In the event you lookup the highest next-generation firewalls, each Palo Alto Networks NGFW and Fortinet’s FortiGate rank excessive within the area — and for a superb cause.
Palo Alto Networks is taken into account an trade chief within the class, providing robust ML-powered visibility and zero-delay signatures to rapidly handle threats. Fortinet, however, is a well-liked cost-effective NGFW that gives high-quality SSL inspection and AI-based safety providers.
SEE: 10 Myths About Cybersecurity You Shouldn’t Consider (TechRepublic Premium)
As they’re market leaders of NGFWs, we’re curious to see what differentiates one from the opposite.
On this article, we check out how Fortinet FortiGate compares to Palo Alto Networks NGFW and see which one is greatest for you and your group.
Fortinet vs. Palo Alto: Comparability desk
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| Safety effectiveness | (Cloud NGFW) |
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| AI / machine learning-based risk safety | ||
| Ease of use | ||
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| Beginning worth | ||
Fortinet and Palo Alto pricing
Given the variability of NGFW {hardware} and software program merchandise, I extremely suggest contacting Fortinet and Palo Alto straight for a correct worth citation. That is the most effective and most simple means for companies to get a grasp of how every product fares when it comes to pricing. It’s because firewall resolution costs are calculated based mostly on a specific group’s wants and necessities.
SEE: Verify Level vs Palo Alto: Evaluate EDR Software program (TechRepublic)
That being mentioned, we had been in a position to collect some pricing data to provide you an estimate of what to anticipate.
Fortinet FortiGate pricing
Fortinet FortiGate firewall bases its pricing relying on the {hardware} wanted for every sort of enterprise. Right here’s a fast rundown:
- Small companies (1–20 customers): $700 to $1,000.
- Bigger companies (15–100 customers): $1,500 to $4,000.
Per Fortinet, pricing additionally relies on different essential elements such because the equipment mannequin chosen, price of any ongoing providers or help subscriptions, configuration, monitoring and integration.
Fortinet has a free 30-day trial of its cloud NGFW for each AWS and Azure. As well as, it presents a free product demo through its official product web page.
Needless to say you’ll have to hand over fundamental data and await Fortinet to get again to you with a purpose to entry its demo.
Palo Alto Networks NGFW pricing
In comparison with Fortinet, Palo Alto’s pricing is on the extra premium finish of the spectrum and likewise relies on the particular {hardware} you buy.
SEE: SentinelOne vs Palo Alto: Evaluate EDR Software program (TechRepublic)
In response to my analysis, Palo Alto NGFW {hardware} will begin at round $1,400 and might go as excessive as $4,100 for higher-end home equipment — a a lot greater baseline pricing than Fortinet.
Like Fortinet, Palo Alto presents a free trial of its cloud NGFW for AWS and Azure. Official product demos of Palo Alto’s NGFW may also be requested through its official channels.
Fortinet vs. Palo Alto: Characteristic comparability
Security measures
Each NGFWs supply a wide range of safety features catered towards enterprise and organizational use circumstances. Fortinet boasts its FortiOS working system that simplifies administration and enhances visibility as a singular OS for all its community and safety capabilities.
It additionally natively integrates zero-trust community entry or ZTNA coverage enforcement factors — a significant value-add given the necessity to safe hybrid workforces on this post-pandemic period. Lastly, Fortinet additionally comes with SD-WAN performance, serving to present optimum person expertise and connectivity in a company with out sacrificing total risk safety.
SEE: High 8 Superior Menace Safety Instruments and Software program for 2024 (TechRepublic)
If we check out Palo Alto, however, it has its Panorama centralized administration platform that unifies safety instruments, firewall guidelines and insurance policies. This supplies managers and IT supervisors with a chook’s-eye-view of their NGFW setup throughout their respective networks.
We additionally get application-aware safety insurance policies with Palo Alto, permitting admins to set granular safety guidelines for various customers in a company. Lastly, Palo Alto has its quick malware signature supply that’s in a position to match and replace identified threats rapidly to make sure most risk prevention.
Efficiency and impartial take a look at outcomes
With regard to impartial safety take a look at outcomes, each NGFW fare extremely properly. For his or her cloud firewall choices, each Palo Alto Networks VM-Sequence NGFW and Fortinet’s FortiGate-VM scored an ideal 100% in safety effectiveness per CyberRatings 2024 findings.
Which means each NGFW exhibited high-quality risk prevention, robust TLS/SSL performance and coverage enforcement whereas sustaining stability and reliability all all through CyberRatings’ assessments.
SEE: Finest Safe Entry Service Edge Platforms in 2024 (TechRepublic)
Customers worldwide additionally fee each NGFWs very extremely performance-wise. On this facet, Fortinet’s extra inexpensive pricing shines for smaller companies. It’s because you may get comparable safety efficiency at a smaller price ticket.
Alternatively, Palo Alto’s extra in depth suite of safety features might warrant its costlier pricing — particularly if you could safe a bigger group. Both means, you’ll get robust safety efficiency from each NGFW suppliers.
Ease of use
On Gartner Peer Insights, each NGFW suppliers acquired excessive marks for ease of use. Specifically, Fortinet’s FortiGate service acquired a 4.7 out of 5, whereas Palo Alto was rated a 4.6 out of 5.
Much like efficiency, these scores point out that each Fortinet and Palo Alto present polished person experiences with their NGFW options.
Whereas Palo Alto’s Panorama central administration characteristic is well-equipped to deal with large-scale organizational constructions, its abundance of choices could also be overwhelming for smaller groups. If user-friendliness is your fundamental precedence, going smaller scale with Fortinet could also be higher for you.
Consequently, enterprise organizations might discover Fortinet FortiGate’s built-in performance to be missing when in comparison with Palo Alto. On this case, having the scalability of Palo Alto may be extra helpful.
Fortinet FortiGate professionals and cons
Professionals
- Inexpensive and good worth for cash.
- Gives the identical efficiency as costlier counterparts.
- Decrease barrier to entry {hardware}.
Cons
- Buyer help might be improved.
Palo Alto Networks NGFW professionals and cons
Professionals
- Can accommodate massive organizations.
- Characteristic-rich NGFW.
- Granular user-based guidelines and insurance policies.
Cons
- On the costly finish.
- Requires in depth technical experience to configure.
Ought to your group use Fortinet or Palo Alto?
So far as NGFWs go, each Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto sit as high tier options. Consumer consensus is obvious that you simply’ll be well-served no matter which possibility you go together with. That being mentioned, the deciding issue between the 2 NGFW suppliers boils down to 2 issues: pricing and enterprise measurement.
In the event you’re a small enterprise, I extremely suggest Fortinet FortiGate. Its extra inexpensive {hardware} choices whereas offering the identical high quality efficiency and safety effectiveness make it a superb match for firms that don’t essentially have the biggest of budgets.
Alternatively, enterprises and bigger organizations ought to go for Palo Alto Networks NGFW. That is very true for firms the place price range isn’t a problem, as its Panorama central administration platform and user-based roles are all apt for dealing with extra advanced safety wants.
No matter which supplier you go together with, I discover that the majority organizations will discover nice worth in both Fortinet or Palo Alto’s NGFW options.
Methodology
My comparability of Fortinet and Palo Alto’s NGFW options concerned an in-depth evaluation of their safety features, pricing and total worth to companies.
This head-to-head analysis consisted of intensive analysis of each vendor’s official documentation, product pages and datasheets. As well as, I took into consideration person testimonials and suggestions from respected evaluation websites to complement my findings and embody real-world utilization in my closing suggestions.
