We mostly use the solution for our internet-facing firewall.
Good next-generation firewall features with good pricing and stability
Pros and Cons
- "We've found the solution to be pretty stable."
- "The product does need better support in the cloud environment. It's not exactly cloud-native right now."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The next-generation firewall features are the solution's most valuable aspect.
The implementation and deployment are pretty simple.
The pricing is very good.
We've found the solution to be pretty stable.
What needs improvement?
The solution isn't really lacking features per se.
The product does need better support in the cloud environment. It's not exactly cloud-native right now.
The solution needs to do more on the deployment in the multi-cloud. For example, clients have GCP and AWS. How do we deploy FortiGate in a cloud environment? Right now, there's no solution for that.
We're worried that the scalability isn't as good as it could be.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for about two years or so. It hasn't been an extremely long time, however, it's been a while.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability, in our experience, is quite good. It doesn't run a lot of unexpected downtimes or anything of that nature. We haven't encountered any serious problems. There have been a few minor items here and there, however, by and large, it's quite good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution isn't exactly scalable, especially when it comes to the public cloud environment. We'll need to scale up, so we will have to figure out how to do it effectively.
We primarily work with medium and large enterprises.
How was the initial setup?
We find the solution to be pretty straightforward to set up and deploy. We didn't have any difficulties with implementation.
The deployment takes less than a week. It's a pretty quick process.
We provide maintenance services for our clients.
What about the implementation team?
We actually provide deployment services to our customers that need it. We can handle this aspect for customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is on the cheaper side. There are other products that are competitors that are much more expensive.
That said, the pricing isn't just based on licensing costs. There are add-on costs as well a company will need to consider.
What other advice do I have?
We are more of a solution integrator. We are not a straight reseller. We are partners, however. We recommend people to use products. That said, we don't actually resell the actual boxes.
We use different versions and deployments of the solution. It really is dependant on the client and their needs.
We mostly work with Fortinet. It's the main solution we recommend and use.
I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. We've had a pretty good experience.
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?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
Deputy Manager Of Information Technology at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
High-performing SSL VPN functionality keeps our users secure while they work from home
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN, as it allows us to connect and it separates this product from other firewalls."
- "Some of the web policy reports could be improved."
How has it helped my organization?
We use the FortiGate firewall for our centralized management services. We have SAP and there are multiple work-from-home users that connect using the VPN to access it. Also, we have some applications that are hosted on the server and we have assigned a public IP through the firewall for them.
For our server, we have specific some UTM policies, and we have designed access so that it is sectioned by zone.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN, as it allows us to connect and it separates this product from other firewalls.
The VPN performance with multiple users is very good.
We are able to generate a report where we can see details on exactly what the users are accessing. We can set limits as well as easily analyze what they are uploading and downloading.
What needs improvement?
The only challenge that we are facing is that a good internet connection is required for VPN stability.
Some of the web policy reports could be improved. There are reports generated that show exactly which user is using how much bandwidth, and which sites they have been browsing. We should have a way to show that on a single screen. As it is now, when I click on a user, the information shows on another tab.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using FortiGate for more than seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There is no downtime with this solution. The last time the users could not connect to the VPN was an issue with the internet.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not tried to scale FortiGate.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have been in contact with Fortinet several times and the technical support that we have received is absolutely fine.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In addition to FortiGate, we are using a Sophos firewall.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment took approximately four months.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing costs are very low.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Previously, we were using Turbo VPN to connect using mobile devices. The problem was that the users would be disconnected when the mobile was in a roaming area, and the connectivity is not as stable.
We moved to a cloud service and assigned a public IP address for that application, and we have cut out the VPN for it. That was a rare issue that we were facing with FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
This is a good firewall and I have recommended it to some of my colleagues in other organizations, and they have implemented it.
I would rate this solution a 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.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
December 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.
CEO at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Good application control, web filtering, and anti-spam features, affordable price, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "Customers are more inclined towards FortiGate because of application control, web filtering, and anti-spam features. The support from the FortiGate team is good, and price-wise, it is affordable."
- "They are doing good, but they can improve the distributor assignment. The availability of the product and the timeline of delivery are the main things. The distribution should be swift, and the distributor should not reach out to end customers directly. They should work as a distributor. There should also be one more local distributor. Currently, there is only one distributor in Pakistan, and the rest of them are in UAE. It is difficult to work with only one distributor. Sometimes, you don't get along with the same distributor, and that's why they should have one more distributor. Their licensing should also be improved. The activation or renewal of the product should be done from the date of renewal, not from the date on which the license expired."
What is our primary use case?
