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AhmedAboalassaad - PeerSpot reviewer
Network & Security Team Head at Amiral
Real User
May 18, 2023
Good support, stable, and easy to install and manage
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to install, and it's easy to discover and communicate with your device."
  • "It requires a lot of resources. This is the main challenge."

What is our primary use case?

I use this solution to manage my VDOMs and FortiGate policies.

What is most valuable?

It's very easy to install, and it's easy to discover and communicate with your device. 

We can manage VDOM, backup and restore configurations, and FortiGate. We have ten FortiGate firewalls.

What needs improvement?

It requires a lot of resources. This is the main challenge.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for more than ten years.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiManager
September 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiManager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2026.
913,630 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. I didn't have any issues with its stability or availability. It's good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. I'd rate it a nine out of ten in terms of scalability.

How are customer service and support?

Fortinet's support is very good. Sometimes, Fortinet's support is better than Cisco's support. They are more talented. I'd rate their support a nine out of ten.

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

We had Panorama from Palo Alto. We switched because most of our devices are from Fortinet. FortiManager is also easy to install and set up.

How was the initial setup?

It's very easy to install. This is the main reason why we are using it. It's easy to set up and manage. The only thing I am not happy with is the sizing of the RAM and hardware. The implementation took about two months because we have a big network.

What about the implementation team?

It was implemented in-house. We have a team of three engineers dedicated to installation and maintenance.

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

If you compare Fortinet and Palo Alto, Fortinet is cheaper, but if you compare Cisco and Fortinet, sometimes Cisco is cheaper because Cisco gives us more discounts because of the size. Cisco isn't cheap, but sometimes, we get a big discount from them. 

Its licensing is monthly. I'd rate it a seven out of ten in terms of pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend having a demo of FortiManager before deciding on it. I had a demo to understand how this device will match my profile and my requirements. The demo answered all my questions. 

Overall, I'd rate Fortinet FortiManager a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
BahaaEddin Alatrash - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Specialist at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
May 5, 2023
We can set unified policies from a central dashboard, reducing human error
Pros and Cons
  • "FortiManager enables us to set unified firewall policies from one centralized dashboard, reducing human error. If you do not have a central dashboard, there's a chance you might set a policy on one firewall and forget to do it for another."
  • "The SD-WAN solution is difficult to manage on FortiManager because you need to share some configurations on the firewall side. Sometimes you lose all connectivity with the firewall, so it is challenging to apply the default configuration to the SD-WAN solution."

What is our primary use case?

We use FortiManager to manage the roles and policies for all of our edge firewalls.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiManager enables us to set unified firewall policies from one centralized dashboard,  reducing human error. If you do not have a central dashboard, there's a chance you might set a policy on one firewall and forget to do it for another. 

What needs improvement?

The SD-WAN solution is difficult to manage on FortiManager because you need to share some configurations on the firewall side. Sometimes you lose all connectivity with the firewall, so it is challenging to apply the default configuration to the SD-WAN solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used FortiManager for around two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate FortiManager nine out of 10 for stability. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate FortiManager eight out of 10 for scalability. It's easy to scale, but you may run into some issues. We have around 4,000 users at my company.

How are customer service and support?

I rate Fortinet support six out of 10. The response time could be better. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

How was the initial setup?

Deploying FortiManager is easy, but you may need to reconfigure and restart the appliance during the setup if it loses the connection. This happened once, but it has been working fine since then. 

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

I rate FortiManager eight out of 10 for affordability. All of the features are included with the basic license. It isn't like other solutions where you need to pay for SD-WAN or additional bandwidth. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiManager eight out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiManager
September 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiManager. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2026.
913,630 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Fortune Madzivo - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Mar 16, 2023
Good management, easy to deploy policies, and very reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to deploy to licenses."
  • "The documentation could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for management and analysis. We use it for the management of two or three firewalls and the deployment of policies. 

What is most valuable?

This is quite a convenient solution. We can manage a number of items. The wireless management is easy. 

The VPN is easy. I have the ability to do the proper configuration of each of the firewalls. 

It is easy to deploy to licenses. 

The initial setup is very simple. 

The product is stable.

It is scalable. 

The functionality is very high.

We have found the pricing reasonable.

What needs improvement?

I'm still exploring the solution. I have not come across any missing features. 

The documentation could be better. Sometimes information seems lacking, however, maybe I'm not sure where to look for the information I need.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about six months now. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and reliable. I'd rate it ten out of ten. It is extremely reliable with no bugs or glitches. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. I'd rate it eight out of ten. I haven't tried to scale to any great extent.

