Fortinet FortiGate is a perimeter firewall which we are using for protecting our network and for defining policies so that only restricted access is given from outside to serve this purpose.
Officer in Charge of IT Department at Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer(ACTREC)
Ensures network security with reliable policy management and smooth deployment
Pros and Cons
- "We have received a very good ROI; it has provided significant time savings of almost 20-25%."
- "A disadvantage exists when we are collecting the logs, as it sometimes becomes very difficult to interpret the logs that are generated from the firewall."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate serves as our perimeter firewall which we utilize for protecting our network and defining policies to ensure only restricted access is given from outside.
What needs improvement?
A disadvantage exists when we are collecting the logs, as it sometimes becomes very difficult to interpret the logs that are generated from the firewall. The main challenge is finding out which IP is generating what kind of traffic.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for more than 10 years. We started with FGT 60, then moved on to 100, then 300, and currently we are using 501E.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It went smoothly and we have found it very useful because we have a redundant internet lease line. It takes care of all our requirements.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have been informed by Fortinet FortiGate that it has already reached the end of service. It will be supported until next year, so we might procure a new solution. It cannot be scaled, so we will have to replace the box itself.
How are customer service and support?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for quite a long time. As mentioned, we have used the last four series, and we found the product to be very stable. We regularly update it when updates are available, and the support has been good so far.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are not using any previous solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The system integrator performed the installation and it went smoothly. My team mentioned it is very easy to do the setup. Since it is software-based rather than hardware-based, and our people are very familiar with the software, the implementation proceeded smoothly.
What about the implementation team?
The system integrator performed the installation.
What was our ROI?
We have received a very good ROI. It has provided significant time savings of almost 20-25%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is affordable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
My team has indicated that Fortinet FortiGate is more simple and secure compared to alternatives.
What other advice do I have?
I 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.
Implemented secure connectivity across branches with reliable network performance
Pros and Cons
- "The integration of SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted application performance."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Fortinet FortiGate for branch-to-branch connectivity. It handles internet outages, internet breaks to the cloud, and internet connectivity to the internal systems in the branches.
What is most valuable?
The SD-WAN and VPN tunnels are the best features of Fortinet FortiGate in my opinion. My major workload runs on Fortinet FortiGate, as it serves as the main backbone of the network.
What needs improvement?
The firmware in Fortinet FortiGate needs improvement. Some firmwares have many bugs, such as filter issues and VPN connectivity problems. Last month, with version 7.4.6, we experienced web filter issues. They need to fix the bugs before releasing firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for up to 15 years, and it performs well.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my opinion, Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is flexible and scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and technical support of Fortinet FortiGate rates seven out of ten. The technical support and RMA process are acceptable. We don't raise many tickets, but when we do, we receive late responses for technical tickets, which is why I rate it seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Palo Alto and Cisco Meraki before choosing Fortinet FortiGate.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
We used in-house resources for our setup instead of an integrator, reseller, or consultant.
What was our ROI?
We currently have approximately 110 Fortinet FortiGates and 40 managers. Each year we increase by almost 10 to 20 FortiGates. We are also considering FortiSASE and have discussed this with Fortinet FortiGate. We are planning changes in return on investment from this solution this quarter.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing depends on market competition, which is high because Cisco Meraki and Palo Alto offer similar costs for pricing, setup, and licensing of Fortinet FortiGate. They need to compete with lower margins as prices are getting high for Fortinet FortiGate.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are currently using Palo Alto and Cisco due to some issues with the Fortinet FortiGate sales people. We have installed equipment in almost four locations, and we are using these three solutions simultaneously.
What other advice do I have?
We are planning to implement SASE and have already discussed this with Fortinet FortiGate. We are currently only discussing the possibility of using SASE.
The integration of SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted application performance. The implementation is straightforward for new users. My experience in integrating SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate has been excellent, rating it 10 out of 10.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiGate 9 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Network Consultant at NETOPS
User-friendly design facilitates seamless firewall implementation and network security management
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to replace all the firewalls in other locations, as around 90% of our company operates on Fortinet."
