Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
reviewer2519088 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Operating Officer at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
Reliable content access through web filters boosts organizational needs
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the web filters, as we are using them mostly; our content is condition-based, so we are accessing the websites by using the web filters."
  • "There is an issue with Fortinet support, as we are using the premium support but have not received good results, since they take a long time to resolve queries after we submit them."

What is our primary use case?

Our use case for Fortinet FortiGate is that our organization's environment meets specific criteria, which is why we are using the FortiGate, not the other firewalls.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the web filters, as we are using them mostly; our content is condition-based, so we are accessing the websites by using the web filters. Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution, as we are using it in our organization for proxies.

What needs improvement?

I believe that Fortinet FortiGate can be improved, especially in support response times. If you have a critical scenario in your organization, when you email them and call, they ask you to log the ticket first, which takes time.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have approximately six years of experience working with Fortinet FortiGate.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
August 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate-VM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
866,561 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a good solution, and we are using it for almost six years without experiencing any bad scenarios. However, there is an issue with Fortinet support, as we are using the premium support but have not received good results, since they take a long time to resolve queries after we submit them.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

My concern is primarily about the support. The product is good, but my overall concern is about the support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before Fortinet FortiGate, I haven't used any other solutions; it was the first one, and I am using it until now.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was very easy for me.

What about the implementation team?

We have just deployed Fortinet FortiGate in our organization by ourselves, without help from the support or any other vendors.

What was our ROI?

I just work on Fortinet FortiGate, but I have heard in the market that Fortinet FortiGate is better than others in terms of cost and overall solution. My total experience is only with Fortinet FortiGate, so I am very comfortable with this product.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In my opinion, the price of Fortinet FortiGate is good, as it is a good solution with a good price.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

In comparison to other firewalls, it is a good solution with a good price.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate overall as nine out of ten, as it has made different products for different needs. You cannot get all the solutions in one box, but for dedicated requirements, you need dedicated hardware for other functions. I would rate technical support from Fortinet at a three on a scale of one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid 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.
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Web Relationship Manager (WRM) at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Real User
Top 20
Has implemented secure remote access and enhanced centralized management for client data centers

What is our primary use case?

We are a service provider. We have the client project, so we are recommending Fortinet FortiGate for this solution. We are not just recommending; we are billing also. It's basically SD-WAN, a software-defined WAN network. On our client side, we are setting up a mini data center, and in that, we are using Fortinet FortiGate.

What is most valuable?

The best features in Fortinet FortiGate are the VPNs for the outside network and IPsec tunnels between the point-to-point links between their head office and branch offices. Software VPNs provide remote access features and remote access services. Fortinet Unified settings are good for our cloud-based management and centralized management. I think it is a better option for that.

What needs improvement?

We have not yet tried the Unified Agent. We would need more details to explore how it can be used for our business use cases.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. As of now, there are no performance issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have many scalable customers that have scaled in different areas. If we can get proactive support before the issues are identified by the customer itself, we can resolve it easily. We can do some proactive maintenance for that purpose.

How are customer service and support?

We are using AI and ML-enhanced FortiGuard services within Fortinet FortiGate. We do use Fortinet FortiGate's data center solution.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

What other advice do I have?

We have Firewalls in our internal network. We have software Firewalls and Fortinet FortiGate Firewalls, which are hardware. We use Sophos and Fortinet FortiGate. We have two Firewalls mainly, for internal and outside networks. The Sophos Firewall is for external networks and Fortinet FortiGate Firewall is for internal networks.

We haven't done the full SD-WAN integration as of now. We have our own software-defined network that is cloud-based. Our customer is preferring the hardware-based solution, so Fortinet FortiGate is under consideration. Currently, we are not using Fortinet FortiGate SD-WAN, but we have a plan for that.

The Fortinet FortiGate solution is affordable and not complex. It can be manageable on private cloud. Most of our customers are government companies, so we are preferring the private cloud. Scalability is very important for us, though it's only scalable on our server.

I have been using Sophos myself from the management side, and our team has hands-on experience with multiple vendors. The only concern is support-related. We have not tried AI and ML integration with Fortinet FortiGate, but we can consider it and will refer it to our clients.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Fortinet FortiGate a 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. MSP
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
August 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate-VM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2025.
866,561 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer2742447 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Administrator, Security Engineer, Security Result at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Real User
Creates seamless connectivity and boosts security efficiency
Pros and Cons
  • "The use of Fortinet FortiGate in an infrastructure saves time, reduces costs, improves the security of users and resources, and prevents data leakage."
  • "In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all."

What is our primary use case?

