We mainly use the Fortinet FortiGate for perimeter wall protection and internet usage, protecting our network from internet threats and our endpoints, so we've set it at a perimeter level.
Innovation & Development Support at BROOKSIDE DAIRY LTD
Helps manage network threats effectively in real-time and offers good customization features
Pros and Cons
- "The main benefit I have seen from using Fortinet FortiGate is the protection it offers because I can see threats that come through in real-time, and if they are blocked, I can see that."
- "I would like to see the licensing aspect improved because there is a feature we were yearning to use, the bandwidth monitoring feature, but it's licensed separately."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The main benefit I have seen from using Fortinet FortiGate is the protection it offers because I can see threats that come through in real-time, and if they are blocked, I can see that. We are able to customize those features, and it's so customizable that I can tweak it to fit our environment; it has really been helpful.
The hardware-assisted DDoS protection in FortiGate has helped us. We are able to monitor traffic in real-time and block it as needed. We have enabled this feature in every policy we created, so it consistently checks for any threats.
What is most valuable?
What I appreciate about the Fortinet FortiGate is the throughput and the management aspect; it's easy to manage. Unlike what we used before, initially, we had Microsoft Forefront, so moving from that application-based to a firewall which is appliance-based was really helpful.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the licensing aspect improved because there is a feature we were yearning to use, the bandwidth monitoring feature, but it's licensed separately. It's not bundled with the enterprise bundle, and since we normally buy the advanced hardware support annually, we found out that the license is licensed separately. If they could bundle it together, it could really be helpful to us.
We've been using it for the last seven years, and it has been helpful. We are looking forward to upgrading as the one we are having is at the end of life already. We are planning to upgrade to the latest one, and we are looking forward to the features it will offer.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
902,588 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't faced any downtimes, crashes, or issues with it; it's very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
My experience with technical support for Fortinet FortiGate has been excellent. I would rate them nine out of ten; they've been really good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I decided to move from Microsoft to Fortinet FortiGate. Fortinet and Cisco were rated highly worldwide. We compared those two and settled for FortiGate because of its manageability. The Microsoft firewall used to fail frequently, so we didn't want to go to another Microsoft product.
How was the initial setup?
The experience with the initial setup and deployment process of the Fortinet FortiGate was complex, especially in terms of linking users. In our environment, we normally use the feature for Active Directory, and we don't give everyone internet access. We've enabled this feature called SSO linked to our Active Directory, and we create groups there. Setting that up initially was really tricky, so we had to engage the support team to sort us out. However, moving forward, it has been very good.
There are no challenges with updates and upgrades. They are straightforward. We have support from Fortinet and the local partner.
What about the implementation team?
We had a local partner here helping us with the initial setup.
What was our ROI?
It has worked and surpassed our expectations. We've really benefited from that.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's pretty average compared to our environment.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for other users looking into Fortinet FortiGate for their environment is to choose one that will serve them based on their needs, whether that's throughput or the number of users. That's really important to ensure they don't do an overkill, as we initially thought we went for a big firewall, only to realize later that it was the right choice. For our upgrade, we'll just go for a bit higher, but generally, it really serves us.
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Implemented secure connectivity across branches with reliable network performance
Pros and Cons
- "The integration of SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted application performance."
- "The firmware in Fortinet FortiGate needs improvement. Some firmwares have many bugs, such as filter issues and VPN connectivity problems."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Fortinet FortiGate for branch-to-branch connectivity. It handles internet outages, internet breaks to the cloud, and internet connectivity to the internal systems in the branches.
What is most valuable?
The SD-WAN and VPN tunnels are the best features of Fortinet FortiGate in my opinion. My major workload runs on Fortinet FortiGate, as it serves as the main backbone of the network.
What needs improvement?
The firmware in Fortinet FortiGate needs improvement. Some firmwares have many bugs, such as filter issues and VPN connectivity problems. Last month, with version 7.4.6, we experienced web filter issues. They need to fix the bugs before releasing firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for up to 15 years, and it performs well.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my opinion, Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is flexible and scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and technical support of Fortinet FortiGate rates seven out of ten. The technical support and RMA process are acceptable. We don't raise many tickets, but when we do, we receive late responses for technical tickets, which is why I rate it seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Palo Alto and Cisco Meraki before choosing Fortinet FortiGate.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
We used in-house resources for our setup instead of an integrator, reseller, or consultant.
