# Cisco Talos vs FortiGate-VM NGFW Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- Users report that Cisco Talos excels in its **Web Filtering** capabilities, scoring a remarkable 9.6, which reviewers mention provides robust protection against malicious sites. In contrast, FortiGate NGFW also performs well but slightly lower at 9.4, indicating a solid but less comprehensive web filtering experience.
- Reviewers mention that FortiGate NGFW shines in **Ease of Setup** with a score of 9.0, making it user-friendly for new deployments. Cisco Talos, while still decent at 8.0, is noted by users as requiring a steeper learning curve during initial setup.
- G2 users highlight the superior **Intrusion Prevention** system of Cisco Talos, which scored 9.6, as being highly effective in detecting and mitigating threats. FortiGate NGFW, while also strong at 9.5, is perceived as slightly less proactive in its approach.
- Users on G2 report that FortiGate NGFW's **Quality of Support** is commendable, with a score of 8.7, although Cisco Talos edges out with 8.9, indicating a more responsive support experience according to user feedback.
- Reviewers mention that Cisco Talos offers excellent **Proactive Alerts** with a score of 9.0, which users find beneficial for staying ahead of potential threats. FortiGate NGFW matches this score but lacks the same level of customization that some users desire.
- Users say that FortiGate NGFW's **Compliance Management** features, scoring 9.4, are particularly robust, making it a preferred choice for organizations focused on regulatory adherence. Cisco Talos, while effective, scores slightly lower at 9.2, indicating a less comprehensive compliance toolkit.



| | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 43 | 230 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (38.9% of reviews) | Mid-Market (58.9% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Cisco Talos

Pros:
- Threat Detection (2 reviews)
- Accuracy of Information (1 reviews)

Cons:
- Complexity (1 reviews)
- Integration Issues (1 reviews)

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

Pros:
- Ease of Use (12 reviews)
- Features (10 reviews)

Cons:
- Difficult Learning Curve (4 reviews)
- Expensive (4 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.3 (36 reviews) | 9.2 (182 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (36 reviews) | 9.0 (185 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.2 (13 reviews) | 8.9 (151 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | 9.1 (138 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 9.0 (35 reviews) | 8.7 (180 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.3 (9 reviews) | 9.1 (134 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.4 (36 reviews) | 9.4 (182 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Cisco Talos

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Unified Threat Management (UTM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Cisco Talos** | N/A | N/A |
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.3/10 | 118 |

#### Security - Unified Threat Management

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Antivirus** | Not enough data | 9.3 (95 reviews) | 
| **Whitelists** | Not enough data | 9.4 (97 reviews) | 
| **Antispam Filtering** | Not enough data | 9.0 (89 reviews) | 
| **Content Filtering** | Not enough data | 9.3 (95 reviews) | 
| **Web Filtering** | Not enough data | 9.7 (96 reviews) | 
| **Firewall** | Not enough data | 9.8 (100 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reports & Analytics** | Not enough data | 8.7 (96 reviews) | 
| **Dashboard** | Not enough data | 9.4 (98 reviews) | 

### Data Center Security Solutions

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Cisco Talos** | N/A | N/A |
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.4/10 | 74 |

#### Prevention

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Prevention** | Not enough data | 9.6 (58 reviews) | 
| **Firewall** | Not enough data | 9.5 (60 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 9.2 (54 reviews) | 
| **Security hardening** | Not enough data | 9.4 (55 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Data Protection** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 

#### Detection

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Detection** | Not enough data | 9.4 (56 reviews) | 
| **Security Monitoring** | Not enough data | 9.4 (53 reviews) | 
| **Anti-Malware / Malware Detection** | Not enough data | 9.3 (54 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Compliance** | Not enough data | 9.4 (53 reviews) | 
| **Administration Console -** | Not enough data | 9.4 (58 reviews) | 
| **API / integrations** | Not enough data | 9.0 (51 reviews) | 

### Firewall Software

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Cisco Talos** | N/A | N/A |
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.0/10 | 122 |

#### Administration

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Policy Management** | Not enough data | 9.2 (101 reviews) | 
| **Logging and Reporting** | Not enough data | 8.9 (101 reviews) | 
| **Application Gateway** | Not enough data | 9.2 (92 reviews) | 
| **Concurrent Sessions** | Not enough data | 9.3 (98 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Firewall Software

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Virtual Private Network (VPN)** | Not enough data | 9.4 (104 reviews) | 
| **Antivirus** | Not enough data | 9.0 (96 reviews) | 
| **URL Filtering** | Not enough data | 9.4 (101 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | Not enough data | 9.5 (98 reviews) | 

#### Monitoring

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | 9.2 (92 reviews) | 
| **Continuous Analysis** | Not enough data | 9.0 (93 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Prevention** | Not enough data | 9.2 (104 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Detection** | Not enough data | 9.3 (98 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | 8.2 (20 reviews) | 