- "I believe one area that could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate is posturing, specifically for remote VPN users, as there are OS-based limitations I encountered with only Windows; adding domain restrictions for VPN access would make it more competitive and useful."
What is our primary use case?
We usually use Fortinet FortiGate for a perimeter firewall, but also for our outbound traffic as well as for the tunnels, with around 40 to 50 tunnels on our firewall.
We are using it in our data center; we have the 2,000 series HA firewalls.
How has it helped my organization?
Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to replace all the firewalls in other locations, as around 90% of our company operates on Fortinet.
We enable the SD-WAN zone to handle multiple ISPs, allowing it to automatically switch over the WAN link if any latency hits the threshold value, eliminating the need for manual failover. The impact of SD-WAN on our network performance provides great stability with zero downtime; it immediately switches over without any delay, not even a fraction of a second.
Fortinet addresses many vulnerabilities with respect to SSL VPN on their devices; quarterly patch upgrades are released, and the Fortinet team is retiring remote VPN services in favor of whole encrypted IPsec remote VPN to enhance security against hackers.
What is most valuable?
I have found Fortinet FortiGate's user-friendly design to be the most valuable feature so far. Anyone can easily understand how exactly it works, unlike Palo Alto and Check Point which are complex to understand.
What needs improvement?
I believe one area that could be improved in Fortinet FortiGate is posturing, specifically for remote VPN users, as there are OS-based limitations I encountered with only Windows; adding domain restrictions for VPN access would make it more competitive and useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for almost five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Overall, my impression of the stability of Fortinet FortiGate is very good, as I haven't seen any issues in the five years I've been using it, and there is no degradation of services on the firewall. However, I have observed some issues with FortiAPs, which is a different platform.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Based on my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is very scalable. Earlier it was suitable for mid-infra, but now we can use the firewalls for enterprise-level needs.
How are customer service and support?
Whenever I am stuck or need help, Fortinet support is available 24/7, regardless of the time zone I'm in, and they immediately jump in to assist, provided it is licensed.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before implementing Fortinet FortiGate, we were using SonicWall and ASA firewalls, which have now been replaced. The reason the previous firewalls were not suitable for our company anymore is that they were not competitive; they lacked UTM features, had limited VPN capabilities, and were outdated, which led us to select Fortinet over Cisco FTD for future needs.
How was the initial setup?
It's not so complex. It's user friendly. I have implemented more than hundred devices from scratch.
What about the implementation team?
As partners with Fortinet, we are end-users of this tool for our customers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not exactly aware of the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate, but I would say it is considerably cheaper compared to other firewalls.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated other options, particularly Palo Alto. Fortinet FortiGate is user-friendly and as competitive as Palo Alto, Check Point, and FTD. It has the same features as other vendors but at a lower cost.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten 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
IT Consultant at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Has protected against emerging security threats with valuable features and reliable support
Pros and Cons
- "The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients."
- "There were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors."
What is our primary use case?
I have experience with Fortinet solutions.
I have had experience recently with FortiGate as well.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is deployed in a company that is a carrier of telecommunication services, providing solutions to all kinds of companies around the world, especially in Mexico.
It addresses new and emerging security threats in the telecommunications industry, as we recognize that it is a highly effective solution that provides robust protection. That's the reason it was the main product we used to sell for perimeter security.
What is most valuable?
We use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for the access points and their switches.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with this solution.
The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients.
The segmentation capabilities enhance our security posture because they work effectively combined with the switching solutions, allowing us to easily combine switching with the firewall, as we could segregate the VLANs. They were powerful and appropriate for the solution we needed while supporting all the adequate features we required.
What needs improvement?
I'm not completely sure how Fortinet can improve the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), however, there were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors. Fixing the bugs in their switching solutions is necessary because I have faced several situations where we lost connectivity because of their firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have almost 12 years of experience with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding next-generation firewalls, I would give the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) a rating of ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is quite good; it is easy to make it scalable.
I would place the scalability between nine and ten on a scale of one to ten.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Fortinet's support a ten out of ten. They are excellent and very available whenever we needed their help.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to struggle with Cisco because it didn't have most of the features that Fortinet has, and when comparing with Palo Alto or Check Point, the prices are higher, which is important for solutions needed by mid-sized companies.
What about the implementation team?
Their deployment team is substantial, consisting of between 100 and 150 people.
What was our ROI?
Most clients realize the benefits from deployment immediately. They look for internet availability and the security needed for their endpoints.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet has good prices compared to other vendors; there were cheaper options, and when we compared Cisco, Fortinet's prices were lower.
What other advice do I have?
I don't remember how I bought the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), so I can't say if it was purchased through AWS Marketplace.
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) helps with the economic aspect because it effectively protects what we needed with the companies in designing the products and solutions.
I'm not familiar with how the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) utilizes artificial intelligence or if it has AI-driven features to improve threat detection and response, so I cannot detail its existence or help.
I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others. It is a very good product. In my position, I sold approximately 1,000 units.
On a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Bdm at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Long-term deployment has supported flexible security services for diverse customer needs
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate has it all."
- "But because it's so modular, sometimes customers mistakenly just buy the firewall. The firewall doesn't work right."
What is our primary use case?
I integrate service with Fortinet FortiGate. I integrate service, and some manage service, so the customer already has the firewall and we manage them, or we sell the hardware. But mostly for hardware, there are a lot of sellers, so mostly we do the services.
If the customer wants Fortinet FortiGate, I give Fortinet FortiGate. If the customer wants Sophos, I give Sophos. Both have a different market and different customer profile.
Whatever the customer asks, we provide. I'm running Fortinet FortiGate now because a customer wants that in my data center.
What is most valuable?
I find Fortinet FortiGate valuable due to Fortinet's ASIC, as I have known Fortinet FortiGate since a long time ago, from the first time they ran. They use ASIC. While Sophos also has a special hardware solution such as Xstream, they have all different purposes and different advantages, so I can utilize both. It depends on the customer.
I don't have any problem with Fortinet Unified SASE. Mostly in Indonesia, in our market, customers buy the brand without knowing the full capability of it. So actually with Fortinet FortiGate, you also have to implement FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer and for hardware control, FortiNAC and so on. But because it's so modular, sometimes customers mistakenly just buy the firewall. The firewall doesn't work right. That's a problem. I understand that this product design philosophy of Fortinet FortiGate is meant to serve very big corporations which have established SOC teams. They put segmentation of who is the manager and who is the analyzer. That's why they put the separate server for that. But because the brand is so famous, even small customers want to buy it.
What needs improvement?
I think Fortinet FortiGate could learn from its competitors that there's nothing to change. Perhaps they could just launch a lightweight version of the SIEM and SOAR tool, which is cloud-based. This would be for small organizations who cannot afford to build the full scale SOC facility and team.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for maybe five or six years, or maybe longer than that. It could be 10 years as well.
What other advice do I have?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for quite a long time, but I am not a partner yet. Last year I took partnership with Sophos, so we do both.
I don't have experience integrating SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet FortiGate yet, as we had a case but the project didn't go. SD-WAN is not mostly firewall. Yesterday, I just had a discussion with a new customer that wants to buy ZTNA and NAC.
I think the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate is affordable to some small customers, but they can only afford the firewall without the other components. Mostly firewall, so it's just selling products, not selling a security system.
In my opinion, Fortinet FortiGate doesn't need to be improved. It's because it has a different market. I had a case maybe five or six years ago. There was a tender of SD-WAN implementation for 10,000 mini marts. A company that has 10,000 outlets of mini marts needs security. In the data center at their headquarters, they need a very big firewall, up to 500 Gbps. But in the outlet, which is a small store or mini mart, they need a very small firewall that's capable to do SD-WAN, authentication, security, VPN and so on. Fortinet FortiGate has it all. Fortinet FortiGate is suitable for that kind of organization. They have a special SOC, so they buy FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer and so on. I rate this review an 8.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
Last updated: Mar 11, 2026
Flag as inappropriateCISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Integrating communications ensures operational continuity and cost-effective agility
Pros and Cons
- "The key features include SD-WAN, firewall use, intrusion prevention, intrusion detection, and application control."