What was our ROI?
We currently have approximately 110 Fortinet FortiGates and 40 managers. Each year we increase by almost 10 to 20 FortiGates. We are also considering FortiSASE and have discussed this with Fortinet FortiGate. We are planning changes in return on investment from this solution this quarter.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing depends on market competition, which is high because Cisco Meraki and Palo Alto offer similar costs for pricing, setup, and licensing of Fortinet FortiGate. They need to compete with lower margins as prices are getting high for Fortinet FortiGate.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are currently using Palo Alto and Cisco due to some issues with the Fortinet FortiGate sales people. We have installed equipment in almost four locations, and we are using these three solutions simultaneously.
What other advice do I have?
We are planning to implement SASE and have already discussed this with Fortinet FortiGate. We are currently only discussing the possibility of using SASE.
The integration of SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted application performance. The implementation is straightforward for new users. My experience in integrating SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has been excellent, rating it 10 out of 10.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiGate 9 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
902,588 professionals have used our research since 2012.
DevOps Manager at a outsourcing company with 201-500 employees
Effective centralized management and tech support increase operational efficiency
Pros and Cons
- "The centralized management allowed us to manage 50 devices effectively, which I found better than Cisco."
- "During a recent upgrade from old devices to the latest ones, corporate IT faced challenges as there was no straightforward migration process, requiring many manual steps."
What is our primary use case?
I currently work in the automotive industry, providing software for automotive dealers, and we only use Fortinet FortiGate for corporate purposes.
What is most valuable?
One of the best features of Fortinet FortiGate is how effectively the software is written; the virtual network interfaces significantly outperform Cisco in my project. I didn't need separate switches or load balancers because I was able to resolve internal FQDNs of the load balancers, which was impressive. The centralized management allowed us to manage 50 devices effectively, which I found better than Cisco.
What needs improvement?
During a recent upgrade from old devices to the latest ones, corporate IT faced challenges as there was no straightforward migration process, requiring many manual steps. I've completed upgrades with Cisco before where the process was simple, but this time it wasn't the case for corporate IT. I also heard that SSL-based VPN will be discontinued, which could be concerning.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Fortinet FortiGate for several years; initially, I brought FortiGate to my previous company during a project.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Integrating SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward, with minimal complexity involved.
How are customer service and support?
My experience with Fortinet FortiGate support has been excellent, as I was fortunate to have an office in Vancouver where Fortinet had staff. We worked closely with tech personnel through the project. While I usually don't give perfect scores, the support was great. However, one area for improvement is that many functions can only be accessed via CLI, which has discrepancies between the web interface and direct connection.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I pushed corporate IT to replace SonicWall with Fortinet FortiGate, and now in my current company, we have FortiGate that we recently upgraded to the latest models.
What other advice do I have?
Managing Fortinet FortiGate involves three corporate IT personnel, and although it initially took them quite a while to handle some tasks, I provided scripts that allowed them to work much quicker. What took them a day or two is now a job of just 10 to 15 minutes. Scripting and utilizing Git repositories would make things smoother, and I intended to publish modules for Terraform but haven't had the time yet.
Overall, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate around an eight, as there is always room for improvement.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Officer - IT Cyber Security Admin with 10,001+ employees
Hardware is very stable but technical support needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The dynamic segmentation feature in Fortinet FortiGate is pretty good."
- "The main thing they have to improve in Fortinet FortiGate is the technical support; the rest of the features are good enough. We can handle them, but sometimes you really need support, and in that case, we are not getting it at the proper time."
What is our primary use case?
Our main use case for Fortinet FortiGate is as a firewall. We are using it for cybersecurity purposes.
How has it helped my organization?
Our main purpose when we started working with Fortinet FortiGate was to secure our network in all aspects. Fortinet FortiGate performs a very important role in blocking malicious activity in our network. I'm not sure how much it has improved, but it has made our network stable and secure.
What is most valuable?
The hardware is very stable. Once you install the system, it works in any condition.
The dynamic segmentation feature in Fortinet FortiGate is pretty good.
What needs improvement?
The main thing they have to improve in Fortinet FortiGate is the technical support; the rest of the features are good enough. We can handle them, but sometimes you really need support, and in that case, we are not getting it at the proper time. I have been mentioning this for the last two years.
