In the search for a comprehensive firewall Pfsense and Fortigate are two options that consistently top the list of choices. Which one should you go for?
When it comes to choosing the right software for your specified needs, it is seldom as simple as picking the best rated or cheapest option. It requires you to analyse your needs against your current hardware and software capabilities and using this analysis to examine the available options before settling on one firewall software. Both pfsense and Fortigate use different operating systems, which already makes their systems of functionality very different but they both use a GUI (Graphical user interface), making them fairly easy to use compared to a command line. They both are highly rated and widely used security software, with a lot of functional similarities but few yet significant differences.
What are the differences between Pfsense and Fortigate?
Feature | Pfsense | Fortigate (Winner) |
Operating System | Free BSD | FortiOS |
Price | Free | |
User Interface | Graphical User Interface | Graphical User Interface as well as a Command User Interface |
Intrusion Protection System | Yes | Yes |
Secure Socket Layers | No | Yes |
Cloud security | No | Yes |
Pfsense Vs Fortigate- How do they compare?
Pricing
Operating systems
As highlighted in the comparative table, Pfsense uses the free BSD operating system while Fortigate uses a specialized FortiOS. There are several implications of this for both software; the first is that because it is specialized for cyber security, the FortiOS is safer and less prone to bugs and errors than the free BSD operating system. Because it is free and open source, the codes on the free BSD operating system can easily be tweaked and re-written to be used as a basis for a completely different software, which is not the same for FortiOS.
Ease of use
As mentioned above, both Pfsense and Fortigate use a GUI to interact with the user, making them easier to use than your average firewall software. However, the GUI on Fortigate is very intuitive and easy to use, making it easier to navigate than pfsense. The interface on Pfsense contains a lot of side and drop menus that are very confusing for a new user, compared to the well laid out and intuitive arrangement that Fortigate has.Fortigate gives the user the option to use a command line interface together with the GUI, which is not the case for pfsense. This option allows experienced CLI users to quickly adapt to the system as well as making it faster and more efficient. It also adds a new flexibility to the software that pfsense does not have.
Security
Pfsense weakly compares to the vast feature set and wide array of technical security services that Fortigate offers its users. This is because Fortigate has a very large network of sensors in its system that are designed to detect malicious cyber activity, whose functionality is licenced and owned by Fortinet and occasionally licenced over to some security companies. In addition to this, pfsense is free and open source which lowers its overall security compared to a paid and patented firewall solution.
Pfsense Vs Fortigate – A comparison review
Pfsense
Pfsense is an open source and free firewall and routing software that was initially developed to help users build their own routing systems from scratch as well as offer firewall solutions for said users. Its securities are quite impressive including basic rule based filtering for online traffic and intrusion protection systems as well as additional features like built in connection proxies and load balancing. It also allows for use of open VPN as well as VPN client.
Over time, it has become very popular in different sizes and types of businesses as well as homes as their go to firewall solution, primarily because it offers a variety of features despite being totally free. It is also easy to use because it is based on Free BSD and has a lot of documentation available as well as an endless stream of online forums and tutorials on how to use it.
Pros
- It is free to download and use
- It has a variety of diverse uses outside firewalling
- It has a lot of additional features
Fortigate
Fortigate is the initial security networking programme from the company Fortinet, formed in 2002. Through time, and with consistent and reliable modifications and upgrades, Fortigate has risen to be a top industry-leading firewall solution for a wide range of businesses. It is favoured for its reliable security features such as web filtering, IPS (Intrusion protection systems) and SSL (Secure sockets layer). These features coupled with their amazing customer support system make Fortigate a very reasonable investment for cyber security.
Fortigate has modern Artificial Intelligence-driven firewall operations that make the already efficient security system highly intuitive to the user’s needs by automatically detecting and appropriately responding to a wide range of types of cyber threats. It not only provides security based networking but also accelerates the user experience quality, making it very easy and convenient to use in any work or home environment.
Pros
- Its GUI is designed to be very easy to use
- Although it is priced, it is very affordable for its functionality
- Fortinet offers great customer support
Conclusion
When compared as security solutions, FortiGate outshines pfSense in most aspects, except for the flexibility inherent to open-source software and the advantages of utilizing the FreeBSD operating system. That said, the comparison between pfSense Pro and FortiGate is more balanced, but FortiGate still edges out due to its affordability relative to the features it offers.
Verdict: Which is better, pfSense or FortiGate?
Both FortiGate and pfSense deliver excellent security solutions across a wide range of users. However, if constrained to choosing just one, FortiGate represents a more worthwhile investment, thanks to its comprehensive features, ease of use, and overall value.