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PeerSpot user
Technology consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Jun 8, 2021
Good antivirus solution that can handle much traffic, but lacks GUI features
Pros and Cons
  • "In spite of the solution being inexpensive, it has everything one would need."
  • "There are certain GUI features that should be present but are not, although these we can address through the command-line interface."

What is our primary use case?

The version I am using, 6.2.8., is not the latest. It's a somewhat older version and has not yet been upgraded. 

We have configured our use cases to be those of a banking environment. We have enabled the use of the firewall solution for our 300 branches. 

What is most valuable?

The solution has pretty awesome features. It supports at least 300 of our branches. We have yet to come across any issues concerning the 300 branches we have configured, a high number which equates many connections. This means that the solution can handle that much traffic. This is a feature of the firewall that we appreciate, as well as that of antivirus. In spite of the solution being inexpensive, it has everything one would need. 

What needs improvement?


There are certain GUI features that should be present but are not, although these we can address through the command-line interface. We have to make use of this to create certain policies or change the interface layer. These configuration restrictions should be addressed. 

Moreover, the reporting should be upgraded, as there are only a small number of reports available. We also encounter issues on the logging pages. GUI does not allow for live logging and the command-line interface must be used in its stead. The need to rely on CLI should be done away with entirely. 

While we consider the solution to be user-friendly, certain improvements should be made in this respect. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet Fortigate-VM for the past two years. 

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
August 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely reliable. As mentioned, it is being used in 300 branches and no issues have arisen.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable, although I have not attempted to undertake further plugins or additions. 

How are customer service and support?

We have had no issues with the technical support. We have found them to be good, very knowledgeable and helpful. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Other solutions I have used in the past include Check Point and Palo Alto.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward, although the configurations can occasionally become involved. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

We have no specific complaints about the licensing prices. 

What other advice do I have?

I am on the implementation team, meaning that we configure the firewalls for our customers, mostly consisting of the BFSI banks and accounting for 2,000 people who make use of the solution. 

I cannot proffer advice to others who are considering implementation of the solution. All I can say is that it is straightforward and simple, only requiring configuration. 

I rate Fortinet Fortigate-VM as a seven 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
PeerSpot user
Network Security Engineer at a consumer goods company with 201-500 employees
Real User
May 19, 2021
Overall simple to use, reliable, and useful VPN tool
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features we have found to be the VPN, ease of use, and overall simplicity."
  • "Web filtering is a feature that needs some improvement. There should be some additional features to allow active users to change their own passwords."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for IPS, internal segmentation, inspections, and VPN.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features we have found to be the VPN, ease of use, and overall simplicity.

What needs improvement?

Web filtering is a feature that needs some improvement. There should be some additional features to allow active users to change their own passwords.

Additionally, the secure web gateway and the inspection feature need more security improvement in the next release.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been reliable in my experience.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 250 users using the solution in my organization and we plan to increase usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to install.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We are on an annual license for this solution and it could be cheaper.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Previously we evaluated other solutions, such as Check Point and the Palo Alto firewalls. This solution is easier to understand than the others.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others. Especially if they are new to these types of solutions, it is easy to understand.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM 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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate-VM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
909,153 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1401510 - PeerSpot reviewer
Team leader technical support at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
May 5, 2021
A complete ecosystem with good scalability, performance, and support
Pros and Cons
  • "Its performance is adequate. We are quite satisfied with its performance. The fact that it is a complete ecosystem with all kinds of integrations is valuable. It did take us a couple of months to get a grip on the new software, but all in all, it replaced our on-premise and single-point solution environment."
  • "The fact that it is a complete ecosystem with all kinds of integrations is valuable."
  • "It would be useful to have integration with different reporting tools. This is something we are sorely missing. It would be a plus to have reporting integrations. It would be good to have more integration with the identity suites, such as Office 365 and Azure Active Directory, of different providers that we use. Integrations are already available, but it would be nice to have some more advanced options."
  • "It would be useful to have integration with different reporting tools; this is something we are sorely missing."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to separate our office environment from our training courses and customer environment. 

We have on-premise and cloud deployments. We use the on-premise version for the functionality for our local network, and we use the cloud-based solution to provide the same functionality for our cloud-hosted workspaces. We have its latest version. 

What is most valuable?

Its performance is adequate. We are quite satisfied with its performance. 

The fact that it is a complete ecosystem with all kinds of integrations is valuable. It did take us a couple of months to get a grip on the new software, but all in all, it replaced our on-premise and single-point solution environment. 

What needs improvement?

It would be useful to have integration with different reporting tools. This is something we are sorely missing. It would be a plus to have reporting integrations. 

It would be good to have more integration with the identity suites, such as Office 365 and Azure Active Directory, of different providers that we use. Integrations are already available, but it would be nice to have some more advanced options.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution since 2015 or 2016. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. In terms of the number of users, we have about 300 employees and 300 daily on-premise customers.

We have plans to increase its usage. We are looking at the high-availability options for our branch offices.

How are customer service and technical support?

Most of the technical support is provided by our support partner, but there have been some instances when I interacted with their technical support. They have been most satisfactory.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial installation wasn't really that hard. It was very much doable. It was a scaled rollout, which makes it a bit hard to measure.

What about the implementation team?

We did get some help from our network support partner. We initially needed extra help for the deployment. We didn't require any help later on. 

To support an environment of this size, two people are good enough. If this is the sole focus of their job, then even a single person would be enough.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a support fee that can be bought on a yearly or two-yearly basis. I don't think they do five years. The best benefit is that the same pricing is guaranteed for that duration. If you can afford it, I would recommend using the longest possible time span.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We compared it with Check Point.

What other advice do I have?

I would definitely recommend this solution. I was advised to be very skeptical about the performance statistics as indicated in the documentation, but I didn't find that to be the case. It is very scalable with good performance.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Analyst at Comdados
Real User
May 5, 2021
Easy to deploy and the support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The support is good. We don't have any issues with the technical support."
  • "The deployment is easy, there are no issues with the deployment of this solution."
  • "It is difficult to size the VM in terms of machine resources, and for this reason, clients prefer the appliance."

What is our primary use case?

We work with the government and the customers do not want the VM solution, they prefer appliance solutions.

What is most valuable?

Compared to other appliances, the features are the same. 

The machine resources are the main difference.

What needs improvement?

It is difficult to size the VM in terms of machine resources, and for this reason, clients prefer the appliance.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is good. We don't have any issues with the technical support. 

How was the initial setup?

The deployment is easy, there are no issues with the deployment of this solution.

We deploy on-premises and sometimes on a private cloud.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price could be lower. It's expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We like this solution.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1512672 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Coordinator at a marketing services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Apr 11, 2021
Great performance and easy to setup
Pros and Cons
  • "It gives all the features of a full-fledged firewall with great performance."
  • "We use Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a firewall to deliver high-performance network security solutions that protect our network and data from evolving threats."
  • "We are experiencing a failed login issue. There should also be improvements in functionalities we store to enhance our services."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a firewall to deliver high-performance network security solutions that protect our network and data from evolving threats.

What is most valuable?

It gives all the features of a full-fledged firewall with great performance.

What needs improvement?

We are experiencing a failed login issue. There should also be improvements in functionalities we store to enhance our services.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for the past ten years.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process was straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There should be a reduction in the setup price and licensing costs.

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.
PeerSpot user
Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Apr 8, 2021
Stable and scalable; great web filtering
Pros and Cons
  • "It's almost perfect. It's very stable. We don't have many hardware issues."
  • "One of the most important features is web filtering, because they can block certain types of websites, which is good for in-school security, and all of the other filters are also very important, including the antivirus and antispam inspection."
  • "The user interface could be improved."
  • "The user interface could be improved, but as a firewall, it's the best product we have."

What is our primary use case?

We have many Fortinet use cases in Brazil. One particular use case could happen at a high school; they want a new firewall and high availability to their students to access the internet. They want a secure way to connect to the internet. We are proposing FortiGate 200TF. 

What is most valuable?

One of the most important features is web filtering. They can block certain types of websites. This is good for in-school security. I believe this is the most important but all of the other filters are also very important, including the antivirus and antispam inspection. 

What needs improvement?

The user interface could be improved, but as a firewall, it's the best product we have.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's almost perfect. It's very stable. We don't have many hardware issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. For example, in one use case, we have 500 students using the solution. Two technicians are managing the solution, which one software person designed. On the customer end, they need a person overseeing the security. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Their tech support is very good. We always get good answers from Fortinet tech support.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We recommend that the FortiGate logs be analyzed using FortiAnalyzer, which is a Fortinet tool for generating reports. We also advise customers to implement user passwords for all students so they can track which student accessed which website, or which student has been on their email. It's a form of protection for the school. If the school has any issues, they can prove the origin of it.