There is a migration issue from 600D to 600E, as we are not able to export the configuration file to 600E. It should be like export and import in all variants.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate since 2016, which is approximately nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable. I would rate it a ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is very poor.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have not worked with other vendors for the last ten years, but if I get any chance, I will explore Palo Alto.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We want to purchase more Fortinet FortiGate devices, but people are not giving us a proper quotation. There needs to be more transparency in giving quotations. Sometimes prices are very high, and even after the conclusion, the buyer thinks there may be some more reduction in the price.
What other advice do I have?
Currently, we don't have any Fortinet FortiGate data center solutions, but in the future, we are going to plan this one.
I will recommend Fortinet FortiGate to other users only because the hardware is very stable. I would rate this solution a seven 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.
Co-Founder at CodeCraft Technologies Private Limited
A user-friendly firewall with good security features
Pros and Cons
- "Its usability is good. We can easily navigate the system, and we have a very good user experience."
- "Previously, we were using another firewall device, Sophos. Compared to that, Fortinet FortiGate provides more features and better security."
- "I want some additional features. For example, I want something to ensure that when we are using Google email or Microsoft email, or Google Workspace, emails can only be accessed on designated machines given to our employees. I would like them to access data from designated machines, not from any machine. It should work for designated mobiles and laptops. I don't know if Fortinet provides something like that out of the box."
- "The people we are working with are not able to configure MFA. They are having some technical issues. Fortinet needs to ensure that its partners are well-trained."
What is our primary use case?
I was involved in deciding on Fortinet FortiGate, but I am not the one who's using it on a day-to-day basis.
We want to make sure that our on-prem servers are protected. We basically use VPN to configure that on Fortinet FortiGate, so that is the major purpose, and that part is working well.
How has it helped my organization?
We have not had any incidents where our servers got compromised. It's all good.
For security, it has all the required features, such as the web filter and DNS filter. Also, for accessing the network, we have various rules.
What is most valuable?
Our IT staff says that some of the security features are better than Sophos's.
Its usability is good. We can easily navigate the system, and we have a very good user experience. It's easier to understand the software compared to Sophos, which I feel is a little more technical and could be difficult for a first-time user.
What needs improvement?
I want some additional features. For example, I want something to ensure that when we are using Google email or Microsoft email, or Google Workspace, emails can only be accessed on designated machines given to our employees. I would like them to access data from designated machines, not from any machine. It should work for designated mobiles and laptops. I don't know if Fortinet provides something like that out of the box.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have just installed Fortinet FortiGate, and it has been two months since our installation.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We are going through the vendor for technical support. If we have any issues, we raise a ticket, and they respond immediately.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we were using another firewall device, Sophos. Compared to that, Fortinet FortiGate provides more features and better security. Fortinet FortiGate supports WAN migration. Fortinet FortiGate is also better in terms of speed. In the dashboard, we can get all the stats reports and logs.
How was the initial setup?
Deployment is not very difficult because they have their migration tool.
What about the implementation team?
We are facing some challenges. We are working with a third-party vendor, not FortiGate directly, for the installation and other things. The problem is that their knowledge is very limited. We are facing some challenges. With Sophos, we could enable multi-factor authentication for VPN users. FortiGate also allows that, as per our initial analysis. The people we are working with are not able to configure MFA. They are having some technical issues. Fortinet needs to ensure that its partners are well-trained.
Only two people were involved in the deployment process. The vendor side had their own technician, and we had one person here.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cost-wise, there is not much difference from Sophos, but feature-wise, we get more features.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did some comparisons between Fortinet FortiGate and Sophos. We went with Fortinet FortiGate because of the security features and easy-to-understand console.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate 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.
Network Administrator at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
A solid firewall with straightforward management and robust capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "It is pretty straightforward to manage and has robust capabilities. I appreciate that Fortinet FortiGate can be a central controller for other Fortinet products, such as switches and access points."
- "Fortinet FortiGate has very good support."
- "It's one of the more expensive brands."
- "FortiManager has not been my favorite. I don't use it and cannot say I really care for FortiManager for managing the firewalls."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Fortinet FortiGate as endpoint firewalls for our campuses. Nothing too extravagant, just providing access out and limiting access to certain applications and restricting unauthorized access from external sources. I have recently been using it also as the controller for the wireless access points.
What is most valuable?
