We are primarily using the solution as a hosted gateway.
Reliable with good manageability and a straightforward setup process
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the product to be scalable."
- "The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability."
What is our primary use case?
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.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate SWG
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate SWG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
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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.

A stable and strong solution that works perfectly and can be scaled easily
Pros and Cons
- "The product is stable and strong."
- "The product’s price is high."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for security.
What is most valuable?
It is a good solution. The product is stable and strong. We never had any issues with it. All the features work perfectly.
What needs improvement?
The product’s price is high. It is charging more compared to other solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for six to seven years. We are working with the latest version of the product.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable, so we have no complaints. I rate the tool’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten. We are an SME. We have around 300 users.
How was the initial setup?
I have 20 years of experience in the industry. The initial setup is simple for me. We can deploy the solution within hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten. We pay a yearly license fee.
What other advice do I have?
We implement the solution for our clients. We never had to contact technical support. I recommend the solution to others. It is a good product. Overall, I rate the tool 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. Implementers
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate SWG
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate SWG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
859,957 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Offers proxy and web filtering, assists in meeting compliance requirements by facilitating log reports and highly scalable solution
Pros and Cons
- "I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability."
- "The UI/UX experience can be a little better."
What is our primary use case?
My clients use it as a proxy. The second use case is to try a kind of web filtering. So that's the reason why they're buying. We have customers to whom we have sold an appliance, and we also have a customer to whom we have sold on a virtual machine. So, it's placed on their private cloud.
How has it helped my organization?
We've been able to try and secure our perimeter better because of the proxy and the gateway. Moreover, traffic from all our compliance actually passes through this.
We have compliances also, so we get log reports from that, which goes into our log management software. And it actually helps us to try and analyze any security threats to our environment.
What is most valuable?
DNS security is something that is actually a good service that comes along with the FortiProXY or a Forti secure web gateway.
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is already a good solution, especially with its IP reputation and anti-botnet security features.
What needs improvement?
The UI/UX experience can be a little better.
For how long have I used the solution?
My company has the skill set assets.
We've been in the business for more than eight years. We have implemented FortiGate SWG in the last twelve months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. It's very highly stable. Even if the appliance on-premise solutions have been working fine, Fortinet has a good RMA policy in case of failure as well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability.
For medium and enterprise businesses, we would be looking at a web gateway. Small businesses normally don't get into buying a web gateway as such.
How are customer service and support?
We expect a little skillset from the partner as well. However, if we raise the ticket, it becomes much easier, and we get the necessary technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
Usually, the deployment model is in a private cloud. It can be deployed as an on-prem solution also. The customers have proxy gateways, and so it comes as an appliance as well or as hardware.
The deployment takes days. It doesn't take weeks. But it depends on the customer environment, like the number of users and what policies need to be configured for that.
So, it depends on the complexity as far as configurations are concerned. But it definitely can be done in days, and it doesn't take more than ten odd days or so, depending upon the scope.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
From a price standpoint, Fortinet is willing to work with partners to get good deals, and Forti will not lose on a price.
So, we'll be able to try and have a good price versus performance metrics that Fortinet provides.
I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I would definitely recommend using the solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Owner at VM7 TECHFABER
A solution with seamless integration and excellent security features
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate is a great solution, although initially, it faced challenges in the Brazilian market due to lower brand recognition than Cisco. However, explaining and demonstrating its product format and offerings has proven easy. The cost-effectiveness and better features of FortiGate have made some clients skeptical. We set up a trial period, and they eventually opted for it. Many clients were convinced it was great after experiencing the solution's capabilities firsthand."
- "One area of improvement I've noticed is the lack of built-in monitoring capabilities in the firewall. Currently, we rely on third-party solutions for monitoring purposes. However, I believe the firewall itself has the potential to do a better job in this aspect. Another aspect of Fortinet that concerns me is related to redundancy. We have a setup with two firewalls working in parallel, which requires a highly adaptable configuration. However, it feels unfair that clients need to purchase two licenses, especially when one of the firewalls serves as a backup. We have noticed that other manufacturers have different policies on this matter."
