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IBM QRadar vs Fortinet FortiGate

IBM QRadar logo

IBM QRadar

Software

Intelligent security analytics for real-time visibility

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fortinet FortiGate logo

Fortinet FortiGate

Software

Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection

From
$500/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: IBM QRadar listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing); 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: IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IBM QRadar and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.

Attributes where IBM QRadar and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeIBM QRadarFortinet FortiGate
Starting priceOn request$500/year
PlatformsWeb, ApiHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded19112000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 IBM QRadar

  • AI-powered detection
  • User behavior analytics
  • Network insights
  • Offense management
  • IBM X-Force threat intelligence
  • Federated search
  • Case management
  • Compliance templates

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

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

IBM QRadar

  • Siemnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Security Analyticsnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Threat Intelligencenot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

  • Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot IBM QRadar
  • Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot IBM QRadar
  • Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot IBM QRadar
  • Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot IBM QRadar
  • Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot IBM QRadar

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

IBM QRadar

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £639 per unit, submitted directly by IBM United Kingdom Limited for IBM Security QRadar on Cloud SIEM (unit basis not further defined in the listing)

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

IBM QRadar

On request
  • QRadar SIEMFree
    • Event and flow processing
    • Offense management
    • Threat intelligence
  • QRadar CloudFree
    • Cloud-native deployment
    • Elastic scaling
    • Managed infrastructure
  • QRadar SuiteFree
    • SIEM + SOAR + XDR
    • Unified analyst experience
    • Federated search

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 IBM QRadar if

  • You need ai-powered detection.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want user behavior analytics.
IBM QRadar review

Choose Fortinet FortiGate if

  • You need next-generation firewall.
  • You work on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
  • You also want intrusion prevention.
Fortinet FortiGate review

Questions people ask

Is IBM QRadar or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM QRadar starts at On request and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM QRadar or Fortinet FortiGate?
IBM QRadar starts at On request and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year.
Does IBM QRadar or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
IBM QRadar runs on Web, Api. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
What is IBM QRadar best used for?
IBM QRadar is most often used for siem, security analytics, threat intelligence. Of those, siem and security analytics are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can IBM QRadar do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
IBM QRadar covers AI-powered detection, User behavior analytics, Network insights, Offense management. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle AWS, Azure.
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