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NordVPN vs Fortinet FortiGate

NordVPN logo

NordVPN

Software

The best online VPN service for speed and security

From
$3.99/month
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: NordVPN the App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.; 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: NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where NordVPN and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeNordVPNFortinet FortiGate
Starting price$3.99/month$500/year
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, ApiHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded20122000

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 NordVPN

  • Military-grade encryption
  • No-logs policy
  • Kill Switch
  • Split tunneling
  • Double VPN
  • Onion over VPN
  • Threat Protection
  • Meshnet

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.

NordVPN

  • Vpnnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Privacynot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Online Securitynot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Where each one falls short

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

NordVPN

  • The App Store listing states the app is free to download but is non-functional without purchasing a subscription first; no price figure appears anywhere in the listing itself, only the requirement to buy a plan before VPN access works.

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

NordVPN

$3.99/month
  • Standard$3.99/month
    • 6 devices
    • 5,500+ servers
    • Threat Protection Lite
  • Plus$4.99/month
    • All Standard features
    • Threat Protection Pro
    • NordPass password manager
  • Complete$5.99/month
    • All Plus features
    • NordLocker 1TB encrypted cloud
    • Identity theft protection

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 NordVPN if

  • You need military-grade encryption.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want no-logs policy.
NordVPN 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 NordVPN or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Fortinet FortiGate?
NordVPN starts at $3.99/month and Fortinet FortiGate at $500/year.
Does NordVPN or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
NordVPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Api. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
What is NordVPN best used for?
NordVPN is most often used for vpn, privacy, online security. Of those, vpn and privacy are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can NordVPN do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
NordVPN covers Military-grade encryption, No-logs policy, Kill Switch, Split tunneling. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle Cloud deployment.
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