FortiClient review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Fortinet endpoint agent for VPN, ZTNA and endpoint protection
Black Friday: is there a FortiClient sale?
FortiClient report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a VPN and endpoint agent for Fortinet setups
FortiClient is Fortinet's VPN and endpoint agent, with a VPN-only edition that has no subscription. Paid editions have no published price, support and central management aren't in the free edition, and central management needs a separately deployed EMS.
Who FortiClient is for
- Fits if your company already runs Fortinet gateways and wants a matching client
- Makes sense if you want a free VPN-only client for a single device
Who FortiClient is not for
- Skip it if you want to control a desktop remotely, as it is a VPN and endpoint agent
- Watch out: no prices are published and editions are bought through Fortinet's channels
- Watch out: support, central management and posture assessment aren't in the VPN-only edition
- Tight if you manage many devices, since central management needs a separately deployed EMS
Why FortiClient gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyPaid editions have no published price and go through Fortinet's buy channels, so value sits at C. The VPN-only edition has no subscription.
- CFree plan and trialVPN-only is listed as a download with no subscription, but support and central management need an Enterprise tier.
- CFeaturesVPN and ZTNA tunnels, posture checks, web filtering and endpoint protection are listed, but central management needs a separate FortiClient EMS.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. The client installs easily, but a company setup needs gateways and EMS configured.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with FortiSASE, FortiClient EMS and FortiGuard. No web client is listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Fortinet's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/forticlient#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/forticlient.svg" alt="FortiClient: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where FortiClient stands among remote desktop apps
FortiClient's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 21 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 28 of 85) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. FortiClient’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 85, level with 46
- CFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 85, level with 28
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 85, level with 53
- CEase of useAbove 10 of 85, level with 48
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85, level with 50
Keep FortiClient, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace FortiClient you would be making servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 51 of the 85 other remote desktop apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private.
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. FortiClient’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is FortiClient?
FortiClient is Fortinet's endpoint agent. It connects remote workers to the network through VPN or zero trust application access and reports to the Fortinet Security Fabric. It comes in a VPN-only edition and in paid ZTNA, EPP/APT and Standalone editions, with central management through the Endpoint Management Server.
Worth knowing
- No prices are published; editions are bought through Fortinet's How to Buy channels.
- Support, central management and zero trust posture assessment are not in the VPN-only edition.
- Central management needs a separately deployed FortiClient EMS.
- It is a VPN and endpoint agent, not a tool for controlling a desktop remotely.
Key features
- VPN and ZTNA tunnels
- The unified agent supports both zero trust application access and VPN-encrypted tunnels for remote workers.
- Endpoint posture checks
- ZTNA Edition includes real-time endpoint posture checks and VPN with continuous assessment.
- Web filtering and CASB
- URL and video filtering through FortiGuard, plus inline and API-based CASB, are part of the ZTNA Edition.
- Endpoint protection
- The EPP/APT Edition adds AI-powered antivirus and malware protection on top of the ZTNA features.
- Central management
- Editions are managed centrally from the FortiClient Endpoint Management Server, with central logging and reporting available.
- Fabric integration
- As a Fabric Agent it reports device information to the Fortinet Security Fabric for visibility and control.
FortiClient pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, FortiClient has a free plan.
- Starts at
- Not published
- Free plan
- FortiClient VPN-only is listed as a download with no subscription; support and central management need an Enterprise tier.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| VPN-only | $0 | VPN client without support or central management; the downloads page points to Enterprise tiers for those. |
| Standalone Edition | Custom | Subscription with email support, aimed at small businesses. Sold through Fortinet's How to Buy channels. |
| ZTNA Edition | Custom | Adds zero trust application access, posture checks, web filtering, CASB and management through EMS. |
| EPP/APT Edition | Custom | Everything in ZTNA Edition plus AI-powered antivirus and malware protection. |
Read from fortinet.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FortiClient before you buy.
Works with
- FortiSASE
- FortiClient EMS
- FortiGuard
FortiClient alternatives
- FortiClient vs Pritunl
Free plan · from $10/mo
Common questions
Is FortiClient open source?
FortiClient is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.