Softwr

Software · head to head

ProtonVPN vs Fortinet FortiGate

ProtonVPN logo

ProtonVPN

Software

High-speed Swiss VPN that safeguards your privacy

From
Free
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

  • Only ProtonVPN has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ProtonVPN free plan limited to one device at a time; 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: ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ProtonVPN and Fortinet FortiGate differ
AttributeProtonVPNFortinet FortiGate
Starting priceFree$500/year
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidHardware, Virtual, Cloud
Founded20142000

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 ProtonVPN

  • No-logs policy
  • Secure Core
  • Kill Switch
  • DNS leak protection
  • Tor over VPN
  • Split tunneling
  • NetShield ad-blocker
  • VPN Accelerator

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.

ProtonVPN

  • Privacy-focused browsing without subscription costnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Multi-device protection with Plus plan supporting 10 devicesnot Fortinet FortiGate
  • Integrated access to Proton email and cloud services via Unlimited plannot Fortinet FortiGate

Fortinet FortiGate

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

Where each one falls short

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

ProtonVPN

  • Free plan limited to one device at a time
  • Free plan restricted to 10 countries with random selection
  • Pricing amounts not clearly published; shown as variable

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

ProtonVPN

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ProtonVPN 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 ProtonVPN if

  • You need no-logs policy.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want secure core.
ProtonVPN 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 ProtonVPN or Fortinet FortiGate better?
Neither clearly leads. ProtonVPN 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, ProtonVPN or Fortinet FortiGate?
ProtonVPN has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ProtonVPN and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
Does ProtonVPN or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
ProtonVPN runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
Can I use ProtonVPN for free?
Yes. ProtonVPN has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
What is ProtonVPN best used for?
ProtonVPN is most often used for privacy-focused browsing without subscription cost, multi-device protection with plus plan supporting 10 devices, integrated access to proton email and cloud services via unlimited plan. Of those, privacy-focused browsing without subscription cost and multi-device protection with plus plan supporting 10 devices are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
What can ProtonVPN do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
ProtonVPN covers No-logs policy, Secure Core, Kill Switch, DNS leak protection. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control. Both handle Cloud deployment.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on ProtonVPN

More on Fortinet FortiGate

Keep looking

Other head to heads