Software · head to head
Malwarebytes vs Fortinet FortiGate
Fortinet FortiGate
Software
Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection
- From
- $500/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Malwarebytes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Malwarebytes free version limited to on-demand scanning and removal; no real-time protection; 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: Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Malwarebytes and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.
| Attribute | Malwarebytes | Fortinet FortiGate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $500/year |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Hardware, Virtual, Cloud |
| Founded | 2008 | 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 Malwarebytes
- Malware detection & removal
- Ransomware protection
- Real-time protection
- Anti-exploit
- Anti-phishing
- Browser Guard
- VPN
- Brute Force Protection
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
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Malwarebytes
- Budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free versionnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via Premium subscriptionnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Users combining antivirus with privacy via Premium plus Privacy VPN bundlenot Fortinet FortiGate
Fortinet FortiGate
- Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot Malwarebytes
- Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot Malwarebytes
- Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot Malwarebytes
- Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot Malwarebytes
- Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot Malwarebytes
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Malwarebytes
- Free version limited to on-demand scanning and removal; no real-time protection
- Upgrade requires purchase of Malwarebytes Premium for automatic protection
- Privacy VPN add-on requires separate subscription or bundle with Premium
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
Malwarebytes
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Malwarebytes review.
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 Malwarebytes if
- You need malware detection & removal.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want ransomware protection.
Choose Fortinet FortiGate if
- You need next-generation firewall.
- You work on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- You also want intrusion prevention.
Questions people ask
- Is Malwarebytes or Fortinet FortiGate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Malwarebytes 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, Malwarebytes or Fortinet FortiGate?
- Malwarebytes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Malwarebytes and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
- Does Malwarebytes or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
- Malwarebytes runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- Can I use Malwarebytes for free?
- Yes. Malwarebytes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
- What is Malwarebytes best used for?
- Malwarebytes is most often used for budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free version, organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via premium subscription, users combining antivirus with privacy via premium plus privacy vpn bundle. Of those, budget-conscious users performing manual scans via free version and organisations needing real-time malware and ransomware protection via premium subscription are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
- What can Malwarebytes do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
- Malwarebytes covers Malware detection & removal, Ransomware protection, Real-time protection, Anti-exploit. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle Cloud deployment.