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IT Manager at SAI Systems
Real User
Good device control, knowledgable support, and capable of expansion
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is easy."
  • "Sometimes there are issues when we are trying to connect."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for endpoint protection. 

Since there has been a lot of work from home, the product has given us more control over the users and what they are browsing. We can restrict their activity to our Fortinet cloud only. Having those controls in place - including what website they should browse, what data they should transfer or use, whose server is coming into their devices, how they're connected with geographical location, et cetera - keeps our company safer. Everything is helping us maintain the security of the devices that are not in the office.

What is most valuable?

With FortiClient we can control the devices which are not in the office. We are enforcing them to work with FortiClient only. If FortiClient is off, they cannot connect to the internet. They need FortiClient to be on. That one friction is what is making our life easier as system administrators and IT security support.

The initial setup is easy.

The solution scales well.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes there are issues when we are trying to connect. The error doesn't give us the proper feedback. Exactly what is wrong and how we can troubleshoot it is not clear.

We have approximately 500 users who are using FortiClient. They do not provide us a central point of how to deploy on all the users from one location. Manually, we have to go and install it on every user's system.

If we could have multiple VPN connections at the same time or a VPN channel to different VPNs, that would be ideal.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used the solution for six or seven years. 

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable and very reliable. Its performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

I'd rate the stability eight out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is easily scalable.

We have about 100 users. 

How are customer service and support?

I've used support many times. 

There are two aspects. One is reaching them and the second is getting support. So reaching them is a pretty tedious process. That said, if we reach them, then our resolution is a hundred percent what we get. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Symantec. Then Symantec was overtaken by Broadcom. Once Broadcom took over, we were not getting the support that we used to get when it was really Symantec only.

We also tried to work with CrowdStrike and did not have a good experience with them. They wouldn't properly let us test the solution. They only let us test the basic antivirus and nothing else. 

Earlier, we were using SonicWall. That global VPN client was not that stable, so we moved to Fortinet.

FortiClient is much better than the global VPN client of SonicWall as SonicWall Client is very limited, and it doesn't have a feature set, that we can upgrade in future. Fortinet Client can be upgraded. We don't have to reinstall, only handle the feature enabling. The scalability is excellent. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is simple. It's not overly complex. 

It's just three clicks, and it is installed. It doesn't take long at all. 

We have about seven team members that can handle deployment and maintenance tasks. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is more on the expensive side. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and end-user. 

We had the solution deployed on-premises and on the cloud. We have a cloud-based appliance and physical appliances in each of our offices too. When our office wants to connect to Azure's cloud, we use the Fortinet appliance on the cloud to get connected and have the VPN established.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. I'd recommend it to others any day of the week. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Network Engineer at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Consultant
Secures remote access with a user-friendly interface that saves time
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface of Fortinet FortiClient is clean and easy to use."
  • "Fortinet FortiClient provides several benefits such as saving time, saving money, and improving security."
  • "The setup process could be more simplified."
  • "The setup process could be more simplified. There are complexities with the scalability part, particularly with routing and policy alignment."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Fortinet FortiClient for remote access as I am working remotely. I need to access something in Nextiva, so I use the VPN daily.

How has it helped my organization?

Fortinet FortiClient provides several benefits such as saving time, saving money, and improving security.

What is most valuable?

The interface of Fortinet FortiClient is clean and easy to use. Additionally, it provides benefits like saving time, saving money, and improving security for my organization.

What needs improvement?

The setup process could be more simplified. There are complexities with the scalability part, particularly with routing and policy alignment. The routing and policy need to be tailored between both to ensure proper functionality.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiClient is pretty stable most of the time, with occasional issues likely due to my internet connection.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability could use improvement as you need to ensure that routes and policies are aligned, which can be complex.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Fortinet is rated as nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I do not have any experience with other competitors.

How was the initial setup?

The setup process was not really that easy, rating it three out of five.

What about the implementation team?