It is pretty straightforward to manage and has robust capabilities. I appreciate that Fortinet FortiGate can be a central controller for other Fortinet products, such as switches and access points. I have used its VPN abilities a little bit, but not a great deal. I appreciate that it has some SD-WAN capabilities, though I've only used that to a limited degree. It is a solid, usable, reliable solution.
What needs improvement?
It's one of the more expensive brands.
FortiManager has not been my favorite. I don't use it and cannot say I really care for FortiManager for managing the firewalls. I primarily just access and manage the firewalls individually. Nothing else particularly comes to mind, as it has been a pretty good experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have about four and a half years of experience with Fortinet FortiGate.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been very good. I have had very few issues. I had one unit that required some reboots and eventually needed a factory reset. But outside of one issue, I've never had stability issues or problems with them going down or disconnecting or having other issues. They have been very stable and reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have experienced no scalability problems thus far. We expand out with other campuses as needed. If there are any scalability problems, I think that would probably be with making FortiManager a little bit better. Otherwise, scalability is fine.
We are a medium-sized business with 17 campuses. We plan to increase its usage. We'll probably continue with FortiGate for any other campuses that we extend out to, as well as keeping them when we do our hardware refresh.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet FortiGate has very good support. I've been able to contact them on a couple of things for FortiGate and other products, and I've never had an issue. They've always been polite and helpful and worked to get me to solutions. I've had a good experience with Fortinet support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've always had Fortinet FortiGate in place, so I don't have a previous firewall here to compare it to, but it has basically done its job. It's manageable, and it has not created a lot of problems. Only once, I had to call their support to apply a patch update across a couple of them. One of the best features is that it does not require a lot of extra attention for me to fix problems. It's not a problem generator, so that's probably the best quality.
How was the initial setup?
I've set up several Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, and it's a pretty straightforward setup. I haven't ever really had any particular issue with getting them in place.
It's deployed physically at the locations for our campuses. To deploy one, it takes approximately an hour to program and then another hour or so to install. It can get deployed within three hours.
Just one person can manage Fortinet FortiGate; I'm able to manage everything by myself.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was done by me, one person. Sometimes I need to walk through someone else to physically install it because it might be at a site remote from me. If I'm not physically there, it requires a second person. However, if that was not the case, I could do it as a single person.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's one of the more expensive brands.
The 100 series costs around $4,000. They are similar in pricing to what you might get from Cisco solutions and probably other similar ones. They're not more expensive than other similar solutions, but they're certainly not cheaper either.
What other advice do I have?
The advice is to go ahead and try it out and see how it works. The product speaks for itself.
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten, as I always prefer to leave a little bit of room for improvement.
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.
Senior Manager IT at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable security has improved internet routing and optimized multi-site traffic performance
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate is one of the best firewalls in the market currently, with a lot of next generation firewall features embedded into it, including SD WAN, which is one of the best services for traffic steering, managing packet log jitter and latency for any applications, making it unbeatable in terms of pricing compared to other firewalls."
- "The one concern I have with Fortinet FortiGate is the firmware versions, which often have many bugs when upgraded, leading us to revert back to older versions multiple times in my lifecycle."
What is our primary use case?
As a customer, we work with Fortinet FortiGate. Our major use case for Fortinet FortiGate is our Internet, serving as the main device for routing, firewall features, and everything.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate is one of the best firewalls in the market currently, with a lot of next generation firewall features embedded into it, including SD WAN, which is one of the best services for traffic steering, managing packet log jitter and latency for any applications, making it unbeatable in terms of pricing compared to other firewalls.
It has a significant impact on our network performance as we are a health care company where users access health care business website URLs, and any latency is managed by SD WAN without manual intervention, benefiting the operation as we have more than a thousand users across different locations.
Fortinet FortiGate Unified SASE is effective in providing security policies across multiple locations, incorporating zero touch provisioning that is very impactful and beneficial in managing network problems.
In terms of hardware-assisted DDoS protection with Fortinet FortiGate, it is performance-based, depending on the number of concurrent sessions, users, and the specifications of the hardware product.
What needs improvement?
The one concern I have with Fortinet FortiGate is the firmware versions, which often have many bugs when upgraded, leading us to revert back to older versions multiple times in my lifecycle.
For example, when upgrading the firmware version, we noticed that one of the services was not working, resulting in no packet flow for a VLAN until we reverted back.
