Fortinet FortiProxy vs Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway comparison

Fortinet and Broadcom are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Fortinet is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.8, while Broadcom is ranked #33. Fortinet holds a 3.5% mindshare in WSG, compared to Broadcom’s 0.7% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 2024

Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway and Fortinet FortiProxy compete in the network security category, offering cloud-based web security services. Fortinet FortiProxy appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced feature set and better investment value.

Features: Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway offers robust threat intelligence, extensive content filtering capabilities, and simplifies management by shifting from on-premises solutions to a cloud-based approach. Fortinet FortiProxy excels with superior network performance optimization, seamless integration with other security products, and offers features like DNS filtering to protect against DNS-based threats.

Room for Improvement: Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway could benefit from easier implementation processes and streamlined configurations. Additionally, improving its integration with third-party security products could enhance its functionality. Fortinet FortiProxy could improve by providing more user-friendly configuration tools, expanding its reporting capabilities, and offering more competitive pricing.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiProxy offers straightforward deployment and attentive customer support, making it easier to integrate into varied infrastructures. On the other hand, Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway might pose implementation challenges due to its layered configurations, though it still provides efficient support services.

Pricing and ROI: Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway presents a reasonable price structure with promising ROI through its efficient security enhancements. Fortinet FortiProxy, despite a slightly higher initial setup cost, is considered to offer greater long-term ROI due to its extensive features and performance benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.4%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiProxy is 3.5%, down from 5.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
iboss	2.4%
Fortinet FortiProxy	3.5%
Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway	0.7%
Other	93.4%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

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Emmanuel Dasho

Cyber Security Engineer | Network/Security at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Ease of configuration and seamless integration enhance operational efficiency

The App Control feature in the Fortinet FortiProx * Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): FortiProxy analyzes traffic at the application layer to detect applications even if they use non-standard ports or are encrypted. * Application Signatures: Uses FortiGuard’s application signature database (constantly updated) to recognize thousands of applications. * Policy Enforcement: You can create policies to Allow, Block, Monitor, or Shape (QoS) based on application type, category, or specific apps.

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cto543714

CTO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Simplifies management by shifting from on-premises solutions to cloud-based

Depending on the complexity of your system, you might need additional help during implementation. Considerations such as whether you’re using federated Active Directory or on-premises Active Directory need to be addressed. While setting up a system can be quick, taking only ten minutes to get started, rolling it out for an enterprise requires careful planning. Ensuring you make the right configuration choices is crucial for a successful deployment. It depends on the size of your deployment. While you can handle the setup, larger deployments might require additional support to manage effectively. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

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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

"The solution has massively improved our security posture, giving us full visibility into what our staff does online."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device. It operates on the network side and is not device-based. This feature was one of the main reasons why we stayed with them for so long."

"Valuable features: Within the filter: Controls (Web categories, applications, and Allow/Block list) and Network (local Subnets). Within the reporter: Logs (Event Log) and Reports."

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

More iboss pros

"It seamlessly integrates with various security products, enhancing threat intelligence and improving indicators of compromise."

"It helps to secure the networks at the DNA level and ensure proper identification and filtering of DNS traffic."

"It is a really stable solution."

"I liked the tool's ability to provide detailed access control. For example, we could allow users to watch YouTube videos but not post comments. This level of control wasn't available in FortiGate."

"The most valuable feature is intrusion prevention (IPS) and antivirus profiles. These features help control user activity, ensuring that they access only permitted websites and protects from downloading viruses."

"The App Control feature in the Fortinet FortiProxy Deep Packet Inspection (DPI): FortiProxy analyzes traffic at the application layer to detect applications even if they use non-standard ports or are encrypted."

"We can use Fortinet FortiProxy configuration for your network."

"The tool's most valuable feature is traffic inspections."

More Fortinet FortiProxy pros

"This solution does not require much administration."

"I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy to set up. It was pretty straightforward."

"The product is easy to install and deploy on the cloud."

Cons

"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"SSL decryption: We had issues with learners using apps instead of using web browsers. This type of encryption is tough for any appliance in a BYOD environment."

"The reporting feature needs improvement. It doesn't give you the expected results. It is quite difficult to get the specific reports needed, and it is not as intuitive as the rest of the platform."

More iboss cons

"Integration with existing infrastructure was generally easy, especially if you had tools like LDAP. However, I had to go through a lot of documentation as it was my first time working with a proxy server. We did experience some issues with certain web applications not working properly after implementing Fortinet FortiProxy."

