Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall NSv comparison

Fortinet and SonicWall are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Fortinet is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while SonicWall is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.4. Fortinet holds a 18.7% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to SonicWall’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 581 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

69,102 Views
53,900 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SonicWall NSv

Read 28 SonicWall NSv reviews

960 Views
816 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

SonicWall NSv

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 28, 2025

Fortinet FortiGate and SonicWall NSv are prominent network security solutions, both offering comprehensive protection and performance. Fortinet FortiGate holds a lead with extensive advanced features and cost-effectiveness, while SonicWall NSv stands out for its flexibility and high user satisfaction.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate is noted for its high-speed threat protection, robust VPN capabilities, and integrated SD-WAN. It ensures superior speed and integration for seamless operations. SonicWall NSv provides detailed threat management, includes anti-malware tools, and offers extensive reporting capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate could enhance its user interface for even better intuitiveness and expand its cloud capabilities. Integration with third-party tools can also see improvements. SonicWall NSv needs optimization in setup complexity for new users and can benefit from more comprehensive support documentation. Enhancing reporting accuracy is another area for growth.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate is praised for an easy deployment process and an attentive customer service team. Its setup tools are user-friendly, assisting quick installations. SonicWall NSv focuses on a cloud-driven deployment model, offering a straightforward setup complemented by significant support resources, favoring ease-of-use.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate provides competitive pricing that reduces initial setup expenses and promotes efficient long-term ROI, thanks to its optimized operations. SonicWall NSv, while typically incurring higher setup costs, promises substantial ROI with rich features adapted to future security demands.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiGate vs. SonicWall NSv Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. SonicWall NSv

February 2026

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Helped 881,733 peers since 2012

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

5.8

Fortinet FortiGate offers a high ROI with cost-effective cybersecurity, reducing costs and improving efficiency through centralized control.

Sentiment score

5.1

SonicWall NSv improved security and productivity, reduced costs, and enhanced network monitoring, strengthening infrastructure and resource management.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

In terms of cost, using SonicWall NSv in the cloud has allowed me to avoid purchasing additional physical firewall appliances, while scaling via VM size has proven more cost-effective than hardware refresh cycles, leading to reduced overall infrastructure and firewall expansion costs.

SurajYadav

Network Security Consultant at NTT DATA

Investment was challenging but strategic, given its advantages like 30% depreciation in the Indian ecosystem by the third year.

reviewer2092029

CEO at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees

I have seen a return on investment that includes money saved, time saved, and fewer employees needed.

Mohamed Fouad

cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate support is generally effective, but users report variable responsiveness and rely on comprehensive documentation.

Sentiment score

8.2

SonicWall NSv customer service is praised for prompt, effective support, with high ratings despite occasional wait time concerns.

The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

Customer support for SonicWall NSv is top-notch.

Bnelson Bosundra

IT systems and network engineer at Nelo Global Technologies Africa Limited

Whenever I create a case regarding any issue, their support is prompt and effective, adhering to the SLA, which leaves our customers very satisfied.

Parvendra Kumar

Project Manager in IT at IT Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

I would rate the customer support a 10 out of 10.

Deljin Davis

HPC engineer at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate is considered scalable for small to medium enterprises, though less so for large-scale expansions.

Sentiment score

7.5

SonicWall NSv provides scalable solutions with easy upgrades and cloud integration, enabling smooth performance improvements for growing environments.

They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

It has met our organization's needs by allowing us to scale our security posture consistently with our cloud compute growth, increased traffic and user areas, new cloud regions, and policy complexity growth.

Samodthemiya Gamage

Senior Cybersecurity Analyst at a tech company with 10,001+ employees

Cloud scalability with SonicWall NSv has worked well and is much easier compared to the physical firewall, though it still requires good planning to avoid performance bottlenecks during peak traffic.

SurajYadav

Network Security Consultant at NTT DATA

Nonetheless, the product is robust, eliminating major scalability concerns.

reviewer2092029

CEO at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is stable and reliable, with occasional issues linked to updates and high traffic, requiring regular patches.

Sentiment score

8.3

SonicWall NSv is praised for stability, reliable performance, effective management, and preference over Palo Alto and Sophos.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

It handles traffic well, providing reliable perimeter security with minimal interruptions.

Md Shahrukh Siddique

Network Security Consultant at Terafence Private Limited

Understanding and handling these devices onsite was limited, requiring external support.

reviewer2092029

CEO at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees

It rates around eight to nine in terms of stability, and it is quite good.

Munjal Bhalgama

Owner at IT CARE

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate users desire better reporting, intuitive UI, improved documentation, simpler pricing, stability, integration, and advanced features.

SonicWall NSv struggles with pricing, slow GUI, and setup complexity while users seek improved features and support.

These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.

Elvis Mahadeo

Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company

It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.

Pravin Mandlik

Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

I believe that application-based QoS policy is very important given the current environment. This feature should be available for application QoS as well in this firewall.

Parvendra Kumar

Project Manager in IT at IT Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

When the software was downloaded, optimal hardware utilization was lacking, making hardware upgrades inevitable.

reviewer2092029

CEO at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees

Currently, we are getting challenges with user-wise reports and other reporting details.

