Fortinet FortiGate is used as a firewall.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
User-friendly setup, beneficial APIs, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the APIs. They are the most widely known."
- "The customers have seen an ROI from using Fortinet FortiGate and they are satisfied with the solution."
- "The support from Fortinet FortiGate could improve. They are not easily accessible when we need them. They could improve their response time."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the APIs. They are the most widely known.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a five out of five.
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Fortinet FortiGate
November 2026
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of Fortinet FortiGate a five out of five.
All sizes of organizations can use this solution. All levels of a company are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Fortinet FortiGate could improve. They are not easily accessible when we need them. They could improve their response time.
I rate the support from Fortinet FortiGate a three out of five.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is very simple and user-friendly. The configuration for the solution is easy. The time it takes for the deployment depends on the environment of the company. It can take a week, but typically it takes three to four days.
What about the implementation team?
We have more than six certified engineers in our company that can do the deployment of the solution.
What was our ROI?
The customers have seen an ROI from using Fortinet FortiGate. They are satisfied with the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Fortinet FortiGate is affordable. Most of our customers are on a three-year license to use the solution. All the features and support are included in the price.
I rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate a five out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine 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 Security Manager at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use, beneficial security reports, and useful blocking
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate's most valuable features are the UTM package which provides internet blocking restrictions and load balancing, additionally, the solution is easy to use and the security reporting is good, and the security fabric which they have launched Fortinet FortiGate IPS is very good in terms of giving details."
- "Fortinet FortiGate can improve performance. There was a huge challenge in terms of CPU and memory where the IPS engine would keep triggering. There were random spikes of overutilization in the CPU and memory resources. They have to work on CPU and memory stability considering these IPS engines. A few versions were very unstable."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is used as an inline intrusion prevention tool to detect and scan ongoing connections and data. It will take action, either by blocking or intimating in real-time.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate's most valuable features are the UTM package which provides internet blocking restrictions and load balancing. Additionally, the solution is easy to use and the security reporting is good. The security fabric which they have launched Fortinet FortiGate IPS, it's very good in terms of giving details.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate can improve performance. There was a huge challenge in terms of CPU and memory where the IPS engine would keep triggering. There were random spikes of overutilization in the CPU and memory resources. They have to work on CPU and memory stability considering these IPS engines. A few versions were very unstable.
The current Fortinet FortiGate IPS package has only standard options. If they could work around optimizing those packages for different needs it would be better. There might be a media company, or banking organization, which needs a different set of signatures and different bundles on priority. If they could segregate that in terms of organization and needs, or at least institutional-wise segregation, that could be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Fortinet FortiGate within the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate could improve the stability, we used different versions and they were unstable over time which caused an overall device error.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate is a challenge. However, the cloud version is easy.
How are customer service and support?
I have had to use the support a number of times when we had overutilization of resources.
I rate the support from Fortinet FortiGate a six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was easy. This is a common feature across Fortinet devices.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required to use Fortinet FortiGate with all the features. It has to be updated with the threats on an ongoing basis for the signatures to prevent threats and a license is needed to receive those security updates.
The price of the solution is worth it for the features.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others would be to have Fortinet FortiGate optimized. It is a good tool to be switched on and used in a live production environment. It is important to optimize rather than directly use the pro package, the full IPS package provided by the vendor.
Fine-tuning the solution according to the organization's needs will help in optimizing the utilization of CPU and memory because the whole bundle has too many features which might not be needed for the organization. Enabling the solutions and running it on the first default mode and then optimizing it using the customized package, would help a lot in stabilizing the device.
I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight 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
Fortinet FortiGate
November 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2026.
921,665 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ICT Professional at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Fully integrates with our infrastructure appliances, offering useful application control capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control."
- "The support is good because, although the response time for tickets may occasionally take some time, at the end of the day they have always solved the issue at hand."
- "FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis."
What is our primary use case?
