Softwr

Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

Fortinet FortiGate vs Stytch

Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Security & Cybersecurity

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stytch logo

Stytch

Security & Cybersecurity

Identity platform with passwordless auth, passkeys and bot detection.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stytch 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; Stytch free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fortinet FortiGate and Stytch differ
AttributeFortinet FortiGateStytch
Starting price$500/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Virtual, CloudWeb, API
Founded2000Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Stytch

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

Stytch

  • Applications prioritising passwordless and passkey authenticationnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • SaaS platforms requiring AI agent authentication and machine-to-machine flowsnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Companies with emerging identity needs such as bot detection and device intelligencenot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Organisations building with Next.js and React requiring modern auth patternsnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Applications needing transparent pricing without surprise tiers or feature gatingnot 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

Stytch

  • Free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation
  • Fraud prevention capabilities billed at $0.005 per fingerprint for usage exceeding 10,000 free checks
  • Additional SSO or SCIM connections beyond the 5 included in free tier cost $125 each
  • Brand customisation and email removal require one-time payment of $99
  • HIPAA and advanced fraud protection only available in Enterprise tier
  • No native UI builder; requires custom frontend development for fully-branded auth flows

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

Stytch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 monthly active users and AI agents
    • Unlimited organisations
    • 5 SSO or SCIM connections
  • Scaled$null/variable
    • Usage-based pricing for users exceeding 10,000
    • All free tier features
    • Volume discounts available
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • Custom pricing
    • Discounted volume rates
    • Enterprise support SLA

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 Stytch if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
Stytch review

Questions people ask

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

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stytch: What is included in Stytch's free tier?

The free tier includes 10,000 monthly active users (human and AI agents), unlimited organisations, 5 SSO or SCIM connections, and 1,000 machine-to-machine tokens with full authentication features.

Source
Stytch: Does Stytch support AI agent authentication?

Yes. Stytch provides native AI agent authentication and authorisation, with support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for authenticating AI agents accessing external systems.

Source
Stytch: What fraud prevention features does Stytch offer?

Stytch includes bot detection with 99.99% accuracy, device fingerprinting, invisible CAPTCHA, and zero-day device intelligence built into all tiers.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Fortinet FortiGate

More on Stytch

Keep looking

Other head to heads