#### Artificial Intelligence - Firewall

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Firewall** | Not enough data | 7.7 (5 reviews) | 

### Threat Intelligence

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Cisco Talos** | 9.0/10 | 36 |
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |

#### Orchestration

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Asset Management** | 8.8 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Security Workflow Automation** | 8.8 (23 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Deployment** | 8.9 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Sandboxing** | 8.8 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Information

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Proactive Alerts** | 9.0 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Malware Detection** | 9.6 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Intelligence Reports** | 9.1 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Personalization

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Endpoint Intelligence** | 8.9 (26 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Security Validation** | 9.2 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Dynamic/Code Analysis** | 8.4 (25 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generate Attack Scenarios** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generate Threat Detection Rules** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generate Threat Summaries** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Threat Intelligence

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Data Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Cisco Talos** | N/A | N/A |
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |

#### Compliance

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **At-Risk Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **DLP Configuration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Sensitive Data Compliance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Database Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Deduplication ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Backup** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API / integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Security 

| Feature | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Transport** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Types** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Tools** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories

**Unique to Cisco Talos (1):** [Threat Intelligence Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/threat-intelligence)

**Unique to FortiGate-VM NGFW (3):** [Firewall Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/firewall-software), [Data Center Security Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-center-security-solutions), [Unified Threat Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/unified-threat-management-utm)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Cisco Talos | FortiGate-VM NGFW | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 27.8% | 18.7% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 38.9% | 58.9% | 
| **Enterprise** | 33.3% | 22.4% | 

### By Industry

#### Cisco Talos

- **Computer Software:** 22.2%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 13.9%
- **Banking:** 5.6%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 5.6%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 5.6%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.6%
- **Financial Services:** 5.6%
- **Accounting:** 2.8%
- **Broadcast Media:** 2.8%
- **Civil Engineering:** 2.8%
- **Other:** 27.8%

#### FortiGate-VM NGFW

- **Information Technology and Services:** 22.2%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 11.6%
- **Telecommunications:** 10.1%
- **Financial Services:** 6.8%
- **Computer Software:** 6.3%
- **Computer Networking:** 4.8%
- **Education Management:** 2.9%
- **Construction:** 2.4%
- **Information Services:** 1.9%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 29.0%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Cisco Talos

- [CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/crowdstrike-falcon-endpoint-protection-platform/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (422 reviews)
- [FortiGuard Labs Outbreak Alerts](https://www.g2.com/products/fortiguard-labs-outbreak-alerts/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (13 reviews)
- [Trellix Threat Intelligence Exchange](https://www.g2.com/products/trellix-threat-intelligence-exchange/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (57 reviews)
- [Cloudflare Application Security and Performance](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-application-security-and-performance/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [IBM X-Force Exchange](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-x-force-exchange/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (17 reviews)
- [Recorded Future](https://www.g2.com/products/recorded-future/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (229 reviews)
- [Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-defender-threat-intelligence/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (23 reviews)
- [Intezer](https://www.g2.com/products/intezer-intezer/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (193 reviews)
- [Pentera](https://www.g2.com/products/pentera/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (174 reviews)
- [Check Point Exposure Management](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-exposure-management/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (169 reviews)

### Alternatives to FortiGate-VM NGFW

- [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (583 reviews)
- [WatchGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/watchguard-network-security/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (267 reviews)
- [SonicWall Next Generation Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sonicwall-next-generation-firewall/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (153 reviews)
- [Barracuda CloudGen Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-cloudgen-firewall/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (51 reviews)
- [Juniper Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/juniper-firewall/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (31 reviews)
- [Huawei Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/huawei-firewall/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (15 reviews)
- [KerioControl](https://www.g2.com/products/keriocontrol/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (10 reviews)
- [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (634 reviews)
- [Netgate pfSense](https://www.g2.com/products/netgate-pfsense/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (325 reviews)
- [Cisco Meraki](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-meraki/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (217 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Cisco Talos

No discussions available for this product.

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

- Title: [What is FortiGate-VM used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-fortigate-vm-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "FortiGate-VM is Fortinet's virtual appliance version of the FortiGate firewall, designed for deployment in virtualized environments. It serves as a..."
- Title: [What is FortiGate NGFW used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-fortigate-ngfw-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is a next generation firewall which has capability to do layer 7 insapaction "
- Title: [Is FortiGate and fortinet the same?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-fortigate-and-fortinet-the-same) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Fortinet is the company and FortiGate is their Firewall name :)"
- Title: [What three key additional security features do next generation firewalls provide that legacy firewalls do not?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-three-key-additional-security-features-do-next-generation-firewalls-provide-that-legacy-firewalls-do-not) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "with FortiGate has many Features including SD-WAN, SSL-VPN, Video Filtering, integrated with Sandbox...."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/cisco-talos-vs-fortigate-vm-ngfw)