We have around five users that are administrating the solution at the moment.

How are customer service and support?

We have never dealt with technical support yet.

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

We did use the Cisco FTD Manager. Fortinet is easy to use and deploy. It's also easy to manage. It's a full-fledged integrated solution, unlike Cisco. Cisco also took longer in terms of committing policies. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup process is simple and straightforward. It is not complex. 

What about the implementation team?

We handled the setup in-house ourselves without any outside help. 

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

The pricing is pretty good. I'd rate the affordability nine out of ten. Compared to Cisco and Palo Alto, it's reasonable. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. It's a very good solution. I'm still working on learning the solution. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Socipart67 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at TiThink
Real User
Mar 12, 2023
Simple to use with easy management and good reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "It can scale well."
  • "The price is a bit too high."

What is our primary use case?

We have two branches and find that this solution makes it easy to implement the same configuration in different firewalls. You don't have to log onto any of the equipment with the VPN of the customer. It is the easiest way to manage a network.

What is most valuable?

This tool is simple to use. It makes management very easy. 

It helps with the underly IT. Things go more smoothly since everything is managed in one place.

The solution is stable.

It can scale well.

The product does help save a lot of time thanks to its efficient management capabilities. 

What needs improvement?

The price is a bit too high. Aside from the price, I do not have any complaints about the product.

It would be ideal if they could bundle the product with others. Right now, you have all of these Forti products and you have to pay for a license for FortiGate and then have other licenses for the Analyzer and Cloud, for example. Instead of paying separately and having all of these licenses, it would be nice to centralize everything and maybe reduce the price for a bundle.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for around seven months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has good stability. The product is reliable. I'd rate it nine out of ten in terms of reliability. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is great. I would rate it nine out of ten. It expands easily. 

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

We did not previously use any different products. 

How was the initial setup?

The implementation is simple. It doesn't require an installation. All the products work on the same cloud. You just have to add it to the equation. 

We have seven engineers working on it to support it. They are available for any maintenance requirements. 

What was our ROI?

We have seen a bit of ROI in that we save time providing the service to clients. 

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

The pricing is pretty high.

What other advice do I have?

I'm using the latest version of the solution. 

It's a good solution. I'd suggest others to go ahead and try it without any hesitation. 

I'd rate the product nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Kehinde Bankole - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager IP Network Security Planning at MTN
Real User
Mar 1, 2023
Easy to use with good management capabilities and good reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "It makes management very easy."
  • "The presence of Fortinet in our region (Nigeria) needs to be stronger."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for management purposes. It makes management very convenient. We use it for managing Fortinet firewalls in our network.

What is most valuable?

The ease of use is great. 

It makes management very easy.

The solution is stable.

It likely is scalable. However, I have not attempted to expand the offering.

What needs improvement?

The presence of Fortinet in our region (Nigeria) needs to be stronger. They need to have a local footprint and local support. 

I cannot recall any missing features.

The pricing could always be lower. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. I'd rate the stability eight out of ten. We haven't had issues. There are no bugs or glitches. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I'm not too sure how scalable the solution is. My understanding is that it would be. However, I haven't tested its capabilities in that way.

I'd rate the scalability seven out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

We would like to have more local presence in the future. However, we can get support when we need it. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

We previously used Check Point. However, it was hard to manage Check Point devices. We moved over to Fortinet. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was quite simple to set up. We bought professional services with the product, and that made it very easy.

I do not recall the deployment taking too long. It's pretty fast.

What about the implementation team?

We had a Fortinet engineer assist with the setup. That service came with the professional services we bought.

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

We'd like the pricing to be a bit lower.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not really look at other options. We did do a POC with Fortinet before purchasing it.

What other advice do I have?

I'm an end-user. 

We are using the latest version of the solution. 

I'd recommend the solution to other users. 

I would rate the product eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Jozef Beliansky - PeerSpot reviewer
Network engineers at a government with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Sep 23, 2022
Easy to set up with good central management and helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "Stability is good within the product."
  • "The most valuable feature is having one object on all networks, which allows for implementation only once."
  • "I prefer configuring rules and the VPN on the standalone device, not on the manager."

What is our primary use case?

We have 20 Forti Firewalls, including FortiManager. 

We use it for firewall management as we have many objects. In FortiManager, we use one type of object and implementation, the different firewalls.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is having one object on all networks, which allows for implementation only once. We can have that object on one firewall or many, and we don't have to do everything one by one.

It's easy to set up the solution. 

