# FortiGate-VM NGFW vs WatchGuard Network Security Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that FortiGate-VM NGFW excels in user experience, particularly with its **intuitive GUI** that is described as "best in class." Users appreciate the **speed and responsiveness** of the interface, which enhances their ability to manage security settings efficiently.
- **According to verified reviews** , WatchGuard Network Security is recognized for its **comprehensive security platform** that centralizes management for users, devices, and data. This feature is particularly beneficial for organizations looking for a scalable solution.
- **Users say** that both products offer similar scores in terms of **ease of use** and **setup** , with each receiving high marks. However, FortiGate-VM NGFW users highlight the lack of lag when switching between tabs, which can significantly improve workflow during security management tasks.
- **Reviewers mention** that while WatchGuard Network Security provides solid support and integration capabilities, FortiGate-VM NGFW's **technical assistance** is often praised for being particularly helpful, which can be a deciding factor for businesses needing reliable support.
- **G2 reviewers indicate** that both products have strong performance in terms of **antivirus and firewall capabilities** , but FortiGate-VM NGFW slightly edges out with higher ratings in these areas, suggesting a more robust defense against threats.
- **According to recent user feedback** , WatchGuard Network Security is noted for its **intrusion detection systems** , but some users have experienced challenges in identifying critical assets. In contrast, FortiGate-VM NGFW's features like **SD-WAN** provide granular monitoring, which can enhance application performance and security.



| | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 230 | 267 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Mid-Market (58.9% of reviews) | Mid-Market (53.8% 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)

### WatchGuard Network Security

Pros:
- Cybersecurity (3 reviews)
- Ease of Use (3 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (3 reviews)
- Complex Setup (1 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.2 (182 reviews) | 9.4 (188 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 9.0 (185 reviews) | 9.1 (191 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.9 (151 reviews) | 9.0 (166 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 9.1 (138 reviews) | 9.1 (160 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.7 (180 reviews) | 8.9 (180 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.1 (134 reviews) | 9.1 (157 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.4 (182 reviews) | 9.3 (172 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### FortiGate-VM NGFW

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

### WatchGuard Network Security

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Unified Threat Management (UTM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.3/10 | 118 |
| **WatchGuard Network Security** | 9.0/10 | 119 |

#### Security - Unified Threat Management

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Antivirus** | 9.3 (95 reviews) | 9.0 (98 reviews) | 
| **Whitelists** | 9.4 (97 reviews) | 9.2 (102 reviews) | 
| **Antispam Filtering** | 9.0 (89 reviews) | 8.7 (86 reviews) | 
| **Content Filtering** | 9.3 (95 reviews) | 9.2 (103 reviews) | 
| **Web Filtering** | 9.7 (96 reviews) | 9.2 (104 reviews) | 
| **Firewall** | 9.8 (100 reviews) | 9.6 (108 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reports & Analytics** | 8.7 (96 reviews) | 8.4 (105 reviews) | 
| **Dashboard** | 9.4 (98 reviews) | 8.9 (106 reviews) | 

### Data Center Security Solutions

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.4/10 | 74 |
| **WatchGuard Network Security** | N/A | N/A |

#### Prevention

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

#### Detection

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

#### Administration

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

### Firewall Software

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | 9.0/10 | 122 |
| **WatchGuard Network Security** | 8.9/10 | 122 |

#### Administration

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Policy Management** | 9.2 (101 reviews) | 8.9 (108 reviews) | 
| **Logging and Reporting** | 8.9 (101 reviews) | 8.3 (106 reviews) | 
| **Application Gateway** | 9.2 (92 reviews) | 8.6 (101 reviews) | 
| **Concurrent Sessions** | 9.3 (98 reviews) | 8.7 (104 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Firewall Software

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Virtual Private Network (VPN)** | 9.4 (104 reviews) | 9.3 (106 reviews) | 
| **Antivirus** | 9.0 (96 reviews) | 8.8 (91 reviews) | 
| **URL Filtering** | 9.4 (101 reviews) | 9.0 (106 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.5 (98 reviews) | 9.4 (101 reviews) | 

#### Monitoring

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Load Balancing** | 9.2 (92 reviews) | 8.8 (89 reviews) | 
| **Continuous Analysis** | 9.0 (93 reviews) | 8.8 (91 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Prevention** | 9.2 (104 reviews) | 9.1 (103 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Detection** | 9.3 (98 reviews) | 9.0 (102 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | 8.2 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Artificial Intelligence - Firewall

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Firewall** | 7.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Encryption

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |
| **WatchGuard Network Security** | 8.8/10 | 43 |

#### Encryption

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Email Encryption** | Not enough data | 9.0 (19 reviews) | 
| **Messaging Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.6 (18 reviews) | 
| **File Transfer Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.9 (25 reviews) | 
| **Data Encryption** | Not enough data | 9.2 (26 reviews) | 
| **Document Encryption** | Not enough data | 9.0 (21 reviews) | 
| **Full-Disk Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.4 (15 reviews) | 

#### Compliance

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | 9.0 (35 reviews) | 
| **Policy Enforcement** | Not enough data | 9.1 (37 reviews) | 
| **Access Management** | Not enough data | 9.0 (37 reviews) | 

#### Management

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Backup** | Not enough data | 8.3 (26 reviews) | 
| **Recovery** | Not enough data | 8.5 (26 reviews) | 
| **File Management** | Not enough data | 8.5 (24 reviews) | 
| **Anomaly Detection** | Not enough data | 9.0 (29 reviews) | 

### Data Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **FortiGate-VM NGFW** | N/A | N/A |
| **WatchGuard Network Security** | N/A | N/A |

#### Compliance

| Feature | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 (2):** [Firewall Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/firewall-software), [Unified Threat Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/unified-threat-management-utm)

**Unique to FortiGate-VM NGFW (1):** [Data Center Security Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-center-security-solutions)

**Unique to WatchGuard Network Security (1):** [Encryption Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/encryption-software)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | FortiGate-VM NGFW | WatchGuard Network Security | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 18.7% | 42.5% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 58.9% | 53.8% | 
| **Enterprise** | 22.4% | 3.6% | 

### By Industry

#### 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%

#### WatchGuard Network Security

- **Information Technology and Services:** 13.8%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.3%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.6%
- **Government Administration:** 3.6%
- **Computer Networking:** 3.2%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.2%
- **Accounting:** 2.4%
- **Wholesale:** 2.4%
- **Transportation/Trucking/Railroad:** 2.4%
- **Logistics and Supply Chain:** 2.4%
- **Other:** 55.5%

---
## 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 (587 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) — 4.7/5 stars (719 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)
- [Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewalls/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (167 reviews)

### Alternatives to WatchGuard Network Security

- [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (587 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)
- [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (719 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)
- [Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewalls/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (167 reviews)
- [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)
- [Progress MOVEit](https://www.g2.com/products/progress-moveit/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (527 reviews)
- [Virtru Email Encryption](https://www.g2.com/products/virtru-email-encryption/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (412 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...."

### WatchGuard Network Security

- Title: [How do I block sites on WatchGuard?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-block-sites-on-watchguard) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "First possibility:
On the Watchguard firebox web interface.
Second possibility:
In the Panda Adaptive Defense web console."
- Title: [Is WatchGuard any good?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-watchguard-any-good) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "In my opinion I think it is a good brand with which to work and continue learning, as well as collaborating."
- Title: [why i cant block Youtube](https://www.g2.com/discussions/why-i-cant-block-youtube) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You must run deep inspection so you can use application control with deep inspection."

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