- "The area that Fortinet may improve is customer support."
- "The area that Fortinet may improve is customer support. When you have an incident, situation, or open a case, the support is not as good as Cisco or other platforms I have tested."
What is our primary use case?
We have a Fortinet FortiGate 900 series that is a big UTM. We also have 10 Gig switches, all fiber, for distribution of the service provider's connections.
What is most valuable?
The key features include SD-WAN, firewall use, intrusion prevention, intrusion detection, and application control.
I have tested 90% of the features that Fortinet FortiGate offers. This type of solution helps us integrate all communications of our company. They guarantee operational continuity of our company and reduce risks by eliminating and detecting threats. This solution gives us agility.
What needs improvement?
The area that Fortinet may improve is customer support. When you have an incident, situation, or open a case, the support is not as good as Cisco or other platforms I have tested. There are many opportunities for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
The area that Fortinet may improve is customer support. When you have an incident, situation, or open a case, the support is not as good as Cisco or other platforms I have tested.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Fortinet FortiGate, we had Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
It was not easy. While it might be easier now than eight years ago, you have to be careful and ensure you use a great partner that helps you implement this solution as easily as possible.
What about the implementation team?
The experience is good when you use a quality partner or integrator. We use an integrator, located in the Dominican Republic. They have great support here and extensive knowledge.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment is great. Previously, we were using a dedicated point-to-point connection from the service provider that cost approximately $3,000 a month. When we implemented Fortinet FortiGate, we changed to two internet high-speed dedicated connections, costing approximately $2,000 in total, resulting in significant cost savings.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost efficiency is notable because it is an overall product with a mid-range price point, and you receive more value for the price.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before Fortinet FortiGate, we had Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
The only product that I have not integrated yet is the Unified SASE. This gives my team agility because as the Chief Information Security Officer, I do not have frequent contact with the platform, but my team has this interaction.
On a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Information Security Analyst at channelnext
Provides advanced threat protection and helps ensure compliance
Pros and Cons
- "The best features of this tool include threat protection, email filtering, and web filtering, and FortiAnalyzer's integration with the firewall and FortiSASE is beneficial."
- "I would rate Fortinet support a six out of ten. The immediate response is not that good, particularly when raising a critical or P1 ticket; they lag in the immediate response."
What is our primary use case?
My customer's main use cases for Fortinet FortiGate are mainly for threat blocking, compliance requirements, firewall functionality, and basic security.
How has it helped my organization?
It's focused on defending against advanced threats and providing better throughput. Additionally, it can accommodate both enterprise companies and independent users. Bandwidth is one of the issues, but there are many benefits. Overall, it's a solid solution that is scalable in terms of throughput.
What is most valuable?
The best features of this tool include threat protection, email filtering, and web filtering. FortiAnalyzer's integration with the firewall and FortiSASE is beneficial. The integration helps detect the most advanced threats, such as APTs.
Fortinet FortiGate stable solution has made systems more compliant in the cyber industry for several customers.
What needs improvement?
They can improve the backend functionality of Fortinet FortiGate, particularly how the policies work in a real-time environment. Improving this aspect can ensure that policies work effectively.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution for around one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability can be rated as eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate has very good scalability in terms of bandwidth, throughput, and everything else. It's scalable without any problems.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Fortinet support a six out of ten. The immediate response is not that good, particularly when raising a critical or P1 ticket; they lag in the immediate response. They can improve on that front, especially in their support service.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
My customers have seen ROI with Fortinet FortiGate. The investment they made has provided returns.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure about the exact license cost, but generally, it's a reasonable price. If the hardware or the machine is advanced, it will be expensive. However, for medium-sized machines or hardware, it maintains a reasonable price.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend that those who want to use Fortinet FortiGate need to plan ahead. If they are upgrading or expanding their user base in their company, they should purchase a one-level higher version. It would provide good throughput and withstand the number of users in their company.
Fortinet FortiGate can be a bit expensive, but the price is reasonable. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Team Lead at Adapt Information Technologies (Pvt) Ltd
Straightforward implementation and good performance
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate is quite popular in my region, so we are implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls. It's straightforward to deploy and has good stability and performance."