The main area for improvement in Fortinet FortiGate is the firmware versions, as we face uncertainties regarding upgrades and frequent bugs that require self-fixing of problems.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate since two thousand three.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is very much scalable, with all models from Fortinet being impactful.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support from Fortinet is generally good, though there are times when it could be better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used other firewalls, including Palo Alto, which we find to be very pricey compared to Fortinet FortiGate.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment process for Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We conducted the deployment ourselves without the help of an integrator or consultant.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment with Fortinet FortiGate is very good, as it is one of the best products available in the market.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of price for Fortinet FortiGate, it is not considered that expensive when compared to other products; it is medium priced for SMB businesses.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Palo Alto is a premier product, but both solutions have their unique advantages, making it difficult to declare one superior to the other.
What other advice do I have?
We have Fortinet FortiGate in different locations, where every location serves as a data center using hub and spoke technology, connecting all spokes to a primary hub and a secondary hub for reliability.
We use segmentation in core switches; however, the segmentation features are primarily managed by Cisco switches and not by Fortinet FortiGate firewall.
The effects of SD WAN integration on remote users and application performance are very positive, as we integrate all traffic through Fortinet FortiGate SD WAN and aim for configurations that enhance efficiency across locations.
We have been using SD WAN with Fortinet FortiGate for more than five or six years.
Fortinet FortiGate Unified SASE is effective in providing security policies across multiple locations, incorporating zero touch provisioning that is very impactful and beneficial in managing network problems.
The effects of SD WAN integration on remote users and application performance are very positive, as we integrate all traffic through Fortinet FortiGate SD WAN and aim for configurations that enhance efficiency across locations.
With Fortinet FortiGate, the SD WAN feature is included with no additional costs, which stands in contrast to other products like Cisco and Palo Alto, which charge extra for similar features.
I would rate this review 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.
Last updated: Mar 4, 2026
Flag as inappropriateOfficer in Charge of IT Department at Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer(ACTREC)
Ensures network security with reliable policy management and smooth deployment
Pros and Cons
- "We have received a very good ROI; it has provided significant time savings of almost 20-25%."
- "A disadvantage exists when we are collecting the logs, as it sometimes becomes very difficult to interpret the logs that are generated from the firewall."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is a perimeter firewall which we are using for protecting our network and for defining policies so that only restricted access is given from outside to serve this purpose.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate serves as our perimeter firewall which we utilize for protecting our network and defining policies to ensure only restricted access is given from outside.
What needs improvement?
A disadvantage exists when we are collecting the logs, as it sometimes becomes very difficult to interpret the logs that are generated from the firewall. The main challenge is finding out which IP is generating what kind of traffic.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for more than 10 years. We started with FGT 60, then moved on to 100, then 300, and currently we are using 501E.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It went smoothly and we have found it very useful because we have a redundant internet lease line. It takes care of all our requirements.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have been informed by Fortinet FortiGate that it has already reached the end of service. It will be supported until next year, so we might procure a new solution. It cannot be scaled, so we will have to replace the box itself.
How are customer service and support?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for quite a long time. As mentioned, we have used the last four series, and we found the product to be very stable. We regularly update it when updates are available, and the support has been good so far.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are not using any previous solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The system integrator performed the installation and it went smoothly. My team mentioned it is very easy to do the setup. Since it is software-based rather than hardware-based, and our people are very familiar with the software, the implementation proceeded smoothly.
What about the implementation team?
The system integrator performed the installation.
What was our ROI?
We have received a very good ROI. It has provided significant time savings of almost 20-25%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is affordable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
My team has indicated that Fortinet FortiGate is more simple and secure compared to alternatives.
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
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
User-friendly design facilitates seamless firewall implementation and network security management
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to replace all the firewalls in other locations, as around 90% of our company operates on Fortinet."
- "I believe one area that could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate is posturing, specifically for remote VPN users, as there are OS-based limitations I encountered with only Windows; adding domain restrictions for VPN access would make it more competitive and useful."
What is our primary use case?
We usually use Fortinet FortiGate for a perimeter firewall, but also for our outbound traffic as well as for the tunnels, with around 40 to 50 tunnels on our firewall.
We are using it in our data center; we have the 2,000 series HA firewalls.
How has it helped my organization?
Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to replace all the firewalls in other locations, as around 90% of our company operates on Fortinet.
