# FortiClient review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Fortinet endpoint agent for VPN, ZTNA and endpoint protection Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Remote Desktop - **Made by:** Fortinet - **Website:** https://www.fortinet.com/products/endpoint-security/forticlient - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want to control a desktop remotely, as it is a VPN and endpoint agent. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, FortiClient has a free plan. - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **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 https://www.fortinet.com/support/product-downloads on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with FortiClient before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Organizations that already run Fortinet firewalls - Small teams that only need a supported VPN client - IT teams that want VPN, posture checks and antivirus in one agent ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: C.** Paid editions have no published price and go through Fortinet's buy channels, so value sits at C. The VPN-only edition has no subscription. - **Free plan and trial: C.** VPN-only is listed as a download with no subscription, but support and central management need an Enterprise tier. - **Features: C.** VPN and ZTNA tunnels, posture checks, web filtering and endpoint protection are listed, but central management needs a separate FortiClient EMS. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. The client installs easily, but a company setup needs gateways and EMS configured. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, with FortiSASE, FortiClient EMS and FortiGuard. No web client is listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/remote-access ## Keep it, 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. - You could make: Reports: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: Servers in dozens of countries, kept fast and private. - You could not: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with FortiSASE, FortiClient EMS, FortiGuard **Tags:** VPN, Malware protection, Reports ## Alternatives - [Ivanti Connect Secure](https://toolgpa.com/tools/ivanti-connect-secure): Enterprise SSL VPN gateway for secure remote access. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/forticlient-vs-ivanti-connect-secure) - [Zscaler Private Access](https://toolgpa.com/tools/zscaler-private-access): Zero trust access to private apps without a VPN. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/forticlient-vs-zscaler-private-access) - [Absolute Secure Access](https://toolgpa.com/tools/absolute-secure-access): Zero trust network access and SSE for hybrid workers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/absolute-secure-access-vs-forticlient) - [Pritunl](https://toolgpa.com/tools/pritunl): Self-hosted open-source VPN server for OpenVPN and WireGuard. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/forticlient-vs-pritunl) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.fortinet.com/support/product-downloads - https://www.fortinet.com/products/endpoint-security/forticlient Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/forticlient Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).