Our infrastructure includes both FortiGate (81E series) and Cisco Meraki appliances, and we have fully integrated FortiGate IPS with these devices. Essentially, whenever I secure the WAN and LAN and enhance them with security profiles, I will use the IPS's Web Filtering and Application Control features.
What is most valuable?
The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control.
What needs improvement?
FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis.
Another improvement, that may only tangentially relate to the IPS, would be to include more functionality and details regarding SD-WAN (such as the ISDB), in order to make it more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for about seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is fine, but it would be even better if we were to deploy another appliance for higher availability of access, such that there is no downtime at all.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the IPS fits my current needs well. If we were to take on more users, however, we would likely have to change both our appliance and the license.
How are customer service and support?
The support is good because, although the response time for tickets may occasionally take some time, at the end of the day they have always solved the issue at hand. What is also nice is that they can connect with you remotely and help support you at any point.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The setup was easy for me because I deploy appliances off all kinds and sizes, large and small. I would give the setup a 4/5 in terms of ease.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I pay €1,200 per year for the license along with Fortinet's 81E firewall appliance. I would rate this pricing as 3/5 stars, and I believe the price is reasonably similar to its competitors in the market, being somewhere in the middle.
What other advice do I have?
Given my experience and the fact that FortiGate are a leader in the market, I would rate FortiGate IPS a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Reliable, great pricing, and capable of expanding
Pros and Cons
- "The pricing on offer is excellent."
- "The price is pretty reasonable; it's not like Cisco or Palo Alto, which are more expensive."
- "It could always be more secure."
- "It takes a long time to install the solution."
What is our primary use case?
This is a Secure Web Gateway that protects you against various web attacks. It's used mainly for security purposes.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable. It's reliable.
It can scale.
The pricing on offer is excellent.
What needs improvement?
It takes a long time to install the solution.
It could always be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three or four years. I've used it for a while at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. Its performance has been good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is okay. It can expand well.
We have 200 people using the solution. We do have plans to continue to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I've never reached out to techncial support. I can't speak to their abilities.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also have experience with Cisco and Palo Alto. About five years ago, we were using Cisco. We changed due to the better pricing.
How was the initial setup?
I don't directly deal with the deployment. Someone else handles that process.
My understanding is the implementation takes a long time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is pretty reasonable. It's not like Cisco or Palo Alto, which are more expensive.
I'd rate the cost, in terms of affordability, a five out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using the latest version of the solution.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. I'd likely recommend the solution to others.
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 at Stak
User-friendly, powerful, and has useful training certifications available
Pros and Cons
- "I love the interface."
- "The product is very user-friendly, it is quite scalable, I love the interface, the power is great, and I have a limited embedded team in IT with one man on the team for 1,000 users who can manage all the infrastructure due to the fact that the console is very easy, and the people are very happy with the results pertaining to that interface."
- "The reporting was limited."
What is our primary use case?
I rent spaces for the company. I provide the services for the internet for that company, something like coworking. I need to create policies to prevent intrusions on my clients. I create the policies for each client, and I select the company and create the policy with the specific needs. After that, I apply it for the WLAN for that client. That way, I prevent intrusions on the network.
What is most valuable?
It meets my needs.
The product is very user-friendly.
It is quite scalable.
I love the interface.
The power is great.
I have a limited embedded team in IT. I have one man on the team for 1,000 users. And this person can manage all the infrastructure due to the fact that the console is very easy, and the people are very happy with the results pertaining to that interface.
Also, I have created VPNs for all my users to work from their homes.
What needs improvement?
It is very complex.
There are a variety of improvements that can be made.
The reporting was limited. I had to use FortiAnalyzer to obtain a complete solution. The reports are very limited with the solution, basically. Once you implement FortiAnalyzer, you can create very, very detailed reports for all the networks.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two years now.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. It's not an issue at all if you need to expand.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good. I have additional support from my provider. My provider is a Platinum partner, and half of the technicians have Level 7 or 8 in Fortinet certifications.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, I was working with Cisco and Aruba, however, this was more power and the cost was great.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is a bit complex. However, I only need three weeks to create the machines' settings.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For two firewalls with IPS and two access points, FortiAnalyzer, with maybe ten switches, we pay maybe $4,000 a year.