The setup was done in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is rated six out of ten. It's neither low nor high. I cannot really estimate the pricing for other solutions.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I did not evaluate other options.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall solution as eight out of ten. 

I recommend Fortinet FortiClient to other users. At the company, we use it on-premises and I am just a user of the product.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Fortinet FortiClient
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiClient. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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Medical Coder at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 10
Enhances security for users working from home.
Pros and Cons
  • "Remote users connect to the office using FortiClient, where they can access business URLs through a VPN tunnel configured on the FortiGate firewall."
  • "Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing."
  • "Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing. We encounter issues due to multiple vulnerabilities, which leads to problems."

What is our primary use case?

We use FortiClient for remote users to connect to office resources. It acts as a VPN client, enabling secure access for employees working from home.

How has it helped my organization?

Currently, the version we are using of FortiClient has all the features required for us to run our business. It serves as a VPN client, allows connections to business URLs, and includes SAML authentication and multifactor authentication.

What is most valuable?

Remote users connect to the office using FortiClient, where they can access business URLs through a VPN tunnel configured on the FortiGate firewall. We use family authentication and multifactor authentication via Office 365 email ID, which enhances security for users working from home.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet frequently releases updates without thorough testing. We encounter issues due to multiple vulnerabilities, which leads to problems. Fortinet should focus on better iOS testing before release to avoid these bugs.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet products for approximately ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of FortiClient is excellent. I would rate its stability as ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can recommend FortiClient for small organizations with 50 to 60 users as well as for larger enterprises due to its extensive features.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Fortinet is good. We have not faced any issues. They initiate the troubleshooting process quickly and resolve issues in a timely manner.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a straightforward process. It is easy to configure with FortiClient.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Recently, Fortinet has increased prices for its products. It could be made more affordable for end-users.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The main competitor for FortiClient is Palo Alto Firewall.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortinet overall as nine out of ten. It is a one-stop shop for IT services, offering integration for WiFi, switches, and firewalls in one interface.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Zsolt Zalka - PeerSpot reviewer
Corporate IT Manager at PRopex Furnishing Solutions
Real User
Easy to use with good vulnerability scanning and patch management functionality  
Pros and Cons
  • "It’s easy to use."
  • "While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for security purposes. It’s an endpoint management server.

It's for endpoint management, especially for the laptops or maybe the virtual laptop that is working, virtual desktops, servers, mainly vulnerability scanning, and just for management.

What is most valuable?

It’s easy to use.

The deployment was fast.

It's migrated to the security service. On the firewall, we can see if you are a client or not, so it's good for visibility.

It offers vulnerability scanning and is good at picking stuff up.

The solution offers useful malware protection.

The sandbox is okay also.

It’s good when using the VPN and remote access.

The patch management is pretty good.

What needs improvement?

We opened a ticket in Forti for a virtual desktop environment client to see if we could use it in the cloned desktop. We're using it in a virtual environment and need to sort that out so it also will work for cloned environments. They're working on that. However, it's not perfect right now.

I don't really want to add new features. However, I would like to add the zero-day protection that they offer in the FortiXDR solution to this product. Right now, it's another product. They are clever guys. They make you buy more than one solution instead of putting everything together.

While we like patch management, it would be nice if it could handle patch management for other solutions, like Microsoft.

For how long have I used the solution?

We’ve used it for around a year and a half. We started using it around 2020 or thereabouts.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

For the most part, the solution is stable. It depends. We always need to test the new versions. However, it seems stable even on the client side.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are licensing to about 200 endpoints on the solution right now.

Everyone in the company uses the solution. Here, in Hungary, we're using a sync client and virtual desktops.

We are a small company, so scalability is not the issue. We don't need to worry about having 20,000 users and then suddenly getting another 50,000. That's really a scalability issue. However, right now, it's not an issue for 200 users. There’s not a question anyway in regards to scalability.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Ivanti. We moved to a virtual desktop environment and to Forti Fabric and it seemed better to move to FortiClient. It was cheaper as well. That said, Ivanti is a bigger solution, especially focused on physical desktops. We have no physical desktops, so we did not need them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy to use, which makes the deployment very quick.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment was deployed by a partner.