My main use case for Fortinet FortiGate includes deploying all Fortinet solutions, from zero to a complete deployment for infrastructure security. This includes securing the internal network infrastructure, securing the edge network for perimeter protection, and interconnecting sites through site-to-site VPN, multi-site, remote access, and SSL VPN.

Additionally, it includes the protection of DMZ servers through the most advanced UTM security profiles of Fortinet.

The use of Fortinet FortiGate helps me with site-to-site VPN and remote access. The use of Fortinet products occurs in real, professional deployment projects for the clients I work with. The specifications are based on the deployment of SD-WAN, site-to-site VPN, multi-site, hub and spoke, SSL VPN, and many other subjects for securing the infrastructure, whether it involves remote sites with small appliances or a head office site with data center or campus appliances.

For interconnecting remote sites, whether through site-to-site VPN or multi-site, the process is simple. It depends on the context and the client's specifications. For a client who has a site to interconnect, it will be a simple site-to-site deployment with IPsec VPN to allow interconnection of different sites. For a client who has several sites, I propose and deploy a hub and spoke setup with ADVPN for scalable interconnection of multiple sites.

What is most valuable?

The standout features of Fortinet FortiGate include its ease of use, intuitive interface for implementation, and simplified maintenance, administration, and daily management from deployment to monitoring. The accessible support and documentation that Fortinet makes available to all users is essential.

One of the advantages of using Fortinet is that it uses an identical FortiOS system for all Fortinet products. They all have an intuitive interface that is easy to use and learn, even for novices. They can easily integrate and adapt to use Fortinet in different use cases. In my experience with products from other providers such as Palo Alto, Cisco, and Check Point, Fortinet is the only provider to have successfully set up a unified operating system on all its products in the network security ecosystem.

Through a Fortinet FortiGate, you have the ability to manage the entire ecosystem of your network through a simple management system. The Security Fabric of FortiGate allows you to simplify management and threat response from all security equipment that can collaborate and be used together. Additionally, FortiManager accompanies this solution to unify the centralized management of all Fortinet products, using the same FortiOS system.

The use of Fortinet FortiGate in an infrastructure saves time, reduces costs, improves the security of users and resources, and prevents data leakage. When deployed properly to secure the infrastructure, there is increased productivity, improved user performance, and reduction in bandwidth consumption.

What needs improvement?

I think Fortinet FortiGate can be improved as Fortinet must address significant points of evolution. When I mention points of evolution at Fortinet, I mean they must implement simplified processes for deployment scenarios and enhance their ability to support customers, despite existing documentation and support access.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started using Fortinet FortiGate over six years ago. In the last three years, the use of FortiGate and many other Fortinet products has become intense and regular.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is good.

How are customer service and support?

Most of the clients I support technically with their Fortinet products appreciate the service. They don't have any problems, so there is no significant negative feedback.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before using Fortinet FortiGate, I used Cisco ASA. We switched to Fortinet because they provided much more concrete solutions, were more up-to-date, and focused on network security as their core business.

How was the initial setup?

On the cloud side, purchasing Fortinet FortiGate through the AWS Marketplace is very simple to deploy and easy to set up. My experience with the configuration process in AWS has been globally simple.

What was our ROI?

I have not seen a return on investment since using Fortinet FortiGate.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiGate is that the licensing and hardware pricing is reasonable compared to other security solution providers. However, Fortinet must review the access to these licenses at reduced prices, and the appliance prices must be reviewed to allow access to all organizations, including small, medium, and large-sized businesses.

What other advice do I have?

I would add that all of Fortinet's UTM protection solutions are solutions that respond to the current ecosystem for the protection of critical infrastructures. My advice to others looking into using Fortinet FortiGate would be that while recommendations are great, they should ask more questions. I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid 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. Partner
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Global VP of Cloud & IT at Marlink
Real User
Top 20
Hybrid cloud flexibility and improved center protection enhance network management

What is our primary use case?

We're working with Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, network devices, and Wi-Fi, specifically for Wi-Fi and networking.

What is most valuable?

The best features of Fortinet FortiGate include the flexibility of hybrid cloud capabilities and the way they are structuring their multi-tenancy and for managed services, along with manageability. The services have improved data center protection at scale because we have standardized, and it's all more manageable.

What needs improvement?

Technical support would probably be an area for improvement, particularly around the extensibility of hybrid multi-cloud integration with AI. I have faced some issues with technical support, particularly with the speed of response not being so quick at times. We also want to improve the partnership program, as it is not flexible enough for global companies. The partner program's level of certification and commercial commitment is not really well-suited for global partners.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for many years now.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate their technical support as a six.

How would you rate customer service and support?

How was the initial setup?

The implementation and initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate depends on various factors and is not straightforward. The person who implements it needs to know what they are doing and should be certified on how to implement it. However, if you know what you're doing, it's more straightforward than most other products.