- "Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
I am a network engineer implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. We have implemented this firewall for various government departments, small organizations, and hotels.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate is quite popular in my region, so we are implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls. It's straightforward to deploy and has good stability and performance.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for around three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not faced any other issues with Fortinet FortiGate. The performance for Fortinet FortiGate is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate is good.
How are customer service and support?
We are able to resolve most issues on our own. We raise a case through a partner portal. If the local distributor cannot resolve it, it's routed to another country. The response time for their technical support is not always good. It also depends on the license that the customer has.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are partners with both Sophos and SonicWall. I have implemented Sophos firewall myself, but not SonicWall. Our other engineers handle SonicWall implementations. I implemented Sophos SG and recently migrated from SG to SGS, all the firewalls.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process for Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward. We don't get much error with FortiGate because it's straightforward. We can implement it easily. Sometimes, when we implement through the portal, there are some errors, but we can manage it.
I have implemented 900D firewall and 400D firewall clusters, and many Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. I have also implemented FortiADC once, following step-by-step guides.
What about the implementation team?
We are a partner of Fortinet.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Some of our customers are using Sophos and SonicWall due to price concerns, as they can't manage the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
I mostly recommend Fortinet FortiGate when it fits the customer's budget. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
Provides comprehensive security features and enables efficient network traffic management
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate offers several valuable features, particularly as an interface-based solution. Its design makes it easy to understand both incoming and outgoing network traffic through its interface."
- "The solution has improved my organization significantly, with impactful capabilities such as sandboxing and cloud solutions, such as XDR, MDR, and EDR."
- "I believe there is room for improvement in machine learning and AI in Fortinet FortiGate. I would like to see more automation regarding AI and machine learning in Fortinet FortiGate."
What is our primary use case?
I am focused on data center solutions, specifically implementing the FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer, and FortiProxy systems.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate offers several valuable features, particularly as an interface-based solution. Its design makes it easy to understand both incoming and outgoing network traffic through its interface. The log detection system is user-friendly and effective, allowing for straightforward monitoring of network activity. Additionally, the support for 802.1X and other solutions enhances its functionality. The Unified Threat Management (UTM) feature is particularly effective and beneficial for organizations. One of the best aspects of FortiGate is its adaptability within various environments.
Fortinet FortiGate is a good solution for SD-WAN in network enterprises, with LAN or two ISP solutions that can be separated, making it good for lab parallel network segregation. My experience integrating the SD-WAN capabilities includes having two ISP solutions. One is Airtel with a speed of 1 Mbps, while the other is Vodafone, which offers speeds of 60 Mbps and 40 Mbps. These traffic levels are manageable when using SD-WAN for effective traffic management. Essentially, the integrated SD-WAN on the FortiGate device is suitable for handling traffic management with these ISP solutions.
The security policies in Fortinet FortiGate are very attractive, including application, web filtering, and anti-virus, with very effective web filtering in this organization for behavioral analysis by users.
The solution has improved my organization significantly, with impactful capabilities such as sandboxing and cloud solutions, such as XDR, MDR, and EDR.
What needs improvement?
I believe there is room for improvement in machine learning and AI in Fortinet FortiGate. I would like to see more automation regarding AI and machine learning in Fortinet FortiGate.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have five-year experience with the Fortinet FortiGate firewall.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable. I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is very good. It's easily scalable.
We have about 15,000 users.
How are customer service and support?
Their customer support is very good. I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The deployment of Fortinet FortiGate is easy.
The solution requires maintenance, and upgrades are very easy and impactful, providing seamless upgrade processes without critical issues.
What was our ROI?