We enable the SD-WAN zone to handle multiple ISPs, allowing it to automatically switch over the WAN link if any latency hits the threshold value, eliminating the need for manual failover. The impact of SD-WAN on our network performance provides great stability with zero downtime; it immediately switches over without any delay, not even a fraction of a second.
Fortinet addresses many vulnerabilities with respect to SSL VPN on their devices; quarterly patch upgrades are released, and the Fortinet team is retiring remote VPN services in favor of whole encrypted IPsec remote VPN to enhance security against hackers.
What is most valuable?
I have found Fortinet FortiGate's user-friendly design to be the most valuable feature so far. Anyone can easily understand how exactly it works, unlike Palo Alto and Check Point which are complex to understand.
What needs improvement?
I believe one area that could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate is posturing, specifically for remote VPN users, as there are OS-based limitations I encountered with only Windows; adding domain restrictions for VPN access would make it more competitive and useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for almost five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Overall, my impression of the stability of Fortinet FortiGate is very good, as I haven't seen any issues in the five years I've been using it, and there is no degradation of services on the firewall. However, I have observed some issues with FortiAPs, which is a different platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Based on my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is very scalable. Earlier it was suitable for mid-infra, but now we can use the firewalls for enterprise-level needs.
How are customer service and support?
Whenever I am stuck or need help, Fortinet support is available 24/7, regardless of the time zone I'm in, and they immediately jump in to assist, provided it is licensed.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before implementing Fortinet FortiGate, we were using SonicWall and ASA firewalls, which have now been replaced. The reason the previous firewalls were not suitable for our company anymore is that they were not competitive; they lacked UTM features, had limited VPN capabilities, and were outdated, which led us to select Fortinet over Cisco FTD for future needs.
How was the initial setup?
It's not so complex. It's user friendly. I have implemented more than hundred devices from scratch.
What about the implementation team?
As partners with Fortinet, we are end-users of this tool for our customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not exactly aware of the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate, but I would say it is considerably cheaper compared to other firewalls.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated other options, particularly Palo Alto. Fortinet FortiGate is user-friendly and as competitive as Palo Alto, Check Point, and FTD. It has the same features as other vendors but at a lower cost.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten 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 Consultant at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Has protected against emerging security threats with valuable features and reliable support
Pros and Cons
- "The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients."
- "There were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors."
What is our primary use case?
I have experience with Fortinet solutions.
I have had experience recently with FortiGate as well.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is deployed in a company that is a carrier of telecommunication services, providing solutions to all kinds of companies around the world, especially in Mexico.
It addresses new and emerging security threats in the telecommunications industry, as we recognize that it is a highly effective solution that provides robust protection. That's the reason it was the main product we used to sell for perimeter security.
What is most valuable?
We use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for the access points and their switches.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with this solution.
The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients.
The segmentation capabilities enhance our security posture because they work effectively combined with the switching solutions, allowing us to easily combine switching with the firewall, as we could segregate the VLANs. They were powerful and appropriate for the solution we needed while supporting all the adequate features we required.
What needs improvement?
I'm not completely sure how Fortinet can improve the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), however, there were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors. Fixing the bugs in their switching solutions is necessary because I have faced several situations where we lost connectivity because of their firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have almost 12 years of experience with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding next-generation firewalls, I would give the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) a rating of ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is quite good; it is easy to make it scalable.
I would place the scalability between nine and ten on a scale of one to ten.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Fortinet's support a ten out of ten. They are excellent and very available whenever we needed their help.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to struggle with Cisco because it didn't have most of the features that Fortinet has, and when comparing with Palo Alto or Check Point, the prices are higher, which is important for solutions needed by mid-sized companies.
What about the implementation team?
Their deployment team is substantial, consisting of between 100 and 150 people.
What was our ROI?
Most clients realize the benefits from deployment immediately. They look for internet availability and the security needed for their endpoints.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet has good prices compared to other vendors; there were cheaper options, and when we compared Cisco, Fortinet's prices were lower.
What other advice do I have?
I don't remember how I bought the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), so I can't say if it was purchased through AWS Marketplace.
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) helps with the economic aspect because it effectively protects what we needed with the companies in designing the products and solutions.
I'm not familiar with how the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) utilizes artificial intelligence or if it has AI-driven features to improve threat detection and response, so I cannot detail its existence or help.
I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others. It is a very good product. In my position, I sold approximately 1,000 units.
On a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
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. Partner
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: June 2026
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
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