there's usually no problem."
  • "There are compatibility issues, and sometimes, especially with macOS, it's difficult to set up properly."

What is our primary use case?

Currently, we are using FortiClient, and there's only a firewall. I am using FortiClient for remote workforce environments. It's used for remote employees.

What is most valuable?

The SSL VPN. Yeah, VPN. These are just the VPN capabilities that are mostly used.

What needs improvement?

There are compatibility issues, and sometimes, especially with macOS, it's difficult to set up properly. Sometimes, it connects, sometimes not. Another improvement is that we need to know if there's a proper setup for both Mac and Windows systems. We disconnect sometimes, and we don't really know the cause. Also, the FortiClient feature should connect seamlessly without manual intervention. Sometimes, there is a need for manual configuration before connecting.

For how long have I used the solution?

Currently, we are working eight or nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is still a five out of ten as we don't know the cause of disconnections we face.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, I'm giving FortiClient a five out of ten since there is room for improvement.

How was the initial setup?

In terms of setting up, there are no issues. It's simple, downloadable, and there's usually no problem.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Currently, since we are deploying it, compared to before, it's a good price and cost. That said, now it has become costly. The rating is seven out of ten in terms of pricing.

What other advice do I have?

Based on requirements, I can recommend the product for other users.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
October 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
872,019 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Tushar Joshi - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. System Administration (Grindmaster Machines Pvt Ltd) at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Effective firewall control, easy to set up, and good scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "FortiClient benefits us by allowing control over internal and external users of the Fortinet network."
  • "The user interface is a bit sluggish and needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are using FortiClient to block certain firewall policies for our users.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiClient benefits us by allowing control over internal and external users of the Fortinet network. We can apply the same policies from the physical firewall to the cloud side, which is beneficial for managing both types of users.

What is most valuable?

We primarily use the firewall feature in FortiClient, which is highly valuable to us.

What needs improvement?

We require that the process be simplified more. The user interface is a bit sluggish and needs improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with FortiClient for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

FortiClient is stable. I don't find any issues regarding its stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

FortiClient can easily scale up.

How are customer service and support?

The support is sluggish. Sometimes there are delays, and sometimes they do not respond. So, I would not recommend FortiClient for enterprise-level implementation based on their support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple. It is much simpler than the previous version.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is a bit on the higher side compared to other products.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Cyberoam has more of a competitive edge, especially with AWS.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend FortiClient to other users.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Ganesh Khutwad - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Rich Products
Real User
A stable solution requiring a straightforward initial setup to get started but needing improvement on the scalability front
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable solution."
  • "Occasionally, the solution may provide a slow connection. In addition, there may be initialization and authorization issues that one may need to take care of while using the solution."

What is our primary use case?

Occasionally, the solution may provide a slow connection. In addition, there may be initialization and authorization issues that one may need to take care of while using the solution. As a network engineer, cybersecurity professional, and individual involved in the assessment process, it is necessary to monitor VPN connectivity regularly. This involves verifying whether the VPN connections are established or not and understanding any challenges that may be affecting users. These are the areas where I need to pinpoint and look into since I have been handed over the responsibility to do so.

What is most valuable?

The price to pay for the features is significant, in my opinion. However, I don't know much about the updates and packs since our company is not involved in that part. Our primary responsibility is to check the latency during slow periods of time. We must be aware of any slowness in the user's connection since they are connected to us. If users experience slow connections, we must address the issue promptly.

What needs improvement?

Assuming myself to be the subject and your database to be the object, whenever the subject requests access to the database, the authorization process needs to be done quickly to ensure that the database can be manipulated efficiently. However, sometimes data manipulation can still take time.This can be achieved fast through authorization, authentication, or a triple authentication system. I am from India, and I have to log in to the data center in the US. I wonder why it takes time despite us having leased lines and multiple connections. Therefore, these are important topics that we need to discuss further.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiClient for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate this solution a seven and a half out of ten. There should be a proper solution for patch implementation and server hardening. I would like the solution's scalability to be improved. Also, I plan to increase the solution's usage. I have 13,000 people using Fortinet FortiClient and Cisco AnyConnect based on their work areas and connectivity requirements. Redundancy measures have been implemented to ensure connectivity for all users.

As per my observation, there are people who are supportive of Fortinet FortiClient. Their support can be crucial in making the solution scalable since they possess years of experience in this field.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process for the solution is straightforward. The initial setup was done one year ago.

