Fortinet Secure SD-WAN vs Tailscale

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN9.2Visit Tailscale8.7Visit

Higher score Fortinet Secure SD-WAN #2 in Connectivity Solutions 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Fortinet

vs

Tailscale #6 in Connectivity Solutions 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Tailscale

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN fits best

  Secure SD-WAN with cloud on-ramps

• Tailscale fits best

  Teams connecting devices and private cloud networks

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Fortinet Secure SD-WAN 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Tailscale 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Connectivity Solutions	#6 in Connectivity Solutions
Best for	Secure SD-WAN with cloud on-ramps	Teams connecting devices and private cloud networks
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$8/user/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Integrations	11 integrations	16 integrations
Features Fortinet Secure SD-WAN 0/4 · Tailscale 0/4
SSO support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Private app access	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Split tunneling	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Audit logs	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Connectivity model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Gateway regions	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Routes traffic using application policies and application SLAs Includes zero-touch provisioning and centralized FortiManager management Connects to AWS, Azure, Alibaba, Oracle, and Google Cloud	Connects users, devices, clouds, and Kubernetes with encrypted overlay networking Subnet routers, MagicDNS, ACLs, and exit nodes cover varied network needs Integrates with identity providers and Terraform and Pulumi
Cons	Basic SD-WAN is the only included offering; advanced features need paid services Paid services and subscriptions are sold through Fortinet or resellers Management and automation rely on FortiManager, APIs, Ansible, or Terraform	Personal is limited to 6 users and 3 ACL groups Standard costs $8 per user monthly; Premium costs $18 per user monthly Network flow logs and log streaming are logging features, not live monitoring
Our verdict	Fortinet Secure SD-WAN combines application-aware traffic steering with FortiGate firewall and security inspection capabilities. It is aimed at enterprises, branch offices, data centers, and cloud environments that need to manage WAN… Read the review →	Tailscale creates encrypted peer-to-peer overlay networks linking users, devices, servers, cloud environments, Kubernetes clusters, and workloads. It is aimed at individuals and organizations that need VPN-style connectivity without… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN — where it wins

  • Routes traffic using application policies and application SLAs
  • Includes zero-touch provisioning and centralized FortiManager management
  • Connects to AWS, Azure, Alibaba, Oracle, and Google Cloud

  Where it doesn't

  • Basic SD-WAN is the only included offering; advanced features need paid services
  • Paid services and subscriptions are sold through Fortinet or resellers
  • Management and automation rely on FortiManager, APIs, Ansible, or Terraform

• Tailscale — where it wins

  • Connects users, devices, clouds, and Kubernetes with encrypted overlay networking
  • Subnet routers, MagicDNS, ACLs, and exit nodes cover varied network needs
  • Integrates with identity providers and Terraform and Pulumi

  Where it doesn't

  • Personal is limited to 6 users and 3 ACL groups
  • Standard costs $8 per user monthly; Premium costs $18 per user monthly
  • Network flow logs and log streaming are logging features, not live monitoring

• Fortinet Secure SD-WAN9.2/10 · Free plan

  A FortiGate-based SD-WAN option for organizations connecting branches, data centers, and clouds.

  Visit FortinetFull verdict →
• Tailscale8.7/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  Encrypted overlay networking with a free personal tier and paid team controls.

  Visit TailscaleFull verdict →