Fortinet FortiGate
8.0/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 (~179 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- —
- Deployment
- On-prem
- Best for
- Businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar NGFWs with the broadest model range
Best Firewall (Small Business) · 2026
Fortinet FortiGate vs 
SonicWall TZ Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall TZ: on our data-weighted scoring, Fortinet FortiGate edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.5/10). Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and is best for businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar NGFWs with the broadest model range; SonicWall TZ starts at Custom quote and is best for budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level NGFW. Choose Fortinet FortiGate for the stronger overall track record; consider SonicWall TZ if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
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SonicWall TZ
7.5/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.1/5 (~144 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- On-prem
- Best for
- Budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level NGFW
Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Fortinet FortiGate | SonicWall TZ |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| User reviews | 9.4 | 8.2 |
| Adoption | 6.0 | 5.7 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 3.0 | 6.0 |
Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall TZ: head-to-head
| Fortinet FortiGate | SonicWall TZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Custom quote | Custom quote |
| Pricing model | quote | quote |
| Free trial / tier | — | 30 days |
| Best for | Businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar NGFWs with the broadest model range | Budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level NGFW |
| Deployment | On-prem | On-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.7/5 (179) | 4.1/5 (144) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.0 | 7.5 |
Choose Fortinet FortiGate if…
You need businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar ngfws with the broadest model range.
✓ Pros
- Best-in-class performance-per-dollar
- Widest model range (SMB to chassis)
- Mature Security Fabric ecosystem
✕ Cons
- FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer cost extra
- Licensing/bundles are complex
- Quote-only pricing
Choose SonicWall TZ if…
You need budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level ngfw.
✓ Pros
- Strong feature breadth for the price
- Good fit for small single-site offices
- Cloud-managed via NSM
✕ Cons
- Lower G2 satisfaction than peers
- Performance issues on complex configs
- Patching discipline required
In depth
Pricing: Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall TZ
Fortinet FortiGate bills on a quote model from Custom quote (no trial), while SonicWall TZ uses a quote model from Custom quote (30 days trial). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Fortinet FortiGate ships 6 headline capabilities (NGFW with FortiOS, FortiGuard threat intelligence, Integrated SD-WAN, IPS + AV + web filtering) and deploys On-prem. SonicWall TZ ships 6 (Entry-level NGFW (TZ series), Network Security Manager cloud console, Capture ATP sandboxing, SD-WAN support), deploying On-prem.
Ratings & verdict
Fortinet FortiGate holds 4.7/5 (~179 G2 reviews); SonicWall TZ holds 4.1/5 (~144 G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, Fortinet FortiGate edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.5/10). Pick SonicWall TZ instead when budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level ngfw. See Fortinet FortiGate alternatives or SonicWall TZ alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall TZ: which is better?
- Fortinet FortiGate vs SonicWall TZ: on our data-weighted scoring, Fortinet FortiGate edges ahead (8.0 vs 7.5/10). Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and is best for businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar NGFWs with the broadest model range; SonicWall TZ starts at Custom quote and is best for budget-conscious small businesses wanting a feature-rich entry-level NGFW.
- Is Fortinet FortiGate cheaper than SonicWall TZ?
- Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and SonicWall TZ starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of September 17, 2026. Sources: fortinet.com, sonicwall.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.