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Networking · head to head

Cisco Meraki vs Fortinet FortiGate

Cisco Meraki logo

Cisco Meraki

Networking

Cloud-managed networking hardware where the licence is mandatory and the hardware stops passing traffic if it lapses

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Meraki the licence is mandatory and recurring for the life of the hardware; after a 30-day grace period past expiry, devices stop forwarding traffic entirely, which is an operational outage risk unlike almost any other hardware purchase; 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: Cisco Meraki covers Cloud dashboard management, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cisco Meraki and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeCisco MerakiFortinet FortiGate
Starting priceOn request$500/year
Pricing modelquote, hardware plus mandatory recurring licencesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidHardware, Virtual, Cloud
CategoryNetworkingCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Meraki

  • Cloud dashboard management
  • Zero-touch provisioning
  • Co-termination licensing
  • Unified hardware line
  • API and integrations

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 Meraki

  • A multi-site retail or education organisation that wants one dashboard to manage networking hardware across many locations without local IT staff at each sitenot Fortinet FortiGate
  • An IT team that values zero-touch provisioning for rapid rollout of new sites over local configuration controlnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • An organisation that has already standardised on Cisco and wants Meraki's simplified cloud management alongside existing Cisco infrastructurenot Fortinet FortiGate
  • A managed service provider running Meraki across client sites who bills the licence cost through to clients as part of a managed contractnot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cisco Meraki

  • The licence is mandatory and recurring for the life of the hardware; after a 30-day grace period past expiry, devices stop forwarding traffic entirely, which is an operational outage risk unlike almost any other hardware purchase
  • There is no perpetual or offline fallback mode, so fully depreciated hardware still requires an active subscription to function, meaning the true cost of ownership never drops to zero the way owned hardware normally would
  • Co-termination licensing ties all devices on an organisation to a single renewal date, so adding a device mid-cycle requires paying a prorated amount to align to that date rather than a clean incremental cost
  • Configuration and monitoring depend entirely on Cisco's cloud dashboard being reachable; a local network outage that also cuts cloud connectivity limits visibility into what is happening on-site
  • Pricing is quote-only and bundled with hardware, so a buyer cannot compare a straightforward per-device licence cost against competitors without going through a sales process
  • Switching away from Meraki after adoption means replacing hardware, not just software, since the devices are functionally useless without a Meraki licence and cannot be repurposed to run other firmware

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 Meraki

On request
  • Meraki hardware plus licence$undefined/year
    • Device hardware purchase
    • Co-termed licence required for the device to function
    • Licence renewal required indefinitely for continued operation

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 Meraki if

  • You need cloud dashboard management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want zero-touch provisioning.
Cisco Meraki 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 Meraki or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Meraki starts at On request 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 Meraki or Fortinet FortiGate?
Cisco Meraki starts at On request and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year.
Does Cisco Meraki or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
Cisco Meraki runs on Web, iOS, Android. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
What is Cisco Meraki best used for?
Cisco Meraki is most often used for a multi-site retail or education organisation that wants one dashboard to manage networking hardware across many locations without local it staff at each site, an it team that values zero-touch provisioning for rapid rollout of new sites over local configuration control, an organisation that has already standardised on cisco and wants meraki's simplified cloud management alongside existing cisco infrastructure, a managed service provider running meraki across client sites who bills the licence cost through to clients as part of a managed contract. Of those, a multi-site retail or education organisation that wants one dashboard to manage networking hardware across many locations without local it staff at each site and an it team that values zero-touch provisioning for rapid rollout of new sites over local configuration control are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can Cisco Meraki do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
Cisco Meraki covers Cloud dashboard management, Zero-touch provisioning, Co-termination licensing, Unified hardware line. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cisco Meraki: What happens if we stop paying for the licence?

After the licence reaches its co-termination date there is a 30-day grace period, after which the organisation is marked out of compliance, devices become unmanageable, and hardware stops passing traffic.

Fortinet FortiGate: What are the FortiGate security bundle options?

Fortinet offers three FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services bundles: ENT Bundle (ultimate security for networks, web, file, SaaS, data, and devices), UTP Bundle (advanced web and network protection), and ATP Bundle (protection against network intrusions and malware with IPS, antivirus, and application control).

Source
Cisco Meraki: Can Meraki hardware run without the cloud dashboard?

No, Meraki devices require ongoing cloud connectivity and a valid licence to operate; there is no supported offline or perpetual mode.

Fortinet FortiGate: How do I get pricing for FortiGate?

Pricing is not published on the product page. To obtain a quote, you can request a free product demo or connect with a security expert through the contact options on the site.

Source
Cisco Meraki: Is pricing published?

No, Meraki hardware and licensing are quoted per deal rather than listed at fixed public prices.

Fortinet FortiGate: Is there a free trial for FortiGate?

The product page does not mention a free trial. However, Fortinet offers a free product demo that allows you to evaluate the solution before committing to a purchase.

Source
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