Overall Score
Counts only researched checks (YES, PARTIAL, or NO) — pending (TBD) checks are never scored as failures. Research coverage differs by vendor, so the number of answered checks per vendor can differ.
134 of 141 researched checks supported
141 of 142 checks researched · 1 still pending
139 of 142 researched checks supported
All 142 checks researched
Fortinet vs Palo Alto Networks: Key Differences
Fortinet scores 83 YES across 121 checks in 12 security topics, while Palo Alto Networks scores 103 YES. Fortinet leads in SD-WAN & Branch Office, TLS Inspection on Mobile. Palo Alto Networks leads in 7 topics including BYOD Coverage, Digital Experience Monitoring, Ease of Deployment. They are evenly matched in 3 topics. The widest gap is in BYOD Coverage, where Palo Alto Networks scores 8/8 YES compared to Fortinet's 2/8.
Score by Topic
| Topic | Fortinet | Palo Alto Networks | Checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI/ML Traffic Security & Controls | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5 |
| BYOD Coverage | 2/8 | 8/8 | 8 |
| CASB & Shadow IT Discovery | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5 |
| Compliance Frameworks & Certifications | 0/5 | 3/5 | 5 |
| Digital Experience Monitoring | 5/8 | 8/8 | 8 |
| Ease of Deployment | 4/10 | 7/10 | 10 |
| Firewall as a Service (FWaaS) | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6 |
| GenAI DLP | 16/23 | 19/23 | 23 |
| Global PoP Coverage & SLA | 5/8 | 6/8 | 8 |
| IoT/OT Device Security | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5 |
| SD-WAN & Branch Office | 10/10 | 9/10 | 10 |
| Secure Web Gateway & URL Filtering | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5 |
| Threat Prevention | 11/12 | 12/12 | 12 |
| TLS Inspection on Mobile | 3/10 | 2/10 | 10 |
| Unified Management & Reporting | 8/10 | 10/10 | 10 |
| ZTNA for Private Apps | 8/12 | 12/12 | 12 |
Detailed Comparison by Topic
Deciding between Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks?
Get a custom report tailored to your specific requirements, deployment model, and compliance needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fortinet or Palo Alto Networks better for SASE?
Where does Fortinet beat Palo Alto Networks?
Where does Palo Alto Networks beat Fortinet?
Which is better for BYOD Coverage: Fortinet or Palo Alto Networks?
Which is better for ZTNA for Private Apps: Fortinet or Palo Alto Networks?
Which is better for Compliance Frameworks & Certifications: Fortinet or Palo Alto Networks?
How is the Fortinet vs Palo Alto Networks comparison conducted?
Other Fortinet matchups
Other Palo Alto Networks matchups
Methodology
All answers are sourced from publicly available vendor documentation, knowledge base articles, press releases, and verified user reports. We do not rely on vendor marketing claims.
YES means the feature is confirmed working with documentation. PARTIAL means it works with significant caveats. NO means confirmed not supported. TBD means research is still in progress.