We are selling FortiGate 60E and 200E. I mostly look after imports and finance, and my sales team and my corporate manager look after the business. Currently, we are buying renewals for our customers from a local distributor.
What is most valuable?
Customers are more inclined towards FortiGate because of application control, web filtering, and anti-spam features. The support from the FortiGate team is good, and price-wise, it is affordable.
What needs improvement?
They are doing good, but they can improve the distributor assignment. The availability of the product and the timeline of delivery are the main things. The distribution should be swift, and the distributor should not reach out to end customers directly. They should work as a distributor. There should also be one more local distributor. Currently, there is only one distributor in Pakistan, and the rest of them are in UAE. It is difficult to work with only one distributor. Sometimes, you don't get along with the same distributor, and that's why they should have one more distributor.
Their licensing should also be improved. The activation or renewal of the product should be done from the date of renewal, not from the date on which the license expired.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for almost two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is 100% stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have more than a thousand users.
How are customer service and technical support?
The support from the FortiGate team is good. My engineers never complained that they are facing any problem with Fortinet in terms of support.
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy to install. It is way easier than Cisco.
The deployment duration varies from customer to customer. It depends on what features they want to utilize, what is their scenario for IP addressing, and what security level they want to implement. It also depends on the policy and the planning of the technical teams. My engineers and the customer's engineers sit together, and they plan the activity and take care of everything. After that, they decide what to implement and how long it will take. Sometimes there are physical, logical, or IP addressing problems, so it all depends on the customer and our implementation planning. I have three guys for deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Its price is affordable and lesser than Cisco. Cisco is expensive.
In terms of licensing, there is only one issue. If a customer's license has expired a month ago and they do the renewal after one month, Fortinet renews the license from the start of the previous month. The activation of the product is done from the previous month, not from the date of renewal. The customers usually shout and complain that because they are paying today, the renewal should start from today. The support contract renewals or licensing should be renewed from the date of renewal, but Fortinet starts from the day it had expired. It is a loss for customers. They might have had some problems because of which they did not take the license one month before. Fortinet should work on this. Cisco doesn't do this. Cisco always starts from the day they apply for the license.
What other advice do I have?
We plan to keep selling this solution. Fortinet has launched new partnership levels. They have removed the silver partnership. We were a silver partner previously, and we have now become a premier partner or something like that. So, we have to improve our partnership on new levels.
I would definitely recommend this solution. We always support customers and recommend buying Fortinet. It is a better, more stable, and relatively cheaper product than Cisco. We supply Cisco only when a customer forces us to go for Cisco.
I would 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. Reseller
Deputy Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Good stability and fair pricing with an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The customization potential is quite impressive."
- "The ease of use could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the firewall for the most part. It's to help us with security on our network.
What is most valuable?
The solution has a very good set of rules.
The customization potential is quite impressive. It can be customized based on our licensing contracts.
The initial setup was pretty simple. We didn't find it to be overly difficult to execute on.
Technical support is rather helpful.
We find the stability to be pretty good.
We didn't have any trouble setting up the solution.
We find the pricing to be fairly good.
What needs improvement?
The ease of use could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for about five years. We have been continuously working with FortiGate itself throughout that time. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, the stability has been pretty good for us. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. I'd describe the stability as reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I can't really speak to the scalability of the solution, as it isn't as aspect I handle. I've never tried to do it, so I'm not sure how it works.
We have about 50 users on the solution. About one third have access to it.
How are customer service and technical support?
We only really had one issue in the past where we had to deal with technical support. We needed some restoration of some data. It wasn't a bad experience. We were satisfied with their level of service. They seem to be knowledgeable and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
In terms of the initial setup, the process was not complex at all. We found it to be very straightforward and easy. We didn't run into any issues setting everything up.
We have one engineer that handles ongoing maintenance for us when we need it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fair. I don't feel that it is too expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I've been good with using Fortinet. It's a fine tool.
Overall, I would recommend the solution to other organizations.
I would rate it a nine on a scale from one to 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 energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Easy to use with good customization and an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very, very easy to use."
- "The integration with third-party tools may be something that they should work on."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for a firewall plus as an overall UTM. We do not, however, use it as an SD-WAN.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very, very easy to use.
The user interface is very nice.
The product seems to offer pretty good customization.
The configuration of the product has been very straightforward and simple.
The reporting on offer is quite good.
The initial setup is straightforward as well.
We've found the pricing to be pretty good.
Technical support from the partner has been very helpful.
What needs improvement?
The integration with third-party tools may be something that they should work on. We haven't actually tried to implement that, however.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for close to ten years. It's been at least a decade at this point. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with the solution's stability. It's very reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. I can't recall experiencing bugs or glitches at all over the time I've used it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution seems to be pretty good. We haven't had any issues in that respect.
