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Compare FortiGate NGFW and Netgate pfSense

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At a Glance
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW
Star Rating
(182)4.7 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (62.5% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about FortiGate NGFW
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense
Star Rating
(321)4.8 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (68.9% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Netgate pfSense
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Reviewers mention that Netgate pfSense excels in its open-source nature, allowing for extensive customization and flexibility, which is particularly appealing to tech-savvy users looking for tailored solutions.
  • Users report that FortiGate NGFW shines in its user-friendly interface and ease of setup, with many noting that the streamlined dashboard makes it simple to manage security policies and monitor network activity.
  • G2 users highlight that Netgate pfSense offers robust features for firewall and web filtering, with a high rating of 9.7 for firewall capabilities, making it a strong choice for users prioritizing security.
  • Users on G2 mention that FortiGate NGFW's intrusion prevention system is highly effective, receiving a score of 9.1, which reviewers say provides peace of mind with its proactive threat detection.
  • Reviewers say that while Netgate pfSense has a solid antivirus feature rated at 6.5, FortiGate NGFW significantly outperforms it with a score of 9.0, indicating a more comprehensive approach to malware protection.
  • Users report that the policy management capabilities of FortiGate NGFW, rated at 9.3, are superior to Netgate pfSense's 8.7, making it easier for organizations to enforce security protocols across their networks.
Featured Products
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
FortiGate NGFW
No pricing available
Netgate pfSense
No pricing available
Free Trial
FortiGate NGFW
No trial information available
Netgate pfSense
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.2
147
9.4
256
Ease of Use
9.1
148
8.5
263
Ease of Setup
9.0
113
8.8
242
Ease of Admin
9.1
110
8.8
240
Quality of Support
8.8
147
9.1
204
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.0
107
9.1
194
Product Direction (% positive)
9.6
146
8.6
257
Features by Category
Unified Threat Management (UTM)Hide 8 FeaturesShow 8 Features
9.3
111
Not enough data
Security - Unified Threat Management
9.2
91
Not enough data
9.4
93
Not enough data
9.0
86
Not enough data
9.3
91
Not enough data
9.7
93
Not enough data
9.7
94
Not enough data
Administration
8.7
93
Not enough data
9.3
93
Not enough data
Data Center Security SolutionsHide 11 FeaturesShow 11 Features
9.4
67
Not enough data
Prevention
9.5
53
Not enough data
9.5
54
Not enough data
9.1
52
Not enough data
9.4
53
Not enough data
9.2
47
Not enough data
Detection
9.3
52
Not enough data
9.4
51
Not enough data
9.4
51
Not enough data
Administration
9.3
51
Not enough data
9.4
54
Not enough data
9.0
47
Not enough data
9.3
88
8.3
239
Administration
9.3
79
8.7
184
9.0
79
8.3
207
9.2
75
8.4
177
9.4
79
9.0
198
Agentic AI - Firewall Software
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Functionality
9.5
79
9.1
214
9.1
77
6.5
134
9.4
78
7.9
165
9.6
78
9.3
198
Monitoring
9.3
75
8.5
161
9.0
73
8.2
166
9.2
77
8.7
186
9.2
77
8.4
179
Generative AI
7.9
7
6.8
72
Artificial Intelligence - Firewall
Not enough data
Not enough data
9.0
71
Not enough data
Orchestration
9.1
58
Not enough data
9.0
55
Not enough data
9.1
60
Not enough data
9.1
54
Not enough data
Information
9.1
62
Not enough data
8.9
61
Not enough data
9.1
59
Not enough data
Personalization
8.8
59
Not enough data
9.1
59
Not enough data
8.9
52
Not enough data
Generative AI
6.7
6
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Threat Intelligence
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
8.8
178
Usage
Not enough data
9.2
144
Not enough data
9.5
160
Not enough data
9.3
163
Not enough data
9.4
154
Not enough data
7.9
108
Not enough data
8.6
111
Not enough data
8.5
106
Miscellaneous
Not enough data
8.2
107
Not enough data
9.3
144
Not enough data
8.2
96
Not enough data
Not enough data
Compliance
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Administration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Security
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense
FortiGate NGFW and Netgate pfSense are categorized as Firewall Software
Unique Categories
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense is categorized as Business VPN
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
16.7%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
62.5%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
20.8%
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
68.9%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
24.7%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
6.4%
Reviewers' Industry
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW
Information Technology and Services
22.6%
Computer & Network Security
11.9%
Telecommunications
8.3%
Financial Services
6.5%
Computer Software
4.8%
Other
45.8%
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense
Information Technology and Services
20.1%
Computer & Network Security
10.5%
Computer Software
6.1%
Telecommunications
4.2%
Computer Networking
3.8%
Other
55.3%
Most Helpful Reviews
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW
Most Helpful Favorable Review
DS
Dario S.
Verified User in Information Technology and Services

I greatly appreciate FortiGate's logical and hardware division of deployment types, as some products can easily manage both ISFW environments, which are internal segmentation firewalls protecting data centers and business-critical assets, and NGFW, which...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Christian H.
CH
Christian H.
Verified User in Higher Education

I have been using pfSense for many years. First on my own hardware and later on netgates hardware. The System is easy enough to use but also gives you the ability to have fine tuned rules. I think because the pfSense Firewall software is open source and...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Brian C.
BC
Brian C.
Verified User in Computer Networking

It bricked itself on a reboot. It is impossible to configure. Devices intermittently had internet access even with only the most basic features enabled.

Alternatives
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW Alternatives
Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
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WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security
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SonicWall Next Generation Firewall
SonicWall Next Generation Firewall
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Sophos Firewall
Sophos Firewall
Add Sophos Firewall
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense Alternatives
Sophos Firewall
Sophos Firewall
Add Sophos Firewall
Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
Add Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
WatchGuard Network Security
WatchGuard Network Security
Add WatchGuard Network Security
SonicWall Next Generation Firewall
SonicWall Next Generation Firewall
Add SonicWall Next Generation Firewall
Discussions
FortiGate NGFW
FortiGate NGFW Discussions
What three key additional security features do next generation firewalls provide that legacy firewalls do not?
1 comment
HH
with FortiGate has many Features including SD-WAN, SSL-VPN, Video Filtering, integrated with Sandbox....Read more
Is FortiGate and fortinet the same?
1 comment
Midhun K.
MK
Fortinet is the company and FortiGate is their Firewall name :)Read more
Monty the Mongoose crying
FortiGate NGFW has no more discussions with answers
Netgate pfSense
Netgate pfSense Discussions
Can pfSense be used as a router?
10 comments
Sean G.
SG
pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software distribution based on FreeBSD. It supports NAT and different types of interfaces (WAN, LAN, DMZ). It...Read more
What is pfSense used for?
7 comments
Rick B.
RB
pfSense is a a preconfigured operating system and suite of tools for directing traffic between your LAN and the Internet. The community version of pfSense...Read more
Is pfSense still free?
5 comments
JK
Yes, it is. There is a Community Edition and a Plus edition. The Community Edition is free. The Plus edition is free for home lab and comes pre-installed...Read more