Stability is good within the product.

It is scalable. 

Technical support is helpful and knowledgeable. 

The central management is great.

It's very transparent. If I  am troubleshooting for people who have a problem connecting to the network, then I can just open FortiManager and see all of the history of the connection. It makes it easy if I have to adjust a configuration.

What needs improvement?

The rules need to be more flexible. I prefer configuring rules and the VPN on the standalone device, not on the manager.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's quite stable. It's reliable, and the performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have found the product to be scalable. It's not a problem if you want to expand it. 

For example, if you want to add another 10 or 15 firewalls, will it have any problems

How are customer service and support?

We have technical support in my local language. The person who assists us is senior and he's a master of FortiManager. He knows many options for configurations.

Their technical support is very responsive. They are very knowledgeable.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

It's easy to set up the product. It's an easy deployment. If I have a new box, we just have to create a template, and I add a new FortiGate to FortiManager, and implementation becomes only standard configuration via FortiManager. We do any password policy, proxy pack, and other features we implement, we do so through FortiManager. Other updates, for example, a hostname or object, is from FortiManager. However, if I create any specific rule on a specific VPN, we configure that on the device.

I'd rate the solution four out of five in terms of ease of implementation.

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

We bought FortiManager as an option as we bought maybe five firewalls plus a license to FortiManager. The implementation site gave me only one price, which included both solutions. It was basically a package. It's moderately priced. I'd rate it a three out of five in terms of affordability.

What other advice do I have?

We had average security knowledge about management, and we started with a demo project. It was from Fortigate Support. They gave me two or three months free to try out FortiManager. I'd advise people to take the time to test it and see how it works. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
General Manager/ Owner at Security Parameter
Reseller
Apr 24, 2024
Helps simplify security policy management, receives good updates, and is easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
  • "The firmware version upgrades are the most valuable feature."
  • "The price always has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiManager to monitor our customer's firewalls.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiManager simplifies security policy management for our clients, even though their configurations differ. This is because it allows us to easily copy and administer base policies across all deployments.

What is most valuable?

The firmware version upgrades are the most valuable feature.

What needs improvement?

The price always has room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for a year.

How are customer service and support?

I used the technical support one time and it was a good experience.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. 

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

Compared to Check Point or Cisco, Fortinet FortiManager is more affordable but it is still on the higher end. I would rate the price 8 out of 10 with 10 being the most expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortinet FortiManager 8 out of 10.

I've been working with Fortinet firewalls for over ten years now. Everything works consistently well, including the hardware, software, operating system, and all the features. They're easy to configure, and using firewalls together with FortiManager for central administration and monitoring of all our devices makes everything much simpler.

I recommend Fortinet FortiManager because you can administer the firewalls from one tool.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner/Reseller
PeerSpot user
ChristianBenjamin - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-Sales Engineer at Cable & Wireless Communications
Reseller
Sep 5, 2023
Great pricing, good support, and very customizable
Pros and Cons
  • "Setup, setting policies, and reporting were all very easy. We had no issues whatsoever getting the solution up and running."
  • "Their EDR products could be better. They need to dedicate more R&D to that area."

What is our primary use case?

We had a customer that had about five locations and at each location, they needed a management device. We installed FortiManager at the head office and all locations report back to it. 

What is most valuable?

Setup, setting policies, and reporting were all very easy. We had no issues whatsoever getting the solution up and running. 

The ability to manage multiple devices is great. We have one set up and one pane of glass for management. The reporting features are customizable for the customer. We would normally just show them some default reports and they would customize them. So far, there are no problems customizing your reports.

What needs improvement?

I haven't had any issues with the product.

Their EDR products could be better. They need to dedicate more R&D to that area.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a while. The company I work with now exclusively uses Fortinet products.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

For network monitoring, I've previously used SolarWinds. The major differences are the ease of use of Fortinet and its single pane of glass. It's also easier to get reports. SolarWinds can require a little more technical knowledge. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple. I'd rate the process eight out of ten in terms of ease of setup. The deployment takes, on a complex install, about two days. On a simpler install, it would take less than a day.

Usually, we have one solution implementation engineer managing the deployment. 

Once we have implemented it, it goes over to our support center and they handle it under a managed service.

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

Fortinet has the best pricing currently on the market. They are very competitive, especially if you are a preferred partner (which we are). 

What other advice do I have?

I'd advise others to use it. It's a powerful tool. It makes managing multiple Fortinet products very easy. You can tie in FortiSwitches, Fortigates, et cetera, and gain one central point of management with great reporting functionality.

