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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

ESET NOD32 Antivirus vs Fortinet FortiGate

ESET NOD32 Antivirus logo

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Security & Cybersecurity

Essential antivirus protection

From
$39.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Security & Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ESET NOD32 Antivirus the advertised price applies to the first term only, and renewal reverts to the official list price; 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: ESET NOD32 Antivirus covers Antivirus & Antispyware, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.

Attributes where ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeESET NOD32 AntivirusFortinet FortiGate
Starting price$39.99/year$500/year
PlatformsDesktopHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded19922000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Security & Cybersecurity).

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 ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • Antivirus & Antispyware
  • Exploit Blocker
  • Advanced Machine Learning
  • Anti-Phishing
  • UEFI Scanner
  • Script-Based Attack Protection
  • Ransomware Shield
  • Gamer Mode

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

  • Cloud deployment
  • On-premise deployment

What people use each for

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

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • Antivirus and anti malware protection for home Windows, macOS and Android devicesnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computersnot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

  • Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Where each one falls short

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

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • The advertised price applies to the first term only, and renewal reverts to the official list price
  • Any saving shown is the difference between the introductory price and that list price rather than an ongoing discount
  • Device coverage is chosen at purchase and priced accordingly, so protecting another machine means changing the licence

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

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

$39.99/year
  • NOD32 Antivirus$39.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • Antivirus & Antispyware
    • Anti-Phishing
  • Internet Security$49.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • All NOD32 features
    • Firewall
  • Smart Security Premium$59.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • All Internet Security features
    • Password Manager

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 ESET NOD32 Antivirus if

  • You need antivirus & antispyware.
  • You work on Desktop.
  • You also want exploit blocker.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 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 ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. ESET NOD32 Antivirus starts at $39.99/year and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Fortinet FortiGate?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus starts at $39.99/year and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year.
Does ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus runs on Desktop. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
What is ESET NOD32 Antivirus best used for?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus is most often used for antivirus and anti malware protection for home windows, macos and android devices, blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computers. Of those, antivirus and anti malware protection for home windows, macos and android devices and blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computers are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can ESET NOD32 Antivirus do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus covers Antivirus & Antispyware, Exploit Blocker, Advanced Machine Learning, Anti-Phishing. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle Cloud deployment, On-premise deployment.
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