Several steps need to be followed to deploy the solution. Firstly, the software required for the solution needs to be installed. Once the software is installed, the server name needs to be provided where the software will be deployed. Additionally, the network needs to be configured by specifying the IP addresses and gateway addresses to establish connectivity.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As a technical team member, I am not responsible to look into the pricing matters. These aspects are typically handled by the management team, who have the authority to obtain the necessary licenses based on certain established principles. Also, I can only let the management team know when the license will expire. Ultimately, the decision-makers are the business consultants.

What other advice do I have?

I used Fortinet FortiClient for cryptography, which is something one can achieve faster over the solution. An alternative solution to consider is Cisco OpenConnect. It's important to consider the requirements of its users because, ultimately, everyone goes for a different redundancy. Fortinet FortiClient and Cisco OpenConnect are VPN solutions that can establish secure connections with other individuals or networks. They are both available as open-source resources.

Since I am not from the procurement side, I cannot recommend the solution to anyone from my end. However, from a technical perspective, I will be in a position to comment. Overall, I rate this solution seven and a half 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.
PeerSpot user
Ahmad Abuyahya - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Technical Support Engineer at SPACE DATA SYSTEMS
Real User
Top 10
Has real-time threat detection for scanning files and antivirus
Pros and Cons
  • "We use real-time threat detection for scanning files and antivirus. It's integrated with Fortinet FortiAnalyzer. When an endpoint is compromised, Fortinet FortiClient and FortiGate trigger to block and isolate the user on the network."
  • "The tool could use more features, such as improved antivirus scanning with filters and application control to manage users. If you don't have FortiGate for web filtering and application control, you can use these in Fortinet FortiClient EMS. This gives you two options: on-site and off-site."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for antivirus and endpoint security.

What is most valuable?

When combined with EMS, Fortinet FortiClient's features are most helpful for endpoint security. It does improve our company's security posture.

We use real-time threat detection for scanning files and antivirus. It's integrated with Fortinet FortiAnalyzer. When an endpoint is compromised, Fortinet FortiClient and FortiGate trigger to block and isolate the user on the network.

This integration isn't difficult—it's part of the Security Fabric when FortiAnalyzer, FortiGate, and Fortinet FortiClient work together.

It with Security Fabric and FortiGate for blacklisting IPs and blocking compromised hosts, and providing VPN connectivity to encrypt traffic.

What needs improvement?

The tool could use more features, such as improved antivirus scanning with filters and application control to manage users. If you don't have FortiGate for web filtering and application control, you can use these in Fortinet FortiClient EMS. This gives you two options: on-site and off-site.

When a user is on-site at the company, you can apply policies to control your network's web filtering and application control. But when the user or PC is outside the company, you don't need to control what they open in their browser.

This is a benefit because I don't care what users access at home - they can open YouTube or Facebook. But when they're at the company, I want to restrict what they can open in the browser. I want to block YouTube and Facebook at work but allow all access at home.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My company has 200 users.

How are customer service and support?

The support is open for 24/7 tickets. 

How was the initial setup?

It took about three days to install - one day for server and EMS installation, integrating with the LDAP server, and pushing the Fortinet FortiClient image over group policy.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Network Architect at Inmac
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Protects endpoints within the local area network and has low maintenance
Pros and Cons
  • "FortiClient is very easy, useful, and practical."
  • "The solution could add data to the endpoint."

What is our primary use case?

Fortinet FortiClient protects endpoints such as PCs, laptops, tablets, and other devices within the local area network.

What is most valuable?

The flow between the endpoint and Fortinet firewall is increasing. If you configure VPN IPsec and site-to-site between two FortiGate or firewalls, the network interface between the endpoints and the firewall is not encrypted. We added analytics to increase the flow from the endpoint through the firewall and the server to the second firewall like Palo Alto, Azure, or another.

Integration capabilities are based on license. You can specify the number of endpoints to add.

What needs improvement?

The solution could add data to the endpoint.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Fortinet FortiClient for an implementation.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution was integrated with Windows, Linux, or various web distributions. It's stability is great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. You can upgrade anytime.

How are customer service and support?

Sometimes, we may not have anyone to contact for tech support because we've acquired much knowledge. We refer to a quick guide if we encounter issues, such as VPN IP settings or VPN assistance. When one person lacks the skills to master or understand the content, you can comprehend and implement it with the Fortinet cookbook. You can resolve some issues. However, you can email them if you encounter a very complicated problem or issue. Fortinet will understand and respond within two hours.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy. You can perform the initial setup as the user, installing the application on the endpoint and assigning it. Then, configure the firewall and set up your gateway. After that, you can add and monitor your endpoints through your firewall.

If you have the licensing and highly vulnerable documents, you can implement it quickly.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing and licensing for Fortinet would vary. They had a bundle for FortiGate from Fortinet. They do not abandon the bundle between physical and virtual machines. With the license, the device is very useful.