What about the implementation team?

Fortinet provides training as part of our partner program.

What was our ROI?

I have seen a return on investment, more or less.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

My experience with pricing is good; we're sorting out our global partnerships. Before I joined the company, we had a pricing problem because the partnership was not set up correctly, but now I've managed to get that sorted out and hopefully, that will resolve the issue and lead to better pricing globally.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

For a firewall perspective, your next option would probably be Palo Alto or Check Point, but Fortinet has made significant improvements to go ahead in that space. I think your closest contender right now is probably Palo Alto.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate to most organizations. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate overall as an eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Network Security Engineer lvl2 at Airowire Networks
Real User
Web filtering and application categories provide robust security while traffic remains stable with excellent support

What is our primary use case?

Our use cases include link aggregation with core switches and WAN switches solutions when having multiple ISPs to reduce the number of utilization ports in the Fortinet FortiGate firewall. We can provide link aggregation bandwidth and throughput of 1GB and create LACP for their traffic. The solution includes LACP link aggregation solutions, LDAP integrations, and read-write profiles for L1 and L2 access integrations. It also includes dial-up VPN, hub-and-spoke setup, IPsec tunnels setups, and automation features where administrators receive notifications for any changes in the firewall. Currently, in India, approximately 30 to 40% of organizations utilize these devices.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate include web filtering and application category functionality. The application category allows web filtering based on categories, which is one of the strengths of the Fortinet FortiGate firewall. The traffic is stable and seamless. We have found minimal bugs in the firmware, and when issues are discovered, they are immediately rectified with TAC engineers.

Fortinet FortiGate can be deployed in both large and small organizations. The solution can be implemented in organizations with 150, 60, or 100 users. We can provide solutions based on their throughput requirements, which is a significant advantage of the firewall.

What needs improvement?

I require many more features as of now.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Fortinet FortiGate for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The traffic is stable and seamless. We have found minimal bugs in the firmware, and when issues are discovered, they are immediately rectified with TAC engineers.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not gone in-depth regarding scalability, but from economic, financial, and security level perspectives, everything is manageable and better understood. We also receive support from the TAC team.

How are customer service and support?

Support services are excellent, deserving a rating of 8.5 to 9. Technical support provides better clarity about issues. Only two or three cases rarely remained unresolved by TAC engineers.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

When comparing with other OEM levels, we can provide better solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The complexity level is not significant.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

When using another OEM firewall, we can provide alternative solutions.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is very easy to understand and handy. We have customers deployed both on-premises and in the cloud. Our main focus is on monitoring bandwidth utilization and identifying which applications are used most frequently and which IPs are affected. We have separate monitoring tools to identify malware or malicious content downloads, providing additional benefits. 

For data center solutions, we provide solutions based on throughput, number of users, and traffic routing from hubs to DC. The application utilization tracking allows us to see bandwidth usage per IP and MAC address, helping allocate traffic shaping for particular departments.

I would rate it a nine out of 10

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid 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. partner
Flag as inappropriate
PeerSpot user
Ino Vitra - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Operation Manger at IIJ Singapore
Reseller
Top 5
Helps secure complex environments through strong integration and security features
Pros and Cons
  • "The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience."

    What is our primary use case?

    I primarily use it for the Nextiva SIM firewall and the website application firewall. We strive to serve our customers, including utilizing the SD-WAN feature in FortiGate in our office.

    What is most valuable?

    The features that are beneficial for failure mitigation and security include PPN and firewall security. The integration of multiple networks, especially in complex environments such as the finance and manufacturing industries, makes FortiGate valuable. In these industries, it can be difficult to implement and integrate several applications.

    What needs improvement?

    Currently, I am working on improvements. One of the main areas is the processing and integration of new features. In my opinion, refreshing the CPM technology with zero-trust access could enhance its performance.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used the solution mostly for maybe ten years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience. When I propose FortiGate to customers, hardware problems have been minimal, which suggests a reliable performance.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability is well-supported, with the notable ability to implement features easily. FortiGate offers robust scalability options.

    How are customer service and support?

    I find the customer service to be good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup typically takes three to five days.

    What other advice do I have?

    Sometimes, questions arise about the backup position, especially regarding firewall operations. FortiGate, placed next to Nextiva SIM, excels in terms of pricing and operational efficiency. Customers can easily troubleshoot with great technical support. I would rate it nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid 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. reseller
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Deputy General Manager at Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd
    Real User
    Top 5
    I like the solution's IPS, IDS, and URL filtering
    Pros and Cons
    • "I like FortiGate's IPS, IDS, and URL filtering."
    • "I think Fortinet should provide us with more reporting from the AI/ML point of view. They could also offer the SaaS application in a single box. The VPN and ZTNA have so many verticals that they work as a standalone solution. They need to be in a single box."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use FortiGate-VM as a firewall. My company has more than 4,000 users, and we plan to increase usage. 

