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Fortinet FortiAnalyzer vs Security Onion comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 9, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAnalyzer
Ranking in Log Management
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
103
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Security Onion
Ranking in Log Management
18th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Log Management category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is 2.0%, down from 2.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 5.5%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Log Management
 

Featured Reviews

Manikandan Kannan - PeerSpot reviewer
Simplifying log management by displaying detailed access information
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is its ability to simplify and display logs clearly, providing details like which IPs are accessing the system, the destination, and the policies applied. This visualization and detail make managing logs more straightforward. In conjunction with our VMware setup, Fortinet FortiAnalyzer enhances organizational efficiency, meeting the standard log retention period for up to a year.
Jörg Kippe - PeerSpot reviewer
A mature and affordable solution that is easy to install and easy to update
The product takes time to learn, it's not that easy. In the beginning we had a lot of questions. If you want to use such a tool in an real (industrial) environment, you have to ask how to get the network data. Can we do a full packet capture? Can we provide agents to our end systems? There are no simple solutions to these questions. It's a general problem when running such systems in an industrial environment.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Our use case for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is analyzing traffic. We use it to investigate complaints about account access, check if something is blocked or working, and understand what's happening inside them."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is its performance."
"The solution is easy to use and easy to integrate."
"The scalability of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is excellent at a rating of ten out of ten."
"It has a simplified and user-friendly interface."
"The log analysis and reporting are both quite good."
"The solution provides good standardized reports and is easy to troubleshoot."
"What I like the most is the monitoring system."
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
 

Cons

"From my point of view, at this time, the solution isn't lacking any features or functionalities."
"Fortinet FortiAnalyzer needs to improve in its utilization of AI to enhance its security log analysis."
"Fortinet has a new bug every month, which needs to be improved."
"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Feature-wise, it is working very well for us. We don't need any additional features. However, its pricing can be improved. For small business customers, price is an important factor."
"Software reports are good but should match the dashboard and include top-level output instead of just base or low-level devices."
"Automated reports focusing on compliance issues would provide a clearer understanding of potential gaps and the need for remediation."
"Fortinet FortiAnalyzer could be improved by enabling features such as predictive analysis. We should implement AI features, correlation of different logs, and have predictive analysis, including alerts for policy violations."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
"The product is not easy to learn."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's prices are a bit higher than the other solutions available in the market, but I would say that the tool's quality and support are areas that are good."
"The pricing model is subscription-based."
"The hardware cost and services contract are fair."
"The price of Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is expensive."
"Fortinet FortiAnalyzer is quite an expensive tool."
"Its price is okay for us. Fortinet products are cheaper than other solutions."
"When you compare with other firewall vendors, FortiAnalyzer is quite competitive in pricing."
"I believe that Fortinet is a cost-effective brand, making it a competitive option in terms of pricing."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
"It is an open-source solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
11%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
The reporting features, which offer customization, real-time insights, and compliance support, are particularly noteworthy aspects.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
We pay roughly $5,000 for a solution that we needed specifically, but I do not remember the exact price. Overall, I find the pricing to be good compared to other tools in the market.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAnalyzer?
The only area where it could improve is in providing better training for the tool. Some training would be beneficial, even though it's not entirely necessary for its usage.
What do you like most about Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

General Directorate of Information Technology
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAnalyzer vs. Security Onion and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
853,271 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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