What other advice do I have?

You can maintain and work with your endpoint through the firewall.

FortiClient is very easy, useful, and practical. We can monitor the endpoints.

Overall, I rate the solution 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.
PeerSpot user
Socipart67 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at TiThink
Real User
Good security and support and easy to make secure remote connections
Pros and Cons
  • "The service is centralized."
  • "Cloud services are very expensive for us."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as a VPN. It's to help our remote employees connect. We use it mainly for security reasons so that our staff has clean, secure, internet access.

What is most valuable?

The security is good. It helps us avoid attacks. The antivirus database is quite strong. 

It's helpful in that it allows us to create secure remote connections. 

The service is centralized.

What needs improvement?

We don't have matching infrastructure in our company for our customers as it is too expensive. It's difficult to see the licenses due to the cost. We don't find it too expensive as we do not have too much infrastructure, however, our customers have more infrastructure and need more and therefore it can get pricey.

Cloud services are very expensive for us. 

We'd like Fortinet to offer bundled options in the future. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for seven to eight years so far. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is quite a stable solution. I'd rate it nine out of ten. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have around 20 people using the solution right now. Our engineers from the system department handle the solution. 

The product is quite scalable. I'd rate the ease of expansion at a nine out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

I've dealt with support in the past and they are helpful and responsive. Typically, items are dealt with by the next business day. They are very fast to respond. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not very simple. 

The time it takes to deploy depends on the environment. If you are adding some rules in, it could take a few hours. If you have everything organized ahead of time and you have all of the rules decided beforehand, it is pretty easy. An implementation like that can go pretty fast. 

What about the implementation team?

We handled the setup ourselves. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is expensive. We found the cloud to be very expensive. 

Licensing is usually paid yearly.

What other advice do I have?

We are Fortinet partners. 

We're using the latest version of the solution. We renewed our hardware just last year. 

I'd recommend the solution to others. I'd rate the product nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1934433 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Infrastructure Manager at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Good dashboards and customization but needs better AI
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is very good."
  • "Fortinet needs to cover more areas where threats can come from."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution as anti-malware. 

What is most valuable?

The dashboard is great.

It offers good customization and integration with other software.

The initial setup is very good. 

What needs improvement?

The artificial intelligent aspect of it needs improvement. Having worked with Sophos Intercept X before, I found it fascinating, especially the integration between the endpoint agents and the file. The synchronized security in that solution was great.

However, with Fortinet, it's not as easy. Sophos was simpler. With Sophos, when you are securing your assets, you are securing not only the network perimeter but also the endpoints. And the threats are coming from all sorts of directions. They can come from the internet or a USB. Fortinet needs to cover more areas where threats can come from.  

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for 12 months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Currently, we have not had any major issues in stability. I will still say that we are still experimenting with it as the product is very new. That said, in general, it is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale, and we can still scale it as well. It could be expanded further and it could be used more extensively used in our organization. We likely will increase usage.

Their products are very highly scalable. They know how to develop products that adapt to the demands that come in the industry. That is why even experimenting on some of their products is very easy for many organizations.

How are customer service and support?

The product is very responsive. We are happy with them. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've also used Sophos, which is a pretty easy, broad solution. 

I've also used Kaspersky. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup, the design, and the deployment are pretty straightforward.

The deployment can happen in just a matter of hours. 

How many people you need for maintenance depends on the organization's size. It can be done by one person.

What about the implementation team?

I used to do the deployment. Right now, I do have a team that is in charge of that.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked into CrowdStrike, however, we did not go to the point of running a proof of concept. They suggested among the software that we were looking at, of course, Intercept X. Sophos, the endpoint agent, is very, very bulky, however. It tends to make most computers become slow when installed, so that was out of the question.

There is Gartner reporting that informs a lot of decisions when it comes to solutions that organizations choose to go for. The ones that are higher up in the ranking in the Gartner are what most organizations will go for. That said, we like to experiment with different industry solutions to gain insights.

What other advice do I have?

We're a customer and end-user. 

We are using the latest version of the product. 

I don't interact it on a day-to-day basis. I'm not technical. 

I appreciate Fortinet as one of the industry leaders, and its product portfolio is very extensive. 

I'd recommend the solution. Fortinet is an industry leader. It is known especially for the FortiGate Firewall. 

We have not yet exhausted their entire portfolio. Still, I have a lot of respect for Fortinet. I will highly recommend them, whether it's a cloud solution or it's a network security solution, or an endpoint security solution. 

I would rate the solution six out of ten. It's still early days and I haven't looked at it exhaustively. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.