We don't pay any additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
I use a lot of Fortinet devices.
I'm a customer and end-user.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Everything is good. The support is very, very expert. When you need help, all the people are ready to assist - and that is great. Only I recommended new users to take maybe the certification basics, NSE 1, NSE 2. It's free in the academy for Fortinet. Most problems you can fix with that information and that education, so it's very helpful to be knowledgable.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technology Manager at Tech Mahindra Limited
Expandable and reliable with good local support
Pros and Cons
- "The solution can scale."
- "Overall, it’s a good solution, and I would recommend it to others."
- "The interface could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for security reasons. It's our wall between the inside to outside. That's why we are using it. We use it for VPNs also. People who work outside of the office use the VPN through the firewall, for example.
What is most valuable?
The solution is quite stable.
The solution can scale.
We have good local support.
What needs improvement?
The interface could be better.
We would like the initial setup to be a bit easier.
It isn’t missing any features. We’re pretty happy with it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It’s very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn’t crash or freeze. It’s reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
While the solution is scalable, we don’t need to scale it for our operations.
We have about 80 people on the solution right now.
How are customer service and support?
We have a local company that assists us with support when we need it. They are pretty good.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is pretty easy to set up. However, you do need some previous knowledge. It helps if you understand the environment. It’s not hard per se, however, it can be a bit tricky. We’d like it if it was a bit easier.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can’t speak of how much the cost of the license it. I don’t have any details in relation to the pricing.
What other advice do I have?
I am a customer and end-user.
I’m not sure which version of the solution we’re using.
It is a good solution. I’d recommend it to others.
Overall, it’s a good solution, and I would recommend it to others.
I would rate the solution nine 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/Systems Administrator at TRSP
High efficiency, reliable, and straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is its efficiency."
- "Fortinet FortiGate IPS has helped increase the efficiency of our network operations and we are experiencing fewer queries in the network and security domain."
- "I have contacted the support from Fortinet FortiGate IPS. The service was good but the speed could be better."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate IPS are used for intrusion prevention and for protecting from intrusion.
How has it helped my organization?
Fortinet FortiGate IPS has helped increase the efficiency of our network operations and we are experiencing fewer queries in the network and security domain.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is its efficiency.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate IPS is highly reliable and stable. We have not had any major issues in network operations due to this firewall and security enhancements.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is good.
We have approximately 1,000 users using the solution. We plan to increase the usage of the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I have contacted the support from Fortinet FortiGate IPS. The service was good but the speed could be better.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is straightforward. The implementation can be done in two to three days. However, it depends on your network infrastructure and the configurations.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation of Fortinet FortiGate IP can be done in-house if you have a good sizable team. However, in our case, we took the services of a consultant to migrate it.
We have a team of two to three people who can do the deployment and migrations.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution to others. It's a very stable, reliable, and scalable solution.
I rate Fortinet FortiGate IPS an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Product Manager at IX Telecom
Provides helpful technical support, but its dashboard needs to be more user-friendly
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is superior to Cisco in terms of security."
- "In terms of security, Fortinet FortiGate SWG is superior compared to Cisco."
- "What could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate SWG is its pricing because it's a bit higher. If it's cheaper, my company could pitch it to customers and engage with customers better about it. What I'd like to see in the next release of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is an improvement in its dashboard or GUI. I'd like it to be more user-friendly."
- "What could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate SWG is its pricing because it's a bit higher."
What is our primary use case?
Clients use Fortinet FortiGate SWG for anything that goes into the internet.
What is most valuable?
Lately, my company has been using the Fortinet S series more compared to Fortinet FortiGate SWG. My company has tried all the features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG, but I'm unable to say which feature I found most valuable in it, though the solution is superior to Cisco in terms of security.
What needs improvement?
What could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate SWG is its pricing because it's a bit higher. If it's cheaper, my company could pitch it to customers and engage with customers better about it.
