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Fortinet FortiSIEM vs Meraki Dashboard comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 FortiSIEM
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
73
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (8th)
Meraki Dashboard
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Fortinet FortiSIEM and Meraki Dashboard aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiSIEM is designed for Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and holds a mindshare of 3.3%, up 3.3% compared to last year.
Meraki Dashboard, on the other hand, focuses on Network Monitoring Software, holds 1.7% mindshare, down 2.1% since last year.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Oliver Jackson - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems monitoring enhanced by firewall and intrusion detection features
My primary use case for Fortinet FortiSIEM is systems monitoring and alerting. I use it for standard functions like log monitoring, incident detection, and notification.  My customers are mostly medium-sized enterprises ranging from engineering companies, mining companies, independent schools, and…
Bilal-Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Seamless connectivity and comprehensive control over network devices
All of the features we are looking for are already in control. I think those features, which we are not currently utilizing, are already there. For example, the control for the cameras and everything else. The cameras are not connected through Meraki, but all other devices are on Meraki networks.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We like the integration of all of these Fortinet platforms together. Everything is integrated well, and we are able to sell that as a service to our customers."
"We have many application systems, and I can set up Fortinet FortiSIEM for users to monitor their systems."
"The CMDB and the device discovery features are most valuable."
"It provides extensive logging and record-keeping for internal networks, cloud applications, and services as well as perimeter physical network security."
"To add workers and even collectors is pretty easy."
"FortiSIEM allows you to match IPs with threat intelligence feeds from sources like Kaspersky or Anomali, adding valuable context."
"FortiSIEM provides a single PIN to monitor SOC and NOC. It's a nice tool for integration and monitoring. It provides multiple categories for monitoring based on security designations like low, medium, and high."
"The most valuable feature is the anomaly-reporting alarms."
"It has improved my organization in the way that we've got a much better wireless coverage than we had before, and secondly, we have the visibility of all the users."
"It is very stable and we have been using it for five years."
"I find it pretty straightforward and easy to use, especially compared to old, traditional methods."
"The ease-of-use and the analytics are really effective tools."
"The feature I find most valuable is the single pane of glass where you can configure a monitor view, all from one dashboard. For example, on the wireless side, you can configure it under the configuration panel, and then view statistics like location analytics, user analytics, etc."
"The most valuable feature is knowing the wireless and switch are healthy."
"Meraki Dashboard does not require a lot of maintenance. Cisco tells communicates through the Meraki Dashboard web client, it will automatically send updates to the equipment. They will send you an email on what day the updates will take place. If you want to proceed, you can click on accept, or you can decline them and schedule the updates at another time."
"You don't have to be a network engineer to use it."
 

Cons

"We expect the latest patch from Fortinet FortiSIEM to give the ability to work with signature files."
"The support of the product changed recently, and I don't think it's for the better. They should work to improve the support they offer to clients."
"Creating parsers to try make unknown events or currently unsupported devices produce meaningful information is extremely cumbersome."
"The solution's interface could be modernized and improved."
"The reporting feature is not very attractive for the upper management and I am not able to perform complex/nested queries."
"The stability of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The challenge I face with Fortinet FortiSIEM is the lack of support."
"FortiSIEM needs to expand its integration with third-party vendors. I don't know if Forcepoint has been added, but there were limited resources for integrating Forcepoint solutions when we implemented FortiSIEM. It integrates well with other Fortinet products and solutions from established cybersecurity companies like Palo Alto but doesn't integrate with some of the newer vendors."
"It is not appropriate for large, enterprise businesses."
"It would be nicer if the dashboard was lighter."
"Price could be reduced."
"When users are trying to roam from one location to another location, geographical tracking would be helpful."
"For instance, you should be able to see if something has been blocked by a firewall rule by looking at a live log of traffic moving through the device. It helps you troubleshoot issues and understand if your rules are working. You need to ensure the firewall is blocking the right things. That's unavailable in the Meraki Dashboard. You have to send the logs to a log server. We use SolarWinds locally, but it's not natively built into Meraki. We're also using Cisco ISA and another tool called Smoothwall."
"The pricing for this solution needs to be improved."
"Not a lot of training is available."
"In general, how I add firewall rules is not great. It is just a little bit too simple the way it is right now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Fortinet FortiSIEM is a lot less when compared to other solutions."
"We pay for a license for FortiSIEM. We pay for the license and renewal."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM is cheaper compared to other products."
"Fortinet's products are not expensive, it is less than the competition."
"Pricing is determined based on the customer's budget."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM is very cost-efficient compared to other SIEM solutions."
"Its price can be better. We are Fortinet partners, so we can get discounts, but its price can be an issue at the beginning for others. There is a licensing scheme for every case. There are three licensing schemes that we can choose from."
"The tool is really expensive. For what the tool does for our team, the price is fair."
"From a pricing perspective, they are still expensive."
"Meraki Dashboard is a utility and portal that's part of the Meraki solution."
"The licensing fees are $180 USD, per AP, for three years."
"It is said to be expensive."
"The pricing for a small setup is only a few hundred dollars a year. The fee is subscription-based."
"I’m not sure of the exact cost, however, it’s my understanding the Meraki WiFi is around $800. That’s for a three-year license. It’s about $150 a year."
"The Meraki Dashboard has more competitive pricing."
"Meraki Dashboard's pricing is reasonable. It is sold yearly, typically for one, three, or five years. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
24%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSIEM?
Fortinet FortiSIEM needs to provide better API integrations to users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSIEM?
As a service, the cost is reasonable and affordable with scalable pricing based on the number of monitored devices. However, setting it up for oneself as an enterprise-licensed product can be quite...
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSIEM?
The built-in APIs in Fortinet FortiSIEM are somewhat lacking and could be improved for better integration with external ITSM products. Improving software stability and reducing bugs will make it a ...
What do you like most about Meraki Dashboard?
We greatly utilize the network because we can plug it into the DNS, VPN, or equipment. It's very good. Meraki Dashboard enhances wireless network management. We appreciate its flexibility, as it al...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki Dashboard?
The cost of the Meraki solution is high, which may not be affordable for smaller companies, especially in developing countries.
What needs improvement with Meraki Dashboard?
There is a need for price reductions in developing countries, as the cost of Meraki is quite high. Additionally, it would be beneficial if Meraki Dashboard could integrate more Cisco devices such a...
 

Also Known As

FortiSIEM, AccelOps
No data available
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

FortiSIEM has hundreds of customers worldwide in markets including managed services, technology, financial services, healthcare, and government. Customers include Aruba Networks, Compushare, Port of San Diego, Cleveland Indians, Infoblox, Healthways, and Referentia.
Coop eG, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Priefert Manufacturing, Century Care Management, Clifton College, Zürs Ski Resort, Capital FM Arena, MAXI Autohöfe
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSIEM vs. Meraki Dashboard and other solutions. Updated: May 2020.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.