    What is most valuable?

    I like FortiGate's IPS, IDS, and URL filtering. 

    What needs improvement?

    I think Fortinet should provide us with more reporting from the AI/ML point of view. They could also offer the SaaS application in a single box. The VPN and ZTNA have so many verticals that they work as a standalone solution. They need to be in a single box.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have worked with FortiGate-VM for the last three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate FortiGate-VM eight out of 10 for stability. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    From a scalability point of view, we have a physical user license. If we need to upgrade, we can get a box. There is presently sufficient formal organization to scale up.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have no problems with Fortinet support.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We have used Check Point and Palo Alto firewalls. 

    How was the initial setup?

    We deployed FortiGate-VM with the help of a partner and the vendor. The deployment process took three months. We previously used Cisco ASA and had no migration tool, so we had to start from scratch. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    FortiGate-VM is affordable. In terms of operating costs, we contract with the OEM for a three-year contract and then renew. We haven't received any notice from them because all of our infrastructure is under contract. Every three years, if we cannot get a good price from the vendor, we replace the box.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM eight out of 10. It has all the features. The only recommendation is to combine the vertical into a single box. To improve performance, they should build an engine in the box that enables them to scale per the user requirement. 

    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.
    PeerSpot user
    RajeshKumar20 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Engineer at Team Computers
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    An easy-to-manage and configure tool that provides ample documentation to help with the setup phase
    Pros and Cons
    • "The ROI is good since I get free support."
    • "The tool does not have a good name in the market, consisting of enterprise-class businesses, making it an area where the product lacks and needs to improve."

    What is our primary use case?

    Fortinet FortiGate-VM is the best solution in an environment with less than 100 to 200 users.

    What needs improvement?

    In SonicWall, there is no need to buy two boxes for HA. SonicWall will work fine if you buy one box with the fully licensed set and get another box without a license. When it comes to Palo Alto Networks or Fortinet FortiGate-VM, people have to buy the same type of boxes with the same features to ensure that they get HA. The need to buy the same type of boxes with the same features to ensure that you get HA is one of the shortcomings of Fortinet FortiGate-VM when compared to SonicWall, where improvements are needed.

    The product has a good reputation in the SMB industry market. The tool does not have a good name in the market, consisting of enterprise-class businesses, making it an area where the product lacks and needs to improve.

    The price of the license needs to be improved.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for around ten years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of the product is good. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

    Around 100 people in my company use the product.

    How are customer service and support?


    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have used other products from Fortinet, like Fortinet FortiGate 200F Series Data Sheet.

    How was the initial setup?

    The product's initial setup phase was very easy since a lot of documentation was available.

    The solution is deployed on the cloud and on an on-premises model.

    For the Fortinet FortiGate-VM's installation, Fortinet provides the list of system resources needed, including details of the VMs, RAM, and CPUs needed.

    The solution can be deployed in an hour.

    What about the implementation team?

    The solution can be deployed with the help of in-house team members.

    What was our ROI?

    The product is worth the money since I can renew whatever features I get in the three-year or five-year pack that I buy. The ROI is good since I get free support.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The product is expensive. Users can opt for a one-year, two-year, three-year, or five-year subscription model when it comes to licensing. There is no need to pay any additional charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    Speaking about how the tool improved security within our company's virtualized environment, I would say that if I go for VPN, data in the cloud, or more number of users, then Palo Alto Networks is the best. If there is a smaller number of users, then Fortinet FortiGate-VM is good.

    For an MNC organization, Palo Alto Networks is a good option. For Indian organizations, I recommend Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

    A scenario where the solution was essential for cloud workload protection is applicable in a small company with 100 to 200 users of the product. If you need a tool without much of an investment, then it is better to choose Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

    The most effective part of the tool that is useful for network threat prevention is Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, which is free of cost and is available with a large number of uplink ports, so the servers can directly have a firewall, which is not something that is possible for Palo Alto Networks.

    I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The product has a lot of customers in India.

    If I consider Fortinet FortiGate-VM's growing network demands, I rate the scalability a seven to eight out of ten.

    The management and configuration areas in the product are easy.

    The product offers a lot of security tools to meet a lot of security needs. Fortinet allows you to add security solutions one by one in your environment.

    Depending on the product's capability to deal with network scenarios and the use of internal and external firewalls, I rate the overall tool a ten out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Fortinet FortiGate-VM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: August 2025
    Product Categories
    Firewalls
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Fortinet FortiGate-VM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.