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There is no reliable universal answer to which costs less over three years: FortiGate or Cisco Secure Firewall, still called Firepower in some Cisco hardware and ordering material. The total depends on the appliance, software, security features, support contract, high-availability design, and negotiated quote. Compare itemized bills of materials for equivalent deployments—not vendor names or headline appliance prices.
First, define which Cisco and Fortinet products you are comparing
“Cisco Firepower” can refer to different hardware generations and licensing arrangements. Cisco’s current materials use the Cisco Secure Firewall name and describe Firewall Threat Defense (FTD), while some hardware-family ordering material retains Firepower terminology. Confirm the appliance generation, whether it runs FTD or ASA software, and how it will be managed. For Fortinet, identify the FortiGate model and whether the deployment is physical or virtual. A comparison that leaves these details unspecified may not be comparing equivalent products.
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What the licenses and support actually cover
Both vendors combine base firewall capability with optional, term-sensitive security and support entitlements. Package names alone do not establish that two quotes include the same protection or service. Match the enabled features and contract terms line by line.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Area | FortiGate | Cisco Secure Firewall / Firepower |
|---|---|---|
| Security subscriptions | Fortinet offers FortiGuard services à la carte and in bundles including ATP, UTP, and Enterprise. Confirm the services and device family in the quote. (Fortinet service-bundle materials) | Cisco Smart Licensing organizes entitlements through a Cisco account and portal. Depending on deployment and enabled features, advanced subscriptions may cover functions such as IPS, malware defense, URL filtering, and carrier inspection. Confirm the quote is for FTD or ASA. (Cisco Smart Licensing guidance) |
| Subscription term | Term and renewal details depend on the quoted services and contract; the retrieved service materials do not establish a universal term or price. (Fortinet service-bundle materials) | Cisco licensing guidance describes 1-, 3-, or 5-year subscription terms. That term information does not establish the price for a particular configuration. (Cisco licensing guidance) |
| Support | Fortinet’s displayed service options include FortiCare Premium, with Elite available as an upgrade. The presented table lists support features such as firmware updates and replacement, with different response times for critical and non-critical issues. Check the exact regional contract and device coverage. (Fortinet service-bundle materials) | Smart Net Total Care appears in Cisco ordering material, but that material does not establish a particular design’s support SLA. Confirm the actual support SKU, covered hours, response commitment, and replacement terms. (Cisco ordering guide) |
| Published comparable price | Not stated in the cited Fortinet service materials for a matched configuration. | Not stated in the cited Cisco licensing and ordering materials for a matched configuration. |
Cisco’s Smart Licensing guidance puts the dependency plainly: “The number and type of licenses required depend on your deployment and the enabled features.” Treat that as a reason to request an entitlement list, not as a price comparison. For either vendor, check software and signature updates, escalation, hardware replacement or RMA, renewal continuity, and which appliances are covered.
#1 Best Overall
- Compact and Efficient Design: The FortiGate 40F is designed for small to mid-sized businesses and enterprise branch offices, featuring a compact, fanless desktop form factor that ensures quiet operation and minimizes space usage.
- Robust Connectivity Options: Equipped with 5 GE RJ45 ports, including 1 WAN port and 4 internal ports, this model provides essential connectivity and flexibility for various network configurations in a small-scale environment.
- High-Performance Security: Offers up to 1 Gbps IPS throughput and 600 Mbps threat protection throughput, using Fortinet’s purpose-built security processor technology to deliver industry-leading performance and protection for SSL encrypted traffic.
- Advanced Threat Protection: Integrated with Fortinet’s AI-powered FortiGuard Labs, the FortiGate 40F offers comprehensive cybersecurity, identifying and mitigating both known and unknown threats to maintain robust security across your network.
- Simplified Management and Deployment: Features a user-friendly management console that provides comprehensive network automation and visibility, coupled with Zero Touch Integration with Fortinet’s Security Fabric for easy deployment.
What happens if a FortiGuard subscription expires?
Fortinet’s license-expiration documentation says: “The FortiGate will still function as a firewall if any or all of the FortiGuard licenses are expired.” Expiration does not mean the appliance ceases to route or enforce its firewall function, but valid FortiGuard licenses are required for updated databases and signatures and for certain real-time or near-real-time lookups. Fortinet also describes renewal-continuity rules after a lapse, so include any lapse or backdating conditions in the renewal plan rather than assuming a subscription can be allowed to expire without consequences.
How high availability changes the bill
Count every appliance and its entitlements in an HA or clustered design. Cisco’s ordering guide says an active-passive FTD pair requires two subscriptions. It also describes specially configured HA bundle SKUs in which the second software subscription is priced at a 50% discount. That is an ordering-guide example, not a general discount promise: verify the exact SKU, hardware, region, bundle, and negotiated contract in the two-device bill of materials.
Rank #2
- INTEGRATED FIREWALL APPLIANCE AND SECURITY SERVICES: Comes with FortiGate-40F Firewall Appliance, 1 year of FortiCare Premium, and FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection.
- UTP SECURITY FEATURES: Offers protection from advanced threats with DNS filtering, URL filtering, video filtering, and controls against botnets.
- IDEAL FOR SMALLER SETTINGS: Best suited for small to mid-sized businesses needing reliable security without the complexity of larger systems.
- CONTINUOUS SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE: FortiCare Premium ensures that technical help is readily available to manage and troubleshoot issues.
