FortiGate 60F vs 70G: Which Fortinet Firewall Should You Choose?

Choosing between the FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70G isn't simply a matter of comparing specifications. The right firewall should meet your current security needs while providing enough capacity to support your business as it grows.

FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70G are two popular Fortinet next-generation firewalls designed for small businesses, branch offices, retailers, clinics, schools, warehouses and other distributed environments. Both provide enterprise-grade security in a compact form factor, with features such as SD-WAN, VPN, FortiGuard security services and seamless integration with the wider Fortinet ecosystem.

Although they share many of the same core capabilities, FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70G are designed for different levels of performance and growth. The FortiGate 60F remains a strong choice for smaller sites with moderate security and networking requirements, while the FortiGate 70G is better suited to organisations that expect higher traffic volumes, more users and greater long-term scalability.

For businesses investing in a new firewall today, the FortiGate 70G will generally be the more future-ready option. However, the FortiGate 60F continues to offer excellent value for smaller deployments where budget is a higher priority.

FortiGate 60F vs 70G: A Quick Comparison

The table below provides a comparison of the FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70G across key specifications, including performance, VPN capacity, session limits and recommended use cases. 

What Is FortiGate 60F?

The FortiGate 60F is a compact next-generation firewall designed for small to medium-sized offices and branch locations. It combines firewall protection, secure SD-WAN, VPN connectivity, web filtering, application control and FortiGuard security services in a cost-effective appliance that is easy to deploy and manage.

It is particularly well suited to organisations with moderate traffic levels that require reliable security without the additional performance capacity of higher-end models.

FortiGate 60F is a good fit for:

• Small offices

• Retail branches

• Clinics

• Small professional firms

• Remote sites

• Basic SD-WAN deployments

• Moderate VPN requirements

• Businesses upgrading from older entry-level firewalls

For organisations with predictable workloads and tighter budgets, the FortiGate 60F continues to be a practical and capable choice.

What Is FortiGate 70G?

The FortiGate 70G is the next-generation successor to the 60F, designed for growing businesses and higher-demand branch environments. Built on Fortinet's newer G-series platform, it delivers greater capacity for security inspection, VPN connectivity and concurrent sessions while maintaining the same compact footprint.

It is well suited to organisations that expect continued growth, increasing cloud adoption, more connected devices or higher security demands over the life of the firewall.

FortiGate 70G is a good fit for:

• Growing SMBs

• Larger branch offices

• Retail locations with more connected devices

• Schools and training facilities

• Warehouses and distributed teams

• Security-conscious organisations

• Higher VPN and SD-WAN usage

• New firewall refresh projects

For businesses purchasing a firewall for a new deployment, the FortiGate 70G offers greater long-term capacity and flexibility, which makes it easier to support future growth without replacing the appliance prematurely.

Main Differences Between FortiGate 60F and 70G

While the comparison table highlights the specifications at a glance, choosing the right firewall requires looking beyond the numbers. Below, we explain how the two models differ in real-world performance, connectivity and remote access to help you determine which appliance is the better fit for your business.

Performance

When comparing FortiGate 60F vs 70G, do not only look at firewall throughput.

Firewall throughput is useful, but it does not tell the whole story. In real business environments, organisations often enable security services, such as IPS, antivirus, web filtering, DNS filtering, application control, SSL inspection and threat protection. These features place more load on the appliance.

This is where the FortiGate 70G has a clear advantage.

The 60F offers 700 Mbps threat protection, while the 70G delivers 1.3 Gbps. IPS throughput increases from 1.4 Gbps on the 60F to 2.5 Gbps on the 70G, while NGFW throughput improves from 1 Gbps to 1.5 Gbps.

These improvements mean the 70G can maintain stronger security inspection as network traffic grows. Rather than sizing a firewall based only on its maximum firewall throughput, businesses should consider the security services they plan to enable in everyday operation.

Ports and Connectivity

Both models are compact desktop appliances with multiple GE RJ45 ports, which makes them well suited to small offices and branch environments.

The FortiGate 60F family includes dual WAN, internal ports, a DMZ port and FortiLink ports for FortiSwitch integration. FortiWiFi 60F models also provide built-in wireless connectivity.

The FortiGate 70G family offers similar connectivity but introduces newer FortiWiFi models with WiFi 6. Selected 70G PoE variants also support direct PoE, allowing businesses to power devices such as access points or IP phones without additional hardware.

For straightforward office deployments, the 60F provides ample connectivity. However, organisations planning newer branch deployments with wireless expansion, switching or PoE requirements may benefit from the added flexibility of the 70G family.

VPN and Remote Access

Both the FortiGate 60F and 70G support remote access VPN and site-to-site VPN connectivity through FortiOS.

