We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiGate and SonicWall TZ based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Based on the parameters we compared, SonicWall TZ outperforms Fortinet FortiGate in several key areas, including more satisfaction with features, service, and support and fewer complaints on pricing.
"The pipe filter application is an outstanding feature."
"The integration with Active Directory is one of the good features. Most of the customers are now looking for the Single Sign-on feature. So, being able to integrate Active Directory with the firewall is useful. It is also easy."
"I really like the captive portal feature for our guest network. It has nice VLAN features in terms of separating our network. The anti-virus is also good."
"Fortinet FortiGate's ease of management is the most valuable feature."
"Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable solution."
"The management console is pretty simple, so anyone who understands networking can initially deploy the solution."
"It can expand easily."
"I think that the UTM features are the most value, as it truly protects my infrastructure."
"Content filtering and application rules are the most valuable features. It is also easy to configure."
"It does exactly what it says on the tin. It is good for protecting the business from being compromised. Its port protection is very good."
"We use the content filter quite a lot because it's an office setting. During working hours, we like to censor the sites users can visit so it increases productivity. Therefore, the content filter has been good for us."
"The most valuable feature is the protection available, and then ease of use and flexibility."
"It's been very easy to implement and deploy."
"The most valuable features are unified threat management which provides security intelligence and the VPN for both site-to-site and remote access."
"Most of the features are useful. It is easy to configure and easy to troubleshoot. I can see the utilization of different networks, and there are also App control features."
"SonicWall TZ is very user-friendly and has network MAC binding. Additionally, the firewall works well."
"I'm not sure if it's something that they already have or are developing something, however, we need some dedicated features for container security."
"There are some tiny bugs that sometimes affect the operations. In the past revision of it, there was a bug. Because of the bug, we had to downgrade the version. It happened only with the last revision."
"While FortiGate is cheaper than most other solutions, we're seeing increased license renewal costs. Most of our clients are asking for more significant discounts because the price is going up."
"Scalability for Fortinet FortiGate needs to be improved. SD-WAN security for this solution also needs some improvement."
"The firewall engine is not so strong as of now, in my opinion... My second concern is that, while they have Zero-day vulnerability and anti-malware features, the threat engine needs to be strengthened, its efficiency can be increased."
"We would like to see a better training platform implemented."
"I would prefer to have more detailed logs within the FortiGate products themselves rather than relying on a separate tool."
"The stability of Fortinet FortiGate could improve."
"Support for SonicWall TZ needs improvement, particularly the time it takes before you're able to speak to a support person, e.g. you have to wait for at least 30 minutes on the phone."
"The quality of tech support can vary."
"It could probably be more user-friendly, and it could be more scalable with releases and subscriptions."
"FortiGate has a client DNS in the firewall, but SonicWall doesn't have that. To create or configure a site-to-site VPN tunnel, we have to give a DNS name. Currently, we have to get the DNS name from a third party and then include it in SonicWall, whereas FortiGate has its own client DNS, so it provides a DNS name, and it does not require a third party. There should be a graphical option to view the network utilization and bandwidth usage."
"I can't get the support that I need from SonicWall."
"Full monitoring obviously needs to be improved. We need full monitoring covered under the security licensing."
"I would like the solution to build in more redundancy. I"
"I would like them to make the interface a little bit easier to use so you can find out where in the heck you're going instead of having to go to 15 different places to get something installed."
Fortinet FortiGate is ranked 2nd in Firewalls with 306 reviews while SonicWall TZ is ranked 12th in Firewalls with 78 reviews. Fortinet FortiGate is rated 8.4, while SonicWall TZ is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiGate writes "It's a reliable solution that's easy to install and cheaper than competitors ". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SonicWall TZ writes "Has efficient user access control feature and good technical support services ". Fortinet FortiGate is most compared with Sophos XG, Cisco Secure Firewall, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX and Fortinet FortiOS, whereas SonicWall TZ is most compared with Sophos XG, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX, SonicWall NSa and WatchGuard Firebox. See our Fortinet FortiGate vs. SonicWall TZ report.
See our list of best Firewalls vendors.
We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.