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Fortinet FortiGate vs Descope

Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Software

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Descope logo

Descope

Software

No-code drag-and-drop authentication platform.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Descope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fortinet FortiGate security services are sold as separate FortiGuard subscription bundles, so ATP, UTP and ENT determine which protections are actually active; Descope free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fortinet FortiGate and Descope differ
AttributeFortinet FortiGateDescope
Starting price$500/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Virtual, CloudWeb, iOS, Android, API
Founded2000Unknown

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 Fortinet FortiGate

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

Only in Descope

Nothing recorded that Fortinet FortiGate does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Descope

  • Organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom developmentnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, AI agents) in single platformnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Multi-tenant B2B2C SaaS applications requiring per-organisation identity policiesnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Teams building passwordless-first authentication experiencesnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Healthcare and regulated industries requiring HIPAA-compliant identity managementnot Fortinet FortiGate

Where each one falls short

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

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

Descope

  • Free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
  • HIPAA compliance only available in Growth tier ($799/mo) and above; not included in lower-priced plans
  • No-code UI builder provides pre-built flows but still requires custom frontend development for fully-branded authentication experiences
  • All paid tiers billed annually; no monthly billing option for commitment-free flexibility
  • Bot protection features available only in Growth tier and above

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Descope

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • 7,500 monthly active users
    • Basic authentication
    • Community support
  • Pro$249/month
    • 10,000 monthly active users
    • Custom domains
    • CI/CD integration
  • Growth$799/month
    • 25,000 monthly active users
    • Bot protection
    • Fine-grained authorisation
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Unlimited monthly active users
    • Tiered discounts
    • Premium support with dedicated CS engineer

Which should you pick?

Choose Fortinet FortiGate if

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

Choose Descope if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Descope review

Questions people ask

Is Fortinet FortiGate or Descope better?
Neither clearly leads. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Descope at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fortinet FortiGate or Descope?
Descope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate and Free for Descope.
Does Fortinet FortiGate or Descope run on more platforms?
Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud. Descope runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Descope for free?
Yes. Descope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
What is Fortinet FortiGate best used for?
Fortinet FortiGate is most often used for next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scale, secure sd-wan across distributed sites, zero trust network access to internal applications, virtual firewalls in aws, azure, google cloud and oracle. Of those, next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scale and secure sd-wan across distributed sites are not what Descope is typically brought in for.
What can Fortinet FortiGate do that Descope cannot?
Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Descope: Can I build custom authentication flows without code?

Yes. Descope's drag-and-drop workflow interface allows you to construct and modify signup, login, MFA and SSO flows without code changes.

Source
Descope: Does Descope support AI agent authentication?

Yes. Descope supports building identity journeys for AI agents and MCP servers, including scoped OAuth tokens and delegation chains.

Source
Descope: Is Descope HIPAA compliant?

HIPAA compliance is available in Growth tier and above, starting at $799/month.

Source
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