The 60F delivers strong IPsec VPN performance for many small business environments. The 70G improves IPsec VPN throughput and is better suited to organisations with larger remote workforces, multiple branch connections or higher volumes of encrypted traffic.

As businesses expand, VPN usage often increases through remote employees, contractors, cloud connectivity and inter-office communication. Choosing a firewall with additional VPN capacity can help avoid performance limitations as these requirements grow.

Choosing the Right Firewall

To choose the right firewall, it's important to consider how each model performs in real-world business environments. The following comparisons can help you determine which option is the better fit for your organisation.

FortiGate 60F vs 70G for Small Business

For a small business, both models can be suitable. The better choice depends on expected traffic levels, security requirements, remote access needs and future growth.

Choose the FortiGate 60F if the business has a smaller team, moderate internet usage, limited VPN demand and a tighter budget. It remains a capable firewall for straightforward office security.

Choose the FortiGate 70G if the business is growing, relies heavily on cloud applications, has more connected devices, requires stronger security inspection or wants additional performance headroom for future expansion.

For most new deployments, the 70G is easier to justify because network demands rarely stay the same. Additional users, SaaS applications, SSL inspection, remote work and compliance requirements can all increase the workload placed on the firewall over time.

FortiGate 60F vs 70G for Branch Offices

Branch offices typically require more than basic firewall protection. They often depend on SD-WAN, VPN connectivity, FortiSwitch integration, FortiAP support, secure internet breakout and centralised management.

The FortiGate 60F is well suited to smaller branch offices where traffic levels are predictable and user numbers remain relatively modest. It provides a reliable platform for secure branch networking.

The FortiGate 70G is a better choice for larger or growing branches that handle more users, cloud applications, connected devices, point-of-sale systems, cameras, phones and IoT equipment. Its higher inspection performance and greater session capacity provide additional headroom as branch requirements expand.

For organisations deploying the same firewall across multiple new locations, the FortiGate 70G is generally the stronger long-term standard.

Which One Is More Future-Ready?

The FortiGate 70G is the more future-ready option.

It is built on newer G-series hardware, offers higher inspection performance, supports significantly more concurrent sessions and provides greater capacity for evolving business requirements. Since firewall appliances are typically expected to remain in service for several years, choosing a model with additional performance headroom can reduce the need for early replacement.

The FortiGate 60F remains a sensible option for smaller, budget-conscious deployments. However, for new installations, branch standardisation or businesses expecting continued growth, the FortiGate 70G is generally the stronger recommendation.

As a general guide:

• Buy the FortiGate 60F if the site is smaller and keeping costs down is the priority.

• Buy the FortiGate 70G if performance, security inspection and long-term scalability are more important.

• Consider moving to a higher FortiGate model if the deployment requires extensive SSL inspection, network segmentation, large user counts or enterprise-scale workloads.

Final Thoughts: FortiGate 60F vs 70G

FortiGate 60F and FortiGate 70G are both excellent Fortinet firewalls for small businesses and branch environments. The right choice depends on the organisation's traffic levels, security requirements, VPN usage and long-term growth plans.

The FortiGate 60F remains a capable option for smaller sites with moderate inspection needs and tighter budgets. The FortiGate 70G, however, is the stronger choice for most new deployments thanks to its improved IPS, NGFW, threat protection, VPN performance and session capacity.

For businesses investing in a firewall that will support future growth, the FortiGate 70G provides greater long-term value. Whatever model you choose, size the firewall around real-world usage rather than headline throughput figures alone, considering factors such as users, devices, internet speed, VPN traffic, security inspection, cloud applications and future expansion.

FAQs

What is the main difference between FortiGate 60F and 70G?

The main difference is inspection performance and capacity. FortiGate 70G offers higher IPS, NGFW, threat protection, VPN and concurrent session capacity than the FortiGate 60F.

Is FortiGate 70G better than 60F?

Yes, FortiGate 70G is generally better for new deployments because it offers stronger performance and more future headroom. The 60F can still suit smaller, budget-sensitive sites.

Is FortiGate 60F still good for small business?

Yes. FortiGate 60F can still be a good firewall for small businesses with moderate traffic and security needs.

Which is better for branch offices, 60F or 70G?

FortiGate 70G is usually better for growing branch offices because it has more threat protection throughput, more IPS capacity and higher session capacity.

Should I upgrade from FortiGate 60F to 70G?

Consider upgrading if your 60F is near capacity, you need stronger inspection performance, you have more users or your VPN and cloud traffic have increased.

Does FortiGate 70G support SD-WAN?

Yes. FortiGate 70G supports Fortinet Secure SD-WAN through FortiOS.

Which FortiGate is better for remote workers?

FortiGate 70G is the stronger option if the business has more remote workers or heavier VPN usage. For lighter remote access needs, the 60F may still be enough.