No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Symantec Advanced Authentication comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 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 FortiAuthenticator
Ranking in Authentication Systems
5th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (10th), Identity Management (IM) (15th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)
Symantec Advanced Authentic...
Ranking in Authentication Systems
21st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 3.0%, down from 7.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Advanced Authentication is 1.4%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator3.0%
Symantec Advanced Authentication1.4%
Other95.6%
Authentication Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Supports secure remote authentication and provides comprehensive user activity tracking
The most important feature is the security capability because it provides a substantial amount of security for admin-related activities. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator can be used from anywhere in the world, and the authenticator services function globally. This global accessibility is one of the critical advantages, particularly since admin features are critical and security is a real concern. With Fortinet FortiAuthenticator, secure usage of firewall services and related functions is achieved. A complete log of all users who access the authenticator setup is maintained. Monthly logs are reviewed to check for any unnoticed activities. Each authenticated user's complete activity history is recorded. This logging capability allows for providing access to more admin users while ensuring security is not compromised and all users can be monitored.
Umair (Abu Mohaymin) Akhlaque - PeerSpot reviewer
Group CEO at Flexsolutions
Ensures robust security features and ease of deployment, although it may lack some of the more modern authentication options
There has been a need for aggressive development to modernize the product and align it with contemporary security requirements. While the rebranding has been a step forward, further enhancements are essential to meet the evolving demands of the market. It lacks features such as ActiveSync Exchange security, and it doesn't offer alternatives like password-less authentication via biometrics or patches. While Symantec mainly relies on traditional token-based or password-based methods, newer authentication methods are missing from its repertoire. Support services often lack promptness and depth of knowledge, leaving customers waiting for weeks to resolve issues. In the realm of multifactor authentication, swift resolution of problems is critical, as any slowdown or interruption can significantly impact operations. Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is a very important product if a company wants to use a VPN."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is RADIUS service and the social network integration feature."
"The most valuable feature is the OTP on the mobile phone."
"It reduces the need for network administrator intervention by allowing the user to perform their own registration and resolve their own password problems and issues."
"The product's on-premise version doesn't have recurring costs."
"This is a cost effective and flexible solution."
"The solution is very easy to manage."
"I like the self-registration capabilities."
"The most valuable feature is that we get a wide range of authentication methods and authentication integrators, so different platforms can get service authentication with transparency to the final user while providing strong authentication forms and connectors."
"CA products are the best fit with our backend systems."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is that it's a strong authentication solution that's able to integrate with applications."
"It tells us exactly what we want in terms of authentication to various applications and provides protection for users who access them."
"It allows us to assure our customers that we are protecting their data."
"Symantec Advanced Authentication can be useful for wherever you require a strong authentication."
"Ease of deployment: no need to keep up with physical devices for multi-factor authentication; no software to deploy on end-user computers requiring administrative rights."
"It actually increases our revenue and the customer base."
 

Cons

"We have issues with HA (high availability). These should be addressed in future releases."
"I would like to see support for more credential authentication protocols."
"The support team is pathetic and does not properly understand the solution."
"FortiAuthenticator should integrate with other applications."
"There is room for improvement in stability and support."
"Initially, we deployed Fortinet FortiAuthenticator on VMware and faced challenges when migrating to an OpenStack environment, which required reconfiguration. I recommend Fortinet make its images migratable between environments."
"Lacks a simplified two-factor authentication process."
"The technical support could be improved as some staff lacks the necessary knowledge to assist effectively."
"Symantec has very bad support, so I have no words for it. It's one of the worst support experiences I've ever had."
"They definitely need to automate a few processes like the Wiley process."
"Sometimes getting this set up does take a bit longer. It's not always install, next, next, next, finish."
"It needs faster implementation on the cloud for our customers."
"Arcot itself is based on a browser technology. This means that the office ID is effectively stored as a cookie in the browser."
"We have seen quite a few issues with bugginess. It is indeed pretty buggy and we have had to install some fixes."
"Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation."
"Advanced Authentication talks about the Device ID. But how the device ID is captured, I want to know more about that."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is not very expensive."
"You can pay as you go with them. You purchase a base license and add to it as needed."
"The pricing is fair."
"The platform provides a user-based pricing model rather than a subscription pricing model."
"The cost of the license could be less expensive. The license is paid on a yearly basis."
"The licensing structure is cost-effective for us compared to some of the other solutions that have recurring monthly costs."
"The product could be more competitively priced."
"The product has affordable pricing compared to other vendors."
"There are eventually going to be implementation costs. Sometimes you're required to have custom code developments there, so that has to be part of the implementation price."
"The price is reasonable."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Authentication Systems solutions are best for your needs.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
20%
Construction Company
17%
Outsourcing Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet can make Fortinet FortiAuthenticator better by having a cloud version of it. Currently, Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is only available for on-premises, and it is an on-premises solution. It...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is primarily used for authenticating admin users, including remote admin use cases. Remote admin use cases utilize Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to securely authenticate a...
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
CA Advanced Authentication, CA Strong Authentication, CA Risk Authentication, Arcot WebFort, Arcot RiskFort
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Global bank, Large Filipino Bank and SK Infosec
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,683 professionals have used our research since 2012.