We are using a virtual machine for the FortiManager. It's already installed, and we just collected the seven units under the FortiManager. So we don't need to access each device separately. It collects all the FortiGate units in one console. We see the statistics and the status for all machines from the FortiManager. It is easy to control and monitor all the remote devices.
Team Leader - Telecom & Network at a energy/utilities company with 501-1,000 employees
Easy to setup but dashboard could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "The main benefit of Fortinet FortiManager is the ability to control all the devices from a central location, view their statuses, and manage their configurations and updates from a single management console."
- "The dashboard could use some improvement."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The main benefit of Fortinet FortiManager is the ability to control all the devices from a central location, view their statuses, and manage their configurations and updates from a single management console.
What needs improvement?
The price may only be applicable for bigger companies, and there is room for improvement in the FortiManager in license models. In general, the SIM license can be a bit complicated. You have to order licenses for different endpoints and devices, and calculating the costs can be confusing. Simplifying the ordering process for the SIM license would be helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the SD-WAN solution for almost a year now. It was implemented in 2021. For Fortinet FortiManager, it's been less than a year since we connected after the implementation of the SD-WAN. It's on-premise but as a virtual machine.
We are using the latest version of Fortinet FortiManager because we updated it before and after the installation.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
How are customer service and support?
We ordered the product from a local company, which also provided the installation service for the firewall and SD one. We have not yet utilized the Fortinet technical support services.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. We did it without any training.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the solution myself. When I installed it, I made sure that I installed the latest version of FortiManager, and then I added the devices one by one. I provided the credentials for each device, and the information was automatically synchronized with the remote devices. So, I did it one by one. It is installed in the VM environment, so it is not difficult to maintain it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
As we are an oil company, the price was manageable for us because we had a budget for it. But for small businesses, it could be costly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We use SolarWinds for scenarios like network performance monitoring, configuration management, and IP address management. And for the FortiGate firewalls, we are using Fortinet FortiManager.
We have different modules for SolarWinds, but for FortiGate firewalls, we use FortiManager.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I will rate it a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is the worst and ten is the best because the dashboard could use some 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.
General Manager/ Owner at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Helps simplify security policy management, receives good updates, and is easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The firmware version upgrades are the most valuable feature."
- "The price always has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiManager to monitor our customer's firewalls.
How has it helped my organization?
FortiManager simplifies security policy management for our clients, even though their configurations differ. This is because it allows us to easily copy and administer base policies across all deployments.
What is most valuable?
The firmware version upgrades are the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The price always has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for a year.
How are customer service and support?
I used the technical support one time and it was a good experience.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Compared to Check Point or Cisco, Fortinet FortiManager is more affordable but it is still on the higher end. I would rate the price 8 out of 10 with 10 being the most expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiManager 8 out of 10.
I've been working with Fortinet firewalls for over ten years now. Everything works consistently well, including the hardware, software, operating system, and all the features. They're easy to configure, and using firewalls together with FortiManager for central administration and monitoring of all our devices makes everything much simpler.
I recommend Fortinet FortiManager because you can administer the firewalls from one tool.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner/Reseller
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiManager
January 2026
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Network administrator at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees
Has automation capabilities, improves our security operations, and centralizes management
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the centralized management console."
- "Configuring Fortinet without internet access is challenging."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiManager for centralized management of our Fortinet devices, including switches and firewalls. This single console allows us to manage multiple devices efficiently.
How has it helped my organization?
We can push device configurations and policy management through FortiManager.
It has improved our security operations.
FortiManager has automation capabilities that positively impact our operational efficiency.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the centralized management console.
What needs improvement?
Configuring Fortinet without internet access is challenging.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am currently in the process of integrating Fortinet FortiManager.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiManager is scalable but scaling is costly.
How are customer service and support?
I am satisfied with the technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I can complete the deployment myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It can be expensive. Some competing solutions in the market, like Sophos and SonicWALL, offer lower costs of up to 40 percent.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiManager 8 out of 10.
