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CrowdSec vs. Fortinet FortiGate vs. WatchGuard Network Security

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    CrowdSec

    Score7.9 out of 10
    N/ACrowdSec is a CTI tool leveraging crowdsourced data to identify and block malevolent IPs in real time worldwide. It is an open-source & collaborative IPS able to analyze visitor behavior by parsing logs & provide an adapted response to all kinds of attacks. It also enables users to protect each other. Each time an IP is blocked, all community members are informed so they can also block it. That way, they are generating a real-time crowdsourced CTI database.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

    WatchGuard Network Security

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AWatchGuard Network Security is a network security and firewall software. WatchGuard includes secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, and network intelligence products and services designed for SMB’s.N/A
    Pricing
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Support
    Contact sales team
    Contact sales team
    Basic Security
    Contact sales team
    Contact sales team
    Total Security
    Contact sales team
    Contact sales team
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Free Trial
    NoYesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    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
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Considered Multiple Products
    CrowdSec
    No answer on this topic
    Fortinet
    Chose FortiGate
    Great subscription services and easy branch office VPN configuration. Also a big plus for 2FA via Forti Token integration.
    Incentivized
    Chose FortiGate
    The UI is great, the features are great, it is reliable, Fortigate awesome for the price.
    Incentivized
    Chose FortiGate
    I know I am repeating myself but Fortigate, for the price, is the most complete and customizable product there is. It might not be the best but we always were able to fix or workaround the problems we encountered with the help of their support.
    Incentivized
    WatchGuard Technologies
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Fortinet also has impressive software but WatchGuard support has been better. MFA being integrated with Active Directory allows for ease of management through the local AD server. The aesthetics of WatchGuard Network Security with it being red allow for a nice look on the rack …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard Network Security and Fortinet are very similar. In my opinion Fortinet is a bit better, but it is more expensive. We originally went with WatchGuard Network Security due to the pricing they offered over Fortinet. They both over very similar products and neither is a …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard is what I use exclusively now. I have removed all other firewalls. WatchGuard is easier to maintain and easier to set up, PLUS WatchGuard Tech Support is very responsive and helpful. I am very familiar with both the System Management software and the Web-based access …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Very comparable. Functionality is pretty much the same with some minor difference. Interfacing is slightly better on the Watchguard and overall setup and ease of use seems to be better on the watchguard suite compared to Fortinet. Product offering is also better on the …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Too costly to transition compared with renewal of WatchGuard Network Security, no demand for the stacked switch options, reduced network footprint after COVID lockdown.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    It's not bad, it's got exceptional. It's an excellent option in the small business market. Less so as the company grows larger and the complexity and requirements increase. It's an ok product without any huge glaring weaknesses. That said, there are better products and …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard Network Security offers a good all-round solution but it isnt the most economic or best and has become a hard sell to Small business
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    I liked Sophos web interface, mainly because it was what I learned on. But WatchGuard made it easy for me to switch and learn. As far as the product, Fireboxes have been significantly more reliable.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Based on bang for dollar, WatchGuard Network Security fits our business needs and budget.
    Only drawback was integrations with other security solutions.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard Network Security is safer and more reliable
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Fortinet firewalls were hacked in Jan and April 2025 (some in 2024). Which means their creditability and trust levels have fallen in the MSP industry. I think at the end of the day we as an MSP want to know and trust the company we're working with that supplies security …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    For some customers, WatchGuard Network Security was the preferable choice. Its price point, compactness, portability, accessibility, ease of design, installation, implementation, configuration, management, monitoring, alerting, user education, technician training, power usage, …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Every product has it's own pros and cons. We prefer to differentiate the use according to the specific scenarios. In our case, a main branch office scenario, with a medium sized datacenter, is a perfect scenario for our WatchGuard Network Security appliances.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    As I mentionned before, the WSM tool and Dimension is the main reasons we stock with WatchGuard beside being satisfied with deployement results at our clients infrastructures.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Our tech had previous experience with WatchGuard Network Security and the Fortinet devices we were using weren't functioning to the standards we needed them to. As costs have increased with WatchGuard Network Security and across the board, we are looking for a different vendor …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard Network Security is in league with SonicWall regarding value and features but is not as robust as Sophos or Fortinet. It is also not as simple to configure as Sophos or Fortinet. We selected WatchGuard based solely on the recommendation of an outside party, and that …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    I find WatchGuard's Network Security interface clunky and outdated. I’ve had to dig in multiple locations to find the answer to a question numerous times. Reviewing and reconfiguring a WatchGuard that has been deployed by someone else is time consuming compared to competitive …
