TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Azure Virtual Network vs. Fortinet FortiGate vs. VMware NSX

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Azure Virtual Network

    Score9.6 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft's Azure Virtual Network allows the user to gain granular control over network traffic, build a hybrid infrastructure, and create secure, isolated network topographies to run virtual machines and applications.N/A

    FortiGate

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AFortiNet FortiGate is a firewall option with high integrability. It offers a variety of deployment options and next-gen firewall capabilities, including integration with IaaS cloud platforms and public cloud environments.N/A

    VMware NSX

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AVMware NSX is network virtualization technology. VMware NSX is no longer sold as a standalone product and is now available as a part of VMware Cloud Foundation.N/A
    Pricing
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Free Trial
    NoYesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsFortiGate pricing starts at $250 for home office use, up to $300,000 for large enterprise appliances. Must contact sales team for pricing.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Considered Multiple Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Fortinet
    No answer on this topic
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    49 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    48 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    49 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    44 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    47 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Firewall
    Comparison of Firewall features of Azure Virtual Network and Fortinet FortiGate and VMware NSX
    Feature
    Azure Virtual Network
    -
    Ratings
    Fortinet FortiGate
    8.7
    53 Ratings
    1% above category average
    VMware NSX
    -
    Ratings
    Identification Technologies00 Ratings8.951 Ratings00 Ratings
    Visualization Tools00 Ratings8.351 Ratings00 Ratings
    Content Inspection00 Ratings8.852 Ratings00 Ratings
    Policy-based Controls00 Ratings8.953 Ratings00 Ratings
    Active Directory and LDAP00 Ratings8.750 Ratings00 Ratings
    Firewall Management Console00 Ratings7.752 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting and Logging00 Ratings8.353 Ratings00 Ratings
    VPN00 Ratings9.152 Ratings00 Ratings
    High Availability00 Ratings9.348 Ratings00 Ratings
    Stateful Inspection00 Ratings9.251 Ratings00 Ratings
    Proxy Server00 Ratings8.539 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    SonicWall NSA Series
    Score8.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Barracuda CloudGen Firewall
    Score9.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
    Score9 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.7
    (79 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.7
    (21 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (27 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Azure Virtual NetworkFortiGateVMware NSX
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    For SAAS it's not required but for most of IAAS and PAAS components Virtual network are required the deployment of storage account doesn't require virtual network .
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Fortinet
    Fortinet FortiGate addressed an immediate security issue we had a few years ago. The device gave us a much clearer picture of the activities on our network and also more importantly, increased our awareness of threats from the internet as a whole. Fortinet FortiGate helps us to mitigate these threats with regular signature updates from Fortiguard labs, identifying certain characteristics which, once recognised by Fortinet FortiGate, can be harnessed to deploy powerful 'playbooks'.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    With proper design, VMware NSX can and should be deployed to virtually any VMware virtualization environment, but the deployment should be tailored to the needs of that environment. There isn't really a one size fits all deployment design for all environments. That versatility is what provides its greatest strength to a business.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Allows connectivity within Vnet
    • Secure Communication can be established
    • Security Rules can be enforced
    • Routing Can be Established
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Fortinet
    • SD-WAN - Load balancing of Internet traffic is a USP of Fortigate and makes it stand tall in the competition. Be it 3 or more Internet Links, multiple Subnets/segments of users to distribute and bandwidth load balancing for links and users. SLA based monitoring of Internet Links / MPLS links, makes it even better to choose the links on the basis of performance (Latency, packet loss, Jitter etc).
    • SSL VPN configuration - As we all have WFH force (to some extend or all employee) during Covid-19, it is impossible to plan BCP without having a SSL VPN. In Fortigate, the SSL VPN configuration is very easy with the help of wizard. The deep CLI-level debugging is also very helpful in troubleshooting. Type of tunnel can be easily configured - Full Tunnel or Split Tunnel for SSL.
    • Explicit Proxy - This is also a great feature to shape and re-route the traffic, configuring the Proxy on the Firewall itself. We are using this feature in Pilot for now, and planned to rollout in few weeks looking at the success rate of the POC.
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    • End to end encryption on the wire.
    • Micro-segmentation.
    • Integrates well with existing VMWare environment.
    • Integrates well with our existing network.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Integration of Express Routes needs to be simplified
    • Endpoints Security has to be available in Vnet itself
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Fortinet
    • Documentation is missing a great deal of detail and assumes the customer and just guess and fill in the blanks themselves
    • Fortinet has lots and lots of video guides on topics that only a small percentage of customers would ever need
    • The documentation and video guides do not get updated so most is only relevant to older software versions
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    • Interoperability in multi-vendor environments
    • Advanced networking and packet acceleration options can be improved
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    Fortinet's products have kept improving with new software releases and they continue to deliver great value. Their support is also very good. I believe that as a small enterprise, their products have given us competitive advantage delivering features and functionality that enable us to innovate and do things better. They also continue to be a leader in the markets they serve.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    The firewall runs very well, firmware updates are fairly quick but you must follow the upgrade path. Neglecting this step will cause a lot of pain. If you decide to go with Fortinet FortiGate switches and/or access points, they can be managed within the firewall which is great. We're also using the FortiAnalyzer which easily plugs into the firewall for any reporting you may require.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    We had didn't any hardware failures at our two main office locations and upgraded our units last year after using them for about 5-6 years
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    Good performance and really good integration. We have integration with Microsoft AD.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    The Support team at Fortinet is excellent. They can not only help you configure the device for what you are trying to do, they offer suggestions on improving rules, and troubleshooting issues. Their response time is fast, ensuring you are up and running immediately with no questions asked. We had a hard drive failure in one of our Fortinet Fortigate appliances. The tech answered immediately, and started rebuilding the drive after some preliminary investigations. After rebuilding, there were still errors and issues, so they dispatched a brand new Fortinet Fortigate appliance. The tech then backed up the configurations for when the new device came in, which showed up in a few hours. A restore of the configuration took less than a minute, and there were no more errors or issues.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    I received it a couple years afters use it and it was just to confirm my knowledge about the tool.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    Make sure that you have the most current version of FortiOS. Make sure all Fortigates are on the same version
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    During Initial Phase itself on cloud Journey Azure Services was opted for there was no comparison done
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Fortinet
    [Fortinet] FortiGate is not only cost effective but it gives the comprehensive security against the APT attacks and gives the complete traffic visibility and granular control. You can easily create the VDOMs (Virtual firewall) within a Fortigate firewall and customize the dashboard as per your requirement if you have multiple VDOMs within a single firewall.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    We use both Cisco ACI and VMware NSX, and while they have different strengths and capabilities, I would recommend VMware NSX, as it can be used in all VMware environments, without costly physical infrastructure changes. Cisco ACI provides some of the same capabilities, but not all. It's focus relies on physical networking changes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    No changes needed to terms and conditions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    My environments are pretty small (less than 100 users per location) so no issues here.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Deployment of Gateway needs to be faster as it takes a lot of time which is negative
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Fortinet
    • The pricing given to us for our firewall was well within what we were already spending for other vendors solutions and had the added value of eliminating a separate expense for a dedicated web filtering appliance.
    • We have also adopted Fortinet's security fabric approach and thus changed vendors for our switch and AP devices. These devices have come at reduced prices as compared to another previous vendor we were using, particularly in relation to ongoing annual maintenance costs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    VMware by Broadcom
    • Ability to move workloads more easily with the ability to stretch/move networks across multiple physical locations.
    • The added flexibility allows you to expedite tech refreshes since you're no longer constrained by the hardware.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots