We compared Fortinet FortiGate and Fortinet FortiOS based on our user's reviews in several parameters.
Overall, based on user reviews, it is evident that both Fortinet FortiGate and Fortinet FortiOS offer strong security measures, reliable performance, and comprehensive reporting functionalities. While Fortinet FortiGate stands out for its effective firewall capabilities, intuitive interface, and excellent customer service, Fortinet FortiOS excels in areas such as efficient VPN capabilities, robust authentication options, and ease of use. The user feedback also indicates that both products provide good value for money and deliver a positive return on investment. However, there are areas for improvement with each product, such as the complexity of the user interface for Fortinet FortiGate and the need for enhancements in certain aspects of Fortinet FortiOS.
Features: The valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate include strong security measures, effective firewall capabilities, intuitive interface, reliable performance, and comprehensive reporting functionalities. On the other hand, Fortinet FortiOS offers reliable security measures, ease of use, comprehensive reporting capabilities, efficient VPN capabilities, and robust authentication options.
Pricing and ROI: The setup cost for Fortinet FortiGate is described as minimal and straightforward, allowing for easy deployment. On the other hand, Fortinet FortiOS has received positive remarks for its affordable pricing and hassle-free setup cost. Users find the licensing process seamless for both products., Users praised Fortinet FortiGate for its effectiveness in enhancing network security and protecting against cyber threats. They commended its robust features, ease of use, reliability, and cost savings. On the other hand, Fortinet FortiOS received feedback on significant improvements in network security and reliability, comprehensive features, ease of use, deployment, and long-term cost savings. Overall, both products offer a positive ROI.
Room for Improvement: The Fortinet FortiGate product needs improvement in areas such as user interface complexity, challenging setup process, performance issues, and occasional downtime. On the other hand, users have identified certain aspects of Fortinet FortiOS that need to be enhanced for effectiveness.
Deployment and customer support: The user reviews indicate that the deployment, setup, and implementation phases for Fortinet FortiGate are generally considered as one timeframe. The reviews mention varying timeframes for these phases. On the other hand, for Fortinet FortiOS, the duration required for establishing a new tech solution varies among users, with some requiring three months for deployment and an additional week for setup, while others needing only a week for both. However, it's essential to consider the context in which these terms are used, as they may refer to the same period of time., Fortinet FortiGate is known for its strong customer service, with prompt and effective support. Technical issues are resolved efficiently, demonstrating reliability. On the other hand, Fortinet FortiOS has excellent customer service, praised for its promptness, efficiency, knowledge, and helpfulness in addressing needs and resolving issues.
The summary above is based on 154 interviews we conducted recently with Fortinet FortiGate and Fortinet FortiOS users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"The notable features that I have found most valuable are that it includes the antivirus, and also IPS, and even SD-WAN."
"FortiGate SD-WAN facilitated a smooth transition for our customers between their two internet service providers, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity without any downtime."
"The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was straightforward."
"I only deal with it from a security analyst's point of view. I don't really get into the features of the actual FortiGate. From the security point of view, it works, and it does its job."
"Layer-3 firewall and routing are the most valuable features."
"Secure, user-friendly, stable, and scalable network security solution. Installation is straightforward."
"Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so."
"The multi-tenancy feature is most valuable. It integrates very well with FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer."
"The technical support is very good and the assistance they gave was very good."
"Has a very simple OS and a good price point."
"We have expanded the wireless access point and switches using Fortinet FortiOS."
"FortiOS's most valuable feature is a next-generation firewall that can be used as the APT solution in advanced threat protection."
"The VDOM (Virtual DOM) is a virtualized firewall that has some opportunities for flexibility that are an advantage in certain configurations."
"I like its configuration and the various functions it offers."
"I find filtering traffic, filtering web traffic, session traffic, and managing the network as valuable features."
"FortiGate as a product is very easy to configure."
"The platform's interface could improve."
"I could not configure sFlow from the FortiGate graphical user interface. I realized that the sFlow configuration is available only from the CLI, and discovered that sFlow is not supported on virtual interfaces, such as VDOM links, IPsec, or GRE."
"The performance could be a bit better. Right now, I find it to be lacking. Having good performance is very important for our work."
"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."
"I would like to see improvements made to the dashboard and UI, as well as to the reporting."
"Fortinet FortiGate is not very easy to use. The navigation could be improved to make it easier to use."
"With the reports, you can see it, and you can get good feelings so upper management can go, "Oh, wow. That looks pretty." However, it's very basic."
"There are some complex administration tasks in their administration portal. That needs to be improved."
"There is no flexibility."
"Fortinet FortiOS could improve by having better authentication methods with Microsoft or Google Services."
"They need to integrate more with the SD-WAN."
"It could more scalable for the lower end users."
"I would like to see fewer bugs. If you use the box with its basic features, the solution is straightforward and stable, but you can run into bugs when using newer features or in more complex use cases. They included a DNS filter as a new feature, and I had issues that required raising a ticket with customer support."
"Fortinet needs to make this solution even more robust. Sometimes when we get a DDoS attack, the cannot withstand it. We can run out of sessions very easily. That said, I suppose if you want more a robust system, then you could purchase higher-end solutions, which are more expensive. Still, I would like to see more protection from even in the low-end version."
"In the future I would like to see more user-friendly dashboards and a drop in the price."
"The solution could improve the log retention and reports."
Fortinet FortiGate is ranked 2nd in Firewalls with 306 reviews while Fortinet FortiOS is ranked 15th in Firewalls with 73 reviews. Fortinet FortiGate is rated 8.4, while Fortinet FortiOS is rated 8.4. 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 Fortinet FortiOS writes "Provides effective filtering features, good stability but initial setup is moderately challenging". Fortinet FortiGate is most compared with Sophos XG, Cisco Secure Firewall, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX and Cisco SD-WAN, whereas Fortinet FortiOS is most compared with Fortinet FortiManager, Fortinet FortiGate-VM, Fortinet FortiWeb, Darktrace and Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection. See our Fortinet FortiGate vs. Fortinet FortiOS report.
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In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it kind of depends what you value most.
PA is good at app control, web filtering and such like, they have always been top of the pile there. The GUI is very good, and their product is very user-focused.
Fortinet is good for scalability and predictable high throughput (ASICs in the hardware), and useful things like authentication flexibility, CLI config (if you have any networking/Cisco people, they always seem to prefer CLI over GUI) and have better OT features, maybe relevant to your manufacturing use?
Fortinet seem to have a broader integration offering with their security fabric than PA do, plus they can do Fortinet-based wifi, switching, etc. Depends if you are prepared to go all-in with a single vendor.
Hi,
Both FT and PA have compelling features for large Enterprises. I would like to add a few good points about Fortinetwhich might be helpful ( from my 13 years of engagement with them as Distributor and Partner)
Fortinet:
Have higher throughput; which comes with competitive rates
Wide range of models to select to meet your requirement, without spending heavliy
Outstanding customer support and very active customer care team
Easly available skilled resources from the channel for deployment and post-implementation support
Regards
Abhilash
Hello. The question is what you are going to have as a result of application