Compare Fortinet FortiGate vs. Meraki MX
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 | Anonymous User IT Specialist at a government |
 | UmerSiddique Sr. Network Engineer at a pharma/biotech company |
| Jurgen Dendas Network and Security Administrator at AJINOMOTO-OMNICHEM |
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate vs. Meraki MX and other solutions. Updated: March 2020.
464,655 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
"The IPS (In-plane switching) is the most valuable feature."
"I like the user interface because the navigation is very easy, straightforward on your left side pane you have all the sites that you need to browse. Unlike any other firewalls, it's pretty straightforward."
"We have multiple secure internal networks linked with our plants. We are from a oil company, so we have multiple plant areas which need to have restricted network access. Therefore, we are using it for restricting access to the plant area."
"The initial setup was completely straightforward."
"I would say the Firepower module is most valuable. I'm trying more to transition to this kind firewall. I had to study a little on Palo Alto Networks equipment. There is a lot I have to learn about the difference."
"The feature that I found most valuable is the overall stability of the product."
"The stability of Cisco ASA is excellent compared to other products on the market. Because of our customer experience as an integrator company, our clients never report any performance problems. We have a good performance reputation with Cisco ASA."
"Right now, Cisco ASA NGFW has given us a lot of improvement. We are planning to move to a new facility and will be a much larger organization."
"We can use our devices to check all of the perimeters. It secures email websites."
"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."
"The ability to set up remote systems is the most valuable feature."
"Customers want to load balance more than eight lines or six internet lines. FortiGate is the only solution that can accomplish this."
"Mainly the FortiGate reporting system is very good. It guides us through all the expectations of security. Fortinet provides us all that we need for security. Also, Fortinet FortiGate is a next-generation firewall. It is much more advanced than others."
"Fortinet FortiGate is a security device. It can optimize security on the networks of a company. It actually protects the company from attacks from outside. With FortiGate, you can categorize the users. You can create a group of users that can access all of the websites for their work. You can limit other users' access."
"Our project needs to link two sides through the internet. One of these was in Cairo and the other in another city. We used FortiGate as the integrating solution between the two locations, i.e. the Fortinet 30E & 100E."
"Fortigate is very scalable to serve our customers' needs. We have scaled already from fifty to more than a hundred instances of Fortinet FortiGate. Around 20 staff are required for deployment and maintenance, mostly engineers."
"When you try to create an IP or when you have an alert about when a website is banned, these features are helpful."
"The features we have found most valuable are the firewall and the monitoring tools."
"A strong, reliable solution for small companies with little or no dedicated IT department."
"We work also with domain control (DC) from Microsoft or Amazon. We use a whole virtual appliance with Meraki."
"The internet traffic shaping has been very valuable."
"The initial setup for me was straightforward."
"Deployment takes no more than one working day."
"I use Meraki in my POCs and with my customers as well."
Cons
"At times the product is sluggish and slow"
"If I need to download AnyConnect in a rush, it will prompt me for my Cisco login account. Nobody wants to download a client to a firewall that they don't own."
"Most of the time, when I try to run Java, it is not compatible with ASA's current operating systems."
"We have to rely on Cisco ASDM to access the firewall interface. This needs improvement. Because we have a web-based interface, and it is a lot more user-friendly."
"The installation and integration of Cisco ASA with FirePOWER can be improved. The management with Fortigate is easier than Cisco ASA on FirePOWER. The management side of Cisco ASA can be improved so it can be more easily configured and used."
"One of my main concerns, an area that could use improvement is in adjusting the need to buy a license to enable features."
"Usually, the customers are satisfied, but I am going to recommend that all clients upgrade to FirePOWER management. I want Cisco to improve the feature called anti-spam. We use a Cisco only email solution, that's why we need the anti-spam on email facility."
"There is no support here in Georgia. If something goes wrong, support is not always very helpful with the other firewalls or other products."
"They need to improve their technical support."
"Some of the filtering is not robust, you can escape it with a VPN. Some of the users bypass some of the filters. It catches some but it also misses some, that area could be improved. It's functioning reasonably but there's room for improvement in that area."
"They should improve the interface to make it more user-friendly."
"The monitor and the visibility, in this proxy, is very weak."
"Scalability is one of the disadvantages. When it comes to scalability, you have to actually change the box. If you want to upgrade it, you need to actually change the existing box and probably you take the system off to other sites."
"Fortinet needs more memory to save the log files. We need it to save the logs on the hardware and not in the cloud. I know this feature is available in FortiCloud, but if we need this log locally, it is not available."
"Fortinet already improved FortiGate, but in the current market, many brands of security devices have improved together. Fortinet still needs to catch up with market standards. Fortinet is lacking in features in comparison to competitors."