It was easy to set up. The whole process maybe took one day.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing was okay. They recently changed it. I just purchased it, and they doubled the price. It was not a very friendly move.

The problem is that the marketing guy is always working with forecasting, and they're crazy about their forecast. The vendor is crazy about the forecast, yet they doubled the price without warning me. It's very hard to make a budget that way.

It's paid every year. This year, when I saw the price, I thought, "oh my God, it's double what was in the last year." For 200 users, that was not very, very painful. However, you need to explain to everyone why you spent more.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, it’s a good product. I'd rate it a nine out of ten. 

It’s great if you have other Fortigate products.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AGM at Partex Star Group
Real User
Secure VPN access for remote network users that is free but takes to long to install
Pros and Cons
  • "It supports securely connections for VPN users from outside our environment during the lockdown."
  • "It seems to be more scalable than we thought."
  • "The technical support from Fortinet and local vendors is good."
  • "It takes too long to install."
  • "The user interface could be more inviting."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use for FortiClient is just for its capability to securely connect VPN users from outside our environment during the lockdown. It has strong authentication.  

We use it for a VPN client for our network users. They just connect to our network in order to get access to our enterprise environment and for the EFT (Electronic File Transfer) system.  

What is most valuable?

FortiClient is valuable because it is free for us to use to provide VPN services to the people who need to access our network from external locations.  

What needs improvement?

This product is very good. Graphically, it is okay, but this may be one area where it could be better. It should be more graphically inviting. It is okay as it is, but it could be improved.  

If I compare FortiClient VPN and OpenVPN, FortiClient VPN takes too much time while installing on someone's computer or laptop. I do not know why that is. The installation takes too much time compared to OpenVPN. OpenVPN is a very light software. It is installed in a couple of seconds. It does not make sense that FortiClient takes so long to install. I just feel it is a problem that could be addressed.  

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Fortinet FortiClient since February or March of 2020. So it is a little over six months.  

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is definitely stable.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I think this solution has good scalability. Originally when I installed it I thought maybe 30 or 40 or 50 users could be connected with this extra VPN. It would have been okay if it could just do that. But now, I connected about 200 users and they are able to connect using this VPN software and they can securely access my network from outside our physical location. The performance has not degraded.  

How are customer service and technical support?

I have had some experience with Fortinet's technical support. If I feel I have the need for some support, I can contact the local Fortinet representative. I can also contact some good local vendors. I can talk with them as well and get support easily. I do sometimes reach out to get support from the local vendors that I have a good relationship with. That is why I can get good support from them as well as from Fortinet. Support is no problem.  

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used another VPN solution before FortiClient VPN. It was called OpenVPN. That is an open-source solution and we still use it.  

Both of these VPN solutions are good. But, also it depends on routing or which kind of traffic I am permitting. With my Fortinet VPN, I grant access to those users who want access to my EFT network. I just connect with them through FortiClient. Other VPN users can connect still with OpenVPN to access the corporate network.  

We were interested in implementing an SD-WAN (Software-defined Wide Area Network) for better access for our employees during the lockdown. We just wanted to implement SD-WAN technology to help remote workers access the office network. We configured the FortiClient VPN just for these users. That is the reason why we took on Fortinet FortiClient.  

We have a long-term plan. We just want to use one firewall in our data centers. At present, our whole network is in our head office. This network will not be there anymore. It will be migrated to one of our data centers.  

There are about 200 users who we have currently given this VPN access to.  

Other than OpenVPN we used Cisco for an internet solution. It was three years back that we were using the Cisco-based system solution. But, this is not exactly the same as what we use Fortinet for now.  

How was the initial setup?

