# FortiGate-VM NGFW vs Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that FortiGate-VM NGFW excels in **ease of setup** , with many users appreciating its straightforward configuration process and modern user interface. One user noted, "It’s easy to appreciate FortiGate‑VM NGFW for its straightforward setup, strong security features, and reliable performance."
- **Users say** that Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls offer unmatched **visibility and control** over network activity. Reviewers highlighted the ability to see who is on the network and what applications they are using, allowing for precise rule creation without the hassle of managing IP addresses.
- **According to verified reviews** , FortiGate-VM NGFW is favored for its **lightweight management** capabilities, making it easier to handle multiple firewalls. A user mentioned, "I much prefer dealing with cluster FW management through them," indicating a preference for its streamlined approach compared to Palo Alto.
- **Reviewers mention** that Palo Alto Networks shines in its **security rule automation** , with users praising its advancements in creating security rules. One user stated, "The best about Palo Alto Networks Next Generation Firewalls is its advancements of security rule creation capabilities automation," showcasing its strength in this area.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that FortiGate-VM NGFW provides a **robust performance** against complex threats without compromising speed. Users appreciate its ability to handle demanding tasks while maintaining efficiency, with one stating, "It feels lightweight to manage yet powerful enough to handle complex threats."
- **Users report** that while Palo Alto Networks offers strong features, it sometimes faces challenges in **user-friendliness** compared to FortiGate-VM. Reviewers have noted that managing multiple firewalls can be more cumbersome with Palo Alto, which may impact day-to-day usability for some users.



| | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 245 | 170 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (57.3% of reviews) | Mid-Market (47.0% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

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

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

### Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

Pros:
- Firewall Efficiency (14 reviews)
- Ease of Use (13 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (23 reviews)
- Difficult Learning Curve (12 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.1 (193 reviews) | 8.9 (153 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (196 reviews) | 8.3 (154 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.9 (162 reviews) | 8.2 (138 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 9.1 (148 reviews) | 8.4 (107 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.6 (191 reviews) | 8.2 (145 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.1 (144 reviews) | 8.8 (105 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.5 (192 reviews) | 9.2 (149 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Network Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | N/A | N/A |

#### Additional Functionality

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Penetration Testing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anti Virus** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Scanning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Remote Monitoring & Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **VPN** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Behavior Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting/Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SSL Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Patch Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Event Logs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly/Malware Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **DNS Leak Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Third-Party Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Server Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Provisioning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Alerts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Auditing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Intrusion Detection System** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Visualization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Firewalls** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anti Spam** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Threat Response** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Risk Alerts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Loss Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Sign On** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Intrusion Prevention System** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Secure Login** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Policy Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Unified Threat Management (UTM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.3/10 | 124 |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | N/A | N/A |

#### Security - Unified Threat Management

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Antivirus** | 9.3 (97 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Whitelists** | 9.4 (99 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Antispam Filtering** | 9.0 (90 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Content Filtering** | 9.2 (96 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Web Filtering** | 9.7 (98 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Firewall** | 9.7 (104 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reports & Analytics** | 8.7 (97 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Dashboard** | 9.4 (99 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Data Center Security Solutions

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.4/10 | 77 |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | N/A | N/A |

#### Prevention

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Prevention** | 9.6 (59 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Firewall** | 9.5 (63 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | 9.2 (57 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Security hardening** | 9.4 (56 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Cloud Data Protection** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

#### Detection

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Detection** | 9.4 (59 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Security Monitoring** | 9.4 (54 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Anti-Malware / Malware Detection** | 9.3 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Compliance** | 9.4 (55 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Administration Console -** | 9.4 (59 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **API / integrations** | 9.0 (52 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | 8.8/10 | 68 |

#### Prevention

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Prevention** | Not enough data | 9.1 (65 reviews) | 
| **Firewall** | Not enough data | 9.3 (64 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.9 (64 reviews) | 
| **Security hardening** | Not enough data | 9.0 (64 reviews) | 
| **Cloud Data Protection** | Not enough data | 8.3 (60 reviews) | 

#### Detection

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Intrusion Detection** | Not enough data | 9.0 (65 reviews) | 
| **Security Monitoring** | Not enough data | 8.9 (64 reviews) | 
| **Anti-Malware / Malware Detection** | Not enough data | 8.9 (64 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Compliance** | Not enough data | 8.8 (62 reviews) | 
| **Administration Console -** | Not enough data | 8.8 (64 reviews) | 
| **API / integrations** | Not enough data | 8.6 (59 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | 8.2 (20 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 8.9 (6 reviews) | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | 8.6 (6 reviews) | 

### Firewall Software

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.0/10 | 131 |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | 8.3/10 | 113 |

