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SHUBHAM BHINGARDE - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Engineer at CDAC
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
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.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
September 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
866,744 professionals have used our research since 2012.

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.
PeerSpot user
Moeed  Mahmood - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at Chase Up
Real User
Top 5
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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
September 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
866,744 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Sutjipto Budiman - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Widya Presisi Solusi
Real User
Top 5
Useful for end-user protection and as a VPN
Pros and Cons
  • "Fortinet FortiClient offers a vulnerability test feature, allowing us to monitor end-user devices. This includes ensuring necessary updates, such as Windows updates, are not overlooked."
  • "The tool needs to improve its web filtering feature. Its support quality needs improvement. We speak different languages, and this can create misunderstandings."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for end-user protection and VPN. 

What is most valuable?

Fortinet FortiClient offers a vulnerability test feature, allowing us to monitor end-user devices. This includes ensuring necessary updates, such as Windows updates, are not overlooked.

The tool simplifies our organization's endpoint management by monitoring users to ensure they use the right tools. Additionally, it allows us to enforce IT policies. 

If a user attempts to access a suspicious website, the tool prevents the computer from opening it. It integrates with FortiClient EMS, allowing IT security to enforce additional measures such as application firewall and web filtering. This enables the company to restrict users from accessing certain websites or using specific applications, such as blocking access to YouTube.


Fortinet FortiClient has improved our team's workload and response time to security incidents.

What needs improvement?

The tool needs to improve its web filtering feature. Its support quality needs improvement. We speak different languages, and this can create misunderstandings. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the product for seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the product'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.

How was the initial setup?

The tool's deployment is not complicated. Fortinet FortiClient's team is helpful in that regard. 

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

I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall product a seven out of ten. 

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. Partner
PeerSpot user
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. 

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
Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at Amrita
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
User friendly and easy to set up with a great split tunneling feature
Pros and Cons
  • "You can scale the product."
  • "FortiClient is not great in Linux."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution completely for VPN purposes. We have infrastructure VPNs, and our clients are completely relying on FortiClient.

How has it helped my organization?

We are providing SSL VPNs with separate IDs for all the clients. With the FortiClient software, they can use our service even from home, with all kinds of solutions - like public VDA. They can access the VDA from their home with FortiClient. They just need to connect to the solution and be directly accessible to this local VDA service.

What is most valuable?

It's a completely user-friendly solution for any kind of platform, including Linux, Windows, Mac, et cetera. Our clients rely entirely on FortiClient.

It has a great split tunneling feature. The split tunneling feature is good in cases when we want to browse the internet through the ISP connection without going through our organization. It's for the client to browse the internet without going through our organization. The remaining traffic will go through a web firewall, and only the public features will go through their ISP.

The solution is stable.

You can scale the product.

The solution is easy to set up, deploys quickly, and doesn't take too many people in terms of handling the setup.

Technical support is good.

It works well with other Fortinet products.

What needs improvement?

FortiClient is not great in Linux. Our clients report issues from some of their Linux versions where FortiClient has some issues. In Windows, it is perfectly fine. In Mac OS also, it is excellent; however, in Linux, it is somewhat tough to handle.

We would like to see user-based authentication. It is already there. However, we are not able to save profiles completely in many of the releases. We will need to type these user-based things again and again on each connection fail. Therefore, once it gets connected, it is not completely up. We need to connect again after a session time-out.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for eight to nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution scales well. It's not an issue at all.

We have between 4,000 and 5,000 users on the solution. Maybe 3,000 students will use it, and around 2,000 faculty.

We do have plans to increase usage.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support has been good. We've found them to be helpful and responsive.

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

We have used other private VPN solutions. For example, OpenVPN. FortiClient, however, completely works well with FortiGate solutions which is why we moved on with FortiClient.

How was the initial setup?

We required two people to handle the setup process. It's completely configurable. We were able to have everything up and running in two or three days. It's pretty straightforward and doesn't take a long time. Our network administrators handled the setup. We have two people handling maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We didn't need any outside assistance. We handled everything in-house.

What was our ROI?

We have seen an ROI as it allows our users to work from home, which saves in-office resources. It's helped us cut down on our budget.

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

We license FortiClient as a VPN and don't require any other licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and end-user.

I can't say which version number we are on at this time. We're likely on the most up-to-date version.

We like that the solution provides us with a more secure feeling. Also, client connectivity is not that difficult to configure. With the DNA in FortiClient, we can directly use the server from home. It is completely user-friendly and less time-consuming. Users can improve their production time greatly.

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.
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
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
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: September 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.