CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Fortinet vs SonicWall

Fortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. SonicWall is a unified cybersecurity portfolio that helps SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams consolidate network, endpoint, cloud, and threat response across hybrid environments. CISO Tribune files both under Firewalls and NGFW, SASE and SSE and EDR and XDR. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Fortinet
  • SonicWall
Fortinet vs SonicWall: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
FortinetFortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations.fortinet.comSonicWallSonicWall is a unified cybersecurity portfolio that helps SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams consolidate network, endpoint, cloud, and threat response across hybrid environments.sonicwall.com
What it sells
  • FortiWeb[18]FortiWeb protects web applications and APIs.
  • FortiAP[17]FortiAP provides secure wireless LAN access points.
  • FortiManager[12][19]FortiManager is a NOC-SOC operations tool.
  • FortiSIEM[12][16]FortiSIEM is Fortinet’s SIEM solution.
  • FortiSandbox[16]FortiSandbox provides AI-powered protection against zero-day threats.
  • Unified SASE[1][11]Fortinet Unified SASE combines networking with AI-aware controls.
  • FortiAIGate[11]FortiAIGate secures AI apps and agents.
  • Capture Client[3][12]Endpoint detection and response built on SentinelOne.
  • Cloud Secure Edge[1][3][7][13][15]SonicWall's Security Service Edge (SSE) platform.
  • SonicSentry MDR[3][7][11]Managed detection and response from SonicWall analysts.
  • SonicWall Unified Management[3]A single console for managing SonicWall products.
Categories
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, United StatesNot stated on its pages
Founded
2000[4]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Public (NASDAQ: FTNT)[2][9][12][13][17][20][22]Owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management since 2016[2][3][5][6]
Named customers
  • IHG Hotels & Resorts[5]
  • Alaska Airlines[6]
  • IndiGo[7]
  • University of Birmingham[8]
Not stated on its pages
Recent news
  • August 17, 2026Fortinet announced it has acquired Virtue AI, a company focused on AI runtime protection, automated AI validation, and security for autonomous AI systems.[20]
  • August 17, 2026Fortinet acquired Virtue AI, a company offering AI runtime protection and automated validation for autonomous AI systems.[9]
  • July 29, 2026Fortinet reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $2.05 billion, up 26% year over year.[2]
  • June 24, 2026Fortinet appointed Derek Kan to its board of directors.[21]
  • May 6, 2026Fortinet reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $1.85 billion, up 20% year over year.[10]
  • May 12, 2026SonicWall announced availability of the Gen 8 NSv XS, a subscription-based virtual firewall for MSPs and MSSPs serving small and distributed environments.[18]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 3, 2026[22]
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[5]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 4, 2026[6]
Who it fits
From its own pages, Fortinet sells mainly to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. Its firewall pages describe deployments across data centers, branch offices, and multi-cloud environments. Wireless products are described for campuses, remote workers, and large public venues such as stadiums and arenas.From its own pages, SonicWall sells mainly to SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams, and to MSSPs and distributed enterprises. Its pages name healthcare, education, local government, finance, manufacturing, and retail as the kinds of organizations it protects. TZ series firewalls are positioned for SMBs and branch locations.
Last verified
November 9, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Firewalls and NGFW is the primary category of both Fortinet and SonicWall; both are also filed under SASE and SSE and EDR and XDR.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Fortinet is also filed under SIEM. SonicWall is also filed under MDR and managed SOC.
  • Fortinet lists FortiWeb, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiSIEM, FortiSandbox and 2 more. SonicWall lists Capture Client, Cloud Secure Edge, SonicSentry MDR and SonicWall Unified Management.
  • Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
  • Fortinet was founded in 2000.
  • Fortinet is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FTNT. SonicWall is owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, since 2016.
  • Fortinet publicly names IHG Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, IndiGo and University of Birmingham.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files Fortinet under Firewalls and NGFW, SASE and SSE, SIEM, and EDR and XDR, with Firewalls and NGFW as its primary category. CISO Tribune files SonicWall under Firewalls and NGFW, SASE and SSE, EDR and XDR, and MDR and managed SOC, also with Firewalls and NGFW as primary. Fortinet's firewall line is built around FortiGate, and it also sells FortiSIEM, FortiSandbox, Unified SASE, FortiWeb, and FortiAIGate. SonicWall sells firewalls, Capture Client for endpoint detection and response built on SentinelOne, the Cloud Secure Edge SSE platform, SonicSentry MDR, and SonicWall Unified Management.

Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, was founded in 2000, and is listed on NASDAQ as FTNT. SonicWall has been owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management since 2016. SonicWall sells mainly to SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams, and to MSSPs and distributed enterprises.

On August 17, 2026, Fortinet announced it had acquired Virtue AI, a company focused on AI runtime protection and security for autonomous AI systems. Fortinet reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $2.05 billion on July 29, 2026. On May 12, 2026, SonicWall announced availability of the Gen 8 NSv XS, a subscription-based virtual firewall for MSPs and MSSPs serving small and distributed environments.