Currently, our organization has about 125 users on the product.
How are customer service and technical support?
While I don't have a direct line to Fortigate, I have used our partner support. They have been excellent and we are quite satisfied with the level of service we receive from them. They are knowledgeable and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex at all. I found it to be very straightforward. This was due to the fact that we had this solution procured along back in 2007 or 2008, as a smaller firewall, a FortiGate 60C.
We don't have anyone that handles maintenance full-time. It's an on-call situation. If we have issues or need maintenance, we raise a ticket and it is dealt with.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the solution is fair. We don't find it to be overly expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I've never looked at other products and therefore would not be able to really compare this solution to anything.
What other advice do I have?
We are just customers and end-users of the product. We don't have a business relationship with Fortinet.
I'd recommend the solution. It's very simple and easy to use. On top of that, it offers peace of mind.
Overall, 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.
President at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Very complete with good capabilities and very good stability
Pros and Cons
- "The main reason why I purchased the particular unit was that it had good reviews and what other people were saying as far as its completeness and its leading capabilities in terms of endpoint security was very good."
- "To some degree, it's almost a question as to why some of this stuff isn't simpler. For example, for an AP deployment, while it's integrated, the number of steps that you have to go through in order to get the AP up, seems like a lot."
What is our primary use case?
The purpose of this solution is to provide intrusion protection and more robust endpoint security for small offices. We are providing an enterprise solution for a small business by adding endpoint protection coupled with Intrusion Detection and Protection. For small offices needing HIPAA compliance, we need to make sure we are providing robust protection instead of the default modem gateway provided by the ISP.
How has it helped my organization?
The Fortinet product provides enterprise capabilities in a small footprint at a price point that is more attainable for a small business. The product meets the IPS/IDS/Endpoint protection that small organizations need for their HIPAA and PCI compliance. While the end user may not understand the true capabilities, the managed service provider can more easily deploy and maintain this small footprint product.
What is most valuable?
The main reason why I purchased the particular unit was based on other reviews and leadership in this space. Being able to have a VPN solution as well as integrated access points is a plus. For me, it's all about simplicity. When you look at my particular model for a managed service provider, it's basically to help simplify, protect, and remain compliant. When you're trying to implement something, it's about making sure it is simplified. This seems to fit the bill.
What needs improvement?
The product has enterprise capabilities, which means there are a ton of configurations possible. What I'd like to see in the product is more of a branch in the box wizard deployment for those that are not as well versed in firewall and routing. For a small business, the firewall should be able to self-configure for a Unified Threat Management configuration with 2 SSIDs for protected wireless network for internal gear and a guest wireless network for employee cell phones and guests. I'd like to open the box, plug in the router behind the cable modem, and check a few boxes, and the rest is done automatically. I don't want to have to build a configure VLANs, SSIDs, security protocols for each port, and try to figure out and understand all the layers in an effort to deploy a solution. It's great to have those capabilities in case you need them, but for most of the offices I am trying to deploy these into--it should be a branch in a box.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've only been using the solution for a few weeks. It's very new for us.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability has been fine. I've had no questions about the stability of it. It seems so far it is staying up. I haven't had any issues to speak of.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't really pushed this product from a scalability perspective. Certainly, if you look at the performance metrics, the F series appears to have really expanded the capacity and capabilities beyond past models. If you look at 40E versus 40F, there's a fairly substantial difference. For a small office, it's going to be just fine.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't reached out to technical support and therefore can't speak to their level of responsiveness.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
N/A
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex for me due to my lack of experience with the Fortinet FortiGate product. The complexity can be a good thing, however, as there's a lot of really good features associated with it. Where it could be simplified is in having that easy deployment option, and then you can start going down and trying to get into the nitty-gritty and figure out when do you need the extra features.
Right now, I'm just in a test environment getting all the firmware up and tested. Then, once I have it tested, I'll take it to the client location and yank out their WiFi mechanism, their WiFi router, and put this in.
What about the implementation team?
I'm currently handling the implementation for a client.
What was our ROI?
ROI is somewhat difficult to measure when you are mostly talking about deploying a product for endpoint security. If your environment stays protected, then it was a good return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When you look at these endpoint security systems and firewalls, these products a few years were way too expensive for a small business. Now we have enterprise level security in a footprint that is less than $1,000. For offices that have 10-25 computers needing protection, this is a better solution.
What other advice do I have?
The good news is that Fortinet does have a good support network as well as their education academy to help someone get up to speed on their product.
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.
Firewall Engineer at a marketing services firm with 1-10 employees
Good security, easy to install, and offers good performance
Pros and Cons
- "The product offers very good security."
