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Fortinet FortiGate vs Notepad++

Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Notepad++ logo

Notepad++

Developer Tools

Free, lightweight source code and text editor for Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Notepad++ 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; Notepad++ windows-only, with no official native macOS or Linux build.
  • They diverge on capability: Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Notepad++ covers Syntax Highlighting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fortinet FortiGate and Notepad++ actually diverge.

Attributes where Fortinet FortiGate and Notepad++ differ
AttributeFortinet FortiGateNotepad++
Starting price$500/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Virtual, Cloudwindows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
Founded20002003

Identical on both: 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 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 Notepad++

  • Syntax Highlighting
  • Tabbed Editing
  • Plugin System
  • Regular Expression Search
  • Function List

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

Notepad++

  • Quick editing of code and config files on Windowsnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Batch find-and-replace across multiple files with regexnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Lightweight alternative to a full IDE for scriptingnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Viewing and editing logs or large text filesnot 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

Notepad++

  • Windows-only, with no official native macOS or Linux build.
  • Lacks built-in debugging or project/build management found in full IDEs.
  • Plugin quality and maintenance varies since they are community-contributed.
  • No built-in version control integration beyond what plugins provide.

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

Notepad++

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor and plugin ecosystem, no paid tiers

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 Notepad++ if

  • You need syntax highlighting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows.
  • You also want tabbed editing.
Notepad++ review

Questions people ask

Is Fortinet FortiGate or Notepad++ better?
Neither clearly leads. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Notepad++ at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fortinet FortiGate or Notepad++?
Notepad++ has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate and Free for Notepad++.
Does Fortinet FortiGate or Notepad++ run on more platforms?
Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud. Notepad++ runs on windows.
Can I use Notepad++ for free?
Yes. Notepad++ 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 Notepad++ is typically brought in for.
What can Fortinet FortiGate do that Notepad++ cannot?
Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Notepad++ covers Syntax Highlighting, Tabbed Editing, Plugin System, Regular Expression Search.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Notepad++: Is Notepad++ free?

Yes, Notepad++ is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU General Public License, with no paid tiers.

Source
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
Notepad++: What license does Notepad++ use?

Notepad++ is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPLv2), meaning its source code is freely available and modifiable under GPL terms.

Source
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
Notepad++: Which operating systems does Notepad++ support?

Notepad++ runs exclusively on Microsoft Windows; there is no official native build for macOS or Linux.

Source
Notepad++: How do I install plugins in Notepad++?

Plugins are installed and managed through the built-in Plugins Admin (plugin manager), which lists community plugins available for download and update.

Source
Notepad++: Where can I get help or documentation for Notepad++?

Official documentation is at the User Manual site, and community support is available through the Notepad++ community forum and GitHub issue tracker.

Source
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