What it sells: Fortinet

What FortiWeb does[18]
FortiWeb protects business-critical web applications and APIs from emerging web-based threats. Its features include anomaly detection, API discovery and protection, bot mitigation, and client-side security. It comes in hardware, virtual machine, and SaaS form factors and is available in public cloud marketplaces.
What FortiAP does[17]
FortiAP integrates with the Fortinet SASE offering to support organizations securing microbranches. FortiAPs are available in models from 2x2 to 4x4, with internal or external antenna. Control can be done with FortiGate, FortiGate VM, FortiSASE, or FortiEdge Cloud.
What FortiManager does[12][19]
FortiManager is the NOC-SOC operations tool that was built with security perspective. It provides a single-pane-of-glass across the entire Fortinet Security Fabric.

What it sells: SonicWall

What Capture Client does[3][12]
Capture Client is built on SentinelOne. SonicWall describes it as delivering endpoint detection and response integrated with the SonicWall ecosystem.
What Cloud Secure Edge does[1][3][7][13][15]
Cloud Secure Edge delivers secure access to internal resources and safe connections to the internet for remote and hybrid workers. It covers ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and DNS Security from one platform.
What SonicSentry MDR does[3][7][11]
SonicSentry MDR combines SonicWall telemetry with expert analysts who hunt, triage, and contain threats around the clock. For endpoints, SonicWall describes 24/7 expert monitoring and response backed by proactive threat hunting.
What SonicWall Unified Management does[3]
SonicWall Unified Management gives IT teams and MSPs a single console to manage, monitor, and respond. It covers firewalls, switches, endpoints, and Cloud Secure Edge.

Questions about Fortinet and SonicWall

What do Fortinet and SonicWall sell?
Fortinet sells FortiWeb, FortiAP, FortiManager, FortiSIEM, FortiSandbox and 2 more. SonicWall sells Capture Client, Cloud Secure Edge, SonicSentry MDR and SonicWall Unified Management.
Are Fortinet and SonicWall in the same category?
Yes. Firewalls and NGFW is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are Fortinet and SonicWall headquartered?
Fortinet is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States.
When were Fortinet and SonicWall founded?
Fortinet was founded in 2000.
Who owns Fortinet and SonicWall?
Fortinet is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FTNT. SonicWall is owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, since 2016.
Which customers do Fortinet and SonicWall name?
Fortinet publicly names IHG Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, IndiGo and University of Birmingham.
Who are Fortinet and SonicWall sold to?
From its own pages, Fortinet sells mainly to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. From its own pages, SonicWall sells mainly to SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams, and to MSSPs and distributed enterprises.
What have Fortinet and SonicWall announced recently?
August 17, 2026: Fortinet announced it has acquired Virtue AI, a company focused on AI runtime protection, automated AI validation, and security for autonomous AI systems. May 12, 2026: SonicWall announced availability of the Gen 8 NSv XS, a subscription-based virtual firewall for MSPs and MSSPs serving small and distributed environments.

About Fortinet

Fortinet sells cybersecurity and networking technology to enterprises, service providers, and government organizations. Fortinet describes itself as a global US-based company securing over 700,000 enterprises, service providers, and government organizations worldwide.[11]

Fortinet’s firewall line is built around FortiGate. FortiGate Next Generation Firewall uses purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence security services from FortiGuard labs. Fortinet says FortiGate provides automated visibility into applications, users, and network, and provides security ratings. Fortinet’s hybrid mesh firewall approach unifies FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments with centralized management and analytics. Fortinet says its firewall solutions include appliances, VMs, and FWaaS, so they can be deployed anywhere in the network, including cloud resources. Fortinet says its hybrid mesh firewalls (HMFs) offer unified management and consistent security enabled via a single operating system. For branch offices, Fortinet describes unified firewalling, SD-WAN, and a LAN/WLAN controller in one NGFW. FortiGate 1200G with FortiSASE Outpost delivers ASIC-powered local enforcement and cloud-delivered security where businesses need it most.[11][14][15]

Fortinet sells Secure SD-WAN, which combines networking with security. Fortinet says FortiAPs used with Fortinet Secure SD-WAN create a Secure SD-Branch. Fortinet’s wireless LAN solution integrates with the Fortinet Security Fabric to offer built-in security, end-to-end network visibility, and automated threat response. FortiAP integrates with the Fortinet SASE offering to support organizations securing microbranches and related devices. FortiAPs are available in models from 2x2 to 4x4, and configuration and control can be done with a FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall appliance, FortiGate VM, FortiSASE, or FortiEdge Cloud. Fortinet also describes deploying FortiAPs as remote APs to extend corporate network access securely to remote workers.[16]

