Software · head to head
HashiCorp Vault vs Fortinet FortiGate
Fortinet FortiGate
Software
Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection
- From
- $500/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only HashiCorp Vault has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: HashiCorp Vault policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing; Fortinet FortiGate security services are sold as separate FortiGuard subscription bundles, so ATP, UTP and ENT determine which protections are actually active
- They diverge on capability: HashiCorp Vault covers Secret storage, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which HashiCorp Vault and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.
| Attribute | HashiCorp Vault | Fortinet FortiGate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $500/year |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, Windows, Mac, Api | Hardware, Virtual, Cloud |
| Founded | 2014 | 2000 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 HashiCorp Vault
- Secret storage
- Dynamic secrets
- Encryption as a service
- Identity-based access
- Audit logging
- Leasing and renewal
- Secret engines
- Auth methods
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
Both cover
- AWS
- Azure
- On-premise deployment
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
HashiCorp Vault
- Secrets managementnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Database credentialsnot Fortinet FortiGate
- API keysnot Fortinet FortiGate
- SSH accessnot Fortinet FortiGate
- PKI and certificatesnot Fortinet FortiGate
Fortinet FortiGate
- Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot HashiCorp Vault
- Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot HashiCorp Vault
- Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot HashiCorp Vault
- Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot HashiCorp Vault
- Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot HashiCorp Vault
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
HashiCorp Vault
- Policies are written in HCL with no graphical user interface for policy management or editing
- Unsealing requires managing multiple key shares and coordinating a quorum of operators
- Community Edition lacks enterprise features like namespaces and disaster recovery replication
- Requires additional monitoring solutions for alerting and observability
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
Pricing, plan by plan
HashiCorp Vault
Free- Open SourceFree
- Secrets management
- Encryption
- Community support
- Vault Enterprise$6000/year
- Replication
- HSM support
- Advanced audit
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
Which should you pick?
Choose HashiCorp Vault if
- You need secret storage.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
- You also want dynamic secrets.
Choose Fortinet FortiGate if
- You need next-generation firewall.
- You work on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- You also want intrusion prevention.
Questions people ask
- Is HashiCorp Vault or Fortinet FortiGate better?
- Neither clearly leads. HashiCorp Vault starts at Free and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, HashiCorp Vault or Fortinet FortiGate?
- HashiCorp Vault has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HashiCorp Vault and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
- Does HashiCorp Vault or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
- HashiCorp Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- Can I use HashiCorp Vault for free?
- Yes. HashiCorp Vault has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
- What is HashiCorp Vault best used for?
- HashiCorp Vault is most often used for secrets management, database credentials, api keys, ssh access. Of those, secrets management and database credentials are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
- What can HashiCorp Vault do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
- HashiCorp Vault covers Secret storage, Dynamic secrets, Encryption as a service, Identity-based access. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle AWS, Azure, On-premise deployment, Cloud deployment.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
HashiCorp Vault: Does HashiCorp Vault have a free version?
Yes. The open-source Community Edition is completely free and includes core secrets management, dynamic secrets, and encryption as a service. It is self-hosted with no licensing fees or secret count limits, but lacks enterprise features like namespaces, disaster recovery replication, and Sentinel policies.
SourceHashiCorp Vault: Can I use HashiCorp Vault in production?
The Community Edition is suitable for non-production environments and small teams. For production deployments, organizations typically use HCP Vault Dedicated (managed cloud service starting at approximately 22 USD per month) or Vault Enterprise with custom pricing that includes disaster recovery, performance replication, and 24/7 support.
SourceHashiCorp Vault: What are the main integrations available?
Vault integrates with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Active Directory, Okta, and 80+ other platforms. It supports dynamic credential generation for cloud providers, database systems, and identity services, enabling centralized secret management across multi-cloud infrastructure.
SourceHashiCorp Vault: Does Vault work offline?
Vault requires network connectivity to function as it is a centralized secrets management server. However, it can be deployed on-premises for air-gapped environments, and clients can cache short-lived tokens for temporary offline access once authenticated.
Source