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Fortinet FortiAnalyzer vs Security Onion comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAnalyzer
Ranking in Log Management
12th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Security Onion
Ranking in Log Management
22nd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is 1.7%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 3.4%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiAnalyzer1.7%
Security Onion3.4%
Other94.9%
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

Manikandan Kannan - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Technology at Techfruits
Simplifying log management by displaying detailed access information
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is its ability to simplify and display logs clearly, providing details like which IPs are accessing the system, the destination, and the policies applied. This visualization and detail make managing logs more straightforward. In conjunction with our VMware setup, Fortinet FortiAnalyzer enhances organizational efficiency, meeting the standard log retention period for up to a year.
Anish Bajracharya - PeerSpot reviewer
Postgraduate at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Provides good threat hunting by finding infected ports, but its initial setup is difficult
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports. I have used the Squert tool within Security Onion the most for threat hunting The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult. I have been using Security Onion for one year.…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution allows for a lot of customization."
"The system provides valuable insights through information, graphics, and reports."
"Initial setup is ok."
"I would say that Fortinet's tech support is really good."
"The installation process for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer was very smooth, taking around two to three hours to deploy."
"We like the fact that we can run minute-by-minute reporting form this solution."
"We use this functionality every day, and obtain reports on things like how many people are using the VPN, which websites are being accessed, and whether hackers are trying to penetrate into our network."
"The analyzer is the most valuable feature."
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
 

Cons

"They could always improve the interface and the user experience."
"Pricing-wise, it not affordable for the normal customer. Most of the people want to see different types of reporting, but FortiAnalyzer's fee is a little bit difficult."
"I do not recommend Fortinet FortiAnalyzer for bigger companies because it is not scalable enough."
"The solution costs too much."
"We are concerned about the compliance of our policy and institutional philosophy."
"The only issue that I can see is with the cost. For example, if you buy support for one year, you are messed up next year. It's better to buy another gateway."
"It should have customized reports as well. While it currently has them, you need to write a script which is not straightforward."
"They need to make the monitor better."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
"The product is not easy to learn."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The number of licenses required directly corresponds with the number of devices connected."
"The hardware cost and services contract are fair."
"t varies depending on your needs. However, after-sales support is expensive."
"Its price is okay for us. Fortinet products are cheaper than other solutions."
"I rate Fortinet FortiAnalyzer's pricing as five out of ten."
"Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is quite an expensive tool."
"We found the price of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer to be reasonable."
"The enterprise version of this solution is costly. We have considered FortiAuthenticator for network control, but the pricing was focused on the larger companies and didn't suit our needs as a smaller business."
"It is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
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881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
University
12%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise20
Large Enterprise31
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
The pricing of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is okay. For smaller companies, the pricing is acceptable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
I don't know what the main room for improvement is for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer, but perhaps I don't have much experience, so I cannot answer this question comprehensively.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
I am using Fortinet and Red Hat myself as a consultant. I am dealing with Fortinet products and can provide information about them. I am working with Fortinet products, including firewalls and othe...
What do you like most about Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

General Directorate of Information Technology
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAnalyzer vs. Security Onion and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.