Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

Fortinet and Sangfor are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Fortinet is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5, while Sangfor is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.1. Fortinet holds a 1.9% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Sangfor’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Sangfor users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

Fortinet FortiGate-VM and Sangfor NGAF both compete in the network security solutions category. While Fortinet boasts an extensive feature set suitable for complex infrastructures, Sangfor is more accessible for smaller businesses due to its ease of use and affordability.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate-VM offers advanced security with integrated management, SD-WAN, and unified threat management capabilities. Its security fabric allows seamless integration with other Fortinet solutions. Sangfor NGAF is noted for its easy deployment and user-friendly interface, featuring real-time threat detection, bandwidth management, and comprehensive security options.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate-VM could benefit from addressing the costs associated with its pricing model, enhancing deployment ease, and refining its technical support responsiveness. On the other hand, Sangfor NGAF could improve by expanding its advanced features, simplifying the user interface, and increasing its market presence.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate-VM supports various deployments including public and private clouds, while being responsive in technical support, although inconsistently. Sangfor NGAF excels in on-premise deployment simplicity and generally faster, more straightforward customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate-VM is priced higher to reflect its comprehensive features and advanced capabilities, offering good ROI for larger infrastructures. Sangfor NGAF provides excellent ROI through competitive pricing, appealing to budget-conscious organizations looking for effective security solutions at a lower cost.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF

December 2025

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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

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.8%, down from 20.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is 1.9%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.8%
Fortinet FortiGate-VM	1.9%
Sangfor NGAF	1.1%
Other	78.2%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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Karel Ondracek

Network Administrator at THK Co Ltd

Faced hardware limitations and setup challenges but have improved network protection over time

I spent much time finding exact firmware on Aruba which was working with these guns, but it is not optimal because it is not the latest version, so there could be potential security problems. We decided to replace those access points with another one. I personally have trouble because I don't know the exact life cycle of Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. I don't know if the life of boxes is five years or something else; we moved from our previous company, which sold us to other companies. Before 10 years, we had a special department that took care of core networks, including firewalls. After that, this responsibility fell to me and my colleague. It is not easy to set up these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes properly because we didn't have previous experience with this kind of solution. At first, we set up only a few rules that were not secure enough, and over a couple of years, we improved the settings and security of these Fortinet FortiGate-VM boxes. Currently, I have one Fortinet FortiGate-VM that needs to be replaced next year, and this box is not so powerful, so I need to redirect some traffic to another Fortinet FortiGate-VM. It is stable, but because the CPU processor of this box is not powerful, I need to redirect some traffic to another box. In the future, I need to choose a higher-level box to prevent potential troubles with the power of this box.

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Zaid Farooqui

CIO at Indus Motor Company

Enhanced threat detection with integrated security features and good support

We are using application firewalling, WAF, and SD-WAN. The capabilities are mostly within the box. For example, you will get web application firewall WAF as part and parcel of this. SD-WAN is also bundled. It integrates with their SIEM and SOAR solutions very nicely. Lastly, the pricing point is very cost-efficient as well.

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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

"Fortinet FortiGate has reasonable pricing and is easy to operate; it is efficient and represents the future for security, including cloud security and branch-to-cloud security."

"The security features that they have are quite good. On top of that, their licensing model is quite nice where they don't charge you anything for the SD-WAN functionality for the firewall."

"Fortinet offers the latest versions to cater to the needs of enterprises."

"This version is stable. I don't have any issues with this solution, in our environment, it works well."

"Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls."

"The main value comes from the simplicity of the product in terms of configuring and managing."

"The next-gen features, the unified threat management capabilities are something that just about everybody is interested in at this point."

"Fortinet FortiGate is stable. It's used across all the countries, this is the way most multinationals run their system."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The dashboards are a good feature."

"In terms of specific features, I like FortiGate's load balancing, interface, and priority on the network."

"The user interface, stability, and scalability are the most valuable features."

"It's a very simple solution to manage."

"The product can scale."

"In terms of administration, it's perfect."

"The solution can scale well."

"The user interface is the most valuable aspect of the solution."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pros

"It seems to be a durable, stable product."

"The stability of Sangfor NGAF is good."

"Sangfor NGAF's standout feature is its powerful application control, enabling precise restrictions on mobile user access to approved applications."

"Sangfor has the best capabilities for securing connections, securing web browsers, securing servers, and general threat protection."

"The tool's performance is good."

"The most valuable features are the WAN optimization, the internet access gateway (IAG), and the central console, which allows us to implement on their firewall."

"I think the tool has the feature to detect and kill ransomware in three seconds."

"You might try Sangfor if you are on a tight budget. The price is affordable, and Sangfor offers a lot of features. We don't have any complaints about Sangfor."

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"Deploying FortiGate is hard."

"Lacks sufficient security options."

"There can be more security in hybrid implementations. When a customer has a hybrid environment where some parts are in the cloud, we need a consistent security solution for such scenarios."

"In the past six months, they took quite a long time to respond to the support tickets. I don't know if they are overwhelmed with too much activity, but for the last six months, the support has not been very good."

"Areas that have room for improvement in Fortinet FortiGate include support and GUI enhancement."

"We faced difficulties with the configuration because there are many features we could optimize using Fortinet FortiGate, but our reseller didn't have a good understanding of it. So, we just use it on a basic level, not with the best practice for using FortiGate."

"Some features in Fortinet FortiGate need improvement as we discover when calling support that certain actions must be done from the command line."

"The support system could be improved."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The reporting is not as good as it is with other firewalls and it should be improved."