What I'd like to see in the next release of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is an improvement in its dashboard or GUI. I'd like it to be more user-friendly.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support for Fortinet FortiGate SWG was very helpful. I'm rating their support a four out of five.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Fortinet FortiGate SWG was straightforward. I'm rating the setup four out of five.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't have the exact details on how much Fortinet FortiGate SWG costs yearly, but if I were to rate its price on a scale of one to five, with one being the worst and five being the best, I'm rating it a two out of five.
Pricing for Fortinet FortiGate SWG is more suitable for enterprise or large-sized organizations because they are the ones who can afford it versus small and medium-sized organizations.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a reseller and implementer of Fortinet FortiGate SWG. I'm dealing with various solutions and various vendors such as Cisco, Aruba, and Fortinet, based on customer requirements.
I've provided Fortinet FortiGate SWG to a client for the past year.
I currently don't have the details on the number of Fortinet FortiGate SWG users in the client's organization, but it's being used daily.
In terms of security, Fortinet FortiGate SWG is superior compared to Cisco. In terms of pricing, I would prefer Cisco.
I'm rating Fortinet FortiGate SWG six out of ten. If they would change the GUI and improve it, that would make my rating higher, because it's on the GUI where people do all their activities. Making the solution more user-friendly will also increase my rating for it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Lead Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Reliable and easy to set up with good security features
Pros and Cons
- "The product is scalable."
- "The solution is stable and quite reliable; there are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze."
- "There could be more modifications."
- "Sometimes the dashboard does not open properly. When we add more options, SD-WAN features, and user control features, the opening is very slow."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for security purposes.
What is most valuable?
Some security features are used for side blocking and antivirus and application control and bandwidth control. These are important for us.
The initial setup is straightforward.
It's a reliable tool.
The product is scalable.
What needs improvement?
There could be more modifications. Some features are enabled, however, compared to Fortinet, some features are not easy.
Sometimes the dashboard does not open properly. When we add more options, SD-WAN features, and user control features, the opening is very slow. It does not sync properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for one or two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and quite reliable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. There is no hardware. There are many clients and we have not had any complaints so far in regard to the product.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good, however, they do not respond quickly. They respond late. When we log the case, there's no priority with service. You can't get a response, for example, within an hour or two unless you have priority. Cisco, in contrast, divides its services into P1, P2, or P3. That way, if something is recognized as a P1, they get help much faster.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also work with Cisco. I'm also aware of Palo Alto as an option.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and not complex. It's easy compared to Palo Alto and a few others.
Our deployment of Fortinet FortiGate took two years.
What about the implementation team?
We are resellers. We are able to handle the setup and deployment.
What other advice do I have?
We are resellers.
The Fortinet 201 and 900 series are very good.
I'd rate the solution nine 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.
IT manager at a agriculture with 10,001+ employees
Reliable with good manageability and a straightforward setup process
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the product to be scalable."
- "The solution is stable and reliable."
- "The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution as a hosted gateway.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable and reliable. The performance has been good.
We have found the product to be scalable.
The manageability has been excellent so far.
The initial setup is pretty simple and straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability. Right now, that is what is lacking. They need to offer monitoring dashboards.
The product should be more user-friendly and attractive. The interface doesn't look as nice as it could.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've just used the solution for a few months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The performance has been great. it's stable. 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 scalability is good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.
We have 80 to 100 people on the solution currently.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. It's already pretty fast.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use a different solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is easy. It's not overly difficult.
The last time we set it up, it took a maximum of 45 minutes to one hour to deploy - apart from the racking. When it is on-prem and I install it in the rack, it’s powered on, then the configuration takes a maximum of 45 minutes.
We only needed one technical person to manage the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We have a consultant that helps us with setting up the solution. Actually, we have the managed service with them as well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a three-year licensing agreement with FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I'd advise potential new users that, if they want to use it, they need to plan and design their business case, including what things they want to use and how to publish their application securely. If they can plan ahead, then they will be successful during deployment.
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.
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: November 2026
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