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.
PeerSpot user
Operario de doblez cnc at CIE
Real User
Mar 2, 2021
Good performance and documentation and deploys well to local servers
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution offers good documentation."
  • "The solution works well for large companies."
  • "The interface of the solution could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily set up this solution with our large clients.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers good documentation.

I'm mostly happy with how the solution performs.

The solution works well for large companies. We use it for our bigger clients.

What needs improvement?

The interface of the solution could be improved. Right now, it's not the best.

In some areas of the solution, it works slowly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am currently using the solution. I've been using it for a while now.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use a variety of different Fortinet solutions.

How was the initial setup?

We deployed the solution locally, to our server.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is FortiGate 60D and FortiGate-VM is FortiOS 5.2.2. I'm not sure which version of the solution we are currently on.

Our company exports this solution to large customers. We're partners with Fortinet.

We have the solution on a local server.

I'd rate the solution at an eight 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1504884 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Feb 22, 2021
Real time threat intelligence in a virtual form factor
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is very user-friendly."
  • "FortiGate-VM is easier to deploy than physical solutions that require you to have an RNE as then you need to wait a couple of days or months for another physical appliance to be delivered."
  • "With FortiGate, we sometimes encounter bugs in various operating systems."

What is our primary use case?

Most of the use cases that we have are SD-WAN and perimeter firewall related.

Our clients are mostly small to medium-sized businesses. We also have large enterprise clients that range from 1,000 to 8,000 users. We haven't planned to increase the usage, but we are currently using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for perimeter firewalls and SD-WAN for our branch offices.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiGate-VM is easier to deploy than physical solutions that require you to have an RNE as then you need to wait a couple of days or months for another physical appliance to be delivered. With VM, if we already have available servers in the network, we can just deploy FortiGate.

What needs improvement?

With FortiGate, we sometimes encounter bugs in various operating systems. Also, sometimes the security policies are hard to apply specifically when it comes to web filtering.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using FortiGate-VM from the moment I began in my company. So that was two years ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is very stable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support for FortiGate-VM is the same for the physical VM — they're very responsive. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very user-friendly.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For FortiGate-VM, we mostly have UTP Bundle. MA is for three to five years, but we just discovered that VM is cheaper; we found that it actually costs more than a physical appliance excluding the servers for the platform.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1394748 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Manager and ISMS Auditor at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Real User
Feb 18, 2021
Easy to use with a straightforward installation and good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance overall is very good."
  • "Overall, I would recommend the solution."
  • "There should be a bit more automation."
  • "Technical support could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for the firewall capabilities and security.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use. It's not overly difficult.

The product is quite stable. We didn't have any issues related to stability at all.

The performance overall is very good.

The installation process is straightforward.

The pricing is okay.

We've found the scalability to be good.

What needs improvement?

There should be a bit more automation.

There could be more integration capabilities.

Technical support could be better.

The solution needs more features surrounding event log management.

For how long have I used the solution?

We used the solution for three or four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. It's reliable and the performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is quite scalable. If a company needs to expand the solution, it has the capabilities to do so.

We have about 500 people on the solution currently.

We've since moved away from the solution to a cloud-based product. We don't intent to increase usage for that reason.

How are customer service and technical support?

We would like the technical support to be slightly improved. We aren't completely satisfied with it at this time.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex at all. It's very straightforward. It's simple.

I can't recall exactly how long the deployment process took.

We had two technicians that handled the implementation. It doesn't take a lot of people.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We found the pricing to be okay. It's reasonable and not too expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We were customers and end-users of the product. That is no longer the case.

We've moved off of the product recently. We wanted a cloud-based option and therefore we switched. 

Overall, I would recommend the solution. I would rate it at a ten 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.
PeerSpot user
it_user1212075 - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at a financial services firm with 1-10 employees
Real User
Feb 12, 2021
A complete solution that fits the needs of our customer
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a complete package, and it has complete offerings. It fit the needs, and our customer is happy with it."
  • "It should have the SD-WAN feature. This would increase the number of features that are available in the box."

What is most valuable?

It is a complete package, and it has complete offerings. It fit the needs, and our customer is happy with it.

What needs improvement?

It should have the SD-WAN feature. This would increase the number of features that are available in the box.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been selling this solution for one year.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM 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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate-VM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: August 2026
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate-VM Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.