FortiMail vs. Microsoft Exchange

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
FortiMail
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
FortiMail is an email messaging security platform, from Fortinet headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.N/A
Microsoft Exchange
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Exchange is a secure email / messaging gateway with file archiving and encryption / data loss capability, available as a hosted service (Exchange Online) or installed (Exchange Server).N/A
Pricing
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Considered Both Products
FortiMail
Chose FortiMail
I have used Barracuda Email Security in the past and FortiMail is just as effective. The interface is easy to use, and the configuration is straightforward in setting it up to work with Microsoft Exchange. Spam detection is effective, as well as malware/viruses and phishing …
Microsoft Exchange
Chose Microsoft Exchange
We are 100% a Microsoft shop from top to bottom, so for us, Exchange is the best in the business. It wouldn't make sense to integrate another vendor.
Features
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Secure Email Gateway
Comparison of Secure Email Gateway features of Product A and Product B
FortiMail
9.9
4 Ratings
17% above category average
Microsoft Exchange
7.3
84 Ratings
13% below category average
Anti-malware10.03 Ratings6.567 Ratings
Customizability9.04 Ratings8.079 Ratings
Data Loss Protection10.04 Ratings8.368 Ratings
Threat Detection10.04 Ratings6.566 Ratings
Sandboxing10.02 Ratings7.444 Ratings
End-to-End Encryption10.02 Ratings6.767 Ratings
Management Tools10.04 Ratings8.080 Ratings
Best Alternatives
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Small Businesses
Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail
Score 9.4 out of 10
Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Avanan
Avanan
Score 9.8 out of 10
Avanan
Avanan
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Avanan
Avanan
Score 9.8 out of 10
Avanan
Avanan
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(6 ratings)
9.0
(102 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(4 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(6 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.5
(2 ratings)
9.9
(12 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
FortiMailMicrosoft Exchange
Likelihood to Recommend
Fortinet
FortiMail is useful for small businesses and large companies. If you are looking to filter inbound and outbound email, then it will do an effective job of keeping your network safe. The virus, malware, spam definitions are updated on a daily basis and will help any company that is looking to eliminate spam and malware.
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Microsoft
Creating and receiving emails is simple. Managing contacts is a nice feature, especially connecting to Active Directory. Calendar management is also helpful and sharing access to others' calendars for scheduling meetings is useful. And reserving resources such as rooms or equipment is also useful. Personal and shared mailboxes are good features, as well. Tasks are a little lacking, but other than that, the features are thorough.
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Pros
Fortinet
  • FortiMail earned a AAA rating from SE Labs and a 99.78%.
  • Spam Capture Rate from Virus Bulletin.
  • The solution has an effective Antivirus module that protects from malicious URLs and attachments.
  • It also has an integrated cloud sandbox or can be integrated with a physical or virtual appliance (with an additional license).
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Microsoft
  • As we have a large user base of 11,000 users we use MailTips to avoid people getting confused with people with similar names in the organization.
  • The integration between Teams Meeting and Resource booking is generally very good. The Scheduling Assistance makes it easy to scan calendars and find free periods to provisionally scheduled events.
  • Marking yourself as Out of the Office and busy is easy, as is sharing your calendar within the team/organization or individuals.
  • Voicemail integration and the ability to receive missed chats in your inbox are highly used and useful.
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Cons
Fortinet
  • I would like to see a recommended config come base on the box.
  • I would like to see a secure score type area.
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Microsoft
  • The two main factors for the better reliability & Uptime of internally hosted Exchange Server depends on Exchange Server configuration and the level of investment the organization is willing to provide for hosting the Exchange Server On-Premise Environment. As the data is stored in the organization’s hardware, any disaster may lead to the loss of email and servers.
  • Losing data might affect business continuity and rebuilding it can be costly.
  • Security remains a major concern.
  • Security of data loss is main concern. To ensure that, organization needs to configure networks, systems and Exchange platform against possible threats.
  • Hardware and license costs are high.
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Likelihood to Renew
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Email and calendars in a business setting are requirements. And Microsoft continues to be the standard of business applications. Microsoft 365 makes Microsoft Exchange easy to use. Everything is in the cloud. Let Microsoft take care of the hardware, the software, and the security. You just enable your business users with the functionality they need.
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Usability
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Microsoft Exchange has come a long way over the years and has nowhere near the technical overhead required for support as it did back in 2003/2007 and prior. The integrations with Teams, Defender, Sharepoint, Copilot and many other products make it a solid and well-rounded tool used for many day-to-day tasks.
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Reliability and Availability
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Exchange is setup with multiple servers behind load balancers to provide high availability.
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Performance
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
I would say it's the best email product I've experienced.
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Support Rating
Fortinet
Any time I've had to use the support, it has been great! They always will recommend certain options, as well as explain what they do and why they are there. The support always gets back to me the same day, and are always pleasant to deal with. I never hesitate to call.
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Microsoft
We have a good enterprise agreement with Microsoft which affords us quick phone support. I have found the support staff knowledgeable and prompt with a solution when required. At times it may be difficult to schedule a call back, this is mainly due to our need for calls early in the morning which happens to be during a shift change at Microsoft support.
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Implementation Rating
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Implementation/conversion can be quite complex and, unless you have certified Exchange administrators in-house, you should strongly consider a 3rd party consultant for this implementation.
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Alternatives Considered
Fortinet
I have used Barracuda Email Security in the past and FortiMail is just as effective. The interface is easy to use, and the configuration is straightforward in setting it up to work with Microsoft Exchange. Spam detection is effective, as well as malware/viruses and phishing attempts. Overall it is a great service.
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Microsoft
Microsoft Exchange Product The best cloud-based enterprise-grade archiving platform with a host of features that enable files to be securely archived and retrieved with advanced search options. This tool is very easy to use and has a User-friendly interface. It is a highly reliable platform that allows all employees to automatically store their data without any limitations. It offers a cost-effective solution with customized policy management. We are happy that the customer support team is always fast and concerned, and the product's uninterrupted service experience. It is very good that it stores data in real-time without losing it, even in the event of a disaster. The cost-effective solution and integration with other tools are seamless.
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Scalability
Fortinet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
The only time Exchange has failed us is when we did something to cause the failure.
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Return on Investment
Fortinet
  • It has been positive since we do not have mail crashes and we protect the information that is transmitted by these means.
  • The costs are very accessible.
  • Easy deployment and implementation.
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Microsoft
  • It has been an important factor in allowing seamless communication with clients and scheduling business meetings, which in turn works in the company's favor.
  • Haven't noticed any negative impact Exchange has had on our ROI. The support team is also responsive and helpful.
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