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 
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.
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WatchGuard Firebox
8.1/10
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
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
In depth
Pricing: WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate
WatchGuard Firebox bills on a quote model from Custom quote (30 days trial), while Fortinet FortiGate uses a quote model from Custom quote (no trial). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
WatchGuard Firebox ships 6 headline capabilities (All-in-one UTM/NGFW, WatchGuard Cloud + RapidDeploy, IPS + AV + web filtering + sandboxing, ThreatSync (XDR) included) and deploys On-prem. Fortinet FortiGate ships 6 (NGFW with FortiOS, FortiGuard threat intelligence, Integrated SD-WAN, IPS + AV + web filtering), deploying On-prem.
Ratings & verdict
WatchGuard Firebox holds 4.7/5 (~261 G2 reviews); Fortinet FortiGate holds 4.7/5 (~179 G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, WatchGuard Firebox edges ahead (8.1 vs 8.0/10). Pick Fortinet FortiGate instead when businesses wanting top performance-per-dollar ngfws with the broadest model range. See WatchGuard Firebox alternatives or Fortinet FortiGate alternatives.
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 September 17, 2026. Sources: fortinet.com, watchguard.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.