Software · head to head
Windscribe vs Fortinet FortiGate
Windscribe
Software
VPN and firewall service with a generous free data tier and a customizable Build-A-Plan option
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Fortinet FortiGate
Software
Next-generation firewall with AI-powered threat protection
- From
- $500/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Windscribe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Windscribe free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.; 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: Windscribe covers Firewall / default block, Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Windscribe and Fortinet FortiGate actually diverge.
| Attribute | Windscribe | Fortinet FortiGate |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $500/year |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web | Hardware, Virtual, Cloud |
| Founded | Unknown | 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 Windscribe
- Firewall / default block
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Build-A-Plan
- R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker
- Static IP and port forwarding add-ons
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
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Windscribe
- Running a free VPN across unlimited personal devicesnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaplynot Fortinet FortiGate
- Blocking ads and trackers at the DNS level while browsingnot Fortinet FortiGate
- Preventing IP leaks with a default-block firewall rulenot Fortinet FortiGate
Fortinet FortiGate
- Next-generation firewalling at data centre, campus and branch scalenot Windscribe
- Secure SD-WAN across distributed sitesnot Windscribe
- Zero trust network access to internal applicationsnot Windscribe
- Virtual firewalls in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oraclenot Windscribe
- Ruggedised deployments in industrial environmentsnot Windscribe
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Windscribe
- Free tier's 10GB cap still requires email confirmation and social sharing to unlock, unlike some no-strings-attached competitors.
- Build-A-Plan's low cost only covers selected locations, so broad global coverage still requires the full Pro plan.
- Server speeds and streaming reliability are inconsistent compared to larger premium VPN providers.
- Customer support is primarily ticket/community-based rather than live chat for lower tiers.
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
Windscribe
Free- FreeFree
- 10GB of data per month with confirmed email
- 10 server countries
- Unlimited devices
- Build-A-Plan$3/month
- Pay per selected server location ($1/location)
- $3 minimum purchase
- Unlimited data on selected locations
- Pro$9/month
- Unlimited data
- 69+ countries
- $69/year on annual billing
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 Windscribe if
- You need firewall / default block.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web.
- You also want unlimited simultaneous devices.
Choose Fortinet FortiGate if
- You need next-generation firewall.
- You work on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- You also want intrusion prevention.
Questions people ask
- Is Windscribe or Fortinet FortiGate better?
- Neither clearly leads. Windscribe 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, Windscribe or Fortinet FortiGate?
- Windscribe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Windscribe and $500/year for Fortinet FortiGate.
- Does Windscribe or Fortinet FortiGate run on more platforms?
- Windscribe runs on windows, mac, linux, ios, android, web. Fortinet FortiGate runs on Hardware, Virtual, Cloud.
- Can I use Windscribe for free?
- Yes. Windscribe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fortinet FortiGate starts at $500/year.
- What is Windscribe best used for?
- Windscribe is most often used for running a free vpn across unlimited personal devices, buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaply, blocking ads and trackers at the dns level while browsing, preventing ip leaks with a default-block firewall rule. Of those, running a free vpn across unlimited personal devices and buying access to just a few specific server locations cheaply are not what Fortinet FortiGate is typically brought in for.
- What can Windscribe do that Fortinet FortiGate cannot?
- Windscribe covers Firewall / default block, Unlimited simultaneous devices, Build-A-Plan, R.O.B.E.R.T. content blocker. Fortinet FortiGate covers Next-generation firewall, Intrusion prevention, SSL/TLS inspection, Application control.
Related pages
More on Fortinet FortiGate
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