Munjal Bhalgama

Owner at IT CARE

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate offers competitive pricing, though renewal and add-on costs can affect long-term affordability, providing good feature value.

SonicWall NSv's reasonable pricing varies by region, with competitive licensing but higher costs in places like Brazil.

Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The Global VPN will be chargeable in our product, unlike Fortinet or Sophos, where it is free—this is a major difference.

Munjal Bhalgama

Owner at IT CARE

SonicWall NSv was a bit expensive for the subscription.

reviewer2774850

Network Architect at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been that it is low cost.

Mohamed Fouad

cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate excels with ease of use, robust security, and affordability, featuring web filtering, VPN, SD-WAN, and IPS.

SonicWall NSv offers robust security with advanced features and customization, enhancing productivity and protection in cloud environments.

The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring.

Viraj Fernandopulle

General Manager Group IT at DART GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTE. LTD.

We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.

VINAY GUJARATHI

Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions

They put in a thing called the FortiCookbook, which is very easy to read with real-life scenarios that make networking tasks like joining networks very straightforward.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The cloud delivery threat intelligence spots suspicious behavior in just a few seconds, stopping it before execution, automatically blocking and quarantining files.

Bnelson Bosundra

IT systems and network engineer at Nelo Global Technologies Africa Limited

SonicWall NSv positively impacts my organization by providing firewall capabilities as a virtual firewall while offering the capabilities of a physical firewall with great performance and reliability.

Mohamed Fouad

cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK

SonicWall NSv has positively impacted my organization by helping us access our whitelisted web apps since we manage web apps while ensuring proper standards to prevent any information leaks.

Tanaka Benson Mujanja

DevOps Support Engineer at Bluegrass

For more quotes and insights, download the SonicWall NSv report

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Ranking in Firewalls

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

581

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), ZTNA (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)

SonicWall NSv

Ranking in Firewalls

13th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

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 SonicWall NSv is 0.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.7%
SonicWall NSv	0.3%
Other	81.0%

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.

Read full review

Samodthemiya Gamage

Senior Cybersecurity Analyst at a tech company with 10,001+ employees

Secures east-west cloud traffic and improves threat visibility through deep inspection

SonicWall NSv offers great features. I cannot pinpoint a single best feature, but the best feature is the ability to deliver the full, high-efficiency inspection power of a physical SonicWall, including zero-day defense using Real-Time Deep Memory Inspection to the cloud, efficiently removing the performance versus cloud trade-off typically associated with virtual firewalls. Regarding deep memory inspection and real-time zero-day defense in SonicWall NSv, deep memory inspection is distinct from traditional sandboxing methods because it is focused on what is happening in the memory during file execution time, rather than just observing file system behavior. The deep memory inspection process addresses all challenges by employing a proprietary technique within the secure analysis environment, focusing on CPU-level analysis and real-time verdict. Those are the key points. SonicWall NSv's user interface is quite clear and easy to navigate. If someone has not worked with SonicWall and this is their first experience with the platform, I would highly recommend it. It is very easy to navigate and very user-friendly. SonicWall NSv has positively impacted our organization because we gained clear visibility into our network, and it helps to identify potential security issues that we had. We were able to remediate those issues, and so far, we have had a great experience with SonicWall NSv. We were able to manage approximately 99% of network-based attacks through this platform.

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Comparison Review

it_user216600

Senior Technical Consultant with 51-200 employees

Jan 3, 2016

Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate

I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

16%

Security Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Outsourcing Company

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	9
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage at large. In my opinion, Fortinet would be the best option and l use Fortinet too...

See all answers

What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know the firewalls change every 5 to 7 years as stated but you really do need to upg...

See all answers

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite good. The most valuable features for me are their web and email filtering. I wou...

See all answers

What do you like most about SonicWall NSV?

The product helps improve our security.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall NSV?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing has been pretty much linear; it is not high, it is not low, and I found it on par with industry standards.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall NSV?

I believe SonicWall NSv can be improved, as currently, they are rolling out Generation 7 models, and I am not sure if they are also working on Generation 8 and beyond. I faced a problem when migrat...

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

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Azure Firewall vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 21% of the time

SonicWall NSa vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 18% of the time

Stormshield Network Security vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 14% of the time

Zscaler Cloud Firewall vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 9% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs SonicWall NSv

Compared 6% of the time

More SonicWall NSv Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

SonicWall NSv

January 2026

Download SonicWall NSv product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

SonicWall Network Security Virtual

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

SonicWall NSV is a software-based virtual firewall that provides additional security for customers with public-facing servers or services on Microsoft Azure. The AGSS Bundle is considered the most valuable feature, providing security services such as antivirus, intrusion prevention system, and anti-spyware botnet GUI.

Additionally, customization of firewall rules provides great value to customers, allowing them to lock things up in the way they desire. SonicWall NSV offers extensive security control options to protect customers' valuable information and assets.

SonicWall

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

Comlogic, Depaul, Hutt City Council

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate vs. SonicWall NSv

February 2026

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