F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager is a commercial Next-Gen firewalls solution by F5. Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is a commercial Next-Gen firewalls solution by Fortinet. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
What our shortlists say about the one we picked.
Best for: Companies wanting SD-WAN and ZTNA built into the firewall
FortiGate earns its spot by folding SD-WAN and ZTNA into the firewall, so many branches can run on one box per site. That fits mid-market and enterprise networks with lots of offices. If you already run separate SD-WAN or ZTNA products, decide first whether you want to merge them.
From Best Next-Generation Firewall Solutions for Business, Fall 2026
Reviewed by Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze.
Application delivery controller with load balancing and traffic management
Next-generation firewall that protects hybrid networks with built-in SD-WAN and ZTNA.
See more solutions in this category, or build a security stack from your picks.
Common questions when comparing F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager vs Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall for Next-Gen firewalls.
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager: Application delivery controller with load balancing and traffic management, built by F5.
Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall: Next-generation firewall that protects hybrid networks with built-in SD-WAN and ZTNA, built by Fortinet.
The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.
F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager is made by F5. Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is made by Fortinet. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.
Often, yes. F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager and Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall are both Next-Gen Firewalls products. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.
Need the answer fast? Best Next-Generation Firewall Solutions for Business picks Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls, Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall, Cisco Secure Firewall and 4 more.See the shortlist