How has it helped my organization?
FortiGate is a great solution, although initially, it faced challenges in the Brazilian market due to lower brand recognition than Cisco. However, explaining and demonstrating its product format and offerings has proven easy. The cost-effectiveness and better features of FortiGate have made some clients skeptical. We set up a trial period, and they eventually opted for it. Many clients were convinced it was great after experiencing the solution's capabilities firsthand.
What is most valuable?
I believe the package offered by FortiGate provides great value for the solution. It integrates well, allowing us to use Wi-Fi solutions, switches, and firewalls with a centralized management portal. The security it provides is great and one of the best in the market.
What needs improvement?
One area of improvement I've noticed is the lack of built-in monitoring capabilities in the firewall. Currently, we rely on third-party solutions for monitoring purposes. However, I believe the firewall itself has the potential to do a better job in this aspect.
Another aspect of Fortinet that concerns me is related to redundancy. We have a setup with two firewalls working in parallel, which requires a highly adaptable configuration. However, it feels unfair that clients need to purchase two licenses, especially when one of the firewalls serves as a backup. We have noticed that other manufacturers have different policies on this matter.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for the past 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of the solution as a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of the solution as a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We have encountered some issues with the support. Although it is included in the solution, the support could be faster.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What was our ROI?
There has been a return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When comparing this solution to others, I would rate it a ten out of ten in terms of pricing. However, the issue of requiring a separate license for redundancy is a drawback, and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
The advice I can offer is to compare the entire solution with its competitors. While certain narrow aspects might show some glitches and areas for improvement, when viewed completely, it becomes evident that Fortinet is a great solution. Overall, I would rate the solution as 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.
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."
- "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 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.
IT admin at Zaklady Uslugowe EZT SA
An affordable and easy-to-use solution that can be used for firewall, antivirus, scanning, and web filtering
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG are IPS and scanning."
- "The solution’s stability could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiGate SWG for firewall, antivirus, scanning, and web filtering.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG are IPS and scanning. Fortinet FortiGate SWG is also easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Fortinet FortiGate SWG an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 60 users use Fortinet FortiGate SWG in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution through an in-house team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is an affordable solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate SWG to other users.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiGate SWG 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.
It manager at MMA2
Useful web filtering features with a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "Web filtering is the most useful feature."
- "We can't identify which users are causing challenges when we have issues."
What is most valuable?
Web filtering is the most useful feature.
What needs improvement?
We can't identify which users are causing challenges when we have issues. For example, we may know we have a challenge with our network, but many want to know where it is and the particular user. That would help us to blacklist the user if needed and manage the user data.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for about six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable, and I rate the scalability an eight out of ten. We have about a hundred users.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a seven out of ten because I don't use them often.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward and not difficult. I rate the setup an eight out of ten, and it did not take long to deploy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is an issue and is a bit high. I rate the pricing a six out of ten because it is expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated other options like Zoho and Cisco. We chose Fortinet FortiGate SWG because the network we were using was poor.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten. It is good, and I would recommend it to others.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Security System Consultant at Secureway Tecnologia da Informação Ltda
Useful inspection capabilities, helpful support, and simple deployment
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is inspection."
- "Fortinet FortiGate SWG could improve the price, it is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Fortinet FortiGate SWG to control the user's web access to certain places, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, or streaming sites.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is inspection.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG could improve the price, it is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is good.
We have approximately 100 people using this solution in my company.
How are customer service and support?
The service provided by Fortinet FortiGate SWG is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate SWG is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When comparing the price of Fortinet FortiGate SWG to other solutions it is expensive. The price could be better.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is for them to research the installation mode to see if it will be transparent or not.
I rate Fortinet FortiGate SWG 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.

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