Fortinet FortiGate vs. WatchGuard Network Security

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
FortiGate
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
FortiNet 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
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
WatchGuard 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
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Support
Contact sales team
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Basic Security
Contact sales team
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Total Security
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Offerings
Pricing Offerings
FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level 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
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Considered Both Products
FortiGate
Chose Fortinet 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.
Chose Fortinet FortiGate
The UI is great, the features are great, it is reliable, Fortigate awesome for the price.
WatchGuard Network Security
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
They are very similar in results but Fortinet is way easier to manage. They are equally complex when it comes to managing multiple devices across the globe but Fortinet has a better monitor solution. Also FortiGate has some firewalls capable of Virtual Firewall that helps when …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
I have had Fortinet Security experts try and compare the ease of use and advanced security functionality of their products but have always been left unimpressed. Many people seem to argue that Fortinet is a much better product but there is nothing that I have seen that Fortinet …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Watch Guard has a better management portal than Fortinet and Sonic Wall with more features and functionality. Compared with Cisco, Watch Guard is much easier to configure initially and manage. Cisco, with their price points, are obviously laden with more functionality than …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
vs Fortinet e Cisco, Price and VPN Connections
vs Palo Alto, Fidability, HA and price
vs Kerio, Interface, Cloud Server control and VPN
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
I have used Fortinet in the past as well but prefer to use WatchGurad Netowrk Security. I like the UI more and it's easier to use.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Watchguard provides enterprise level security without enterprise level administration. Fortinet and Palo Alto are over complex on the admin side, where education and specific learning is required to administer them. Watchguard provides a fairly straight forward admin side.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
they’re niche players, but it worth to check out their solutions. Best choice for SMB
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Ease of use, easy-to-learn new features and US-based support. I also think they do a good job of constantly updating their products. All of our end clients are happy with the service provided.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
I selected Watchguard because it is quite a robust, complete, compact platform and it provides me with a range of services such as Authpoint, Cloud, Dimension, Firewall, Anti virus.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Both are very similar and have equal pros and cons. We chose WatchGuard based on a recommendation
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
In one country, they use Fortinet and Meraki because the provider of those brands made a better deal.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
While I truly believe all of the products can provide a suitable solution, I had previous experience with SonicWall TZ and was less than impressed. Fortinet was extremely expensive and I couldn't justify the additional cost. Again, WatchGuard's centralized Cloud solution …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard provides a cost competitive product stack against all their main competitors, in many cases coming in cheaper, with a more impressive feature set. The range of models available allows you to match the right sized appliance to any office.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
The WatchGuard Network Security suite comes in at a very competitive price point, with a model that matches every size of site. The feature set is rich, and all integrates really well. With both on-prem (WSM) and cloud management options, you can use the product suite in …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
The WatchGuard provides much more powerful tools, reporting, control and reliability. All the features we need are there without the complicated setup or pricing models.
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security offers better value for money, an excellent software configuration tool in read-only mode, while maintaining an excellent level of security and threat protection
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Most 'UTM' or Layer-7 firewalls share the same feature set. They mostly offer the same security layers like Web filtering, basic packet inspection, proxied layer 7 inspection, anti-malware, and some integrated portal. Basic VPN features, et cetera. What sets WatchGuard …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security is less commonly used than both FortiGates and PAs in my experience, however, they are a good solution for the SMB market where budget is the largest constraint. FortiGates have a better management experience. PAs are all around more advanced, but …
Chose WatchGuard Network Security
Simplicity to implement but more advanced features on monitor and logs management, could be find on other products. Good for small and medium business needs when there is not many administrators working at the same time. WG is good to implement other manufacturers' technology …
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Fortinet FortiGate and WatchGuard Network Security are firewall and web security solutions designed to keep businesses safe from unauthorized access, viruses, zero-day exploits, and other network-based dangers. Both products aim to provide their customers with protection that evolves as the network security landscape changes. FortiGate is available as an on-site integrated product in a physical box or a VM and sees more use by mid-sized companies. WatchGuard Network Security is available in both on-premise and cloud-based form factors, and is used more heavily by small businesses, likely due to its cloud-based option. 

Features

Both FortiGate and WatchGuard Network Security help keep business networks and users safe, but they each have their own benefits.

If you’d prefer more control over your security system infrastructure, FortiGate’s on-site deployment might be appealing compared to a cloud-based product. Its licensing options are granular, offering buyers plenty of control over their software and hardware features. FortiGate’s logging is detailed, and administrators generally find the product’s management options helpful. For users who might be new to network security, its graphical user interface (GUI) is easy to navigate and can help them find their footing.

WatchGuard Network Security has a wealth of configuration options and protection features available to administrators. The platform’s tools for botnet detection, spam blocking, and geolocation-based permissions are especially appreciated by its users. Administrators report that the Dimension management console is robust and responsive, making it fast to use. The reporting and logging systems are detailed, and administrators report overall satisfaction with the platform’s ability to prevent intrusion and malware.

Limitations

However, neither product is one-size-fits-all. You should evaluate the pros and cons of both WatchGuard Network Security and FortiGate before purchasing.

FortiGate can also be difficult for new users, who feel that there’s not enough available documentation to help them get started. Configuring a new VPN can be cumbersome, requiring manual setup of policies. Some administrators wish for additional features, such as better load-balancing or a live traffic-monitoring tool. Finally, FortiGate’s deployment style means that scaling up can be a bit pricey, requiring you to purchase additional machines from the vendor if your capacity needs grow.

WatchGuard Network Security’s many configuration options can be a problem for some users. The large array of possibilities can be hard to navigate, making the platform complicated to set up initially and difficult to modify. The reports and logs, while detailed, lack sufficient searching and filtering capabilities for some users, making it hard for them to track down problems and visualize traffic patterns. WatchGuard Network Security VPNs can suffer from occasional stuttering and failure, requiring system reboots that can frustrate end users. Finally, the licensing options aren’t granular enough for some customers, requiring them to pay for features they don’t need.

Pricing

WatchGuard Network Security and FortiGate both offer hardware and software customization options that can drastically alter the price of each platform, with potential costs ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. Price quotes are available from each vendor or their respective partners and resellers.

