Softwr

Software · head to head

Bitwarden vs Fortinet FortiGate

Bitwarden logo

Bitwarden

Software

Open source password management for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Software

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bitwarden has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bitwarden the integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month; Fortinet FortiGate security services are sold as separate FortiGuard subscription bundles, so ATP, UTP and ENT determine which protections are actually active
  • They diverge on capability: Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bitwarden and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.

Attributes where Bitwarden and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeBitwardenFortinet FortiGate
Starting priceFree$500/year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, CliHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded20162000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bitwarden

  • Unlimited password storage
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Secure password sharing
  • Password generator
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Encrypted file attachments
  • Vault health reports
  • Emergency access

Only in Fortinet FortiGate

  • Next-generation firewall
  • Intrusion prevention
  • SSL/TLS inspection
  • Application control
  • Web filtering
  • SD-WAN
  • Zero-trust network access
  • AI-powered threat detection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bitwarden

  • Personal password managementnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Team credential sharingnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Enterprise securitynot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Compliance requirementsnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Developer secrets managementnot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

  • Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot Bitwarden
  • Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot Bitwarden
  • Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot Bitwarden
  • Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot Bitwarden
  • Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot Bitwarden

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bitwarden

  • The integrated TOTP authenticator, encrypted file attachments, vault health reports and Emergency Access are all withheld from the free plan and need Premium at $1.65 per month
  • Free accounts can share vault items with one other Bitwarden user and no more
  • File storage is capped at 5 GB on Premium and 5 GB personal plus 5 GB family on the Families plan
  • Two-step login accepts up to 10 hardware security keys per account
  • The Families plan is capped at 6 people, so a seventh member means moving to a Teams subscription at $4 per user per month

Fortinet FortiGate

  • Security services are sold as separate FortiGuard subscription bundles, so ATP, UTP and ENT determine which protections are actually active
  • Throughput is tied to the appliance model, from 500 Mbps on the FortiGate 30G to 520 Gbps on the 7121F, so capacity planning is a hardware purchase
  • Pricing is not published and goes through partners

Pricing, plan by plan

Bitwarden

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited passwords
    • 2 users (organizations)
    • Sync all devices
  • Teams$3/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Unlimited users
    • Shared collections
  • Enterprise$6/month
    • Everything in Teams
    • SSO integration
    • Enterprise policies

Fortinet FortiGate

$500/year
  • FortiGate Entry$500/year
    • Basic firewall
    • VPN support
    • Threat protection
  • FortiGate Enterprise$2500/year
    • Advanced threat protection
    • SSL inspection
    • Application control
  • FortiGate Ultimate$10000/year
    • All Enterprise features
    • Zero-trust access
    • AI-powered analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Bitwarden if

  • You need unlimited password storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli.
  • You also want cross-platform sync.
Bitwarden review

Choose Fortinet FortiGate if

  • You need next-generation firewall.
  • You work on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
  • You also want intrusion prevention.
Fortinet FortiGate review

Questions people ask

Is Bitwarden or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitwarden starts at Free and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bitwarden or Fortinet FortiGate?
Bitwarden has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bitwarden and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
Does Bitwarden or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
Bitwarden runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web, Cli. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
Can I use Bitwarden for free?
Yes. Bitwarden has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
What is Bitwarden best used for?
Bitwarden is most often used for personal password management, team credential sharing, enterprise security, compliance requirements. Of those, personal password management and team credential sharing are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can Bitwarden do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
Bitwarden covers Unlimited password storage, Cross-platform sync, Secure password sharing, Password generator. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Bitwarden

More on Fortinet FortiGate

Keep looking

Other head to heads