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Fortinet FortiClient vs Trend Micro Smart Protection comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.9
Fortinet FortiClient boosted productivity and security, reduced VPN costs by 8%, but faced challenges in functionality activation.
Sentiment score
8.5
Many users saw ROI with Trend Micro Smart Protection, notably long-term, despite one user not observing value yet.
The VPN performance has a substantial impact on our remote workforce.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
Fortinet FortiClient's customer service varies, with response times and resolution quality improving notably for higher-tier service subscribers.
Sentiment score
7.1
Trend Micro Smart Protection's customer service varies, with quick premium support and slower response times for standard and regional support.
They initiate the troubleshooting process quickly and resolve issues in a timely manner.
They have room to improve by deploying more support resources.
The technical support from Fortinet responds very effectively to questions.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
Fortinet FortiClient is praised for scalability, easily accommodating user expansion and seamless integration, despite some suggested improvements.
Sentiment score
7.9
Trend Micro Smart Protection is highly scalable, supporting diverse businesses and users with seamless expansion across various sectors.
The scalability could use improvement as you need to ensure that routes and policies are aligned, which can be complex.
We can recommend FortiClient for small organizations with 50 to 60 users as well as for larger enterprises due to its extensive features.
The scalability rates at nine out of ten because the features can be easily extended.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiClient is praised for its stability, reliability, and performance, with minor issues quickly resolved through updates.
Sentiment score
8.4
Trend Micro Smart Protection is stable and reliable, with few performance issues, although Windows compatibility may vary.
Its stability level is excellent.
The overall stability of Fortinet FortiClient rates at nine out of ten.
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiClient requires improvements in management, configuration, compatibility, user interface, and integration with additional security features and platforms.
Trend Micro Smart Protection needs improved insights, management, pricing, support, integration, resource usage, compatibility, compliance, and security features.
FortiClient needs improvement in restricting user information and ensuring more secure customer data to better protect source code and reduce the risk of security breaches.
Fortinet should focus on better iOS testing before release to avoid these bugs.
The routing and policy need to be tailored between both to ensure proper functionality.
We've experienced compatibility issues with Windows endpoint protection.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiClient offers cost-effective VPN solutions with variable pricing, requiring licenses for advanced features, often rated reasonably by users.
Trend Micro Smart Protection's cost, ranging from 50,000 to 6,000 Euros, is often justified by its features and discounts.
FortiClient is a value-for-money product and is not considered expensive compared to similar products on the market.
Recently, Fortinet has increased prices for its products.
FortiClient is cost-effective since the client itself is free with the purchase of Fortinet.
However, their pricing is comparable to CrowdStrike.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiClient provides strong security features, easy management, and integration, enhancing VPN services and endpoint protection.
Trend Micro Smart Protection offers robust security features, praised for integration, user-friendliness, scalability, and reliable threat prevention capabilities.
The most valuable feature of FortiClient is its high security level.
I strongly recommend this solution, especially for Fortinet customers who use FortiGate or other Fortinet products, as they can easily integrate these features and exchange information seamlessly.
We appreciate its VPN capabilities and the features that offer extra security functionalities like antivirus and malware scanning.
The most effective features of Trend Micro Smart Protection are its antivirus and malware capabilities.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiClient
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
99
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (2nd), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (1st)
Trend Micro Smart Protection
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
30th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
43
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 1.8%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Trend Micro Smart Protection is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

MuhammadJahangir - PeerSpot reviewer
Users only need to install the VPN and authenticate with their email address
I primarily use remote VPN solutions to connect securely. We have configured both site-to-site VPN and remote VPN, and it is connected to FortiClient Implementing this solution has streamlined time management in our organization. Without SSO, we would need manual configuration for each PC, but…
Amey Darekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers centralized security management and flexibility
The improvements required in the product depend on how it is used, meaning it can be used for endpoint security or email and collaboration security. The web gateway is used along with anti-malware, advanced protection, URL filtering, application control, and data protection. I don't have any improvements to suggest in the tool as of now, and not at least for now, as per my security assessment. There are certain concerns with the product's stability, so it is an area where improvements are required.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
22%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Performing Arts
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Fortinet FortiClient compare with Open VPN Access Server?
Fortinet FortiClient is a feature-rich solution that is easy to use and deploy without sacrificing safety and security. It has a very fast connection rate and has a built-in VPN. With this solution...
What's the difference between Fortinet's FortiEDR and FortiClient?
I suggest Fortinet’s FortiEDR over FortiClient for several reasons. For starters, FortiEDR guarantees solid protection because it continually scans servers for emerging vulnerabilities, which gives...
What do you like most about Trend Micro Smart Protection?
The tool offers centralized security management. The tool's deployment is flexible.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Trend Micro Smart Protection?
I'm not involved in licensing, so I have no idea of the cost. However, their pricing is comparable to CrowdStrike. None of these solutions are cheap.
What needs improvement with Trend Micro Smart Protection?
The dashboard could be easier to manage. We've experienced compatibility issues with Windows endpoint protection. More support for malware and botnets would be beneficial.
 

Also Known As

FortiClient
Trend Micro Smart Protection Complete
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Blekinge County Council, Bulgarian American Credit Bank, Cancer Research UK, Delacour, Evalueserve, Gulftainer, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital, Mazda Motor Logistics Europe, MEDHOST, Nikigolf, Ochsner Health System, SIAX Computing Solutions, Tegen
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiClient vs. Trend Micro Smart Protection and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.