Azure Firewall Manager vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) comparison

Microsoft and Fortinet are both solutions in the Firewall Security Management category. Microsoft is ranked #10 with an average rating of 9.3, while Fortinet is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.4. Microsoft holds a 2.8% mindshare in Firewall Security Management, compared to Fortinet’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Azure Firewall Manager

Read 9 Azure Firewall Manager reviews

1,084 Views
618 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

FortiGate Cloud-Native Fire...

Read 17 FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) reviews

1,475 Views
1,475 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Firewall Manager

FortiGate Cloud-Native Fire...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 4, 2024

Azure Firewall Manager and FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall are essential cloud-based firewall solutions catering to enterprises requiring robust security measures. FortiGate CNF seems to have the upper hand due to its advanced feature set and extensive security capabilities for complex network infrastructures.

Features: Azure Firewall Manager is integrated into the Azure ecosystem, providing centralized policy management, scalability, and ease of use within Azure environments. FortiGate CNF offers advanced threat protection, intrusion prevention, and deep application visibility, making it appealing to organizations that require deeper security insights.

Room for Improvement: Azure Firewall Manager could improve its flexibility outside the Azure ecosystem and expand its advanced feature offerings. It may benefit from better integration options with non-Azure platforms. FortiGate CNF could enhance its user interface for new users, improve the ease of integration with specific Azure services, and simplify its licensing model.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: FortiGate CNF is praised for flexible deployment options across various cloud environments and strong support for hybrid cloud strategies. Azure Firewall Manager benefits from seamless deployment within Azure and offers quality Azure platform support. While FortiGate CNF has comprehensive support channels, Azure Firewall Manager excels in its platform-specific assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Azure Firewall Manager has a straightforward pricing model within the Azure platform, making it cost-effective for existing Azure clients with a strong ROI for enterprises fully invested in Azure services. FortiGate CNF, while potentially costlier initially, offers significant long-term ROI due to its extensive features, optimizing network security for businesses requiring sophisticated measures.

To learn more, read our detailed Azure Firewall Manager vs. FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall Manager vs. FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Azure Firewall Manager

Ranking in Firewall Security Management

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

4.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (26th)

FortiGate Cloud-Native Fire...

Ranking in Firewall Security Management

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Firewall Security Management category, the mindshare of Azure Firewall Manager is 2.8%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is 2.5%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewall Security Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)	2.5%
Azure Firewall Manager	2.8%
Other	94.7%

Firewall Security Management

Featured Reviews

Sikkander Batcha

DevOps Engineer at CloudIQ

Has managed traffic effectively but lacks visibility and advanced control features

Azure Firewall is typically behind other vendor firewalls because we don't see what kind of traffic is traveling through it. That is one drawback. The main drawback is that we need log support from Azure Firewall, which can be quite costly. There is no login feature in Azure Firewall because only the IAM feature is available in the Azure site; we manage it only through the Azure portal, not through any other portal. Other vendors, such as Palo Alto, provide GUI or CLI interfaces to manage their firewalls, whereas we only manage Azure Firewall through the Azure portal. In the future, I would like to see additional features in Azure Firewall Manager to make it more competitive, such as technologies like App-ID and User-ID that Palo Alto has. Azure Firewall currently only allows traffic based on layer four and sometimes layer seven, so they need to improve in those areas compared to other vendors.

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Andrew_Jackson

Systems engineer at The IT Team (New Zealand)

Centralized management has streamlined access for staff and support has consistently addressed issues quickly

I see areas for improvement, particularly around the SSL VPN. It is a tool that we have used quite heavily, but it has a lot of vulnerabilities and they are starting to be dropping support for it. So we kind of see that they have left a vacuum by removing that feature. The VPN feature is indeed the main concern so far. Security around it is a concern, and then the fact that they have just dropped it and have not really provided a solution that fits for us. Their solution was either IPsec or ZTNA, which is not as flexible as the SSL VPN was for our customers.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is easy to install and does not require any plugins for your browser."

"The solution is very easy to set up."

"It has helped us in multiple ways; for example, we don't require different spaces to manage it, we can do a lot of automation integrations into the code, we could integrate it into the DevOps pipeline, and it has helped us with our time-to-market for a very specific product when we are actually deploying or upgrading."

"The tool's support is good."

"The most valuable feature is the web firewall, as it is easy to install and does not require any plugins for your browser."

"I would definitely recommend the solution to my clients, especially if one is using Azure Cloud."

"We are utilizing Azure Entra ID for group labeling, so Active Directory, or now it is Entra ID, securing our application for everyone who accesses it, and Azure Firewall Manager is definitely securing our projects and all its features are fine."

"From a traffic management perspective, it's a good firewall because it's automatically scalable based on the traffic availability."

More Azure Firewall Manager pros

"ATP ( Advanced Threat Protection) next-generation firewall is the most valuable feature."

"FortiGate's offering of many features in one license is cost-effective."

"Unlike other products, the FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall has many features under one appliance."

"The ability to launch third-party software is one of the best features because of the variety of software available. For me, it's one of the best ones."

"The solution is very advanced and has good monitoring features."

"Threat detection and prevention features are the most effective aspects of FortiGate CNF."

"The important part of FortiGate CNF is the UPM. It has a significant impact on the network by providing additional attributes such as a binder filter. This feature is very beneficial."

"Centralized management definitely helps us manage security operations, a single pane of glass management is a bonus for us, and we can give our staff access to the portal and they can access all our customers."

More FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) pros

Cons

"We could do only one-way NAT-ing, where the traffic comes from outside to internal, to Azure, which is fine. However, when we actually do NAT-ed traffic to hit the firewall, that way is not working."

"Azure charges for many aspects including scaling, automated scaling deployment, and traffic management, which leads to higher costs."

"The configuration and settings require substantial time for learning, particularly for new users. Improvements in ease of configuration would benefit users significantly."

"The cost is a significant concern because we are in a region where the dollar is not our default currency, and converting to dollars makes it very expensive."

"Microsoft was unable to fully solve the problem with email phishing and spamming."

"With Azure Firewall, the problem is that the NAT-ing still has to be improved."

"There should be a simple one-click deployment for a firewall, rather than a set of setup instructions that include steps such as the DNS configuration, et cetera."

"For Azure Firewall Manager, the learning curve for new people is a bit challenging, but the integration should be more straightforward for configuring a centralized system."

More Azure Firewall Manager cons

"The VPN feature is indeed the main concern so far. Security around it is a concern, and then the fact that they have just dropped it and have not really provided a solution that fits for us."

"The customization of FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) could be improved, particularly in terms of configurations to better adjust to specific needs."

"For scalability, if the hardware isn't fit or working, the box needs changing."

"The product is very expensive."

"The prices for FortiGate are way too high and are perceived as overpriced."

"There are some bugs that need to be fixed, and they can take some time to resolve."

"There is room for improvement in terms of support."

"Unfortunately, FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is not very scalable. For businesses that grow or develop further, only about ten percent can handle the increase."

More FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is certainly expensive in comparison with other cloud services."

"The price of the solution is reasonable but it is reasonable for the features."

"The tool's licensing costs are cheap and yearly."

"The pricing is competitive."

"It is an expensive platform."

"FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall is not an expensive solution."

"FortiGate's price is really good."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

12%

Construction Company

10%

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Marketing Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Firewall Manager?

The pricing for Azure Firewall Manager is expensive. In our project, we have used both Palo Alto Firewall and Azure Firewall. Azure charges for many aspects including scaling, automated scaling dep...

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What needs improvement with Azure Firewall Manager?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Azure Firewall Manager?

My customers are using Azure Firewall Manager, so I'm learning from both documentation and practical knowledge. I usually recommend Azure Firewall Manager for projects such as an animal hospital pr...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)?

The pricing is a bit expensive, primarily due to licensing fees. Extra expenses include upgradations beyond licensing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)?

The major use case for this product is if customers have on-prem hardware to protect, along with the other use cases with SD-WAN and VPN connectivity.

See all answers

Comparisons

Azure Firewall vs Azure Firewall Manager

Compared 15% of the time

AlgoSec vs Azure Firewall Manager

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs Azure Firewall Manager

Compared 12% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs Azure Firewall Manager

Compared 9% of the time

FireMon Security Manager vs Azure Firewall Manager

Compared 9% of the time

More Azure Firewall Manager Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate Cloud vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

Compared 24% of the time

Cisco Security Cloud Control vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

Compared 15% of the time

Juniper SD Cloud vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

Compared 12% of the time

Palo Alto Networks Panorama vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

Compared 11% of the time

Tufin Orchestration Suite vs FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

Compared 9% of the time

More FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall Manager

April 2026

Download Azure Firewall Manager product report

Buyer's Guide

FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

April 2026

FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) report

Download FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) product report

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

Microsoft

Fortinet

Overview

Azure Firewall Manager is a security management service that provides central security policy and route management for cloud-based security perimeters.

To learn more about our solution, ask questions, and share feedback, join our Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Community.

Microsoft

FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF) is a scalable, enterprise-grade cloud-native firewall delivered as a service, providing robust threat protection to cloud environments like AWS and Azure.

FortiGate CNF offers advanced capabilities like IPS, web filtering, and DNS security, managed through a single interface to secure multiple accounts and networks across various regions. It integrates seamlessly with cloud service provider tools for simplified management and policy enforcement, reducing operational costs and maintaining security efficiency. Customers benefit from comprehensive threat prevention without the need for complex infrastructure deployments, ensuring cloud workloads remain protected.

What features does FortiGate CNF offer?

Advanced Threat Protection: Guards against malware and data exfiltration.
Scalability: Automatically adapts to dynamic cloud demands.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Stops threats before they impact cloud workloads.
Web Filtering: Blocks access to malicious websites.
DNS Security: Protects against malicious domain name activities.

What benefits can users expect?

Ease of Setup: Quick setup reduces time to deployment.
Centralized Management: Single interface for managing security policies.
Cost-Effectiveness: Reduces infrastructure expenses.
Integration Capabilities: Connects with existing cloud tools for seamless operations.
Enhanced Security: Protects against evolving cyber threats with minimal administrative overhead.

Financial institutions, healthcare providers, and telecom companies deploy FortiGate CNF for robust cybersecurity across cloud environments. It supports compliance mandates like PCI DSS, enables zero trust policies for APIs, extends protection to high-bandwidth tasks, and integrates with on-premises infrastructure for comprehensive security strategies.

Fortinet

Buyer's Guide

Azure Firewall Manager vs. FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

March 2026

Free Report: Azure Firewall Manager vs. FortiGate Cloud-Native Firewall (FortiGate CNF)

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