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 8.4, while Sangfor is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.1. Fortinet holds a 2.0% 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: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF

February 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

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.7%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is 2.0%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.1%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.7%
Fortinet FortiGate-VM	2.0%
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

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall's design is good...I am very impressed with the product's stability."

"Whenever we raise a complaint with FortiGate, their response and resolution times are minimal."

"There’s something magical about the way the flavors blend together, creating a dish that is both comforting and exciting."

"The centralized management allowed us to manage 50 devices effectively, which I found better than Cisco."

"SSL-VPN is very useful for us and has been very reliable."

"This product is definitely scalable."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate SWG are IPS and scanning."

"I like Fortinet FortiGate's antispam filter, SPN, and clustering features."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The platform has enhanced our organization's security posture by providing effective threat protection, bandwidth management, and SDN capabilities."

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

"The platform has a good user interface."

"We are able to closely monitor the usages of individual users and see their usage habits and other items, including the data itself, which gives us quite a bit of visibility."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to operate."

"All the security features that are built into the product are valuable."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate include web filtering and application category functionality; the application category allows web filtering based on categories, which is one of the strengths of the Fortinet FortiGate firewall."

"They are very affordable compared to Palo Alto and other vendors, offering a great solution for networking and SD-WAN with extremely good protection."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pros

"Sangfor's tech features and technologies are more powerful than those of the other solution providers in terms of security. They also have big solutions in terms of cybersecurity."

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

"The price versus value is good because the solution is less expensive than Sophos, Fortinet, or SonicWall."

"So far, the performance and reliability of the product have supported our company's critical network traffic."

"The absolute best part of Sangfor NGAF is their support. It's a 24/7 support channel, and the last time I requested their assistance I got a reply within three minutes. They helped solve the problem immediately."

"The level of support provided to local companies is good. They transform their application control and other settings according to that country."

"It enables us to not only detect but also prevent various types of incoming threats, allowing us to take appropriate corrective actions and exercise control over the network."

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

More Sangfor NGAF pros

Cons

"Palo Alto has a feature called WildFire Analysis that is unavailable in FortiGate. WildFire is better than a sandbox because it can address zero-day threats and vulnerabilities. It can immediately identify zero-day threats from the cloud."

"In an incident, after a restart, Fortinet FortiGate did not connect to FortiGuard servers. Due to that reason, on the customer end, all websites got blocked. I don't know why this happened. The firewall of a bank in Sri Lanka rebooted yesterday, and after that, FortiGuard servers did not connect properly, blocking all customer environment websites."

"Zero trust could be added. Nowadays, solutions like Zscaler, Netskope, and even SecureWorks combine multiple features into a single product."

"The solution must improve the support provided for customers around the globe, considering the time differences in different places."

"I would like to see improvements in the IPS/IDS feature to enhance protection against attacks from attackers, including ransomware protection."

"One point against them is that their solution lacks a unified approach."

"FortiGate needs to be elastic to the market's trends. It should be easy for SMBs to get the solution."

"The customization is a little bit difficult."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"There are areas for improvement because usually, most policies don't change much."

"It needs an Application Inspection."

"Licensing could be easier to understand."

"They should keep us up to date about the latest version. That's the biggest thing. Currently, we have to go looking for the latest version. We should get notified about what's going on with the versions. I would like to see easier dual-factor authentication."

"With FortiGate, we sometimes encounter bugs in various operating systems."

"The solution's web-filtering configuration could be better."

"The tech support calls were not the best and could be improved. There have been times when we felt as if we knew more about the device than the support person on the phone."

"The scalability feature of the solution has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM cons

"The setup phase is quite complex."

"I feel Sangfor should follow the hierarchy and close deals via resellers instead of closing it all with their own team."

"Sangfor NGAF could improve by refining its application control policies, especially in addressing challenges with certain types of applications."

"The firewall system needs gradual improvements because there are more threats and challenges every day."

"They need to increase the number of ports in the firewall."

"The solution has too many bugs and these slow down the implementation."

"I believe that IAM and NGFW need to merge into a single box, instead of there being two separate box solutions."

"The GUI needs to be improved, lacks logic in some areas."

More Sangfor NGAF cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I do not have first-hand experience with the rice of Fortinet FortiGate, but I have heard the price was reasonable."

"If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable."

"The pricing is comprehensive and clear. You can easily understand what you are purchasing, including which features correspond to each license and maintenance contract. Overall, the information is straightforward. Additionally, compared to other vendors, their prices are competitive."

"There is a need to pay for a license for the product."

"Compared to Palo Alto, which we have used in the past, pricing and licensing are okay."

"There is only a standard license cost to use the solution."

"Its pricing is good. It's average or normal as compared to Palo Alto and Check Point firewalls."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable for an SME."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"At present, the SD-WAN licenses are on an annual basis."

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

"The price of the solution could be less expensive. There are some features that have to be purchased separately that have their own license."

"It's not a cheap solution but it comes with its benefits."

"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."

"It is more expensive than its competitor, e.g. Sophos."

"We have been waiting a long time for the vendor to give us licenses, it has been five months and we are still waiting. However, the price is reasonable."

"The price is expensive compared with other vendors, like Cisco and Huawei."

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM pricing and cost advice

"The price is unmatcheable."

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

"The solution has a TCO that is 32% to 50% less than Sophos, Fortinet, and SonicWall."

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

"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."

"For over 2000 users, the cost is around 5000 to 6000 USD. If you want a web application firewall, you have to purchase an additional license for it."

"The license of Sangfor NGAF can be purchased at different interval lengths, such as annually or three years. They offer a range of packages to choose from, such as combo or hybrid packages. We are using the complete solution package which includes IM, NGF and SSL VPN, and WAF."

"Sangfor is cheaper than competing vendors."

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

13%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

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	189

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	72
Midsize Enterprise	34
Large Enterprise	38

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

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Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...

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Which would you recommend - FortiGate VM or Azure Firewall?

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...

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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...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 14% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

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Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate-VM

Compared 22% 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 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate-VM Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 17% 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

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Sangfor NGAF

Compared 3% of the time

More Sangfor NGAF Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate-VM

February 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

February 2026

Free Report: Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs. Sangfor NGAF

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