Fortinet FortiGate vs Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy comparison

Fortinet and Google are both solutions in the ZTNA category. Fortinet is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.4, while Google is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.5. Fortinet holds a 8.6% mindshare in Z, compared to Google’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Google users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiGate

Read 574 Fortinet FortiGate reviews

76,928 Views
769 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Google Cloud Platform Cloud...

Read 45 Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy reviews

755 Views
393 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiGate

Google Cloud Platform Cloud...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2025

Fortinet FortiGate and Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy compete in the network security domain. Fortinet FortiGate has an advantage in pricing and support, while Google Cloud Platform's Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy stands out with its advanced features, making it a compelling choice despite a potentially higher cost.

Features: Fortinet FortiGate offers advanced firewall capabilities, VPN, and unified threat management (UTM) features. It also includes web content filtering, application control, and intrusion prevention system (IPS). In contrast, Google Cloud Platform's Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy provides fine-grained access control, seamless Google cloud integrations, and robust scalability.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiGate could improve in areas like flexible compatibility with other cloud services, simplifying its user interface further, and streamlining high-level network management tools. Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy could enhance its learning curve for those unfamiliar with cloud environments, reduce potential integration complexities, and further develop its non-native service compatibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiGate's deployment involves moderate setup for hardware and software solutions but benefits from comprehensive support and guidance. Google Cloud Platform's Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy, being cloud-native, allows faster deployment and configuration, although it may demand some cloud expertise. Fortinet is recognized for strong customer service, whereas Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy excels in rapid deployment for cloud integration.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiGate entails initial hardware costs, yet promises high ROI with extensive security coverage over time. It may seem expensive upfront, but its comprehensive security offerings justify the investment. Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy features a lower entry cost as a cloud service, offering flexible and scalable pricing models that appeal to users looking for cost-effective rapid scaling and deployment.

To learn more, read our detailed ZTNA Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ZTNA

August 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 867,676 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

Ranking in ZTNA

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

574

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (2nd), Firewalls (1st), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (1st), WAN Edge (1st), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (1st)

Google Cloud Platform Cloud...

Ranking in ZTNA

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the ZTNA category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 8.6%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is 2.1%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

ZTNA Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	8.6%
Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy	2.1%
Other	89.3%

ZTNA

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

Read full review

Nobuaki Kitamura

managing director of IT Department at Nara OA System Inc

Google Cloud Platform works better with Google Workspace, stable product but a bit complicated, especially the networking

We used Google Workspace, so all my employees have Google Workspace accounts. I initially wanted to use Google Cloud Platform for subscription compatibility. Google Cloud Platform works better with Google Workspace, but unfortunately, it's a bit complicated, especially the networking. Oracle Cloud's virtual network system is much easier and more flexible. Also, Oracle was cheaper. That's the main reason we chose Oracle Cloud.

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

"What I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is that the UI is easier than what I've previously known from Sophos."

"The features that prevent internet connections, the filtering are the most valuable because we did not have any internet protection before."

"The SD-WAN feature is the most valuable. This feature evolved from link load balancing. It has helped us in terms of our uptime and privatizing applications whenever we experience an outage. The SD-WAN feature has been a plus for us. Two-factor authentication has allowed us to add more users in terms of remote working. We have two-factor authentication for remote workers to authenticate them before they get on the network."

"Fortinet FortiGate has very good support."

"The solution protects the environment from internal and external threats."

"There’s something magical about the way the flavors blend together, creating a dish that is both comforting and exciting."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a very stable solution."

"The web controls are what I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate. We have extensive controls over areas where we could block external-facing IPs, external URLs. We can do geo-fencing with the firewalls, which is a good feature."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"Functions well and has good features."

"It is a scalable solution."

"It is totally awesome in terms of scalability. Its scalability was the main reason for moving to Google Cloud. It also comes with a lot of features. We are satisfied with the features it has."

"UI representation is the aspect I like the most about GCP, even more than Azure or AWS."

"The solution has many features for stability and security."

"The solution is very easy to use. It's easy to navigate and to work with."

"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"We do not need to learn anything new to use the product."

More Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy pros

Cons

"At the moment, if you don't integrate any third-party solution with a simple Fortinet FortiGate box, the box would not function as expected for superb protection."