I think FortiClient is very easy to configure, definitely. That is the VPN only. There is also an option to use FortiClient as an antivirus solution and it is also free. Some of my colleagues told me that they are using FortiClient already for an antivirus solution. I have not yet used that or tried to configure it so I do not know if that is more complicated.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product we are using is not subscription-based. This is a free version. I just downloaded from the Fortinet website and it is free to use.  

What other advice do I have?

I can definitely encourage other people to use the FortiClient VPN. FortiClient is a pretty great solution for the VPN.  

On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I can rate FortiClient as a seven-out-of-ten from my experience with this product over the past six months.  

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ganesh Khutwad - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at Rich Products
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A stable solution requiring a straightforward initial setup to get started but needing improvement on the scalability front
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable solution."
  • "Occasionally, the solution may provide a slow connection. In addition, there may be initialization and authorization issues that one may need to take care of while using the solution."

What is our primary use case?

Occasionally, the solution may provide a slow connection. In addition, there may be initialization and authorization issues that one may need to take care of while using the solution. As a network engineer, cybersecurity professional, and individual involved in the assessment process, it is necessary to monitor VPN connectivity regularly. This involves verifying whether the VPN connections are established or not and understanding any challenges that may be affecting users. These are the areas where I need to pinpoint and look into since I have been handed over the responsibility to do so.

What is most valuable?

The price to pay for the features is significant, in my opinion. However, I don't know much about the updates and packs since our company is not involved in that part. Our primary responsibility is to check the latency during slow periods of time. We must be aware of any slowness in the user's connection since they are connected to us. If users experience slow connections, we must address the issue promptly.

What needs improvement?

Assuming myself to be the subject and your database to be the object, whenever the subject requests access to the database, the authorization process needs to be done quickly to ensure that the database can be manipulated efficiently. However, sometimes data manipulation can still take time.This can be achieved fast through authorization, authentication, or a triple authentication system. I am from India, and I have to log in to the data center in the US. I wonder why it takes time despite us having leased lines and multiple connections. Therefore, these are important topics that we need to discuss further.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiClient for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate this solution a seven and a half out of ten. There should be a proper solution for patch implementation and server hardening. I would like the solution's scalability to be improved. Also, I plan to increase the solution's usage. I have 13,000 people using Fortinet FortiClient and Cisco AnyConnect based on their work areas and connectivity requirements. Redundancy measures have been implemented to ensure connectivity for all users.

As per my observation, there are people who are supportive of Fortinet FortiClient. Their support can be crucial in making the solution scalable since they possess years of experience in this field.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup process for the solution is straightforward. The initial setup was done one year ago.

Several steps need to be followed to deploy the solution. Firstly, the software required for the solution needs to be installed. Once the software is installed, the server name needs to be provided where the software will be deployed. Additionally, the network needs to be configured by specifying the IP addresses and gateway addresses to establish connectivity.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As a technical team member, I am not responsible to look into the pricing matters. These aspects are typically handled by the management team, who have the authority to obtain the necessary licenses based on certain established principles. Also, I can only let the management team know when the license will expire. Ultimately, the decision-makers are the business consultants.

What other advice do I have?

I used Fortinet FortiClient for cryptography, which is something one can achieve faster over the solution. An alternative solution to consider is Cisco OpenConnect. It's important to consider the requirements of its users because, ultimately, everyone goes for a different redundancy. Fortinet FortiClient and Cisco OpenConnect are VPN solutions that can establish secure connections with other individuals or networks. They are both available as open-source resources.

Since I am not from the procurement side, I cannot recommend the solution to anyone from my end. However, from a technical perspective, I will be in a position to comment. Overall, I rate this solution seven and a half out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at Amrita
Real User
Top 5
User friendly and easy to set up with a great split tunneling feature
Pros and Cons
  • "You can scale the product."
  • "FortiClient is not great in Linux."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution completely for VPN purposes. We have infrastructure VPNs, and our clients are completely relying on FortiClient.

How has it helped my organization?

