The use case for this product has to do with security and visibility. When you are inside the business and when there are different departments and branches, it is used for the visibility of some packets. It can also be used for SSL inspections, to check if the SSL is right and that it is not phishing.
Engineer at Cyber Sea
Is affordable and easy to deploy, and has good license management features
Pros and Cons
- "The license management is very valuable. You can get a new license each year, or you can enroll every two to four years. You can get the logs, and you will get the information on the risk in your network and the entire organization. With this information, you can take action on your actives, computers, or devices. You can bring your own device as an SSE."
- "The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The license management is very valuable. You can get a new license each year, or you can enroll every two to four years. You can get the logs, and you will get the information on the risk in your network and the entire organization. With this information, you can take action on your actives, computers, or devices. You can bring your own device as an SSE.
The simplicity of the deployment and the digitization of risk are other valuable features that Fortinet provides.
The cost is low.
What needs improvement?
The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment.
All the development of the firmware should be fixed before the update at the page level.
API tokens need to be improved, particularly with regard to integration with other cloud solutions. In other words, proxy flow and API integration need improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
October 2025

Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
869,095 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't had any problem with the stability of the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. You can merge other Fortinet products well with this solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy.
The deployment and maintenance can be done by one person.
What about the implementation team?
I did it myself. To create all the policies and configurations needed by the customers, it usually takes me two days or a week at the most if the project is harder.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is really low. It's cheap in comparison to the cost of Cisco or CheckPoint, for example.
What other advice do I have?
If you want to get this product, first you must evaluate the number of people who will use it, and then choose the product that will best fit your needs.
I would rate this solution at eight on a scale from one to ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner

Optical Fiber Splicer at Tachyon Broadband
Reliable and easy to set up with good security features
Pros and Cons
- "The product is scalable."
- "There could be more modifications."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for security purposes.
What is most valuable?
Some security features are used for side blocking and antivirus and application control and bandwidth control. These are important for us.
The initial setup is straightforward.
It's a reliable tool.
The product is scalable.
What needs improvement?
There could be more modifications. Some features are enabled, however, compared to Fortinet, some features are not easy.
Sometimes the dashboard does not open properly. When we add more options, SD-WAN features, and user control features, the opening is very slow. It does not sync properly.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for one or two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and quite reliable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. There is no hardware. There are many clients and we have not had any complaints so far in regard to the product.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good, however, they do not respond quickly. They respond late. When we log the case, there's no priority with service. You can't get a response, for example, within an hour or two unless you have priority. Cisco, in contrast, divides its services into P1, P2, or P3. That way, if something is recognized as a P1, they get help much faster.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also work with Cisco. I'm also aware of Palo Alto as an option.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and not complex. It's easy compared to Palo Alto and a few others.
Our deployment of Fortinet FortiGate took two years.
What about the implementation team?
We are resellers. We are able to handle the setup and deployment.
What other advice do I have?
We are resellers.
The Fortinet 201 and 900 series are very good.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
October 2025

Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
869,095 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Reliable with good manageability and a straightforward setup process
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the product to be scalable."
- "The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution as a hosted gateway.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable and reliable. The performance has been good.
We have found the product to be scalable.
The manageability has been excellent so far.
The initial setup is pretty simple and straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability. Right now, that is what is lacking. They need to offer monitoring dashboards.
The product should be more user-friendly and attractive. The interface doesn't look as nice as it could.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've just used the solution for a few months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The performance has been great. it's stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.
We have 80 to 100 people on the solution currently.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. It's already pretty fast.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use a different solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is easy. It's not overly difficult.
The last time we set it up, it took a maximum of 45 minutes to one hour to deploy - apart from the racking. When it is on-prem and I install it in the rack, it’s powered on, then the configuration takes a maximum of 45 minutes.
We only needed one technical person to manage the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We have a consultant that helps us with setting up the solution. Actually, we have the managed service with them as well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a three-year licensing agreement with FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I'd advise potential new users that, if they want to use it, they need to plan and design their business case, including what things they want to use and how to publish their application securely. If they can plan ahead, then they will be successful during deployment.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems Engineer at Vernity
Flexible, integrates well, and offers good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "It's an easy solution to set up."
- "The stability could be a bit better."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is mostly used for the connection with VPN clients. We use the solution for network security and network segmentation.
What is most valuable?
It's a flexible solution. The security that it's providing is a valuable aspect of the product.
FortiGate integrates well with other equipment such as FortiSwitch, FortiIB, and more, and delivers one pane of glass for the management of those devices.
It's an easy solution to set up.
Technical support has been good.
What needs improvement?
The configuration option availability is not 100% from the website of the FortiGate web management site. When we log on to the web interface on FortiGate, we do not have everything under this web solution. If we need some specific configuration or need to do some specific configuration, we need to do additional things on the CLI.
The stability could be a bit better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for at least the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, there are some areas in which they need to improve. There are different versions and we understand from past implementations which will work best according to our client's needs. The wrong one may not be as stable as they would like.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Some clients may increase usage in the future. FortiGate is fast becoming a very popular solution and its use will likely grow in general.
How are customer service and support?
In general, technical support is helpful. We are quite happy with the level of support on offer.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is pretty simple and straightforward. It's not overly complex or difficult.
The length of time it takes to deploy really depends on the size of the project.
While we do assist the client with the implementation, they tend to handle the maintenance on their end.
What about the implementation team?
Typically we, as integrators, will assist the client with the initial setup.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The overall costs are pretty typical. It's not overly cheap or overly expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I work as an integrator and maybe 60% of my work is around FortiGate. My company is a Fortinet partner and integrator.
If companies are thinking about the security of their network, they should consider FortiGate as a gate to the internet. I would highly recommend it to others.
For small or mid-size businesses, I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Senior Supervisor at MEPEQ
Robust, easy to use, and has excellent technical support that is quite responsive
Pros and Cons
- "The performance is good."
- "I would like to see better pricing in the next release, as well as a simplification of the installation."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall that protects all network data. We use it as our primary firewall in the office.
What is most valuable?
The performance is good.
It is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better pricing in the next release, as well as a simplification of the installation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable product.
In our company, it is the main gateway for the internet, and we have less than 100 users.
Deployment is faster per user. Each one has a laptop or a PC, as well as a mobile phone, so we have less than 100 devices per user, but with mobile phones and Internet access, that number can rise to more than 100.
How are customer service and support?
I have contacted technical support many times, they are very important and they are very good. They follow up on all of the cases that we have opened.
The response time is great.
They also always have an updated version of the firmware.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I now have UniFi Switches for our WiFi access point. We began using UniFi to replace Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches.
I am also working with QNAPS for network connections.
For virtual meetings, we use Google Meet. Some of our customers use Webex but we mainly work with Google Meet.
In our company, we have Kaspersky, as well as Fortinet.
How was the initial setup?
It's not straightforward. You must have at least the knowledge and the settings. It's not that simple.
The length of time it takes to install is determined by the configuration you have inside. It could take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.
In our company, I am responsible for the solution's maintenance and deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We had the assistance of a consultant at first.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis.
It would be better if it could be made a little less expensive.
It will be more expensive for the first year, then it will gradually decrease by a certain amount per year or something along those lines.
We have the full license that included all of the features and support.
Aside from the licensing fees, there are no other costs.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Technical Support Engineer at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
I can manage all of my on-prem devices from the cloud
Pros and Cons
- "I like Fortinet's cloud management. It allows me to manage all my devices in different branches for three cloud accounts. Even though I use on-prem devices, I can manage everything on the cloud."
- "I would like Fortinet to add more automation to FortiGate."
What is our primary use case?
FortiGate covers multiple schemes. I am using the firewall for basic protection. The work console and access console are powerful tools.
What is most valuable?
I like Fortinet's cloud management. It allows me to manage all my devices in different branches for three cloud accounts. Even though I use on-prem devices, I can manage everything on the cloud.
What needs improvement?
I would like Fortinet to add more automation to FortiGate.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using FortiGate for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
FortiGate is a highly stable system.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
FortiGate covers everything we need. Our company has looked into changing our firewall, but I recommended this solution because it meets all our requirements. Currently, we have between 150 to 200 users covered by the platform.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet technical support is nice.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up FortiGate isn't complicated. I handled the installation myself, but we have two technicians responsible for maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a yearly subscription.
What other advice do I have?
I rate FortiGate eight out of 10. I'm from Egypt, and FortiGate has a vast share of the security market in this country. Fortinet isn't the leader in routing or switching, but they have a nice share in security.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Reasonably priced, but the scalability has limitations, and is unreliable
Pros and Cons
- "The interface is very good."
- "Performance and technical support are the main issues with this solution."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is being used in our company.
What is most valuable?
The interface is very good.
What needs improvement?
There are limited features.
Scalability could be improved.
The issues with the IOS are that they occasionally hang. They are not as reliable as they once were.
When there is an issue with IOS, new updates are introduced, but the updates also have a lot of issues.
Performance and technical support are the main issues with this solution.
When compared to Cisco ISE, the device administration is not very good.
Fortinet is not very good at firewalls when compared to Cisco. Cisco offers full administration control, TripleA, SQT, they use TACACS security protocols, and they have much more control. Cisco's approach is superior.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for four or five years.
This year, we're removing the Fortinet and switching to Cisco ISE to cut security.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are issues with the stability of this solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are limitations to scalability.
How are customer service and support?
When compared with Cisco, the technical support is not very impressive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. It is not complex.
When compared to Cisco, it is very easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is lower than Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
Fortinet FortiGate is not a bad option.
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a five out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Security Presales Consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Straightforward implementation, priced well, and effective proxy mode
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ability to work in proxy mode, which other solutions, such as Palo Alto cannot. There are some features that are better that come at no extra license or subscriptions cost, such as basic SD-WAN. The DLT is useful, other solutions have the same feature too, such as Palo Alto."
- "Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall used for network security.
How has it helped my organization?
Fortinet FortiGate has helped our organization because it provides us with all features that are existing in all the other firewalls, they have a great firewall. Fortinet firewall gives you all the controls you need to control and inspect your traffic from malicious attacks.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ability to work in proxy mode, which other solutions, such as Palo Alto cannot. There are some features that are better that come at no extra license or subscriptions cost, such as basic SD-WAN. The DLT is useful, other solutions have the same feature too, such as Palo Alto.
Fortinet FortiGate can be deployed in the cloud, they have a full portfolio for security. You are able to integrate other Fortinet solutions together to take full advantage of their security portfolio.
The Fortinet FortiGate documentation library and full resources can be reached easily. You can search and find a solution to a problem you might have. Additionally, the overall solution is highly user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility.
When using Fortinet FortiGate you sometimes have to use the CLI to do some configurations which can be sometimes more difficult than using a GUI that other solutions can use, such as Palo Alto.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 40 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good in Fortinet FortiGate. If there are bugs or problems the issues are fixed quite quickly with updates. Palo Alto has a similar level of stability, they support their appliance from updates to the OS.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate has good scalability. You can deploy it in multiple areas and in multiple deployment modes such as firewall, inter-firewall, or core firewall. Fortinet FortiGate has appliances on multiple series that have different performances. You can choose multiple areas or multiple sites.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used the support from Fortinet FortiGate. I have solved the issues I have had from using my own experience.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Palo Alto previously.
When comparing Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto, they are equivalent to each other. However, Palo Alto is the Gartner Magic Quadrant leader and is easy to deploy. It would be difficult to describe the advantages or disadvantages because they are very similar.
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiGate has simple ways some of the features can be configured, such as VPN and routing protocols. You need additional effort to do it using Palo Alto. Palo Alto has a more detailed required configuration and this is why extra effort is needed.
I would rate the implementation of Fortinet FortiGate a five out of five.
The process of implementation is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Fortinet FortiGate can be better than others solutions because Fortinet sometimes helps you with the prices. They help the customers buy the solution by providing them a discounted price for good technology to protect their environment from multiple exploitations and network attacks.
Fortinet FortiGate as a less expensive solution than Palo Alto.
I would rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate a four out of five.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated other firewall solutions.
What other advice do I have?
Fortinet firewalls are a great new generation firewall. Since we are in these pandemic times with the increasing number of remote workers, you need one solution to protect against the additional breaches on a day-to-day basis. This means you need a great SD-WAN solution. Fortinet FortiGate helps by preventing these attacks because it is a secure solution and you have full visibility of the scalability of the traffic. The solution takes the appropriate actions paths based on the FLAs
Fortinet FortiGate is an excellent choice for you to implement as an SD-WAN solution.
I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Updated: October 2025
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