- "The solution lacks multi-language support."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for its security features and performance. We enable features that assist with web filtering, application consoles, and IPS.
What is most valuable?
The performance of the solution is very good.
The product offers very good security.
It's pretty easy to install the solution.
What needs improvement?
The cloud management should improve. There are other manufacturers that have better management cloud solutions. Aruba, for example, is very good at this aspect. Fortinet could look to them as a model of how to do something interesting with management solutions.
Fortinet across the board needs to improve the LAN aspect of their products.
The solution lacks multi-language support.
They could offer access points to small companies and firewalls at those access points. Aruba, in that sense, is much better for smaller organizations as they provide this possibility.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for a few years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. You don't have to deal with bugs or glitches. You don't have it freezing on you. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is pretty scalable. It's flexible. It works with the organization and allows you to expand it as necessary.
In my company, we use FortiGate across several locations. The location with the most number of users has maybe 400 to 500 employees. That said, there is another FortiGate that manages the traffic that goes to the internet for all of the users across locations. We must have around 900 users.
We do plan to continue to use it going forward.
How are customer service and technical support?
The solution does have different levels of support. If the problem is critical, you can escalate it quite well and even get telephone support.
That said, in terms of telephone support, they need to have support provided in the Spanish language. Right now, this is not the case.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
While we concurrently use both Sophos and Fortinet, we're working towards just using Fortinet. I find that the performance of Fortinet is much better than Sophos.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is not complex. It's pretty straightforward. In my case, I have many years of expertise working with FortiGate and therefore it was not difficult. It's quite good and easy to manage.
How long it takes to deploy the solution, depends on what the customers ask you to do. More or less, however, it might take maybe one day to make the initial setup of the unit and the configuration that the customer requests. It may take another day or two to put it on service and check that everything is working properly, once again, based on the requirements of the customer.
What other advice do I have?
I work mostly with firewalls and network equipment including firewalls, switches, and routers. I don't just work with Fortinet. I also work with Sophos, Cisco, and Aruba.
We're using the latest version of the product currently.
Overall, I would rate the solution ten out of ten.
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.
Network Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Very stable, easily customizable, and simple to install
Pros and Cons
- "The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."
- "There are just some services that aren't available. For example, the Ethernet or point-to-point protocols. They could add these services to their product offering - especially services for ISPs."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for network security - especially for the VPN connection, the remote site connection.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very easy to install.
The services from Fortinet products are very, very good. The WIFI that Fortinet provides for us, for example, is fantastic.
The VPN tunnel is very stable and there is more than one option for the tunnel, which is helpful.
We can customize the product well.
There's a very intelligent solution that they gave us in order to make the VPN connection easy. It is a very, very, very useful tool.
The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet is a very big product. It has FortiGate, FortiWiFi, FortiSwitch, email security, etc. Due to this, they have some weaknesses in the ISPs, the services. They could improve these aspects. Hotspot services especially could be a lot better.
There are just some services that aren't available. For example, the Ethernet or point-to-point protocols. They could add these services to their product offering - especially services for ISPs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about three years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. That's not a problem at all. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale well. If a company needs to expand it, they can.
I have various clients that use the solution and they have a user base that can range anywhere from five users to over 10,000.
I do plan to continue to use the solution in the future, however, I can't speak as to if my clients will expand their services or not.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support, by and large, is very good. Fortinet has a very fast response time for their support tickets. It doesn't matter if the help is coming from the local distributor, or from web support. I don't face any problems with their level of attentiveness. I'm quite satisfied.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I use a wide variety of products in my shop. For example, I also work with Sophos UTM, Cisco, HPE, and Aruba products.
There's a lot of problems in, maybe, let's say, Sophos products. Especially in their support. They have very weak support. Cisco has good support, on the other hand, and a very good product, however, it is too expensive. HPE is a very nice product and has good support, however, it's not a UTM. Therefore, often we end up recommending Fortinet options.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex. It was pretty straightforward.
How long it takes to deploy the solution depends on the company and the configurations required. Sometimes I am able to do it in one day, whereas other times it takes more than one month to complete.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just a customer. I'm using the latest version of the solution. I'm using the F-series. Previously, I used the E-series.
We use the on-premises version of the solution as Fortinet does not yet support the cloud.
I am not an organization, I am in IT support. I have my own agency for installing such devices. I use it for some universities which is more than 10,000 students in some cases. I also use it in some factories which have four to five users. It works just as well for small and medium-sized companies as it does for enterprise-level organizations.
I would recommend the solution to others for sure.
Overall, I would rate Fortinet's solution at 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. Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
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Updated: December 2025
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