"Its web filtering capabilities could be improved."

"Fortinet FortiProxy should improve by adding more documentation and guides."

"For IT administrators and managers, the reporting features are the main issues that should be addressed in order to improve the performance, security, and effective utilization of the product."

"I see that the solution's interface is not in French...It would be good for our company if we could have the tool interface in French."

"The tool's most valuable feature is its granular access control. For example, users can browse the main site if you allow access to Amazon, but it stops them from visiting secondary Amazon websites without specific permission. This granular control is really helpful."

"Its power supply process for some of the proxies needs improvement."

"Fortinet FortiProxy should integrate AI/ML technologies. Its pricing needs to be more flexible."

"The product is cost-effective, considering its features, technology, and support services."

"WSS runs slowly sometimes, I would like for this to be looked into."

"Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway can be improved by giving customers more ability to provide feedback on the categorization of websites and the site review portal."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The tool's pricing is in the middle."

"It can be considered expensive, with a limited lifespan and support that eventually requires updating to newer solutions."

"It is a cost-effective solution."

"Price-wise, Fortinet FortiProxy is moderate - not the highest among competitors, but not cheap either."

"It offers a more cost-effective solution than alternatives like FortiMail, FortiGate, and various Barracuda devices."

"The solution is neither too expensive nor very cheap."

"The price is fixed and affordable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

16%

Performing Arts

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

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What is your primary use case for iboss?

Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?

Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...

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What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiProxy?

For me it may be the wildcards for urls whitelist or blacklist, somehow the page loads. Aside from that there no other..

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What advice do you have for others considering Fortinet FortiProxy?

My advice to others who are considering Fortinet FortiProxy is that it is seamless, easy to use, and quite straightfo...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiProxy?

Fortinet FortiProxy is much cheaper compared to other products like Cisco, Palo Alto, and others. It is reasonably pr...

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What needs improvement with Symantec Web Security Service?

Most products in this space are still maturing. Organizations rushing toward implementing zero-trust models often enc...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway?

Symantec is now part of Broadcom, and their pricing is comparable to others in the market. It's reasonably priced rel...

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What advice do you have for others considering Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway?

Customers are increasingly adopting web isolation to enhance their network security. While this technology is costly,...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 34% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 6% of the time

Blue Coat Secure Web Gateway Virtual Appliance vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 6% of the time

Sangfor Internet Access Gateway (IAG) vs Fortinet FortiProxy

Compared 3% of the time

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Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

Compared 30% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

Compared 23% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

Compared 21% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiProxy

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiProxy product report

Buyer's Guide

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

January 2026

Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway report

Download Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

FortiProxy

Symantec Web Security Service

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

Fortinet FortiProxy is a secure web gateway that provides advanced web filtering, malware protection, and SSL inspection capabilities. It is designed to protect organizations from web-based threats and prevent data loss by enforcing granular policies for web access. FortiProxy is available as a physical or virtual appliance and can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. FortiProxy uses a combination of signature-based and behavior-based detection techniques to identify and block known and unknown threats. It also includes advanced features such as sandboxing and machine learning to detect and prevent zero-day attacks. FortiProxy can inspect SSL traffic to detect and block threats hidden in encrypted traffic. FortiProxy provides granular control over web access by allowing administrators to create policies based on user identity, device type, time of day, and other factors. It also includes pre-defined categories for web filtering, such as social media, gambling, and adult content. FortiProxy can also enforce compliance with regulatory requirements such as GDPR and HIPAA. FortiProxy integrates with Fortinet's Security Fabric, allowing it to share threat intelligence with other Fortinet products and provide a coordinated response to threats. It also includes a web-based management console that provides real-time visibility into web traffic and allows administrators to quickly respond to security incidents.

Fortinet FortiProxy is a comprehensive web security solution that provides advanced protection against web-based threats and allows organizations to enforce granular policies for web access.

Fortinet

Increasing web use, rapid cloud adoption, and greater numbers of remote users are exposing your network to additional risk. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway (formerly Web Security Service) is an indispensable line of defense against modern-day cyber threats. A critical capability of Symantec Web Protection, it enables enterprises to control access, protects users from threats, and secures their sensitive data.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

February 2026

Free Report: Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiProxy vs. Symantec Cloud Secure Web Gateway and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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