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard Network Security is easier to use than all of the other options.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    We are moving away from WatchGuard Network Security due to issues with Web interface and more cloud possibilities with the competitors.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Implemented WiFi controler
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    In my opinion, it is more difficult to configure and manage, you need more knowledge in that platforms. Nothing intuitive.
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    WatchGuard is cheaper, however, the management is a little easier to manage
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    Better than sophos, lesser than Fortinet
    Incentivized
    Chose WatchGuard Network Security
    I would much prefer utilizing WatchGuard Network Security. When stacked against any Unifi product, WatchGuard Network Security is vastly superior. When compared with Meraki, I have much greater control over WatchGuard Network Security Fireboxes. When compared to fortinet or …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    49 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    423 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    48 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    407 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    49 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    432 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    44 Answers
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    362 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    47 Answers
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    401 Answers
    Features
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Firewall
    Comparison of Firewall features of CrowdSec and Fortinet FortiGate and WatchGuard Network Security
    Feature
    CrowdSec
    8.2
    1 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Fortinet FortiGate
    8.7
    53 Ratings
    1% above category average
    WatchGuard Network Security
    8.1
    537 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Identification Technologies8.01 Ratings8.951 Ratings8.4493 Ratings
    Visualization Tools8.01 Ratings8.351 Ratings6.9485 Ratings
    Content Inspection8.01 Ratings8.852 Ratings8.3517 Ratings
    Reporting and Logging8.01 Ratings8.353 Ratings6.8521 Ratings
    Stateful Inspection8.01 Ratings9.251 Ratings8.0479 Ratings
    Proxy Server9.01 Ratings8.539 Ratings7.8344 Ratings
    Policy-based Controls00 Ratings8.953 Ratings8.9533 Ratings
    Active Directory and LDAP00 Ratings8.750 Ratings8.7448 Ratings
    Firewall Management Console00 Ratings7.752 Ratings8.6524 Ratings
    VPN00 Ratings9.152 Ratings8.8514 Ratings
    High Availability00 Ratings9.348 Ratings8.2467 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Small Businesses
    SonicWall NSA Series
    Score8.4 out of 10
    SonicWall NSA Series
    Score8.4 out of 10
    SonicWall NSA Series
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Barracuda CloudGen Firewall
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Barracuda CloudGen Firewall
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Barracuda CloudGen Firewall
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
    Score9 out of 10
    Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
    Score9 out of 10
    Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.7
    (79 ratings)
    8.7
    (555 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (5 ratings)
    8.0
    (45 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.7
    (21 ratings)
    7.9
    (123 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    8.9
    (7 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.5
    (7 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (27 ratings)
    9.4
    (32 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.3
    (5 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (5 ratings)
    8.1
    (269 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.6
    (6 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    6.8
    (5 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    8.8
    (7 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    8.3
    (5 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    CrowdSecFortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
    Likelihood to Recommend
    CrowdSec
    Since I've only used CrowdSec in a homelab/small-medium sized business setup, that's really the only market I can safely recommend it and say it's well suited for, because I don't know how much it would cost to run it in an enterprise environment. I've heard some pricing and how they plan on rolling out a subscription model, but it's still in talks. Either way, if you have publicly exposed web applications hosted locally or on a virtual private server, then CrowdSec should be part of every virtual machine and/or network. Even with the lmited number of filter you get out of the free subscription, it provides a nice layer of constantly updated data,
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    It's well suited for businesses that want better features than a standard router, but are willing to pay the extra price for the product and someone to configure, set up and maintain the router. It's probably less desirable for home users or very small home offices or unqualified network users.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    CrowdSec
    • Provides great integrations with tools you already use, such as fail2ban, Cloudflare, WordPress, NGINX, Linux Firewalls, etc.
    • Lightweight agents can run on individual servers and report to a main security engine so that if there's an attack on one server and a block is implemented, the entire network can be protected
    • There are a lot of ways to receive alerts and store logs
    • CrowdSec Central API is a nice way to manage everything externally
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    • Incoming Torrent attempts were blocked, but outgoing (by a user) were permitted. Similarly, other direct attempts were summarily blocked.
