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Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs Fortinet FortiGate IPS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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

Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS)
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
66
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiGate IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) is 4.2%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is 6.7%, up from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

YoussefBoukari - PeerSpot reviewer
Very effective for malware and signature-based anomalies but stability needs improvement
Our company uses the solution for data functions in banking. It is a backend solution in the server center.  We analyze traffic and adapt configurations or customize policies to the environment of the IPS itself.  The solution very effectively provides malware protection and signature-based…
Taha Turkestani - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced threat prevention with very good support and valuable behavior reports
We use FortiGate as a firewall. We have a FortiGate 201 model It's good that we didn't get hacked or attacked, indicating strong threat prevention. The reporting on employee behavior and the prevention of new viruses are essential features. Additionally, we have found it convenient for…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco is number one in the technical support. It's good technical support and this is actually a problem when we do the recruitment for some other products. Other products you are on hold forever and the support might be not the best compared to Cisco."
"The tracking intelligence feature is very good. This solution provides us with the opportunity to detect threats in real-time."
"Ir's signature-based. We are also using the anomaly baseline formation, where it links the network, then anything that goes away from the norm is also flagged. Those are the two most valuable features."
"Cisco has many products that are easily integrated with other services."
"The solution is very stable."
"The solution is good at scaling."
"The most valuable feature is that it is able to detect any form of infiltration."
"I have found the filter and the antivirus to be most valuable."
"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate IPS are the dashboard and reporting which give us very good visibility."
"The solution’s initial setup is very easy."
"I like its ability to prevent external intrusion into our database. It's so fun."
"It is a good product. It does what we want it to do so. I didn't find many false-positives or things like that. We mainly use the IPS and URL filtering features, and they are pretty good."
"It's simple to operate and use."
"Having IPS helps in ensuring that our network is protected from potential threats, which is crucial as we implement our payment gateway."
"The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control."
"I have found the decryption of Fortinet FortiGate IPS very good. It's called SSL deep inspection, it's working very well. This is how you decrypt access and traffic, and it is through the IPS antivirus center. Additionally, the UI is user-friendly."
 

Cons

"While the Management GUI and FMC could be improved, the devices themselves function well."
"Multi-internet line load balancing should be supported."
"The initial setup is a bit complex because it requires a lot of configuration, firewall and zoning."
"The look and feel of the console could be updated."
"Cisco can do better on their documentation because the product is really hard to understand."
"The biggest problem with most Cisco products is that the interface is lagging behind the competition. The user interface could be updated and improved."
"The stability of the user console and some features could be easier to access."
"Customer support needs improvement."
"The AI part needs improvement to enhance its functionality."
"Fortinet FortiGate could improve their documentation on forward error correction and failover technologies."
"FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis."
"The initial deployment could be improved."
"Fortinet FortiGate IPS could improve the VPN. There are times it is slow."
"Deploying FortiGate is hard."
"The tool is expensive for small businesses, making it an area where the tool can improve the product by making it available at a cheaper rate."
"The interface could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"NGIPS is expensive."
"Licenses for this product are available for either one, or three year terms."
"Pricing depends on negotiation with the vendor, although I can say that it is moderate."
"The pricing could be improved. Our customers have a yearly license."
"This is an expensive product, with the biggest cost being the license that keeps the service going."
"There are licensing fees depending on the features that you are using."
"It could be less expensive."
"The price for additional throughput is the highest in the industry."
"It's a year based license."
"If you compare the price of Fortinet FortiGate IPS to other firewalls, Check Point is priced very high followed by Palo Alto and Sophos. Fortinet FortiGate IPS price is more reasonable."
"The pricing is based on a licensing model for each IPS in your environment."
"We are currently evaluating a Palo Alto solution, and the pricing could be a reason for going for Palo Alto."
"The platform offers a reasonable price point compared to its competitors."
"The price is okay, so far so good."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution could be better priced."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
University
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Educational Organization
8%
Computer Software Company
22%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco NGIPS?
The product's initial setup phase was easy.
What needs improvement with Cisco NGIPS?
The dashboard is quite old compared to today's technology. We would like to see improvements in the dashboard features.
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiGate IPS?
The most significant aspect of IPS is self-explanatory as it primarily focuses on intrusion prevention, which is crucial for Fortinet's internal outbreak prevention efforts and ensuring compliance ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiGate IPS?
There are no extra expenses involved after purchasing the solution. Pricing could be better, however, overall, it is considered a middle-level price for a middle-level company.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiGate IPS?
There could be improvements in the mathematical algorithms used for behavior analytics of traffic. More advanced AI capabilities would be beneficial in future updates.
 

Also Known As

Sourcefire NGIPS, Firepower NGIPS
FortiGate IPS
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Electric Power, Huntington Bank, Keycorp, Nationwide, Transunion, Marriott, Inova Health, Ford, Thomson Reuters, Dow Chemical, Equifax, Chevron, Walmart, Coca Cola
Riverside Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Dell SecureWorks, Credit Bank Zagreb
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure IPS (NGIPS) vs. Fortinet FortiGate IPS and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.