I estimate that Fortinet FortiGate has saved us around 20% in terms of time, money, and resources.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Fortinet FortiGate is average, not cheap or overly expensive compared to other firewall solutions in the market. It's effective and affordable for customers.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
When comparing Fortinet FortiGate to other solutions like Palo Alto or Check Point, I find that Fortinet is much easier to implement. My colleagues often struggle to understand other solutions, but Fortinet is more adoptable, which is beneficial for training purposes. The training resources available at training.fortinet.com are quite helpful. I believe Fortinet stands out in terms of effective training and the quality of knowledge provided. Their documentation is particularly impactful, making the learning process more efficient. Overall, Fortinet offers a very effective and knowledgeable training experience compared to other vendors.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Provides good application control and security, and it's user-friendly
Pros and Cons
- "Application control and the web filter are the best features of Fortinet FortiGate."
- "I would recommend using Fortinet FortiGate because of its usability."
- "Its pricing can be better."
- "The only issue that I have is with FortiNAC. The firewall is fine, but the FortiNAC interface is a little bit too jumbled or too complicated, not as straightforward as it is on the Fortinet FortiGate firewall and FortiAnalyzer."
What is our primary use case?
We have two deployments of Fortinet FortiGate at different sites. One is the SD-WAN, and the other is the next-generation firewall.
We secure our perimeter using Fortinet FortiGate. We are using it as a gateway device, and we have all the filters, such as the web filter, the intrusion detection and the anti-virus. We mainly use it to filter our traffic. Most importantly, it serves as our gateway device. That is how we are using it at the end of the day.
We wanted to see how Fortinet FortiGate SD-WAN can help us reach out to our branch, and that was the only reason for enabling it. It pretty much works for connectivity to the branch.
How has it helped my organization?
It is very user-friendly compared to other products. It integrates with many other technologies out there. It does not matter what technology you have deployed within your network, it can work with that.
We have not had an issue with the Fortinet FortiGate firewall. We recently renewed the licenses for the firewall and FortiNAC, and it has been working well. I have not had any incidents or instances since the last renewal.
What is most valuable?
Application control and the web filter are the best features of Fortinet FortiGate.
Traffic control is available, and I have been using Fortinet FortiGate to allocate bandwidth also, so it helps me manage and allocate bandwidth to my applications. On that side, that has worked for me. Most importantly, it helps to filter unwanted traffic.
What needs improvement?
Its pricing can be better. I cannot think of anything else because it pretty much satisfies our requirements. I am comfortable with this product.
The only issue that I have is with FortiNAC. The firewall is fine, but the FortiNAC interface is a little bit too jumbled or too complicated, not as straightforward as it is on the Fortinet FortiGate firewall and FortiAnalyzer.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not faced any stability issues with Fortinet FortiGate. I would give it an eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable. I would rate it an eight out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I raise my tickets for Fortinet FortiGate, and they are handled well. The support is pretty good. I would rate the support an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In this work environment, Fortinet FortiGate was the first one we had as our firewall. We had nothing before it.
I have previously worked with Check Point and Cyberoam. Those are the only two products that I can compare with Fortinet FortiGate.
From my experience, administration is a bit complicated on the Check Point side. Most of the concepts are similar, but configuring Fortinet FortiGate is a little bit easier for me compared to Check Point. Cyberoam was resource intensive, which I have not seen in Fortinet FortiGate.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was handled by a provider to implement it, but the knowledge transfer was pretty much straightforward. It took about two weeks to deploy Fortinet FortiGate.
What was our ROI?
We are not a business-oriented organization; our primary aim is to make sure that our assets are protected. We had some issues before having this firewall, and we have not had any incidents ever since we implemented Fortinet FortiGate.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When I look around at other products, such as Sophos, Fortinet FortiGate is 20% to 30% more expensive with our current cost.
The license renewal for Fortinet FortiGate has been a little bit costly. When we are paying, we renew both the warranty and licenses for Fortinet FortiGate. That is what makes the whole thing a bit costly.
We normally purchase and renew those licenses for FortiAnalyzer, FortiNAC, and Fortinet FortiGate firewall at the same time. When I look around, I would say Fortinet FortiGate is on the higher side.
What other advice do I have?
The thing that I have not experienced with it is the web application firewall. I was trying to find out from the partner whether it is something that is licensed separately. When you look at the policies, it looks it is not active.
I would recommend using Fortinet FortiGate because of its usability. I would rate it 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.
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Updated: June 2026
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