FortiGate VPN and FortiCliet Alternative

FortiGate VPN vs Defguard comparison

Let's start with a high-level feature comparison between Defguard and Fortinet Gateway.

Architecture in depth comparison

Fortinet's VPN solution relies on a traditional model where the FortiClient endpoint connects to a central FortiGate appliance. All traffic is funneled through a central FortiGate appliance. This monolithic architecture, where dozens of services are bundled into the FortiOS codebase, creates a single, massive point of failure and a performance bottleneck. For a Head of IT, this means any attack on the gateway can bring the entire remote access infrastructure down.

In stark contrast, Defguard employs a modern microservice architecture that segregates the control and data planes. The control plane operates exclusively within your internal network, inaccessible from the public internet. The data plane, built on WireGuard®, is decentralized, enabling direct connections that eliminate bottlenecks, improve latency, and enhance reliability.

Defguard Secure Architecture

Click to zoom

Defguard's secure microservice architecture: Internal Core and external stateless Proxy (public-facing) ensure sensitive data never leaves your internal network while providing secure remote access.

×

Security

This is the most critical differentiator. Fortinet's security model has proven to be dangerously fragile against sophisticated threats.

The FortiGate appliance's design has resulted in a recurring pattern of critical, remotely exploitable vulnerabilities (like CVE-2024-21762). These flaws have been actively exploited by state-sponsored actors like China's Volt Typhoon to gain initial access to critical infrastructure.

However, the greatest failure is the inability to recover from a breach. According to Dutch intelligence services (MIVD), a custom Remote Access Trojan named COATHANGER was developed specifically for FortiGate devices. This malware:

• Survives reboots and firmware upgrades.
• Hides its presence by hooking system calls, making it invisible to standard admin tools.
• Was used to compromise at least 20,000 FortiGate devices globally.

For a CISO, this is a catastrophic risk. It means that even after applying a patch, the FortiGate device cannot be trusted, creating unacceptable business risk.

Defguard's foundation on its open-source Rust codebase provides a modern, auditable cryptographic suite with a minimal attack surface. You can verify the code, not just trust a vendor's opaque security claims.

Identity: Native MFA vs. The FortiAuthenticator Trap

Fortinet requires a complex ecosystem for modern authentication, needing separate products like FortiAuthenticator for SSO and FortiToken for MFA. This fragments security and inflates costs.

Defguard simplifies this natively. It includes a built-in Identity Provider (IdP) and supports any OIDC provider (Microsoft, Google, Okta) out of the box, with no extra licenses, reducing the burden on IT teams.

Access Control: Identity-Based vs. Static IP Rules

Defguard uses a flexible, identity-based ACL system. Policies are tied to user identity, not static IP addresses, making them more secure and easier to manage than the complex rule sets on a centralized FortiGate appliance.

Strategic Impact: Hardware Security vs. Software Agility

The choice between Fortinet and Defguard is a choice between two fundamentally different security philosophies. The table below shows the real-world consequences of each architectural approach.

Management & Setup: Automated Provisioning vs. FortiClient EMS

Scaling remote access creates an "Empty Client" problem: distributing the app is easy, but securely distributing secrets is hard. Fortinet forces you to buy FortiClient EMS to solve this. Defguard solves it using the infrastructure you already own: Active Directory or Entra ID.

We offer true Zero-Touch Provisioning. Admins batch-generate tokens via API and sync them to user profiles. When you push the MSI via Intune or GPO, the client auto-detects the domain, retrieves the token, and pre-configures itself. Users launch the app and connect immediately: no emails, no copy-pasting, and no Helpdesk tickets.

To simplify evaluation, we provide a one-line install script to deploy a complete test instance, allowing you to get familiar with the solution's features quickly. For production-ready rollout, we support modern workflows with deployment options for Docker Compose, Terraform for AWS, and Kubernetes.

Pricing: Transparent Subscription vs. Hidden Licensing Fees

Fortinet's pricing requires multiple, separate licenses for FortiGate hardware, FortiClient endpoints, MFA, SSO, and mandatory support contracts, leading to unforeseen costs.

Defguard offers several plans, including our comprehensive Enterprise plan designed for business-critical deployments. This approach ensures straightforward, subscription-based pricing without the hidden fees common in the Fortinet ecosystem. For a full comparison of our plans, please see our pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions