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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Symantec VIP Access Manager comparison

 

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
4th
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 VIP Access Manager
Ranking in Authentication Systems
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
Access Management (22nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 3.2%, down from 7.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec VIP Access Manager is 2.0%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator3.2%
Symantec VIP Access Manager2.0%
Other94.8%
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.
Berk Onur - PeerSpot reviewer
Presales Consultant at Cyberwise
With its mobile application, this tool offers a convenient and user-friendly experience to its users
To improve the tool, I think that the solution should consider integrations with other cybersecurity and IT technologies, such as Privileged Access Management and Site Integration. Additionally, the implementation of second-factor authentication via Symantec VIP Access Manager, CyberArk, and Delinea, among other technologies, could be best for the product. While the existing technology is okay, improving the integration capabilities for Symantec VIP Access Manager would benefit the product. I would like to see the solution meet the integration needs at our company. While many cybersecurity solutions can function independently, they often lack integration with our systems due to missed integration points. Improving the solution's integration feature would be beneficial.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"FortiAuthenticator has created a straightforward easy-to-use product."
"The tool's most valuable features are push notifications and integration with the FortiGate firewall. Push notifications provide an instant acceptance mechanism. When customers try to access SSL VPN, the solution sends a push notification to their mobile phone, and they can easily approve the access. The integration with FortiGate firewall is very easy if our customers use FortiGate for their firewall."
"The solution is easy to learn and makes it easy for our users to add FortiToken, and it's very easy to integrate if you have other Fortinet devices."
"We switched to FortiAuthenticator because it integrates with our Fortinet products."
"FortiCare can provide prompt replies."
"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator are easy to configure, secure, and the application has good performance."
"We are using Fortinet FortiAuthenticator to implement token-based authentication for wireless network access."
"Intuitive interface and easy to deploy."
"Pricing was about 25% of the old solution, saving us about $500,000 over three years for 10,000 users."
"Integration with Citrix Access Gateway, Microsoft Office 365 and Single Sign-On (through Symantec Validation and ID Protection Access Manager) has increased the productivity of the employees for accessing resources."
"Mostly from a product expert's point of view, it provides solutions for my clients."
"The ease of integrating into an existing authentication system."
"The VPN we are using is good and working quite well."
"The main benefit of Symantec VIP is that it provides strong authentication while keeping it as a very user friendly experience."
"The solution has helped to increase staff productivity by approximately a minute."
"In this version 9.1, lots of changes are done for the dashboard, User Store etc."
 

Cons

"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"I think the tool could provide this solution on the cloud. It's currently an on-premises solution. A cloud-based version could make setup, installation, and management easier. With on-premises, you must pay capital expenses (CapEx) upfront. However, if the solution was cloud-based, it would be operational expenses (OpEx), which is often easier to manage. You can pay monthly instead of paying the total cost at once. In my opinion, OpEx is more easily manageable than CapEx."
"Fortinet FortiAuthenticator could benefit from some artificial intelligence functionality and resolution of some glitches that may exist."
"The speed of deployment on the cloud could be improved. It took a few days when it should have been just two days."
"I would like to see more integration and inclusion of features for ransomware protection directly within the FortiAuthenticator without requiring additional devices."
"Technical support used to be much better. Fortinet seems to be downgrading, so everything takes longer to get a response in comparison to the past."
"It would be helpful to receive a code by yourself for authentication instead of it registered to a phone."
"The hardware aspect of the solution could be improved. We are not really able to understand the hardware capabilities of the device."
"At times, the relay server could not contact Symantec; it would fail open and allow access without a passcode."
"If they had dashboards or a report for managers or executives, then it would allow them to see the status and have it make sense to them."
"Maybe Symantec could consider providing a step-by-step guide for first-time users."
"Technical support is one of the worst problems."
"The User Store synchronization part needs to improve. Also, the logs, reports, and dashboard can be improved."
"Geofencing needs improvement."
"There are some shortcomings on the reporting side, such as how many connections you can get per month."
"The reporting on the VIP Manager is not correct."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate its pricing a three to five out of ten."
"The cost of the license could be less expensive. The license is paid on a yearly basis."
"The product could be more competitively priced."
"You can pay as you go with them. You purchase a base license and add to it as needed."
"The product has affordable pricing compared to other vendors."
"The platform is cost-effective as it does not require a separate license for SD-WAN functionality."
"The customers need to pay for licenses, and some pay on a yearly basis while others pay on a three-yearly or five-yearly basis. Also, it is not an expensive solution."
"We pay for licensing on a yearly basis."
"There is a one-time setup fee plus the licenses are provided as per the number of users. For SMS and voice calls, the costs are separate."
"There are additional costs for maintenance."
"I can say that the solution is worth the money."
"Licensing and pricing seems very fair."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
Construction Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

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 Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

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...
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Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
Symantec VIP
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Maine Medical Center, Aria S.p.A
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Symantec VIP Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.