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Policy Management** | 9.2 (105 reviews) | 8.7 (105 reviews) | 
| **Logging and Reporting** | 8.9 (104 reviews) | 8.6 (105 reviews) | 
| **Application Gateway** | 9.2 (93 reviews) | 8.3 (97 reviews) | 
| **Concurrent Sessions** | 9.3 (99 reviews) | 8.4 (97 reviews) | 
| **Uptime Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Web Traffic Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Incident Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Remote Monitoring & Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Agentic AI - Firewall Software

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | 8.0 (10 reviews) | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | 7.5 (10 reviews) | 
| **AI/Machine Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Virtual Private Network (VPN)** | 9.4 (106 reviews) | 8.7 (102 reviews) | 
| **Antivirus** | 9.0 (98 reviews) | 8.4 (97 reviews) | 
| **URL Filtering** | 9.4 (102 reviews) | 8.8 (99 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.5 (99 reviews) | 8.8 (98 reviews) | 
| **IP Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Monitoring

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Load Balancing** | 9.2 (93 reviews) | 8.4 (96 reviews) | 
| **Continuous Analysis** | 9.0 (94 reviews) | 8.6 (97 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Prevention** | 9.2 (110 reviews) | 8.8 (101 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Detection** | 9.3 (99 reviews) | 8.7 (98 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Detection System** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Intrusion Prevention System** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | 8.2 (20 reviews) | 7.1 (29 reviews) | 
| **Generative AI** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Artificial Intelligence - Firewall

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Firewall** | 7.7 (5 reviews) | 7.4 (17 reviews) | 

#### Additional Functionality

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Spam Blocker** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Escalation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Role-Based Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Visual Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customizable Reports** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting & Statistics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Anti Spam** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Dashboard** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Activity Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Hardware Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Summary Reports** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerts/Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Access Controls/Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Real-Time Data** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Server Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Two-Factor Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Log Access** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting/Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-Location** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SSL Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Behavior Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Copilot** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **API** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Event Logs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Scanning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Risk Alerts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Sign On** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Dashboard Creation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Monitoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Data Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |
| **Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls** | N/A | N/A |

#### Compliance

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **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
**Shared Categories (1):** [Firewall Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/firewall-software)

**Unique to FortiGate-VM NGFW (2):** [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)

**Unique to Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (1):** [Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/intrusion-detection-and-prevention-systems-idps)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | FortiGate-VM NGFW | Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 20.3% | 18.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 57.3% | 47.0% | 
| **Enterprise** | 22.5% | 34.8% | 

### By Industry

#### FortiGate-VM NGFW

- **Information Technology and Services:** 22.9%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 11.9%
- **Telecommunications:** 9.6%
- **Financial Services:** 7.3%
- **Computer Software:** 6.4%
- **Computer Networking:** 4.6%
- **Education Management:** 2.8%
- **Construction:** 2.3%
- **Automotive:** 2.3%
- **Retail:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 28.0%

#### Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.2%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 13.5%
- **Banking:** 6.7%
- **Computer Software:** 6.1%
- **Financial Services:** 5.5%
- **Education Management:** 3.7%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.7%
- **Higher Education:** 3.7%
- **Airlines/Aviation:** 2.5%
- **Consulting:** 2.5%
- **Other:** 31.9%

---
## Alternatives

### 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 (593 reviews)
- [WatchGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/watchguard-network-security/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (268 reviews)
- [SonicWall Next Generation Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sonicwall-next-generation-firewall/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (154 reviews)
- [Barracuda CloudGen Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-cloudgen-firewall/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (52 reviews)
- [Juniper Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/juniper-firewall/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (32 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) — 4.7/5 stars (869 reviews)
- [Netgate pfSense](https://www.g2.com/products/netgate-pfsense/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (326 reviews)
- [Cisco Meraki](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-meraki/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (217 reviews)

### Alternatives to Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

- [Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (93 reviews)
- [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (869 reviews)
- [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (593 reviews)
- [Netgate pfSense](https://www.g2.com/products/netgate-pfsense/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (326 reviews)
- [WatchGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/watchguard-network-security/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (268 reviews)
- [Zscaler Internet Access](https://www.g2.com/products/zscaler-internet-access/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (276 reviews)
- [SonicWall Next Generation Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sonicwall-next-generation-firewall/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (154 reviews)
- [Check Point Quantum Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-quantum-intrusion-prevention-system-ips/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (69 reviews)
- [Barracuda CloudGen Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-cloudgen-firewall/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (52 reviews)
- [Juniper Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/juniper-firewall/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (32 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### 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...."

### Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

- Title: [What is Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewall-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is an enterprise firewall solution which provides secure connection between two zones with features of firewall, IPS, Antivirus, DDOS protection, SSL..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/fortigate-vm-ngfw-vs-palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewalls)