Cisco IOS Security vs Fortinet FortiOS comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Cisco is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.1, while Fortinet is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Fortinet’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 98% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Cisco IOS Security and Fortinet FortiOS are widely used network security solutions competing in the network security category. FortiOS seems to have the upper hand due to its robust feature set and extensive user customization, while Cisco IOS Security is preferred for its reliability and comprehensive support services.

Features: Cisco IOS Security offers effective threat defense, integration capabilities, and reliable firewall performance. Fortinet FortiOS provides superior threat intelligence, comprehensive reporting tools, and versatile VPN support. FortiOS's feature set is often considered more advanced and customizable compared to Cisco IOS.

Room for Improvement: Cisco IOS Security could benefit from an improved, more intuitive configuration process and enhanced reporting functionalities. FortiOS users suggest refining some advanced features to be more user-friendly and improving the documentation for better usability. FortiOS users highlight more areas for technical refinement.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS Security is acclaimed for its straightforward deployment process and exceptional customer service, often mentioned as highly responsive and knowledgeable. Fortinet FortiOS offers a manageable deployment experience, but users occasionally find the initial setup more complex. Customer service for FortiOS is generally well-regarded but is sometimes seen as less consistent compared to Cisco's support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS Security's straightforward pricing and effectiveness result in positive ROI feedback from users, appreciating the balance between cost and features. Fortinet FortiOS, while perceived as more expensive upfront, shows a substantial ROI due to its extensive capabilities and cost-efficient long-term benefits. Users consider both solutions worthwhile, with FortiOS offering more advanced features at a higher price, and Cisco providing robust functionality with excellent support.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS

January 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 831,158 peers since 2012

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

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.3%, up from 17.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 0.2%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiOS is 0.9%, down from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

EhabAli

Sr. Cybersecurity Solutions Architect at BMB

Efficient, user-friendly, and affordable

In the past, NSS Labs was utilized to test files and verify the numbers and datasheets. It would be beneficial to have an organization or testing lab that can verify the numbers in our datasheets since changes are frequently made, which can be inconvenient for review. For instance, when comparing different competitors such as Forcepoint, Palo Alto, and Check Point, the throughput or numbers in the datasheet may be lower than the actual numbers. Conversely, Fortinet typically reports very high numbers, but they cannot be replicated in the real world. Therefore, it would be advantageous for them to partner with a neutral testing organization such as NSS Labs to validate these numbers, thus providing more credibility and comfort to everyone regarding the accuracy of the datasheets. For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial. This tool shows a lot of promise and is very good. Making it free would help many companies deliver their products in a more efficient and integrated way. It would also be more valuable to include the tool with the firewall package or license instead of having to pay extra for it. Paying extra puts more pressure on small companies to deliver the firewall and complete the configuration, especially if they have hundreds or thousands of policies. It's very painful to move through these policies line by line. The stability has room for improvement. When it comes to Secure SD-WAN, everything is fine. They are going the right way. SD-WAN is very promising. They can provide the SD-WAN solution separately, but they will not take this approach because even the smallest firewall can support the features, so there is no need to have a separate service or appliance. They are following the right steps, and there is nothing to be improved. Feature-wise, I'm really satisfied with the new release, and the features they have added. For now, it's fine.

Read full review

Karthik Venkataraman

Senior Consultant at Velocis Systems

User-friendly and excels in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Threat Containment feature. Its deployment and configuration are straightforward. From a networking perspective, for instance, Cisco IOS incorporates time-tested security features. The zone-based firewall feature has significantly influenced our network security management. For instance, when managing multiple geolocations, it's essential to apply geographically appropriate policies. If a customer operates within the UK zone, I need to implement UK-specific policies. This approach is also applicable to customers in the Asia Pacific and UK regions. It enables me to tailor security policies based on the geographical location of my customers, such as adjusting policies for customers in China or Japan. This flexibility helps in creating a comprehensive zone list. Additionally, this feature allows for seamless service agreements between all zones from headquarters, providing access to all zones within the firewall we create. Essentially, it facilitates the creation of zones within the firewall.

Read full review

RaynoPowell

Senior System Analyst at EOH

Great IPS and DNS filtering with useful tutorials available

We don't really find a lot of issues on it. If I really have to complain about something, and there's not much, is the free VPN solution is a bit limited. Then again, it is a free solution. That's essentially it. Nothing else on the FortiGate or on the Fortinet OS side is really an issue. That's one of the main reasons why we use them: everything works and works well. For what we use, there isn't really any missing feature. In fact, we actually want to get rid of some of the features that they have due to the fact that, for the security model that we need to implement, having more features actually opens up potential risk. We actually would like to have a device that is more focused specifically on OT environments the operational technologies. We would prefer a device that's stripped down, that doesn't have all the other fluff in the more enterprise system. We actually want a feature where we can remove features that are there that we don't use. That is actually a thing that we find. We use it now in an operational technology environment. We use normal IT equipment. However, it's not a normal IT network. It differs significantly from a normal corporate IT environment. In a normal corporate IT environment, you like the fluff, and the additional features, and you can click, click, click, and you're done. However, all of those features you add to a device open up risk for us. And that is something we do differently in the OT environment in operational technology. We prefer to not have the fluff. We prefer to have only what is needed for the device to do what it needs to do. For example, imagine an additional feature for some sort of additional VPN technology has been added. However, it's not really needed for the OT environment, and it's not configured on the device, yet there's some sort of security threat in there. Now, all of a sudden, somebody can hack your system, and he's in there, and he's switching the lights on and off the entire city. And you don't know about it due to the fact that the additional fluff that we added to the system, we weren't aware of that issue was on there. You can enable and disable certain modules in it. However, with disabling, nobody can really tell us if that module is disabled. Is it really disabled? Is it actually unloaded? Is it uninstalling Word from your laptop, or is it just not running Word?

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Its stability is the most valuable."

"It's very good and very stable for businesses. It works very well."

"I like Fortinet's cloud management. It allows me to manage all my devices in different branches for three cloud accounts. Even though I use on-prem devices, I can manage everything on the cloud."

"It can expand easily."

"Their proxy-based inspection is responsive and secure."

"Good anti-malware and web filtering features."

"The most valuable features are simplicity, management, and that it's constantly evolving."

"The product is very stable, easy to troubleshoot, and configure, so it has reduced the time it takes for support."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It is less expensive than alternative firewalls."

"The capabilities for scalability with this product are huge"

"Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges."

"We are able to filter a lot of traffic especially when a lot of the traffic is in layer 7."

"The product has valuable features for business intelligence."

"The most valuable features are DNS service and shell self-service within a network."

"There is a positive impact on security, particularly the intrusion feature, which helps keep the solution concealed and secure."

"I recommend Cisco IOS Security for other organizations."

More Cisco IOS Security pros

"It has a lot of scalability abilities which makes it easy to scale."

"The initial setup is straightforward, and it is very customer friendly."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiOS are its constant updates and definitions."

"The stability of Fortinet FortiOS is great."

"This is a user friendly solution and offers comprehensive integrations."

"FortiOS's best features are its function as an internet gateway and how easy it is to manage."

"The main features I find useful are intrusion prevention and web filtering. Additionally, the solution is easy to manage."

"Fortinet FortiOS's valuable features include intuitive policy creation and deployment, precise parameter settings to determine thresholds, and security profiles such as web filtering and remote application filtering, among others."

More Fortinet FortiOS pros

Cons

"We would like to see better pricing."

"Fortigate's hardware capacities could be improved."

"The setup is pretty complex and not easy to implement."

"Currently, without the additional reporting module, we only have access to basic reporting."

"One of the features that I would like to have is to do with endpoint production, it should be integrated. For example, the firewall gets notified of any kind of forensic event that needs to be done, such as if there is a ransomware attack and how it originated, all those records have to be available from the firewall, which is not."

"WAN load-balancing could be a lot better at detecting when a link is poor or inconsistent, and not just flat out dead."

"The Wi-Fi controller needs a lot of improvement."

"Fortinet could improve the windows opener or the virtual IP solutions for opening windows. The virtual IP settings need improvement as firewalls are trending in new development directions."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"While Cisco IOS Security is stable and scalable, I would like to see it improved to be even better."

"The solution is complex and can be more user-friendly."

"The configuration and reporting interfaces need a lot of improvement. It needs to be more accessible forsolide without a strong technical background. If you had a simplified dashboard, the lower-level techs could manage the solution and provide services. Cisco IOS Security requires someone who is highly trained to operate it."

"Cisco very slowly introduces and implements the products, unlike other brands."

"In the security portfolio from Cisco, the issue is marketing. Cisco is still seen primarily as an enterprise network player rather than being acknowledged as a security vendor."

"It would be ideal if the solution had more capacity."

"The graphical user interface or the GUI could be better. Beginners can use some devices with the GUI, but some security devices are configured using CLI. It would also be better if it had its own Intrusion Protection Service and Intrusion Detection Service on the server."

"I think setup could be one area for improvement, because sometimes we don't have people inside so we have to move to the place."

More Cisco IOS Security cons

"The complexity of the VPNs should be improved."

"I want to see a better integration or a better integration with the endpoint protection or with EDR with the security life cycle."

"There are some issues with the performance. We also had some issues while updating the firmware."

"For me, it is important to be able to block VPN applications, like Facebook, so I would like to see that included in the next release. With this version, if you want to block or allow a site, you now have to drag all the domains related to this site."

"The solution is good, but they have poor marketing in Nigeria. They need to market their product better."

