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Fortinet FortiGate vs Ring Neighbors

Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Free plan
No
Ring Neighbors logo

Ring Neighbors

Government

Community Safety Network

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only Ring Neighbors 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; Ring Neighbors neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fortinet FortiGate and Ring Neighbors actually diverge.

Attributes where Fortinet FortiGate and Ring Neighbors differ
AttributeFortinet FortiGateRing Neighbors
Starting price$500/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Virtual, CloudWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
Founded20002013

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 Ring Neighbors

  • Video Request Portal
  • Community Alerts
  • Geographic Requests
  • Case Management
  • Resident Opt-in
  • Ring Devices
  • CAD Systems
  • Social Media

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

Ring Neighbors

  • Citizen Servicesnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Records Managementnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Public Safetynot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Civic Engagementnot 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

Ring Neighbors

  • Neighbors by Ring is a free app only available in the US, per the vendor's own page (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2023)

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

Ring Neighbors

Free
  • Public Safety PortalFree
    • Video Requests
    • Community Alerts
    • Case Management

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 Ring Neighbors if

  • You need video request portal.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want community alerts.

Questions people ask

Is Fortinet FortiGate or Ring Neighbors better?
Neither clearly leads. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Ring Neighbors at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fortinet FortiGate or Ring Neighbors?
Ring Neighbors has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate and Free for Ring Neighbors.
Does Fortinet FortiGate or Ring Neighbors run on more platforms?
Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud. Ring Neighbors runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Ring Neighbors for free?
Yes. Ring Neighbors 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 Ring Neighbors is typically brought in for.
What can Fortinet FortiGate do that Ring Neighbors cannot?
Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Ring Neighbors covers Video Request Portal, Community Alerts, Geographic Requests, Case Management.

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
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
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
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