Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] vs Qualys Exposure Management comparison

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Fortinet and Qualys are both solutions in the Vulnerability Management category. Additionally, 75% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Qualys users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 13, 2026

Qualys VMDR and Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] are competitors in cybersecurity, focusing on vulnerability management and database protection. Our analysis indicates that Qualys VMDR has a superior edge with its extensive support metrics, while Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] offers a comprehensive database security suite that justifies its price through its feature richness.

Features: Qualys VMDR offers automated vulnerability management, detection, and response, emphasizing integration, scalability, and real-time asset discovery. It provides patch management capabilities, ensuring vulnerabilities are swiftly addressed. Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] excels in database security, featuring real-time protection, file-level protection, and detailed activity logs. Fortinet's unique offerings make it an excellent choice for organizations prioritizing database security.

Room for Improvement: Qualys VMDR could improve by expanding its database security features and refining its reporting capabilities. Some users desire enhancements in the user interface for better ease of use. Fortinet FortiDB [EOL], nearing its end of life, requires updates in integration options and deployment processes. Its documentation could also focus more on future-proofing its database protection tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Qualys VMDR provides a streamlined deployment experience, supported by organized resources and excellent customer service. Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] offers thorough documentation and reliable support, but deployment can be somewhat complex due to its specialized nature. Although helpful, its service may need updating as it reaches its end of life.

Pricing and ROI: Qualys VMDR is known for its competitive pricing, achieving favorable ROI owing to optimal resource use. Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] may come at a higher cost, yet its comprehensive database security features justify the investment for specialized needs. Qualys VMDR offers a better balance of cost and value for organizations seeking broad vulnerability management solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed Vulnerability Management Report (Updated: August 2026).

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Vulnerability Management

August 2026

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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

Qualys TotalCloud

Featured Reviews

reviewer2859021

Sr Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Risk-based triage has transformed container security and now prioritizes high-impact threats

The best features Qualys TotalCloud offers currently include managing cloud infrastructure and container security while facing major challenges such as alert fatigue. Traditional vulnerability scanners flag hundreds of CVEs on short-lived Kubernetes containers, some of which have no internet exposure or are gone before we can even triage them. I leverage Qualys TotalCloud to move beyond static CVSS. I use it to implement runtime exposure, correlation risk reprioritization, and shift-left integration. This notifies developers to fix a base image upstream rather than patching live ephemeral instances. In my work with cloud and container security, the biggest operational hurdle was alert fatigue. I use Qualys to shift left from static CVSS severity to context-aware risk prioritization. I correlated raw vulnerability data with real-time risk factors such as public network exposure, active runtime execution, or overly permissive IAM roles. This allows us to immediately drop the priority of isolated containers and escalate lower-severity CVEs that sit on an exposed, high-risk path. We can map these findings directly back to our CI/CD pipelines so developers can patch the root base images upstream. We have drastically cut down the signal-to-noise ratio, saved a lot of manual hours doing triage work, and ensured engineering effort goes directly towards high-impact risk reduction.

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Vasanth Chellappa

CEO & Technical Head Executive at ChellSoft Technologies

Stable with a good interface and excellent technical support

The solution overall is good. All of the features are useful and working well for us. The technical support provided is excellent. The solution is very good at preventing intrusions. You can definitely rely on this solution to cover your security. The pricing of the solution is fair. The interface of the solution is quite stable.

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Ajay Paul

System Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

Vulnerability management has prioritized high‑risk patching and simplified bulk system reporting

The primary issue is with the reporting functionality. Even though we fix vulnerabilities, the reports do not reflect the changes immediately. Sometimes we need to manually run a script to scan the systems before Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management will update the scan results. The main issue is the reporting delay, and sometimes the Qualys Enterprise TruRisk Management agent will not scan the system, which means we do not receive accurate reports in a timely manner. Additionally, there are many metrics for calculating vulnerabilities, such as the Qualys ID, severity scores, CVSS scores, and other metrics. The abundance of information can be confusing. These two aspects are the most significant negatives I have experienced with this tool.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"While automatic inventory detection upon connection is a helpful feature, a truly valuable capability would be assessing an environment's security posture against Azure and CIS best practices."