"Fortinet FortiOS is stable. However, last month we had an issue with a released patch. We had to receive another update to fix the firewall issue consuming all of the resources. The patches should be tested more before going into circulation."

"They need to integrate more with the SD-WAN."

"There is some room for improvement in the support."

More Fortinet FortiOS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"For our organization, the licensing costs are approximately $7,000 per year."

"We pay for the solution annually."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is the lowest in the market."

"The license is yearly. We pay for the top end. It's called 360."

"Fortinet is the least expensive solution."

"The price of FortiGate is comparable to that of most other firewall solutions and is more affordable than Cisco."

"It was worth the money overall. It's good value."

"The main reason we chose Fortinet FortiGate was that the price was better than the competition."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"The tool could be priced lower. If you want advanced services, then you need to purchase them."

"The pricing is okay. It is competitive. It costs more when you need get more features."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The solution's pricing is very good."

"Cisco IOS Security price could be reduced, it is more expensive than many of the other solutions, such as Sophos and Fortinet FortiGate."

"I rate Cisco IOS Security's pricing a ten out of ten."

"The licensing is on a subscription basis, and it is fairly costly. I would prefer a one-time payment."

"The pricing for Cisco IOS Security is reasonable compared to other Cisco products."

More Cisco IOS Security pricing and cost advice

"It is not cheap."

"The price of Fortinet FortiOS has been reasonable."

"It would be better if it were cheaper. We have the firewall in our office, and the license is expiring in 20 to 25 days. We got a quote for almost 80,000 Pakistani Rupees, which is a little costly."

"A medium 100 or 200 Series box costs around $3000, and the software cost is around 55% of the hardware cost."

"The price of Fortinet FortiOS is comparable to other similar solutions on the market. We are on an annual license to use the solution."

"The price of Fortinet FortiOS is reasonable and it is paid annually. You are able to select the features that you want."

"We had a three-year license to use Fortinet FortiOS and we are going to renew it this year."

"Be sure to choose a licensing plan that leaves a little headroom so performance is not an issue."

More Fortinet FortiOS pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

22%

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

30%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

18%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

See all answers

What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

See all answers

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It off...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced.

See all answers

Features comparison between Palo Alto and Fortinet firewalls

In the best tradition of these questions, Feature-wise both are quite similar, but each has things it's better at, it...

See all answers

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiOS?

The SSL VPN is fee for use is most attractive.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiOS?

Regarding the cost, the initial purchase is relatively cheap because it comes bundled. However, the subscription rene...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 23% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Sangfor NGAF vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 31% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 19% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 12% of the time

Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 9% of the time

Threat Stack Cloud Security Platform vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Fortinet FortiManager vs Fortinet FortiOS

Compared 12% of the time

Fortinet FortiWeb vs Fortinet FortiOS

Compared 7% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiOS

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs Fortinet FortiOS

Compared 5% of the time

Azure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiOS

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiOS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

January 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security

January 2025

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiOS

January 2025

Download Fortinet FortiOS product report

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

IOS Security

No data available

Learn More

Fortinet

Cisco

Fortinet

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Cisco IOS Software delivers a sophisticated set of security capabilities for a comprehensive, layered security approach throughout your network infrastructure. Cisco IOS security technologies help to defend critical business processes against attack and disruption, protect privacy, and support policy and regulatory compliance controls.

Fortinet FortiOS is a comprehensive security operating system that powers Fortinet's network security solutions. It provides advanced threat protection, network visibility, and centralized management for organizations of all sizes. With its robust features and intuitive interface, FortiOS enables businesses to secure their networks, applications, and data from cyber threats.

One of the key features of FortiOS is its advanced threat protection capabilities. It incorporates multiple security technologies, including firewall, antivirus, intrusion prevention system (IPS), and web filtering, to detect and block a wide range of threats. This ensures that organizations are protected against malware, ransomware, and other malicious activities. FortiOS also offers extensive network visibility, allowing organizations to monitor and analyze network traffic in real-time. This visibility enables businesses to identify potential security risks, detect anomalies, and take proactive measures to mitigate threats.

Additionally, FortiOS provides detailed reports and analytics, helping organizations gain insights into their network security posture. Centralized management is another crucial aspect of FortiOS. It allows businesses to manage and configure their security policies, devices, and users from a single console. This simplifies the management process and ensures consistent security across the entire network infrastructure.

Moreover, FortiOS supports integration with other Fortinet products, enabling seamless security orchestration and automation. FortiOS is designed to be scalable and flexible, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes. It offers a range of deployment options, including physical appliances, virtual machines, and cloud-based solutions. This flexibility allows businesses to choose the deployment model that best fits their requirements and easily scale their security infrastructure as their needs evolve.

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS

January 2025

Free Report: Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortinet FortiOS report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.