"The solution’s pricing is high."

"Sometimes you do need to know some CLI commands, so it's a bit harder for technicians or new people that don't know it."

"They can add automation for monitoring and policy optimization on the firewall. I think using AI to do some optimization on the policies would be beneficial, such as providing alerts about policies that haven't been used for a long time or identifying overlapping policies."

"We'd like more management across other integrations."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve the user interface. There should be more functionality and options through the GUI."

"Fortinet FortiGate is not a scalable solution, as they give you a number and each box comes with concurrent connections; if you need to expand, you have to change the box."

"Their software support needs improvement. I would prefer to have better support for bug fixes. Sometimes, we open a ticket, and it is very difficult to get a solution. Specifically, we are not at all happy with their support for load balancing."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"The solution should have better integration."

"Google Cloud Platform is not a product that is very flexible for end-users, especially owing to the fact that there is not much documentation available for the product."

"The hard part is creating the pack because our applications are in Azure Data Proxy, Data Fabric, and Data Factory. Our team used these tools in Azure, but in the future, they will transition to GCP."

"They should include case studies to learn about the use cases."

"Stability-wise, the service could be improved."

"As an individual developer, I would like Google Cloud IAP to offer more flexibility, especially for smaller-scale usage."

"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy should improve stability."

"The product’s migration process could be easier to understand."

More Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a license required to use Fortinet FortiGate with all the features. It has to be updated with the threats on an ongoing basis for the signatures to prevent threats and a license is needed to receive those security updates."

"It is affordable. Palo Alto is much more expensive than Fortinet."

"The price is high compared to some of the other solutions."

"It is very cost-effective. You get features similar to other firewalls, such as Palo Alto, but at a lower price."

"They are very competitive, but we like to have the factory warranty taken care of."

"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."

"It is cost-effective, and provides a good value for your money. The pricing, and license renewal, is very reasonable for us."

"We pay for the license of Fortinet FortiGate IPS annually. There are not any extra costs."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is an expensive solution."

"There are different pricing plans depending on data volumes and services, but it's comparable to other providers. The value and benefits depend on what we're developing and the specific use case."

"We need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs. It is an expensive and premium solution."

"It is expensive to scale up the solution."

"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is quite an expensive solution."

"The product is free."

"The monthly payments made towards the licensing cost of the solution are not expensive."

"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is expensive."

More Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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

See recommendations

867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user216600

Senior Technical Consultant with 51-200 employees

Jan 3, 2016

Sophos UTM vs. Fortinet FortiGate

I have used both Sophos and Fortinet products in production and I have found the Sophos UTM appliances (hardware and virtual) to be a better fit most of the time -- with a few caveats which I will touch on below. In both instances, the transition from TMG will be mostly straightforward. The main…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	129
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	12
Large Enterprise	19

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 at large. In my opinion, Fortinet would be the best option and l use Fortinet too...

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 the firewalls change every 5 to 7 years as stated but you really do need to upg...

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 good. The most valuable features for me are their web and email filtering. I wou...

See all answers

What do you like most about Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?

I can access the information whenever I want. It's integration is easy. The tool's GUI is easy to use with an IT background. The value benefits of using it include the ability to avoid storing data...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?

There are different pricing plans depending on data volumes and services, but it's comparable to other providers. The value and benefits depend on what we're developing and the specific use case.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?

Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy should improve stability.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cloudflare One vs Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy

Compared 58% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy

Compared 42% of the time

More Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

September 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy

September 2025

Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy report

Download Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy product report

Also Known As

No data available

GCP Cloud IAP, Google Cloud Platform Cloud IAP, Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

Google’s mission is to organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Since our founding in 1998, Google has grown by leaps and bounds. From offering search in a single language we now offer dozens of products and services—including various forms of advertising and web applications for all kinds of tasks—in scores of languages. And starting from two computer science students in a university dorm room, we now have thousands of employees and offices around the world. A lot has changed since the first Google search engine appeared. But some things haven’t changed: our dedication to our users and our belief in the possibilities of the Internet itself.

Google

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

Information Not Available

Find out what your peers are saying about Cloudflare, Fortinet, Check Point Software Technologies and others in ZTNA. Updated: August 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best ZTNA vendors.

We monitor all ZTNA 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.