    • provides full administrative support for analysis of usage and scope.
    • strong Wi-Fi support and security - area wi-fi maps
    • They think of all the things secure and I don't have to worry about it.
    • I have not identified anything else that needs improvement - I am well satisfied.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    CrowdSec
    • Getting CrowdSec to run on OPNsense can be a challenge, but that's also a limitation of the OS
    • You can only subscribe to a couple of feeds before paying an unknown amount of money that's part of their "Enterprise" package. So, there could be better transparency.
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    • Better integration with VoIP services, such as templates for policies handling traffic for Bria or Asterisk endponts and servers.
    • Get webblocker to work without breaking secure websites.
    • Lower cost on endpoint agents for antivirus and include application control and webblocker with the agents.
    • Make the cost per endpoint with TDR and Netowrk access control lower than the cost of Antivirus licensing that is not integrated.
    • Make it easier to set up network access control and VLAN assignment by device, perhaps with templates.
    • Get webblocker and application control working with QUIC.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    We have been renewing and purchasing new equipment for the last 20 years. This is because the equipment is easy to use and manage and also quite affordable. Compared to other products, Watchguard just works and has not had the issues with device security seen in other products. They have been a reliable partner.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    Although it might take some time to figure out, we have been able to use WatchGuard's online reference library and tech support to create/implement/modify all of our filtering rules and exceptions needed. There really has not been a shortcoming other than perhaps a learning curve.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    Availability has always been a strong point of this product, it is rare that watchguard does not have a solution for customers' network monitoring needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    CrowdSec
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    Good performance and really good integration. We have integration with Microsoft AD.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    WatchGuard Technologies
    The performance of WatchGuard Network Security is very good, in the years that we have used the solution we have only had a single error and Watchguard itself was able to solve it. Furthermore, when purchasing any product, the partner always evaluates the capacity of the solution to recommend the most appropriate product for our needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    We have only had to contact them once during the initial set up to help bring the internet back on line. After that for the most part our systems have been automated, and could easily be checked form their online FAQ and Knowledge base that they provide. Everything else is easily handled from their browser based interface
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    We participate to a in person training and the three days of learning was really useful and complete to gain skill to solve the major part of the problem we encounter during our life. And more the in person training give us the opportunity to create a network with other WatchGuard partner.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    CrowdSec
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    No answers on this topic
    WatchGuard Technologies
    Online training is good for learning how to use the product. It does not teach security strategy because that is not its intent.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    WatchGuard Network Security offers varied methods of implementation. Their devices are very easy to set up manually, and for a more automated setup where many devices need to be deployed, they have different offerings like RapidDeploy (prepopulate a config for a specific device in the portal), registering the device's serial number to manage it through cloud services on first boot (including the option to populate a USB stick with basic interface setup if required) and the ability to run your own Management Server and register to be deployed serial numbers, so the device connects to your own hosted management server on first boot.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    CrowdSec
    No answers on this topic
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    I was not involved with the decision making for WatchGuard versus another product. However, I know WatchGuard is significantly less expensive than other brands. My overall preference would be Ubiquiti due to their continuous improvement of the product with tons of great features. I know WatchGuard is making great advances, but the progress seems slower in comparison.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    CrowdSec
    No answers on this topic
    Fortinet
    No changes needed to terms and conditions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    WatchGuard Technologies
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    CrowdSec
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    This product is very scalable since previously everything related to Watchguard was on premises but that has now changed with the inclusion of watchguard cloud. Now the product has evolved to have full control of firewalls at the cloud level.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    CrowdSec
    • It flat-out blocks malicious IPs from accessing any PC on my network.
    • It's free-tier makes this a no brainer to implement
    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
    WatchGuard Technologies
    • We are blocking about 90% of malicious traffic coming into our network.
    • Our firewall allows us to setup a secondary WAN interface for redundancy.
    • We can isolate issues and determine whether traffic is being dropped outside our network or on the LAN.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    WatchGuard Network Security Screenshots

    Screenshot of WatchGuard Cloud Customizable DashboardScreenshot of Threat Monitoring SummaryScreenshot of Device Security SummaryScreenshot of Automated ReportingScreenshot of User Authentication SummaryScreenshot of Endpoint Protection Summary