"Qualys TotalCloud's most valuable feature is its ability to link clusters of assets, providing a clear model of deployments, vulnerabilities, and statuses."

"The most valuable feature is the consolidated information that it provides from various platforms."

"Qualys TotalCloud's most valuable feature is its agent versatility."

"Once it is set up, Qualys has proved to be one of our greatest assets."

"I highly recommend Qualys TotalCloud to other users."

"The agent and agentless scanning in TotalCloud, particularly the FlexScan method, is incredibly valuable. With traditional scanning approaches, we had to give IP ranges and whitelist IPs. All that is now simplified. FlexScan requires minimal intervention, and after configuration, it automatically collects data and performs necessary scans."

"The platform's unified view of the organization proves particularly valuable for leadership team meetings."

More Qualys TotalCloud pros

"It is a good solution for database monitoring."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the security aspects."

"The biggest thing, for us lately, has been their cloud tools. They're like Intercept X from Sophos, where they'll test for ransomware. Fortinet has the same sort of set up with their cloud devices. So your firewall picks up something suspicious, it sends it up to the cloud for analysis. We also have their in-house antivirus. Having different antivirus checkpoints throughout the network is a good thing as well."

"Customer support for this solution is good."

"24 x 7 database activity monitoring captures all forms of database activity to detect erroneous or malicious activity."

"It's relatively inexpensive in comparison to everything else that has the same functionality."

"It is a very good solution, and every day the company is updating and developing its devices."

"The solution is very good at preventing intrusions. You can definitely rely on this solution to cover your security."

More Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] pros

"For a typical IT system, it is very good to go with this solution."

"The solution shows us classic categories, including high, medium, and low risks. It also shows critical items, and that gives us the advantage of prioritizing things."

"Patch supersedence."

"Qualys VM has improved the way the organization functions."

"The solution is easy to use."

"This solution has provided information about existing vulnerabilities, and helped with quick remediation in case of global malware attacks."

"Technical support is great and we've never really had a problem."

"The integrations for this solution are very good, as I use a different product for virtual patching of vulnerabilities and Qualys integrates well with that product."

More Qualys Exposure Management pros

Cons

"I think Qualys TotalCloud needs to improve its handling of zero-day vulnerabilities and supply chain management because modern ransomware attacks not only target prime critical infrastructures but also the supply chain system."

"Their support could be improved."

"Regarding technical support from Qualys, they respond, but the response time can be too long. Sometimes we need to wait weeks for solutions to simple questions."

"Qualys TotalCloud has the potential to improve by integrating a hybrid platform for comprehensive management of both on-premises and cloud infrastructures."

"I chose a rating of nine out of ten because there is a complex interface that sometimes overwhelms new engineers."

"In terms of improvement, remediation still belongs to the cloud team, which is one of the issues we faced with Qualys TotalCloud."

"There is room for improvement in the support."

"TotalCloud could improve the classification of vulnerabilities. Specifically, it could enhance the categorization of what aspects fall under patches resolved by OS or software updates and what pertains to configuration adjustments."

More Qualys TotalCloud cons

"The pricing of this solution is a little bit on the high side and can be improved."

"I'm an old-school guy. I really don't like web GUI interfaces."

"I'm an old-school guy. I really don't like web GUI interfaces. They're always slow and laggy and their design is restricted, whereas a binary deployment for an admin tool is always faster, easier, more flexible. I would like that kind of functionality from Fortinet."

"Some use case analyses could be improved."

"I would like better APIs and integration with other products, like Python and SQL."

"We had many issues with the performance and the appliance resource management."

"They need to improve the web filter to make it more user-friendly."

"We had some issues trying to fix some critical bugs, such as the SSL encryption."

"The reporting and dashboards could improve in Qualys VM. However, they have improved since the previous versions."

"Make some minimal dashboard improvements."

"Finding things in management can be quite difficult."

"Certain integration factors between different options could be improved."

"The reporting capabilities are good but I would like to be able to make more customized reports."

"It would be nice to have an all-in-one solution that was automated and could handle the scanning and reports as well as the patching and updating."

"The disadvantage of working with Qualys is that the graphical interface is quite outdated."

"Qualys VMDR identifies vulnerabilities and suggests fixes. However, it does not automate patching unless the patch management module is purchased separately."

More Qualys Exposure Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Qualys TotalCloud offers good pricing that is affordable and competitive with the market. Our partnership also provides us with additional benefits."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."

"Its price seems higher compared to other tools, but it is worth it. If they could adjust the pricing and make it comparable with other tools, that would be great."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers competitive pricing given its comprehensive suite of features, including integration, assessment, remediation, and detection capabilities, all within a single platform."

"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive."

"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."

"While Qualys TotalCloud's pricing is currently acceptable, it is becoming increasingly expensive and may soon be considered overpriced."

More Qualys TotalCloud pricing and cost advice

"In the licensing model, the licenses are a little bit expensive."

"It is not costly."

"It's relatively inexpensive in comparison to everything else that has the same functionality. If you're looking at SonicWall or if you're looking at WatchGuard, their prices are about a third higher with relatively the same functionality."

"The cost needs to be reduced."

"It is not expensive."

"They have recently changed the pricing model, which is now better than it was before."

"Qualys VM is quite expensive. It's a subscription-based license, and it's yearly. Right now, it's open for me, and I don't have any limitations or caps on the licenses. They are seeing if the product is viable for 4500 users. I can add as much as I want, and at the end of the subscription, they'll let me know how many licenses were actually used and bill me accordingly. On a scale from one to five, I would give their pricing a three. It's still expensive."

"The solution is expensive."

"Qualys is a pay-as-you-go model, so there's flexibility to the pricing."

"The pricing and licensing for Qualys could be improved."

"In Nigerian Naira, we spend about roughly four to five million to use this solution and this is expensive compared to solutions like Nessus."

"There is a license for the use of this solution. We pay annually instead of monthly to receive a better discount on the price."

"There are no additional fees in addition to the standard licensing fees."

More Qualys Exposure Management pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

16%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

No data available

Financial Services Firm

14%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	14
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	34

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	4

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	74

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys TotalCloud?

The price is very expensive, actually.

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What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?

In terms of improvement, remediation still belongs to the cloud team, which is one of the issues we faced with Qualys...

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What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?

My main use case for Qualys TotalCloud is regarding the cloud visibility that we were not having previously. Previous...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys VMDR?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that we can consider both time and money saved.

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What needs improvement with Qualys VMDR?

I haven't explored Qualys VMDR's vulnerability lifecycle automation yet. One of my analysts mentioned that queries la...

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What advice do you have for others considering Qualys VMDR?

I have some understanding about PeerSpot, and I have visited the website. PeerSpot is similar to TrustRadius. It take...

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys TotalCloud

September 2026

Download Qualys TotalCloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Database Security

September 2026

Download Fortinet FortiDB [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Qualys Exposure Management

September 2026

Download Qualys Exposure Management product report

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan

FortiDB, FortiGuard Database Security

Qualys VM, QualysGuard VM, Qualys Asset Inventory, Qualys Container Security

Overview

Qualys TotalCloud enhances security posture across cloud environments with continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and risk visualization, ensuring efficient threat assessment and automated remediation for improved cyber risk reduction.

Qualys TotalCloud offers a robust suite of security tools essential for organizations managing multi-cloud infrastructures. By integrating cloud accounts and automating workflows, it supports AWS, Azure, and GCP, offering comprehensive vulnerability management and zero-day detection. The platform's user-friendly design, combined with its extensive risk management and unified threat assessment capabilities, enables organizations to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively. TruRisk Insights provides clear insights on cyber risks, while the automation options streamline patch management and scanning processes. API integration across IaaS and SaaS environments further enhances resource allocation efficiency and saves time, addressing misconfigurations across cloud environments.

What are the most important features of Qualys TotalCloud?

Accurate Vulnerability Reports: Delivers precise and actionable insights for risk mitigation.
Zero-Day Detection: Identifies and addresses zero-day vulnerabilities proactively.
Unified Threat Assessment: Offers comprehensive evaluation of threats across the environment.
Extensive Risk Management: Manages risks effectively with advanced insights and prioritization.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides non-stop surveillance for vulnerabilities and threats.
Cloud-Native Automation: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts using automation.
FlexScan for Internet-Facing VMs: Scans external VMs efficiently to detect vulnerabilities.
Dashboard Risk Visualization: Clear visualization helps prioritize vulnerabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances threat detection and response across clouds.
Time Savings: Automation reduces time spent on manual vulnerability management.
Resource Efficiency: Better allocation of resources through streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Risk Prioritization: Focus on critical vulnerabilities for effective mitigation.
Integrated Cloud Accounts: Facilitates seamless cloud management and security.

Qualys TotalCloud is deployed in sectors needing rigorous vulnerability management, such as finance and healthcare. Companies utilize it to secure multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, focus on compliance, and integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to detect and remedy threats pre-deployment.

Qualys

FortiDB software is a comprehensive database security and compliance platform that helps large enterprises and cloud-based service providers protect their databases and applications from internal and external threats. Its flexible policy framework allows you to quickly and easily implement internal IT control frameworks for database activity monitoring, IT audit and regulatory compliance.

Fortinet

Qualys VMDR is a comprehensive cybersecurity tool offering vulnerability management, patch management, and continuous monitoring with real-time asset discovery. It delivers scalable, cloud-based solutions that enhance security operations without additional infrastructure.

Qualys VMDR provides a robust platform for enterprise security, integrating vulnerability management, compliance, and asset inventory for full visibility across cloud and on-premises environments. It features a comprehensive dashboard with threat intelligence-driven prioritization and remediation capabilities. Users benefit from accurate assessments via agent-based scanning and appreciate the intuitive, customizable scanning and reporting interface. However, there's room for improvement in false positive reduction, UI simplification, and integration capabilities, along with enhancements in asset management for large-scale deployments and the vulnerability database. Enhancing technical support speed, patch management, compliance standards, and inter-module navigation would further enrich user experience.

What are the key features of Qualys VMDR?

Vulnerability Management: Identifies and manages security vulnerabilities across environments.
Patch Management: Ensures systems are updated with the latest patches.
Continuous Monitoring: Offers real-time insights into security posture.
Asset Discovery: Provides up-to-date asset inventory and visibility.
Threat Intelligence: Enhances prioritization and remediation processes.
Customizable Dashboard: Facilitates easier scanning and reporting through an intuitive interface.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating Qualys VMDR?

Scalability: Cloud-based deployment offers easy, cost-effective expansion.
Accurate Assessment: Agent-based scanning keeps security data current.
Enhanced Security Operations: Comprehensive features streamline vulnerability management.
Advanced Reporting: Facilitates detailed insights for better security decision-making.

Qualys VMDR is widely used in industries needing stringent security and compliance measures, offering comprehensive vulnerability and compliance management. It is deployed to secure web applications, servers, and crucial assets, supporting a wide range of sectors by ensuring policy adherence and vulnerability tracking through its powerful cloud platform.

Qualys

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Chunghwa Telecom

Agrokor Group, American Specialty Health, American State Bank, Arval, Life:), Axway, Bank of the West, Blueport Commerce, BSkyB, Brinks, CaixaBank, Cartagena, Catholic Health System, CEC Bank, Cegedim, CIGNA, Clickability, Colby-Sawyer College, Commercial Bank of Dubai, University of Utah, eBay Inc., ING Singapore, National Theatre, OTP Bank, Sodexo, WebEx

Buyer's Guide

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August 2026

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