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Fortinet FortiClient vs Microsoft Defender for Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 29, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiClient support receives mixed reviews, praised for helpful service but criticized for delays and competence issues.
Sentiment score
4.8
Microsoft Defender for Business customer service is generally good with quick online responses, but phone contact and efficiency need improvement.
Technical support can be logged on Fortinet's support portal.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
3.9
Fortinet FortiClient needs better management, UI, integration, VPN stability, pricing, reporting, AI features, support, and endpoint security.
Sentiment score
3.8
Microsoft Defender for Business needs better reporting, URL filtering, DLP capabilities, integration, false positive management, threat response, communication, and Mac support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiClient is scalable and adaptable for varying company sizes, with straightforward licensing and generally smooth implementation experiences.
Sentiment score
8.3
Microsoft Defender for Business is highly scalable, cloud-driven, and successfully deployed on 20,000 endpoints with 2,000 users.
We can add more licenses and Fortinet tokens, demonstrating excellent scalability.
 

Setup Cost

No sentiment score available
Fortinet FortiClient offers competitive pricing and value, with costs ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 for comprehensive features.
No sentiment score available
FortiClient is cost-effective since the client itself is free with the purchase of Fortinet.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Fortinet FortiClient is highly stable and reliable, with minor bugs and connectivity issues rarely reported and often resolved.
Sentiment score
9.3
Users find Microsoft Defender for Business reliable and stable, appreciating its seamless integration, consistent protection, and minimal maintenance requirements.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiClient provides affordable, user-friendly security with VPN, antivirus, and seamless FortiGate integration, ideal for endpoint management.
Sentiment score
7.9
Microsoft Defender for Business offers scalable, user-friendly security with strong EDR capabilities and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and Lighthouse.
We appreciate its VPN capabilities and the features that offer extra security functionalities like antivirus and malware scanning.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiClient
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
91
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (1st), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (2nd)
Microsoft Defender for Busi...
Ranking in Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
41st
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
Microsoft Security Suite (18th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiClient is 2.4%, down from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Business is 1.7%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)
 

Featured Reviews

Ayman Said - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhance secure remote access with feature-rich VPN and content filtering
We mainly use FortiClient as a VPN client. Additionally, we use it for anti-malware, anti-spam, and as a content filter. When a user is outside the company, we can use FortiClient as a content filter to control the sites the user can access FortiClient has improved our security posture by…
Tim_Howard - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides good protection against viruses but support needs improvement
The product's initial setup phase wasn't too bad. The product's installation phase wasn't terrible, but it could have been good to club the things in the process, especially for the ones who are doing it for the first time, and it would be good if Microsoft offered users, someone, to talk to who knows the product. You will be gambling if you use Google for the tool because who knows if it really knows what Microsoft Defender for Business is all about. On a scale of one to ten, if ten is the easiest, I rate the setup phase as an eight out of ten. The setup phase was straightforward. As the tool was needed in a small shop, the solution's deployment was done in a couple of days. The solution was deployed in my company with the help of a small team of ten people. I had my head of IT help me in rolling it out in our company.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions are best for your needs.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
41%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
5%
Manufacturing Company
5%
Computer Software Company
17%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Fortinet FortiClient compare with Open VPN Access Server?
Fortinet FortiClient is a feature-rich solution that is easy to use and deploy without sacrificing safety and security. It has a very fast connection rate and has a built-in VPN. With this solution...
What's the difference between Fortinet's FortiEDR and FortiClient?
I suggest Fortinet’s FortiEDR over FortiClient for several reasons. For starters, FortiEDR guarantees solid protection because it continually scans servers for emerging vulnerabilities, which gives...
What do you like most about Microsoft Defender for Business?
A few things are valuable. One is the alerting we see when any kind of intrusion is happening, any kind of malware is being deployed across the endpoints, or any kind of suspicious activity is goin...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Business?
The tool's cost has been a little high, but I do not think it was terrible.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Business?
The tool's support is an area of concern where improvements are needed. I have had issues trying to get support or even trying to get to somebody. I often give up chasing the support and end up goi...
 

Also Known As

FortiClient
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiClient vs. Microsoft Defender for Business and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.