I recommend it but be aware that Fortinet firewalls managed by FortiManager may require weekly updates due to known bugs on the Fortinet servers.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It's an essential tool for managing complex environments across multiple sites
Pros and Cons
- "Without FortiManager, you cannot manage a complex environment across several sites with multiple firewalls."
- "FortiManager could improve by making it easier to port larger policy packages to the FortiGate firewalls. Sometimes, there's an issue when we install a big package of policies. If you have a couple thousand policies for FortiGate firewalls, it can take a few minutes to receive a response from the remote devices. It's only an issue when you're dealing with thousands of policies and installing them on a large number of devices."
What is our primary use case?
FortManager is a tool for centrally managing multiple FortiGate firewalls.
What is most valuable?
Without FortiManager, you cannot manage a complex environment across several sites with multiple firewalls.
What needs improvement?
FortiManager could improve by making it easier to port larger policy packages to the FortiGate firewalls. Sometimes, there's an issue when we install a big package of policies. If you have a couple thousand policies for FortiGate firewalls, it can take a few minutes to receive a response from the remote devices. It's only an issue when you're dealing with thousands of policies and installing them on a large number of devices.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used FortiManager for about 14 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate FortiManager eight out of 10 for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Fortinet support nine out of 10.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have worked with Cisco and Aruba. We decided to switch to Fortinet a couple of years back because we determined that Fortinet offered the best solution.
How was the initial setup?
Deploying FortiManager is straightforward. The initial installation is simple and can be completed in a few minutes, but configuring the devices and sending the policy packages to the firewalls can take a few hours. We have around seven engineers maintaining this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate FortiManager six out of 10 for affordability. The pricing is decent. It isn't the most expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate FortiManager eight out of 10. I recommend it for those who use FortiGate firewalls. It's a management unit for Fortinet solutions, so if you don't use FortiGate, it makes no sense.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
The solution is easy to use, and it integrates all devices on a single platform
Pros and Cons
- "The product is easy to use and manage."
- "FortiManager should improve the integration with third-party platforms."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to manage the firewall and the policies and objects associated with it.
What is most valuable?
The product is easy to use and manage. It integrates all the global devices into one platform.
What needs improvement?
FortiManager should improve the integration with third-party platforms. Though the solution is easy to manage, we need adequate training to use it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Around 20 to 30 IT employees use the solution in the organization.
What about the implementation team?
It is a cloud-based solution. Around 20 people are needed for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our organization pays a monthly license fee for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
Only IT employees in the organization can use the platform. I would recommend the solution to others. I would rate the product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
An automation-driven centralized management solution with an valuable rapid deployment feature
Pros and Cons
- "I like the rapid deployment feature. I also like that it's easy to troubleshoot. FortiManager is amazing because we can have a centralized policy. All our devices are integrated, and we can also engage in troubleshooting. We can use it for different deployments. One fantastic feature is the ability to create a version and deploy it immediately."
- "It would be better if it were easier to run a routing protocol. In the next release, I would like them to enhance some features in the GUI rather than CLI or OSP. For example, whenever a customer generates an ISP directly on the firewall, it's complicated to configure the routing protocol."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiManager to create different policies and much more. We used to create a lot of VPNs, and we used to perform the cleanup of firewalls because of security orders with FortiManagemer. We created standard policies for multiple devices. For example, we have more than four hundred or five hundred devices, and a standard policy needs to be created. We have to create the policy and deploy it, and we can also clean up the firewall rule.
What is most valuable?
I like the rapid deployment feature. I also like that it's easy to troubleshoot. FortiManager is amazing because we can have a centralized policy. All our devices are integrated, and we can also engage in troubleshooting. We can use it for different deployments. One fantastic feature is the ability to create a version and deploy it immediately.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if it were easier to run a routing protocol. In the next release, I would like them to enhance some features in the GUI rather than CLI or OSP. For example, whenever a customer generates an ISP directly on the firewall, it's complicated to configure the routing protocol.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for about four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiManager is a stable product.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give stability a ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiManager is a scalable solution.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give scalability a nine.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support was amazing.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Palo Alto before. Most of our customers are running Cisco EAC and would like to block some websites. But next-generation features aren't available. So we have to use a FortiGate tool. Considering the costs and the fact that it's easy to deploy, it was the better solution. And most importantly, VPN is free. We don't need to buy a VPN license to configure it.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution. You need two people to implement this solution. A security architect and an engineer are enough.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Fortinet FortiManager a nine.
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 Security Specialist at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
User-friendly, straightforward, and works incredibly well
Pros and Cons
- "FortiManager offers a full zero-touch provisioning feature that allows us to create a template of our devices and onboard them remotely without visiting the site."
- "The scalability has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiManager acts as a centralized platform for overseeing our entire Fortinet security infrastructure, which includes FortiGate firewalls, switches, and access points. From a single user interface, we can manage and configure these components to ensure maximum protection of our networks. The TNA concept is where we can have Zero Touch Provisioning.
What is most valuable?
FortiManager offers a full zero-touch provisioning feature that allows us to create a template of our devices and onboard them remotely without visiting the site. This is an excellent benefit of using FortiManager for our Firewall assets.
Fortinet FortiManager is user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
The scalability has room for improvement. The solution is available in both a hardware and a virtual machine model. The VM model is scalable by simply adding additional licenses, but the hardware model has scalability limitations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I give the scalability an eight out of ten.
We have over 30 customers using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support team is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
Once we have set up our template, it should take only two to three days to deploy. After that, we can quickly and easily add firewalls without any further automation.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
I would highly recommend FortiManager; in my experience, it is much simpler than any other central management solution I have seen. FortiManager is user-friendly, straightforward, and works incredibly well. Pushing policies and other tasks is made incredibly easy and uncomplicated.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Chief Technology Officer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Central deployment, quick technical support with urgent tickets, not costly
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is great. When we have sent urgent tickets and they do reply back within fifteen minutes."
- "When we have a specific configuration pushed it does take some time to be deployed on the actual firewall."
What is most valuable?
In our use case, we manage the configuration of all the firewalls so we can create different versions. We are able to do a centralized deployment and if any changes are there, we can map them with the authorization policies. If somebody makes a mistake with the configuration we can revert back to the old configuration. With Fortinet FortiManager, we can manage multiple firewalls and devices from a central point.
What needs improvement?
When we have a specific configuration pushed it does take some time to be deployed on the actual firewall. There might be some bugs or issues in that particular case. Sometimes we need to, if it is in a cluster mode, reboot the firewall. If the configuration does not go properly we have to reboot. These are small changes that will make things seamless.
When upgrades are deployed, Fortinet FortiManager should identify if a specific device is not matching with other devices. I think it is there, but then in the perspective of alerts and logs, the uneven configuration is there. It should be today's alert. For example, disaster recovery site, there is a firewall. If someone changes it in the primary production area and then they forget to change it in their area, there should be an alert.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for the past four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. If Fortinet FortiManager goes down, then accessing an individual firewall is a different process altogether. Obviously, security devices are there, so basically those security points are available. I don't know if a cloud-based Fortinet FortiManager is available right now. But then on-premise, we have to take care of the devices, and the availability of those devices.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable and there is no issue. You can have available devices and you can scale. The only thing is you need to do capacity planning. How many firewalls are there and the model of Fortinet FortiManager has to be decided? If you do this properly, then there is no issue.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. When we have sent urgent tickets and they do reply back within fifteen minutes.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco, and WatchGuard. We also work with Juniper.
How was the initial setup?
For people who are not used to operating it, it is a little complex.
What was our ROI?
Fortinet Fortimanger is not costly. They have high-end devices and the portfolio is big. Basically, they have a portfolio for all the aspects of security. From that perspective, they are good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price point is very good.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiManager an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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