"Fortinet could improve the windows opener or the virtual IP solutions for opening windows. The virtual IP settings need improvement as firewalls are trending in new development directions."
"What I would like to see in the next version is to have more interfaces for WAN links."
"FortiGate is cheaper than Meraki. Even the license renewal is less than Meraki."
"The client-side VPN is weak. The product could be improved with deployment templates."
"The problem is that the two licenses do not currently integrate. We have to create separate companies and do an interconnection."
"The IPS, the Intrusion Prevention System, can be improved."
"Right now, you can postpone the update but eventually, if you don't do the update, it will install the updates automatically for you and that's something that is not working for me."
"Load balancing options and ability to manage a couple of Internet connections."
"I need more UTM protection security features."
"Licensing is expensive compared to other solutions."
"The cost is a big factor for us. This is why we are using it only in our restricted area. They are very much higher than their competitors in the market."
"We paid about $7,000 for the Cisco firewall, plus another small Cisco router and the lead switch. It was under the combined license. It's a final agreement."
"Watch out for hidden licensing and incredibly high annual maintenance costs."
"I bought a license for three years and it was really affordable."
"With AnyConnect, it depends on your license. It depends on the number of concurrent users you want to connect."
"This solution might be expensive, but it is economical in the long run."
"Some of our customers would be more likely to standardize on Cisco equipment if the cost was lower because a lot of people install cheap equipment."
"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."
"Our licensing costs are on a yearly basis."
"Fortinet is reasonable in pricing and licensing. Overall, FortiGate is affordable. The licensing fee can be a little high, depending on the budget for your project."
"I would say that all things considered, the pricing is pretty good."
"Each feature costs money, so it is important to study your needs."
"Before choosing a piece of equipment you have to take into account the cost-benefit offered by each one. Sometimes it is not worth paying a very cheap price to have a minimum level of security."
"The pricing for this solution is good."
"Fortinet Secure SD-WAN delivered the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) per Mbps among all other vendors."
"Pricing varies as per the type of license."
"Meraki is also expensive, but it's a little bit less expensive and it's easier to configure than Cisco ASA."
"The price varies depending on the hardware platform as well as the type of license and whether you're adding security or not."
"The license cost depends on the box. We acquired a different product line. We are dealing with MX appliance now, that is, MX6, MX54, MX100, MX250, MX450. Every box has got an identity, and it has got its own specification. Every box has got a different license fee. We deployed Meraki MX in UAE when it was not a mature product. We took a risk, but we were successful. We saved a huge amount of money after implementing and removing all the MPLS and leased lines. We got a broadband connection because Meraki MX could work on a broadband connection. We have drastically saved a very good amount of money, which was one of the successful things apart from the successful solution."
"Other content filtering solutions that I have used had more bells and whistles, but given the cost, complexity, and management overhead, I am very pleased with Meraki’s solution."
"The price is slightly increased, but reasonable."
"It is a good global solution in terms of the price and features, but because we sell this solution in dollars, sometimes we don't get to sell this solution in Brazil because the dollar is very expensive. The price of every project is different. It varies depending upon the project, scenario, and client."
"The pricing could always be improved — especially with the shape the economy is in at the moment."
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| Anonymous User IT Consultant at a retailer |
See all 4 answers »
Top Answer:
When you compare these
firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages,
practices and… more »
Top Answer: They provide DDoS protection and multi-factor authentication. That is a good option as it enables work-from-home… more »
Top Answer: In terms of costs, other solutions are more expensive than Cisco. Palo Alto is more expensive than Cisco.
Top Answer: In my opinion and as a result of years of experience:
- Both are great firewalls with excellent performance and a… more »
Top Answer: The difference is the poor performance that Fortigate has when it has all its services in use. Compare which customers… more »
Top Answer: definitely the FortiGate , I can assist you with configuration and support if needed .
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Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Firewall, Cisco ASA NGFW, Cisco ASA, Adaptive Security Appliance, ASA, Cisco Sourcefire Firewalls, Cisco ASAv
FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate
MX64, MX64W, MX84, MX100, MX400, MX600
Cisco ASA firewalls deliver enterprise-class firewall functionality with highly scalable and flexible VPN capabilities to meet diverse needs, from small/branch offices to high performance data centers and service providers. Available in a wide range of models, Cisco ASA can be deployed as a physical or virtual appliance. Flexible VPN capabilities include support for remote access, site-to-site, and clientless VPN. Also, select appliances support clustering for increased performance, VPN load balancing to optimize available resources, advanced high availability configurations, and more.
Cisco ASAv is the virtualized version of the Cisco ASA firewall. Widely deployed in leading private and public clouds, Cisco ASAv is ideal for remote worker and multi-tenant environments. The solution scales up/down to meet performance requirements and high availability provides resilience. Also, Cisco ASAv can deliver micro-segmentation to protect east-west network traffic.
