Cybersecurity · head to head
Fortinet FortiGate vs Splunk Enterprise Security
Fortinet FortiGate
Cybersecurity
Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection
- From
- $500/year
- Rated
- -
Splunk Enterprise Security
Cybersecurity
The platform for operational intelligence
- From
- On request
- 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; Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- They diverge on capability: Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fortinet FortiGate and Splunk Enterprise Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fortinet FortiGate | Splunk Enterprise Security |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $500/year | On request |
| Platforms | Hardware, Virtual, Cloud | Web, Api |
| Founded | 2000 | 2003 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security monitoring
- Incident review
- Risk-based alerting
- Threat intelligence
- Investigation workbench
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping
- Automated response
- Compliance reporting
Both cover
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot Fortinet FortiGate
- Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot 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
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
- UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
- The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price
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
Splunk Enterprise Security
On request- Workload PricingFree
- Pay per compute
- Flexible scaling
- All features
- Ingest PricingFree
- Pay per GB ingested
- Predictable costs
- All features
- Entity PricingFree
- Pay per monitored entity
- Security focused
- All features
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 Splunk Enterprise Security if
- You need security monitoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want incident review.
Questions people ask
- Is Fortinet FortiGate or Splunk Enterprise Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fortinet FortiGate or Splunk Enterprise Security?
- Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request.
- Does Fortinet FortiGate or Splunk Enterprise Security run on more platforms?
- Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud. Splunk Enterprise Security runs on Web, Api.
- 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 Splunk Enterprise Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Fortinet FortiGate do that Splunk Enterprise Security cannot?
- Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence. Both handle AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
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).
SourceSplunk Enterprise Security: How much does Splunk Enterprise Security cost?
Splunk Enterprise Security pricing is not published. The product is available in Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition with UEBA, SOAR, and Automated Threat Analysis. Customers must contact Splunk sales for pricing quotes on either edition.
SourceFortinet 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.
SourceSplunk Enterprise Security: What editions of Splunk Enterprise Security are available?
Splunk Enterprise Security offers Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition which adds UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response), and Automated Threat Analysis.
SourceFortinet 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Fortinet FortiGate
More on Splunk Enterprise Security
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