Fortinet FortiGate
8.6/10
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 
WatchGuard Firebox Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard Firebox: on our data-weighted scoring, WatchGuard Firebox edges ahead (8.1 vs 8.0/10). Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and is best for businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar ngfws with the broadest model range; WatchGuard Firebox starts at Custom quote and is best for small offices and msps wanting all-in-one utm with simple bundled licensing and cloud management. Choose WatchGuard Firebox for the stronger overall track record; consider Fortinet FortiGate if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
WatchGuard Firebox
8.4/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- Custom quote
- Reviews
- 4.7/5 (~261 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 30 days
- Deployment
- On-prem
- Best for
- Small offices and MSPs wanting all-in-one UTM with simple bundled licensing and cloud management
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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 | WatchGuard Firebox |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.0 | 8.1 |
| User reviews | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| Adoption | 6.0 | 6.4 |
| Affordability | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Feature breadth | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Ease of trial | 3.0 | 6.0 |
Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard Firebox: head-to-head
| Fortinet FortiGate | WatchGuard Firebox | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Small offices and MSPs wanting all-in-one UTM with simple bundled licensing and cloud management |
| Deployment | On-prem | On-prem |
| G2 rating | 4.7/5 (179) | 4.7/5 (261) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.0 | 8.1 |
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 WatchGuard Firebox if…
You need small offices and msps wanting all-in-one utm with simple bundled licensing and cloud management.
Pros
- Simple bundled licensing
- MSP + multi-site friendly
- Competitive value for feature breadth
Cons
- Quote-only pricing
- Top-tier suite excludes smallest models
- Performance trails FortiGate at scale
Frequently asked questions
- Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard Firebox: which is better?
- Fortinet FortiGate vs WatchGuard Firebox: on our data-weighted scoring, WatchGuard Firebox edges ahead (8.1 vs 8.0/10). Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and is best for businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar ngfws with the broadest model range; WatchGuard Firebox starts at Custom quote and is best for small offices and msps wanting all-in-one utm with simple bundled licensing and cloud management.
- Is Fortinet FortiGate cheaper than WatchGuard Firebox?
- Fortinet FortiGate starts at Custom quote and WatchGuard Firebox starts at Custom quote (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of June 16, 2026. Sources: fortinet.com, watchguard.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.