Cisco firewalls provide consistent security policies, enforcement, and protection across all your environments. Unified management for Cisco ASA and FTD/NGFW physical and virtual firewalls is delivered by Cisco Defense Orchestrator (CDO), with cloud logging also available. And with Cisco SecureX included with every Cisco firewall, you gain a cloud-native platform experience that enables greater simplicity, visibility, and efficiency.
Learn more about Cisco’s firewall solutions, including virtual appliances for public and private cloud.
The FortiGate family of NG firewalls provides proven protection with unmatched performance across the network, from internal segments, to data centers, to cloud environments. FortiGates are available in a large range of sizes and form factors and are key components of the Fortinet Security Fabric, which enables immediate, intelligent defense against known and new threats throughout the entire network.
With the proliferation of modern applications and mixed-use networks, host and port based security is no longer sufficient. Cisco Meraki's layer 7 "next generation" firewall, included in MX security appliances and every wireless AP, gives administrators complete control over the users, content, and applications on their network.
Learn more about Cisco ASA Firewall
Learn more about Fortinet FortiGate
Learn more about Meraki MX
There are more than one million Adaptive Security Appliances deployed globally. Top customers include First American Financial Corp., Genzyme, Frankfurt Airport, Hansgrohe SE, Rio Olympics, The French Laundry, Rackspace, and City of Tomorrow.
Pittsburgh Steelers, LUSH Cosmetics, NASDAQ, Verizon, Arizona State University, Levi Strauss & Co.
Whitepaper and case studies here
Hyatt, ONS
Financial Services Firm17%
Comms Service Provider14%
Manufacturing Company10%
Computer Software Company7%
Comms Service Provider35%
Computer Software Company22%
Government4%
Media Company4%
Comms Service Provider13%
Computer Software Company9%
Financial Services Firm8%
Manufacturing Company6%
Comms Service Provider35%
Computer Software Company21%
Government5%
Media Company5%
Comms Service Provider31%
Financial Services Firm13%
Pharma/Biotech Company13%
Non Tech Company6%
Comms Service Provider28%
Computer Software Company21%
Construction Company5%
Retailer5%
Small Business36%
Midsize Enterprise26%
Large Enterprise39%
Small Business27%
Midsize Enterprise20%
Large Enterprise52%
Small Business47%
Midsize Enterprise25%
Large Enterprise28%
Small Business40%
Midsize Enterprise21%
Large Enterprise38%
Small Business55%
Midsize Enterprise24%
Large Enterprise21%
Small Business41%
Midsize Enterprise20%
Large Enterprise39%
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiGate vs. Meraki MX and other solutions. Updated: March 2020.
464,655 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Fortinet FortiGate is ranked 1st in Firewalls with 117 reviews while Meraki MX is ranked 3rd in Unified Threat Management (UTM) with 24 reviews. Fortinet FortiGate is rated 8.4, while Meraki MX is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiGate writes "Stable, easy to set up, and offers good ROI". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Meraki MX writes "Great SD-WAN solution. Manage multiple Meraki devices (security, switches, APs, Cameras) with a single pane of glass". Fortinet FortiGate is most compared with pfSense, Sophos UTM, Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall, Sophos XG and SonicWall TZ, whereas Meraki MX is most compared with Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall, Sophos XG, SonicWall NSA, SonicWall TZ and pfSense. See our Fortinet FortiGate vs. Meraki MX report.
See our list of .
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.
I definitely recommend Fortinet. The Meraki firewall is more intended to be integrated into a Meraki SDWAN infrastructure, with very basic firewall options.
I recommend that using a Sonicwall as the peripheral firewall as you can easily configure the firewall rules to block certain countries. Its ease of use and SSL inspection and many other features and reporting features are more than sufficient for a small company.
You don't need a dedicated IT department, Sonicwall provide cloud-based support services that can assist you 24hrs/ 7 days.
To enhance the firewall protection further, we also deploy ZoneAlarm and webroot security firewalls at the desktops level. We also have several firewalls routers to safeguard very important servers, giving an onion-like "layers defense" structure.
definitely the FortiGate , I can assist you with configuration and support if needed .
We have Meraki Mx devices now, we are looking to replace them. But that is because the Meraki MX platform lacks SSL Inspection, Granular Firewall rules (Block only, no allow setting), client vpn relies on windows vpn setup (we would prefer a software solution).
But when we bought Meraki's we were switching from something with little to no visibility into the network. The visibility we got with the meraki and the content filtering and ability to block countries was quick and easy to setup. If we weren't looking to lock things down further, we would renew our Meraki's rather than replace them.
We are also looking at the fortigate series, but we would be using the latest generation - I think the 60f would be the newest of the 60 size.