We are using the solution completely for VPN purposes. We have infrastructure VPNs, and our clients are completely relying on FortiClient.
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
User friendly and easy to set up with a great split tunneling feature
Pros and Cons
- "You can scale the product."
- "It is completely user-friendly and less time-consuming, and users can improve their production time greatly."
- "FortiClient is not great in Linux."
- "FortiClient is not great in Linux."
What is our primary use case?
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.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
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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.
Corporate IT Manager at PRopex Furnishing Solutions
Easy to use with good vulnerability scanning and patch management functionality
Pros and Cons
- "It’s easy to use."
- "The deployment was fast and easy to use, and on the firewall we can see if you are a client or not, so it's good for visibility while also offering strong vulnerability scanning, useful malware protection, and solid patch management."
- "While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft."
- "They are clever guys. They make you buy more than one solution instead of putting everything together."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for security purposes. It’s an endpoint management server.
It's for endpoint management, especially for the laptops or maybe the virtual laptop that is working, virtual desktops, servers, mainly vulnerability scanning, and just for management.
What is most valuable?
It’s easy to use.
The deployment was fast.
It's migrated to the security service. On the firewall, we can see if you are a client or not, so it's good for visibility.
It offers vulnerability scanning and is good at picking stuff up.
The solution offers useful malware protection.
The sandbox is okay also.
It’s good when using the VPN and remote access.
The patch management is pretty good.
What needs improvement?
We opened a ticket in Forti for a virtual desktop environment client to see if we could use it in the cloned desktop. We're using it in a virtual environment and need to sort that out so it also will work for cloned environments. They're working on that. However, it's not perfect right now.
I don't really want to add new features. However, I would like to add the zero-day protection that they offer in the FortiXDR solution to this product. Right now, it's another product. They are clever guys. They make you buy more than one solution instead of putting everything together.
While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft.
For how long have I used the solution?
We’ve used it for around a year and a half. We started using it around 2020 or thereabouts.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For the most part, the solution is stable. It depends. We always need to test the new versions. However, it seems stable even on the client side.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are licensing to about 200 endpoints on the solution right now.
Everyone in the company uses the solution. Here, in Hungary, we're using a sync client and virtual desktops.
We are a small company, so scalability is not the issue. We don't need to worry about having 20,000 users and then suddenly getting another 50,000. That's really a scalability issue. However, right now, it's not an issue for 200 users. There’s not a question anyway in regards to scalability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used Ivanti. We moved to a virtual desktop environment and to Forti Fabric and it seemed better to move to FortiClient. It was cheaper as well. That said, Ivanti is a bigger solution, especially focused on physical desktops. We have no physical desktops, so we did not need them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy to use, which makes the deployment very quick.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was deployed by a partner.
It was easy to set up. The whole process maybe took one day.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing was okay. They recently changed it. I just purchased it, and they doubled the price. It was not a very friendly move.
The problem is that the marketing guy is always working with forecasting, and they're crazy about their forecast. The vendor is crazy about the forecast, yet they doubled the price without warning me. It's very hard to make a budget that way.
It's paid every year. This year, when I saw the price, I thought, "oh my God, it's double what was in the last year." For 200 users, that was not very, very painful. However, you need to explain to everyone why you spent more.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, it’s a good product. I'd rate it a nine out of ten.
It’s great if you have other Fortigate products.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiClient
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,667 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Cybersecurity architect at Alithya
Easy to set up and user-friendly with good support
Pros and Cons
- "It’s really easy to use."
- "The solution is user-friendly, really easy to use, with good documentation on hand, good support, a good price, and it is very easy to set up."
- "It would be interesting if the solution offered a way to try to investigate and create a use case to trace vectors."
- "It would be interesting if the solution offered a way to try to investigate and create a use case to trace vectors."
What is our primary use case?
FortiClient is for the VPN. FortiClient is used with FortiGate. We have 100 users across both North America and Europe. We created a rule with the firewall to authorize the countries we are in, and we have rules to authorize specific IPs. We have to link to the internet.
How has it helped my organization?
The incidents in the log have been very useful. Some projects are really a pain to investigate. This helps.
What is most valuable?
The solution is user-friendly. It’s really easy to use. It is not like Cisco where GUI is really bad.
I don't have really issues with them. In terms of features, everything is easier.
When you want to find any information, you have documentation on hand that is easy to use.
You have good support and the price is good.
The solution is very easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
I’m not sure what exactly can be improved.
It would be interesting if the solution offered a way to try to investigate and create a use case to trace vectors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve used the solution for more than two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We don’t have any issues with stability. It’s been fine. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn’t crash or freeze. We don’t have any issues with the internet or power supplies.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 100 users on the solution currently. We don’t really scale it.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been excellent. They are fantastic.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used a different solution. However, it does not cover the same responsibilities.
Sometimes, for SOCs, I’ve looked at WatchGuard, Palo Alto, Cisco, and Check Point.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was simple and straightforward. It wasn’t difficult at all.
I wasn’t a part of the initial setup and we tried to switch since the first time the person deployed it. In FortiGate, he used the wrong setting and the wrong methodology. We had to try to make some changes without creating any issues with the production.
It is very easy when you start at the beginning. It is not long to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the setup ourselves in-house. However, when I leave the company, likely they will try working with a third party as they don’t have the time and have a contract with other clients.
What was our ROI?
I don’t deal with anything related to pricing or costs or ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don’t know the exact pricing of the solution. It’s not an aspect I worry about.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
To compare every project on FortiClient you have and compare it with Palo Alto. Palo Alto offers a few more powerful new features. You can automate the use case. You have internet analysis and endpoint analysis. I would like to see the same options in FortiClient.
What other advice do I have?
I administrate FortiGate.
Within my new job, I am trying to be a partner with FortiGate and FortiClient to sell it to other clients. I have to get my certification just to be expert
I’d advise users to just look into best practices. Maybe try to join a training session. You can also simply go on the internet and try to find the best practices that make sense for you.
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?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems Engineer at Ardent Networks Inc.
Navigate endpoint devices easily with reliable compliance enforcement but needs more detection features
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and access to all endpoint devices."
- "The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and access to all endpoint devices."
- "The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and access to all endpoint devices."
- "The endpoint side of FortiClient needs improvement, specifically the agent-based endpoint, which requires enhancements in detection and additional features to reduce bugs."
- "The endpoint side of FortiClient needs improvement, specifically the agent-based endpoint, which requires enhancements in detection and additional features to reduce bugs."
- "The endpoint side of FortiClient needs improvement, specifically the agent-based endpoint, which requires enhancements in detection and additional features to reduce bugs."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use FortiClient for VPN connectivity and endpoint security, providing protection against malware on laptops and desktops. It is particularly beneficial for internal access in the office, using VPN to access our system.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its user-friendly interface that allows easy navigation and access to all endpoint devices. Its vulnerability detection is very useful, as it provides insights into vulnerabilities on both desktops and laptops through EMS management. Additionally, its compliance enforcement capabilities are highly reliable, especially when enforcing policies.
What needs improvement?
The endpoint side of FortiClient needs improvement, specifically the agent-based endpoint, which requires enhancements in detection and additional features to reduce bugs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet for almost seven years now.
How are customer service and support?
The support is rated five out of ten. The main issue revolves around addressing bugs in the endpoint.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of FortiClient is rated eight out of ten, suggesting that it was relatively straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
I rate FortiClient seven 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 has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. reseller
A scalable and easy-to-deploy solution, but its visibility of the end-user action should be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiClient's scalability is very good because it has no limitations."
- "Fortinet FortiClient should improve its visibility of the consumption of traffic and end-user action, which is very low."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiClient based on the end user's firewall structure. If my customer uses a FortiGate firewall, we usually use Fortinet FortiClient for the VPN instead of a WatchGuard.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiClient's scalability is very good because it has no limitations.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiClient should improve its visibility of the consumption of traffic and end-user action, which is very low.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiClient for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We didn't face any problems with Fortinet FortiClient's stability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used a solution called WatchGuard.
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiClient's initial setup is quite simple.
What about the implementation team?
Fortinet FortiClient's deployment took around five to ten minutes. We manually set up the software while configuring the end-user device. We deployed the solution through an in-house team.
What other advice do I have?
I would not recommend Fortinet FortiClient to other users because of its low visibility of end-user actions.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiClient 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
IT DevOps Engineer at Rpc Data
Helps to connect server to ISP Data Center but needs to improve pricing and performance
Pros and Cons
- "I use the tool to connect server to an ISP Data Center."
- "The product's performance and pricing could be better."
What is our primary use case?
I use the tool to connect server to an ISP Data Center.
What needs improvement?
The product's performance and pricing could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am using the product for three to four months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product's connections drop all the time.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. We have four users in the company for the product.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is straightforward. The product's deployment tool 20-30 minutes to complete.
What was our ROI?
The solution is not worth the investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product's licensing is yearly and expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product a five out of ten. We plan to discard the product and use OpenVPN. I wouldn't recommend this product to other users.
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.
IT Manager at TiThink
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.
Network Engineer at Pronet
The solution efficiently blocks noncompliant devices but has some issues with user stability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's TNA feature blocks devices from entering the network that do not meet compliance protocols."
- "Technical support is quite impressive and available 24/7."
- "The solution has some issues with stability on the user side."
- "The solution has some stability issues on the user side but is improving."
What is our primary use case?
Our company deploys the solution for twenty customers who need ransomware protection and web application firewalls.
What is most valuable?
The solution's TNA feature blocks devices from entering the network that do not meet compliance protocols such as the absence of antivirus protection.
The TNA security feature allows integration with FortiClient, FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, and FortiSandbox.
The solution creates a security fabric with all devices connected and sharing the same log so it is easy to automatically quarantine any device.
What needs improvement?
The solution has some issues with stability on the user side.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has some stability issues on the user side but is improving.
New releases are more stable than past versions.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable based on your license.
Adding users that extend beyond your current license is simple because you just upgrade your license.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is quite impressive and available 24/7.
Support engages with us and provides relevant resolutions for issues.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup on the server side is very easy.
The setup steps include installing the solution on the server, configuring any ports or IPs, creating an installer to run on user systems, and then deploying the solution on the user side.
Deployment on the user side can be done manually if there are few users. Our clients have thousands of users so we push the installer through ED by creating group profiles that contain specific policies.
Users receive policy updates that administrators want to push to them.
What about the implementation team?
Our company implements the solution for customers.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is moving toward stability so I recommend it.
I rate the solution a six 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
Buyer's Guide
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sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
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