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Software · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Fortinet FortiGate

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Software

Trusted access for all users, all devices

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 Cisco Duo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users; Fortinet FortiGate security services are sold as separate FortiGuard subscription bundles, so ATP, UTP and ENT determine which protections are actually active

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeCisco DuoFortinet FortiGate
Starting priceFree$500/year
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebHardware, Virtual, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: 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 Cisco Duo

Nothing recorded that Fortinet FortiGate does not also cover.

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.

Cisco Duo

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cisco Duo

  • Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
  • Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
  • Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement

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

Cisco Duo

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.

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 Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cisco Duo 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 Cisco Duo or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo 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, Cisco Duo or Fortinet FortiGate?
Cisco Duo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cisco Duo and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
Does Cisco Duo or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
Cisco Duo runs on Web. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Yes. Cisco Duo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
What can Cisco Duo do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control.
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