Features
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Firewall
Comparison of Firewall features of Product A and Product B
Fortinet FortiGate
9.2
38 Ratings
8% above category average
WatchGuard Network Security
8.6
402 Ratings
1% above category average
Identification Technologies9.636 Ratings8.6367 Ratings
Visualization Tools8.736 Ratings7.7364 Ratings
Content Inspection8.937 Ratings8.6387 Ratings
Policy-based Controls9.638 Ratings8.7400 Ratings
Active Directory and LDAP9.237 Ratings8.5337 Ratings
Firewall Management Console9.638 Ratings8.6394 Ratings
Reporting and Logging8.238 Ratings8.1391 Ratings
VPN9.738 Ratings8.9384 Ratings
High Availability9.733 Ratings8.6346 Ratings
Stateful Inspection9.636 Ratings9.0361 Ratings
Proxy Server8.927 Ratings9.0258 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Small Businesses
pfSense
pfSense
Score 9.2 out of 10
pfSense
pfSense
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Score 9.3 out of 10
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Score 9.3 out of 10
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series
Score 9.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Likelihood to Recommend
9.5
(65 ratings)
8.8
(416 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(4 ratings)
9.7
(32 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(6 ratings)
9.0
(114 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(2 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
8.6
(26 ratings)
2.6
(26 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.2
(4 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(4 ratings)
9.4
(263 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
7.0
(1 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.8
(2 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Fortinet FortiGateWatchGuard Network Security
Likelihood to Recommend
Fortinet
For FortiGate Firewall, the basic functionality and requirement is met easily as Fortigate is among market leaders in NGFW. There are some extra points that inclined us to use Fortigate as our main Firewall. [Fortinet]Fortigate has a very well refined and functional SD-WAN solution when it comes to load balancing for normal Internet Traffic. 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 - 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. Though, I think Fortigate is one of the best options for small and mid-sized organizations, there are some areas for improvement. First, the CLI interface is very hard to adapt as the commands and directory hierarchy is very different for common syntax and standards.
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WatchGuard Technologies
I can't think of any place where WatchGuard isn't well suited, unless the customer is cheap. I have used WatchGuard devices in a two person office up to enterprise environments. Because they are not overly complicated to use, I prefer them to a name brand I'm not willing to mention, but most will know.
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Pros
Fortinet
  • It is the most reliable NGFW that we have ever been touch with it.
  • You can easily upgrade the firewall cluster firmware without user attention!!!
  • User IDentity based feature is fantastic and intrusion prevention just works with least false-positive possible.
  • Very reachfull and intuitive GUI, just love it
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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.
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Cons
Fortinet
  • When we switched to Fortinet Fortigate, it took some time getting used to and become familiar with the new interface. Being used to strictly command-line interfaces, a full GUI-based firewall was something brand new. Careful planning had to be done when creating rules to ensure we didn't miss anything. However, once we got used to the new GUI interface, going from one Fortinet product to another was simple, as Fortinet used the same interface for all of its devices.
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • Help with a better solution for working with MS Exchange on-prem so that we can secure the ECP and OWA from the outside without losing functionality for active sync for cell phones and such.
  • Even more affordable smaller boxes for home use.
  • Built-in ways to handle the newer network protocols/features such as QUIC protocols that services like google are using so that we don't have to block all of that type of traffic just to be able to block youtube from loading for users that we don't want using it.
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Likelihood to Renew
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.
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WatchGuard Technologies
I'm giving this note to WatchGuard Network Security due to its ease of daily support (after acquiring necessary knowledge in the solution), which allows agility in configuration changes, its integration of several reliable security features (such as SSL VPN, VPN Virtual Interfaces between companies, and others) and functional and stability in operation, with no downtime in the equipment due to problems or malfunctions
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Usability
Fortinet
The user interface shared among many simultaneous users is very easy to get around. With shared favorites among users, most tasks are easily bookmarked and can quickly be found and edited. Their strategy for web filter integration is easy to understand and manage as well. With some general direction, setup and maintenance were easy to do and easy to teach others in the organization to do as well.
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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.
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Reliability and Availability
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
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WatchGuard Technologies
Applications errors should always be expected in any kind of technology. What matters most is the way you find to resolve it.
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Performance
Fortinet
Good performance and really good integration. We have integration with Microsoft AD.
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WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard works seemlessly and so in the background you don't realize it's there until you need it!
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Support Rating
Fortinet
We live in Turkey. Fortinet's Turkey office [dealt] constantly with us in our every problem or our experience. In addition, global support teams also supported every ticket we opened in every problem we encountered. They support innovative approaches and evaluate and offer solutions. In this context, they were very supportive of the problems we encountered in previous versions.
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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
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In-Person Training
Fortinet
I received it a couple years afters use it and it was just to confirm my knowledge about the tool.
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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.
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Online Training
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.
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Implementation Rating
Fortinet
Make sure that you have the most current version of FortiOS. Make sure all Fortigates are on the same version
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WatchGuard Technologies
I had my key information for setting up the firewall, and they assisted me in finding the settings and appropriate places to enter data. They also helped troubleshoot when I didn't understand some of their feature concepts, and we got it running.
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Alternatives Considered
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.
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WatchGuard Technologies
At 3 of my locations I use both a Sonic Wall and a watch guard. In my experience, the sonic wall has a much better interface. I feel it was much easier for someone that has never accessed a fire wall to be able to make changes and learn very quickly. I feel the Watchguard has better built in applications and the VPN was easier to use and access.
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Scalability
Fortinet
My environments are pretty small (less than 100 users per location) so no issues here.
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WatchGuard Technologies
We scaled it exactly as we needed it to be! Easy, money-saving, and we didn't end up with features or options that we'd never use or worry about.
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Return on Investment
Fortinet
  • Fortigates have an interesting bundle model for support and subscription services that make it an attractive option to deploy Firewall, IDS, Ant-virus, anti-SPAM in a single device. The cost of the bundle is pretty much what you pay for the device, not requiring huge expenditures on it's time to renew the hardware.
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WatchGuard Technologies
  • The VPNs are very easy to configure, less time to loose at new implementation.
  • The traffic monitor can be improved, I can't see the ISO layers to do a faster diagnosis.
  • Having an ADDS authentication is a plus, can use it with rules and vpn for remote access. Very useful.
  • The dimension feature can be developed as a website + database for NGINX, Apache2, IIS, etc., I feel traped on that linux vm only.
  • Most of the customers doesn't like to pay for a solution like this. They will accept only after beign attacked. WatchGuard can improve the sales with a demo (hacking, active security, etc.).
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ScreenShots

WatchGuard Network Security Screenshots

Screenshot of Subscription DashboardScreenshot of Subscriber Device SummaryScreenshot of Subscription DashboardScreenshot of Executive Dashboard