- COMPACT AND EFFECTIVE: Provides a powerful, yet compact security solution that effectively protects against a wide range of cyber threats.
The available Fortinet material does not establish a directly comparable HA subscription rule or price. Ask for a written quote listing hardware and service entitlements for every FortiGate unit; do not assume either equal or different treatment based on the Cisco example.
Build a like-for-like three- or five-year TCO
Fortinet’s published firewall TCO framework includes acquisition, deployment, management, annual vendor or partner support and services, installation, integration, and upkeep. Apply the same scope and period to both vendors. A quote comparison is useful only when the appliances are sized for the same workload and the security functions being priced are genuinely equivalent.
Rank #3
- Extensive Connectivity Options: The FortiGate 60F is designed with 10 GE RJ45 ports, including 2 WAN ports, 1 DMZ port, and 7 internal ports, offering broad flexibility and high-density connections for diverse enterprise networking needs.
- Superior Performance for Secure Networks: Features powerful system-on-a-chip acceleration to deliver top-tier security with 1.4 Gbps IPS throughput and 700 Mbps threat protection throughput, ensuring effective defense against advanced threats.
- Enhanced SSL Inspection and SD-WAN Capabilities: Utilizes purpose-built security processor technology to provide the industry's highest SSL inspection performance and robust SD-WAN functionality for secure, high-speed network operations.
- Simple and Effective Management: Comes equipped with a user-friendly management console that supports comprehensive network automation and visibility, alongside Zero Touch Integration with Fortinet's Security Fabric for streamlined deployment.
- Advanced Security Features: Leverages continuous threat intelligence from AI-powered FortiGuard Labs, identifying and mitigating both known and unknown threats, enhancing security across all network traffic, whether encrypted or not.
- Fix the scenario. Record the physical or virtual form, model, software image, management mode, expected traffic, encrypted inspection, VPN needs, and growth assumptions. Size both options to those requirements, rather than comparing model names or maximum throughput figures in isolation.
- Match the protections. List the specific services you will enable and need, such as intrusion prevention, malware or file inspection, web or URL filtering, and threat intelligence. Mark each as included, separately licensed, or not required on each quote.
- Count all nodes and licenses. Include each appliance in the HA or cluster design, subscriptions for each unit, and any additional licenses required by the selected features.
- Add management and logging. Include management or logging products, recurring platform charges, integration work, and the administrator time needed to operate the chosen design.
- Compare support and renewal terms. Specify support tier, covered devices, replacement coverage, service hours and response commitments, subscription duration, renewal pricing assumptions, and any lapse or backdating terms.
- Include implementation and upkeep. Add deployment, migration, training, partner services, ongoing maintenance, and electricity or rack costs where material to the scenario.
- Normalize the period and price basis. Use the same three- or five-year period for both options, itemize each SKU and annual recurring amount, and compare total present cost only after confirming equivalent capacity and enabled services.
Ask each vendor or reseller for an itemized quote with hardware, every subscription, support, management, implementation, and renewal assumptions separated. The available vendor materials do not provide matched quotes for equivalent configurations, so they cannot establish a universal lower-cost choice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret Fortinet’s published TCO figure
Fortinet’s network firewall pricing page attributes a comparison to the “most recent NSS Labs NGFW Comparative TCO Report,” stating that Fortinet’s TCO per protected Mbps was $2, compared with some other vendors at as much as $57. The cited page passage does not establish the report year, test configuration, exact comparison set, or a Cisco-specific result. Treat those figures as a historical claim republished by Fortinet, not as current quote evidence or a direct FortiGate-versus-Cisco price comparison. They should not decide a present-day purchase without the original report and scenario being verified.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Robust Port Configuration: The FortiGate 120G is equipped with 18 GE RJ45 ports, including 1 management port and 1 HA port, alongside 16 switch ports. It also features 8 GE SFP slots and 4 10GE SFP+ slots, providing versatile connectivity options for complex network setups.
- Cutting-edge Performance with SP5 Acceleration: Powered by SP5 hardware acceleration, the device ensures unmatched performance, making it ideal for enterprises requiring rapid application identification, efficient business operations, and robust security.
- Dual AC Power Supplies: Designed with dual non-hot swappable AC power supplies, the FortiGate 120G ensures uninterrupted service and operational reliability, critical for maintaining mission-critical network activities.
- Superior Security Features: Integrated with Fortinet’s Security Fabric, the FortiGate 120G offers advanced threat protection, real-time SSL inspection, and AI-powered FortiGuard services, providing comprehensive defense against modern cyber threats.
- Streamlined Network Management: Features such as the FortiLink protocol allow seamless integration of security and network management, enabling centralized control and simplified operations across all networked FortiGate devices.
Rank #4
- HARDWARE PLUS SECURITY SERVICES: FortiGate-60F Firewall Appliance bundled with 1 year of FortiCare Premium and FortiGuard Unified Threat Protection.
- UNIFIED THREAT PROTECTION (UTP): Secures against advanced online threats with comprehensive web filtering and anti-botnet technologies.
- OPTIMIZED FOR MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES: Tailored for businesses needing robust security without the infrastructure of larger enterprises.
- RELIABLE CUSTOMER SUPPORT: FortiCare Premium ensures high-quality support and service continuity.
- EFFECTIVE PROTECTION: Employs advanced filtering technologies to safeguard against sophisticated threats.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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