I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten. It's best of breed and always on the cutting edge of security technologies. they keep abreast of upcoming trends and emerging technologies. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Prasanth Kailasam - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Client Manager at GBM
Real User
May 4, 2023
Straightforward setup, and simple policy and management
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiManager is the ease of manageability and policy-pushing functionality."
  • "Fortinet FortiManager could improve them by adding more portfolio components."

What is our primary use case?

Fortinet FortiManager can provide visibility for other Fortinet solutions across the company's environments, such as multiple branch offices. You are able to manage all these devices efficiently.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiManager is the ease of manageability and policy-pushing functionality.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiManager could improve them by adding more portfolio components.

In a future release, it would be beneficial if Fortinet FortiManager could improve by adding more devices able to be managed the solution, including  switching, routing, and wireless,

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiManager for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is fine but could improve.

I rate the stability of Fortinet FortiManager an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiManager is a scalable solution.

I have a considerable number of clients who currently use FortiManager - at present, I can recall more than five. Since effective policy management and centralized upgrades are critical for multi-location management, FortiManager is an essential tool for such purposes. FortiManager is installed in the majority of my clients' locations.

How are customer service and support?

The support of Fortinet FortiManager is good. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiManager is straightforward. We can push out the policies centrally. From a hardware or a component perspective, the implementation is simple.

The initial implementation can be completed in just a few days. However, over the course of a week or a week and a half, we could potentially refine and simplify the process. Nevertheless, it's an ongoing endeavor, as each organization's needs dictate the policies that must be established and maintained.

What about the implementation team?

One person is enough for the deployment of the solution. However, it can depend on the environment. If there are a lot of modifications there might be a need for more people for the deployment. 

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

Fortinet FortiManager operates on a licensing system that is dependent on the number of devices being managed. Yearly subscription renewal is necessary to continue using the service. Although there is a cost associated with Fortinet FortiManager, its price is undoubtedly justified by the value it provides in terms of the purpose it serves.

What other advice do I have?

Fortinet FortiManager is highly recommended as a crucial component of any comprehensive solution offered to clients. This is especially true for clients operating in multi-location and multi-branch environments, where individually managing, upgrading, and patching each location can be a significant burden. In such scenarios, Fortinet FortiManager can greatly alleviate these challenges and streamlines the management process.

I rate Fortinet FortiManager an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
AliHassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Leader - Telecom & Network at 2B Operating Co.
Real User
Apr 11, 2023
Easy to setup but dashboard could be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The main benefit of Fortinet FortiManager is the ability to control all the devices from a central location, view their statuses, and manage their configurations and updates from a single management console."
  • "The dashboard could use some improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are using a virtual machine for the FortiManager. It's already installed, and we just collected the seven units under the FortiManager. So we don't need to access each device separately. It collects all the FortiGate units in one console. We see the statistics and the status for all machines from the FortiManager. It is easy to control and monitor all the remote devices.

What is most valuable?

The main benefit of Fortinet FortiManager is the ability to control all the devices from a central location, view their statuses, and manage their configurations and updates from a single management console. 

What needs improvement?

The price may only be applicable for bigger companies, and there is room for improvement in the FortiManager in license models. In general, the SIM license can be a bit complicated. You have to order licenses for different endpoints and devices, and calculating the costs can be confusing. Simplifying the ordering process for the SIM license would be helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the SD-WAN solution for almost a year now. It was implemented in 2021. For Fortinet FortiManager, it's been less than a year since we connected after the implementation of the SD-WAN. It's on-premise but as a virtual machine.

We are using the latest version of Fortinet FortiManager because we updated it before and after the installation.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

How are customer service and support?

We ordered the product from a local company, which also provided the installation service for the firewall and SD one. We have not yet utilized the Fortinet technical support services.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. We did it without any training.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed the solution myself. When I installed it, I made sure that I installed the latest version of FortiManager, and then I added the devices one by one. I provided the credentials for each device, and the information was automatically synchronized with the remote devices. So, I did it one by one. It is installed in the VM environment, so it is not difficult to maintain it.

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

As we are an oil company, the price was manageable for us because we had a budget for it. But for small businesses, it could be costly.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We use SolarWinds for scenarios like network performance monitoring, configuration management, and IP address management. And for the FortiGate firewalls, we are using Fortinet FortiManager.

We have different modules for SolarWinds, but for FortiGate firewalls, we use FortiManager.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I will rate it a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is the worst and ten is the best because the dashboard could use some improvement.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiManager Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: September 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiManager Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.