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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

Fortinet FortiGate vs Norton 360

Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Security & Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Norton 360 logo

Norton 360

Security & Cybersecurity

Powerful protection against evolving threats

From
$36/year
Rated
-

The short version

  • 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; Norton 360 device limit of 3 devices on Standard plan; higher tiers needed for family with multiple devices
  • They diverge on capability: Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Norton 360 covers Real-time threat protection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fortinet FortiGate and Norton 360 actually diverge.

Attributes where Fortinet FortiGate and Norton 360 differ
AttributeFortinet FortiGateNorton 360
Starting price$500/year$36/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsHardware, Virtual, CloudWindows, macOS, Android, iOS
Founded20001982

Identical on both: 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 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 Norton 360

  • Real-time threat protection
  • Ransomware protection
  • Firewall
  • Password Manager
  • Secure VPN
  • Cloud backup
  • Dark Web Monitoring
  • Parental Controls

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

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 Norton 360
  • Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot Norton 360
  • Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot Norton 360
  • Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot Norton 360
  • Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot Norton 360

Norton 360

  • Antivirusnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Internet Securitynot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Identity Protectionnot 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

Norton 360

  • Device limit of 3 devices on Standard plan; higher tiers needed for family with multiple devices
  • Parental controls unavailable on Standard plan, requiring purchase of separate Norton Family app
  • No HIPAA compliance or BAA support for regulated industries
  • Exploit Prevention works only on Windows devices, not available for macOS
  • Limited account recovery options if master password is forgotten

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

Norton 360

$36/year
  • Norton 360 Standard$36/year
    • Antivirus and malware protection
    • VPN
    • Dark web monitoring
  • Norton 360 Deluxe$49.99/year
    • All Standard features
    • 50 GB cloud backup
    • Parental controls
  • Norton 360 Premium$54.99/year
    • All Deluxe features
    • 250 GB cloud backup
    • LifeLock identity theft protection

Which should you pick?

Choose Fortinet FortiGate if

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

Choose Norton 360 if

  • You need real-time threat protection.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.
  • You also want ransomware protection.

Questions people ask

Is Fortinet FortiGate or Norton 360 better?
Neither clearly leads. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Norton 360 at $36/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fortinet FortiGate or Norton 360?
Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Norton 360 at $36/year.
Does Fortinet FortiGate or Norton 360 run on more platforms?
Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud. Norton 360 runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.
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 Norton 360 is typically brought in for.
What can Fortinet FortiGate do that Norton 360 cannot?
Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Norton 360 covers Real-time threat protection, Ransomware protection, Firewall, Password Manager. Both handle Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Norton 360: What operating systems does Norton 360 Standard support?

Windows 7 SP1 through Windows 11, macOS 10.13 and later, Android 10.0 or later, and current plus two previous iOS versions. Not all features are available on all platforms.

Source
Norton 360: How much cloud backup storage is included in Norton 360 Standard?

2 GB of cloud backup storage is included with Norton 360 Standard. Higher tiers offer 50 GB (Deluxe) and 250 GB (Premium).

Source
Norton 360: Does Norton 360 include a VPN?

Yes. All Norton 360 plans include a VPN for secure browsing. The VPN is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.

Source
Norton 360: Is Norton 360 HIPAA compliant?

No. Norton 360 does not offer HIPAA compliance or Business Associate Agreements (BAA), making it unsuitable for healthcare organizations handling protected health information (PHI).

Source
Norton 360: What is the renewal price after the first year?

First year pricing is discounted. Standard renews at 94.99 USD per year, Deluxe at 119.99 USD per year. This represents a 140% increase over Deluxe's first-year rate of 49.99 USD.

Source

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