Fortinet FortiGate vs. WatchGuard Network Security
Product | Rating | Most Used By | Product Summary | Starting Price |
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FortiGate | 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 | 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 |
Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |||||||||||||||
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Editions & Modules | No answers on this topic |
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Offerings |
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Entry-level Setup Fee | No setup fee | No setup fee | ||||||||||||||
Additional Details | FortiGate 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 |
Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |
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Considered Both Products | FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security |
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Top Cons |
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Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |
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Highlights |
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. FeaturesBoth 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. LimitationsHowever, 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. PricingWatchGuard 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. |
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Firewall |
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Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |
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Small Businesses | pfSense Score 9.2 out of 10 | pfSense Score 9.2 out of 10 |
Medium-sized Companies | pfSense Score 9.2 out of 10 | pfSense Score 9.2 out of 10 |
Enterprises | Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series Score 9.3 out of 10 | Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series Score 9.3 out of 10 |
All Alternatives | View all alternatives | View all alternatives |
Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |
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Likelihood to Recommend | 9.5 (65 ratings) | 8.7 (432 ratings) |
Likelihood to Renew | 9.9 (4 ratings) | 9.6 (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) | 2.3 (26 ratings) |
In-Person Training | 10.0 (1 ratings) | 9.1 (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) |
Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Network Security | |
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Likelihood to Recommend | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Pros | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Cons | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Likelihood to Renew | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Usability | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Reliability and Availability | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Performance | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Support Rating | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
In-Person Training | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Online Training | Fortinet No answers on this topic | WatchGuard Technologies |
Implementation Rating | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Alternatives Considered | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Scalability | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
Return on Investment | Fortinet | WatchGuard Technologies |
ScreenShots | WatchGuard Network Security Screenshots |