"The graphical user interface should be enhanced."

"There should be more options to use lower-end models in a high availability configuration."

"The stability of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"Some of the compatibility and technical support issues are reasons why I rate it eight instead of nine or ten; the rest of everything is good."

"They could provide more integration options with different platforms."

"Fortinet FortiGate-VM should improve its asset identification, wherein the device can identify assets on the network, like computers."

"In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM cons

"An area for improvement would be the number of ports defined on the box. In the next release, I would like them to develop their provisioning stage of enrolling end devices."

"The support for YouTube or the Internet is not enough."

"There is room for improvement in dependency on certain infrastructure, like the DNS dependency on the current DNS server that the company has. It should be standalone. It should not depend on any other DNS server."

"The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardware scalability, allowing for more storage and memory capacity."

"The reporting and log management could be improved."

"Sangfor could improve their interface capacity on the 5100 series model and upgrade their hardware from one gig to 10 gig. This would improve the overall throughput."

"The tool is expensive."

"The interface and user experience are horrible."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is too expensive for us. My organization is very small, and we have a total of ten users. We have three internal users and seven external users. The FortiGate 100D series is too expensive for renewing the licenses."

"It is expensive. You need to pay for the subscription every year, which is very expensive. The subscription includes technical support and hardware exchange in case of failure."

"The price is relatively expensive compared to other solutions which are providing similar features."

"The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten."

"Pricing for Fortinet FortiGate SWG is more suitable for enterprise or large-sized organizations because they are the ones who can afford it versus small and medium-sized organizations."

"Fortinet costs are 25% lower than the high-cost provider. There is an equipment cost and a recurring monthly cost for licenses and technical support."

"We purchased a five-year bundle package, which worked out cheaper than competing solutions."

"Our licensing costs are on a yearly basis."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"There is a support fee that can be bought on a yearly or two-yearly basis. I don't think they do five years. The best benefit is that the same pricing is guaranteed for that duration. If you can afford it, I would recommend using the longest possible time span."

"The basic pricing in Austria is OK, but asking for special offers, e.g., NPOs, NGOs, trade up, and/or trade in, is always useful."

"We can tailor the suitable license for the customer, whether they require UTB or enterprise features. The options are flexible based on their needs."

"There is an annual license required to use the solution."

"I rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM's pricing a six out of ten."

"On a scale of one to ten, where ten is very expensive, I rate the solution around two or three. I think the solution's prices are okay, considering the services and features they offer."

"The price of the solution is competitive. Fortinet FortiGate-VM had a lot of advantages when it came to pricing. However, the competition has also geared up to a larger extent and it has become comparable now to the other solutions."

"This solution is very expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pricing and cost advice

"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The price falls in the mid-range, neither exceptionally low nor high."

"The product is very cost-effective compared to other brands or vendors."

"In my opinion, the price of the tool is good in the Pakistani market. We can easily get discounts if needed."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"Price-wise, I would not consider Sangfor NGAF to be a cheap product. It is an expensive firewall solution, though not as expensive as something like Palo Alto, which is costly. However, the higher price point is justifiable given the feature set the tool provides that other firewalls may not offer in a single dedicated appliance."

"When it comes to the price of firewall solutions, Sangfor NGAF takes the cake."

"If you know you have around 200+ computer users on your network, then the Sangfor NGAF 5200-F-I model would be the minimum recommended model for that amount of users. This model includes modules for packet filtering, deep packet inspection, malware scanning, DSCP filtration, and many other features."

More Sangfor NGAF pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Media Company

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	188

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	71
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	36

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	10

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Both of these solutions are excellent options that provide flexible scalability and solid security. Fortinet Fortigat...

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What do you like most about Fortinet FortiGate-VM?

An enhanced security solution for any kind of alert that we have configured.

See all answers

What do you like most about Sangfor NGAF?

I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I comp...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sangfor NGAF?

The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?

The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardwa...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 6% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 25% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 3% of the time

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Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 6% of the time

H3C SecPath Firewalls vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 3% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate-VM product report

Buyer's Guide

Sangfor NGAF

January 2026

Download Sangfor NGAF product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

FortiGate Virtual Appliance, FortiGate-VM

Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

FortiGate Virtual Appliances allow you to mitigate blind spots by implementing critical security controls within your virtual infrastructure. They also allow you to rapidly provision security infrastructure whenever and wherever it is needed. FortiGate virtual appliances feature all of the security and networking services common to traditional hardware-based FortiGate appliances. With the addition of virtual appliances from Fortinet, you can deploy a mix of hardware and virtual appliances, operating together and managed from a common centralized management platform.

Fortinet

Sangfor Next Generation Firewall (also known as NGAF) is a converged security solution providing protection against advanced threat, malware, viruses, ransomware and web-based attacks using integrated security features like firewall, IPS, anti-virus, anti-malware, APT, URL filtering, Cloud Sandbox, and WAF. As the world's first AI-enabled and fully integrated Next Generation Firewall & Web Application Firewall (WAF), NGAF offering the security visibility, real-time detection and response, simplified operation and maintenance and high-performance application layer security needed to operate an enterprise network in total security. Tested and proven to provide cutting-edge network security by ICSA Labs and endorsed by Gartner Inc., NGAF harnesses the power of Sangfor’s Neural-X threat intelligence and analytics platform and Engine Zero’s innovative malware detection to provide next-generation protection for today’s enterprise.

Sangfor

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Security7 Networks, COOPENAE

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF

December 2025

Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF

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