Fortinet VPN (FortiClient)
OnePAM vs Fortinet VPN (FortiClient)
Compare OnePAM's Unified PAM Solution — no network-level access, no client software — with Fortinet's VPN-centric approach and their own ZTNA add-on.
Feature Comparison
See how we compare across key capabilities
| Capability | OnePAM | Fortinet VPN (FortiClient) |
|---|---|---|
| Security model |
Zero Trust — per-resource access
|
VPN — full network access once connected
|
| Client software required |
No — browser-based access
|
Yes — FortiClient agent on every device
|
| Hardware appliance |
No — fully managed SaaS
|
Yes — requires FortiGate firewall
|
| Lateral movement risk |
Eliminated — users reach only authorized resources
|
High — VPN grants subnet-level access
|
| Session recording |
Full visual playback (SSH, RDP, VNC, DB, Web)
|
Not available for VPN sessions
|
| Protocol-aware controls |
SSH keystroke logging, DB query audit, RDP/VNC screen recording
|
Protocol-agnostic tunnel only
|
| Identity-based access |
Per-user, per-resource RBAC with IdP integration
|
IP/subnet-based policies on FortiGate
|
| Just-in-time access |
Built-in approval workflows
|
Not available natively
|
| Deployment time |
Minutes (SaaS, no hardware)
|
Weeks (FortiGate + FortiClient rollout)
|
| Fortinet ZTNA comparison |
True Zero Trust — no network exposure by design
|
ZTNA add-on still requires FortiGate + FortiClient agent
|
| Multi-protocol support |
SSH, RDP, VNC, K8s, gRPC, Telnet, databases & web apps
|
IPsec/SSL VPN tunnel (all traffic in same tunnel)
|
| Audit & compliance |
Full audit trails, session recordings, exportable logs
|
FortiGate syslog (no session-level visibility)
|
| Pricing transparency |
Per-user, published pricing
|
FortiGate + FortiClient + FortiManager licenses
|
| Data masking |
Built-in database query masking
|
Not available
|
Why Choose OnePAM
Key advantages for secure infrastructure access
True Zero Trust, not VPN with a ZTNA bolt-on
- Users never touch the network — access is per-resource, not per-subnet
- No implicit trust after authentication, every request is verified
- Fortinet ZTNA still requires FortiGate appliance and FortiClient agent
- OnePAM eliminates lateral movement by design, not by firewall rules
With OnePAM, a compromised credential can't be used to scan your network. Fortinet VPN hands over the keys to the subnet.
No client software, no hardware appliance
- Browser-based access — nothing to install on user devices
- No FortiGate firewall to buy, rack, and maintain
- No FortiClient rollout across every laptop and phone
- Works from any browser, any device, anywhere
Stop managing VPN client deployments and firewall firmware updates. Users just open a browser.
Full session visibility across every protocol
- SSH sessions recorded with keystroke-level detail
- RDP sessions with full screen recording
- Database queries logged and maskable
- VPN tunnels don't give you any of this visibility
Know exactly who did what, when. VPN logs only show connection times — OnePAM shows every command and query.
Simpler operations, lower total cost
- No FortiGate HA pairs to manage
- No firmware upgrades and vulnerability patches
- No FortiManager/FortiAnalyzer infrastructure
- Transparent per-user pricing vs. multi-SKU licensing
Replace a stack of Fortinet appliances and licenses with a single SaaS platform at a fraction of the TCO.
Our Focus
We specialize in secure infrastructure access with full session visibility. We don't try to do everything — we focus on what security and operations teams need most.
- We don't provide endpoint antivirus or web filtering (FortiClient EPP features)
- We don't replace perimeter firewalls for north-south traffic inspection
- We focus on secure access, not SD-WAN or network fabric
- We complement existing network security for infrastructure access
Works with your existing tools: OnePAM integrates with your identity providers, alerting tools, and SIEM platforms.
Common Questions
What customers often ask when comparing
We already have Fortinet VPN and it works fine
VPN works for network connectivity, but it grants broad network access. Every security framework (NIST, CISA, Gartner) now recommends Zero Trust over VPN. OnePAM gives users access to specific resources — not entire subnets — with full session recording and audit trails that VPN can't provide.
Fortinet has their own ZTNA solution now
FortiZTNA is a step forward, but it still requires FortiGate appliances and FortiClient agents on every device. It's ZTNA bolted onto a VPN/firewall platform. OnePAM is Zero Trust by design — browser-based, no agents, no hardware, with protocol-level visibility (SSH keystrokes, DB queries, RDP/VNC recordings) that FortiZTNA doesn't offer.
We need a VPN for full network access to some resources
OnePAM includes WireGuard-based VPN for network-level access when you truly need it — but with identity-aware policies, per-user tunnels, and audit trails. You get the best of both worlds: Zero Trust per-resource access by default, and network-level access only when required, all through one platform.
FortiClient gives us endpoint security too, not just VPN
FortiClient's endpoint protection (AV, web filtering) is a separate concern from infrastructure access. OnePAM focuses on secure access with session-level controls. You can keep FortiClient for endpoint security and replace only the VPN component with OnePAM's Zero Trust access — they work well side by side.
We need VPN for compliance requirements
Most compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, HIPAA) require access controls, audit trails, and session monitoring — not a VPN specifically. OnePAM exceeds these requirements with identity-based access, full session recording, and per-query database auditing — controls a VPN cannot provide.
Is OnePAM Right for You?
OnePAM works best for teams that need secure access with full audit trails
OnePAM is ideal for
- Organizations moving from VPN to Zero Trust architecture
- Teams frustrated with FortiClient deployment and management overhead
- Companies needing session recording and audit trails for compliance
- Cloud-first teams that don't want hardware-dependent access solutions
- Security teams concerned about lateral movement risk from VPN access
- Organizations paying for FortiGate + FortiClient + FortiManager and wanting to simplify
OnePAM replaces your Fortinet VPN with true Zero Trust access — no client software, no hardware appliance, no lateral movement risk. Every session recorded, every action audited, every connection least-privilege by default.
Ready to See the Difference?
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