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CrowdStrike Falcon vs Fortinet FortiGate

CrowdStrike Falcon logo

CrowdStrike Falcon

Software

Stop breaches with AI-native cybersecurity

From
$7.99/month
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

  • Each has a real cost: CrowdStrike Falcon falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices; 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: CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CrowdStrike Falcon and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.

Attributes where CrowdStrike Falcon and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeCrowdStrike FalconFortinet FortiGate
Starting price$7.99/month$500/year
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded20112000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Next-gen antivirus
  • Endpoint detection and response
  • Threat intelligence
  • IT hygiene
  • USB device control
  • Firewall management
  • Threat graph
  • Real-time response

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

Both cover

  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud

What people use each for

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Small endpoint deployments via Falcon Go with per-device pricingnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Mid-market organisations via Falcon Pro or Enterprise with advanced threat detectionnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via Falcon Completenot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Where each one falls short

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

  • Falcon Go tier limited to maximum of 100 devices
  • Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR requires custom quote; pricing not published
  • Higher tiers (Enterprise and above) feature gatekeeping for threat hunting and identity protection

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

CrowdStrike Falcon

$7.99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the CrowdStrike Falcon 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 CrowdStrike Falcon if

  • You need next-gen antivirus.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want endpoint detection and response.
CrowdStrike Falcon 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 CrowdStrike Falcon or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CrowdStrike Falcon or Fortinet FortiGate?
CrowdStrike Falcon starts at $7.99/month and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year.
Does CrowdStrike Falcon or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
CrowdStrike Falcon runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
What is CrowdStrike Falcon best used for?
CrowdStrike Falcon is most often used for small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing, mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection, organisations requiring custom managed detection and response via falcon complete. Of those, small endpoint deployments via falcon go with per-device pricing and mid-market organisations via falcon pro or enterprise with advanced threat detection are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can CrowdStrike Falcon do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
CrowdStrike Falcon covers Next-gen antivirus, Endpoint detection and response, Threat intelligence, IT hygiene. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
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