We are providing SSL VPNs with separate IDs for all the clients. With the FortiClient software, they can use our service even from home, with all kinds of solutions - like public VDA. They can access the VDA from their home with FortiClient. They just need to connect to the solution and be directly accessible to this local VDA service.

What is most valuable?

It's a completely user-friendly solution for any kind of platform, including Linux, Windows, Mac, et cetera. Our clients rely entirely on FortiClient.

It has a great split tunneling feature. The split tunneling feature is good in cases when we want to browse the internet through the ISP connection without going through our organization. It's for the client to browse the internet without going through our organization. The remaining traffic will go through a web firewall, and only the public features will go through their ISP.

The solution is stable.

You can scale the product.

The solution is easy to set up, deploys quickly, and doesn't take too many people in terms of handling the setup.

Technical support is good.

It works well with other Fortinet products.

What needs improvement?

FortiClient is not great in Linux. Our clients report issues from some of their Linux versions where FortiClient has some issues. In Windows, it is perfectly fine. In Mac OS also, it is excellent; however, in Linux, it is somewhat tough to handle.

We would like to see user-based authentication. It is already there. However, we are not able to save profiles completely in many of the releases. We will need to type these user-based things again and again on each connection fail. Therefore, once it gets connected, it is not completely up. We need to connect again after a session time-out.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for eight to nine years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution scales well. It's not an issue at all.

We have between 4,000 and 5,000 users on the solution. Maybe 3,000 students will use it, and around 2,000 faculty.

We do have plans to increase usage.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support has been good. We've found them to be helpful and responsive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used other private VPN solutions. For example, OpenVPN. FortiClient, however, completely works well with FortiGate solutions which is why we moved on with FortiClient.

How was the initial setup?

We required two people to handle the setup process. It's completely configurable. We were able to have everything up and running in two or three days. It's pretty straightforward and doesn't take a long time. Our network administrators handled the setup. We have two people handling maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We didn't need any outside assistance. We handled everything in-house.

What was our ROI?

We have seen an ROI as it allows our users to work from home, which saves in-office resources. It's helped us cut down on our budget.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We license FortiClient as a VPN and don't require any other licenses.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and end-user.

I can't say which version number we are on at this time. We're likely on the most up-to-date version.

We like that the solution provides us with a more secure feeling. Also, client connectivity is not that difficult to configure. With the DNA in FortiClient, we can directly use the server from home. It is completely user-friendly and less time-consuming. Users can improve their production time greatly.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ayman Said - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy IT Manager at ICAPP (Americana Group)
Real User
Top 10
Enhance secure remote access with feature-rich VPN and content filtering
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of FortiClient are its VPN capabilities and its use as an anti-malware and anti-spam solution."
  • "Improvements are needed in the compatibility between different versions, as sometimes the latest version does not work, requiring a downgrade."

What is our primary use case?

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.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiClient has improved our security posture by providing a secure, encrypted VPN tunnel. It is easy to use, has a friendly user interface, and offers stable performance.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of FortiClient are its VPN capabilities and its use as an anti-malware and anti-spam solution. Another key feature is the content filter.

What needs improvement?

Improvements are needed in the compatibility between different versions, as sometimes the latest version does not work, requiring a downgrade. Additionally, performance enhancements are expected as it sometimes takes a while to connect.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using FortiClient for about four to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

FortiClient is stable and very reliable. I would rate its stability as eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability depends on the type of box being used. The solution is scalable with the right infrastructure, and I would rate its scalability as eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

We have not used any support for FortiClient, which indicates its stability and ease of use.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Cisco and SonicWall products. We switched to FortiClient since it is easier to use and one of the top-rated products in its category. SonicWall became outdated and more complex than FortiClient.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward and easy, with no need for external assistance.

What about the implementation team?

The installation process involved my colleagues and around 15 engineers across our group.

What other advice do I have?

I strongly recommend FortiClient because it's easy to use, stable, and has no significant operational issues.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiClient Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.