Fortinet Unified SASE is described as helping secure the AI era with integrated networking, AI-aware controls, sovereign options, and digital experience visibility. In security operations, FortiSIEM is Fortinet’s SIEM solution. FortiSandbox delivers AI-powered protection against emerging, sophisticated, and zero-day threats. Fortinet offers FortiAIGate to secure AI apps and agents, enforce usage policy, and control AI spend. Virtue AI will enhance the Fortinet AI-Native Security Fabric with continuous agentic AI validation and runtime protection across the AI lifecycle, according to Fortinet.[11][16]

Fortinet also sells application security. FortiWeb protects business-critical web applications and APIs from emerging web-based threats that target known and unknown vulnerabilities. FortiWeb features anomaly detection, API discovery and protection, bot mitigation, and client-side security. FortiWeb comes in many form factors including hardware, virtual machines, and SaaS, and is available in public cloud marketplaces. FortiGuard security services used with FortiWeb are annual subscriptions that can be purchased a la carte or as part of a bundle with FortiWeb. Fortinet Email Security provides protection for your critical business information. Fortinet offers FortiProxy for protection against internet-borne threats and Advanced Web Content Caching. FortiADC brings the power of the Fortinet Security Fabric to your application layer. FortiDeceptor is based on deception-based technology that complements an organization’s existing breach protection strategy.[16][18]

Fortinet sells management and endpoint tools alongside its security products. FortiManager is the NOC-SOC operations tool that was built with security perspective, and it provides a single-pane-of-glass across the entire Fortinet Security Fabric. FortiAIOps uses artificial intelligence with machine learning to collect data and identify pattern anomalies. FortiClient Fabric Agent integrates endpoints into the Security Fabric and provides endpoint telemetry, including user identity. FortiExtender WWAN appliance uses LTE connectivity with the cellular infrastructure to provide broadband speeds.[16][19]

Fortinet names customers in several sectors. Global hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts is replacing its legacy hub-and-spoke network with a managed SD-WAN solution from Fortinet. IHG Hotels & Resorts is deploying Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to 4,000 sites. Jersey Mike’s says moving to FortiSwitches is greatly enhancing its help desk support of franchisees.[1][3][11][15]

Fortinet on the record

Sources

Fortinet full record

  1. [1]fortinet.comFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Fortinet reports strong second quarter 2026 financial resultsFortinet · fortinet.com · published July 29, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Ftnt 20241231Fortinet, Inc. via SEC EDGAR · sec.gov · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Press kitFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]IHG Hotels & Resorts | Fortinet Case StudyFortinet · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Alaska airlinesFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Indigo airlinesFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]University of birminghamFortinet · fortinet.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Fortinet advances continuous ai protection with the acquisition of virtue aiFortinet · fortinet.com · published August 17, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Fortinet reports first quarter 2026 financial resultsFortinet · fortinet.com · published May 6, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Global Leader of Cybersecurity Solutions and Services | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]FortiDLP Agent Hardware | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Fortinet Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  14. [14]FortiGate / FortiOS | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet Document Library · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Hybrid Mesh FirewallFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Products | Fortinet Products | Fortinet Product InformationFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Secure Wireless Access Points | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Web Application Firewall (WAF) & API Protection | FortinetFortinet · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]FortiManager | Fortinet Document LibraryFortinet Document Library · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  20. [20]Fortinet Advances Continuous AI Protection with the Acquisition of Virtue AIFortinet, Inc. · published August 17, 2026 · Tier A
  21. [21]Fortinet Appoints Public Sector Leader and Tech Executive Derek Kan to Its Board of DirectorsFortinet · published June 24, 2026 · Tier A
  22. [22]Fortinet Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier C

SonicWall full record

  1. [1]sonicwall.comSonicWall · sonicwall.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Francisco partners and elliott management complete acquisition of dell software groupFrancisco Partners · franciscopartners.com · published November 1, 2016 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cybersecurity That Delivers Real Business Outcomes | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Federal Government Cybersecurity | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]SonicWall Next Generation Firewall Reviews & Product Details - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  6. [6]SonicWall Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  7. [7]Cybersecurity Solutions by Use Case | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cybersecurity for Cloud Virtual and Hybrid Networks | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]SonicWall TZ Series: Advanced Protection for SMBs | Entry Level Next Generation FirewallsSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Firewall & Network Security Services | SonicwallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Endpoint Security & Managed EDR Solutions | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Endpoint Security Solutions | EDR, NGAV & Ransomware Protection | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Cloud Secure Edge (CSE): ZTNA Solution | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]SonicWall VPN Clients | NetExtender & Mobile ConnectSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]SonicWall Unified Management | Cybersecurity PlatformSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)SonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]On-Premise ATP | SonicWall Capture Security applianceSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]SonicWall Expands Gen 8 Platform to the Cloud with New NSv XS Virtual Firewall to Help MSPs and MSSPs Deliver Managed Security Wherever Workloads RunSonicWall · published May 12, 2026 · Tier A

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