The fortinet g series vs f series question has moved from theoretical to practical for most Canadian IT buyers. The F-Series models that have run branch offices and SMB networks for years are still fully supported and still being sold, but Fortinet’s current generation platform is the G-Series, and the fortinet g series vs f series performance gap is real. This post lays out exactly what changed, what stayed the same, and how to decide whether upgrading in 2026 makes sense for your organization.
The G-Series is Fortinet’s current generation of FortiGate appliances for branch and SMB deployments. Understanding the fortinet g series vs f series distinction starts with the model lineup. The SMB-relevant G-Series models are the FortiGate 30G, 50G, and 70G, announced in February 2025. These replace the 40F, 60F, and 80F in Fortinet’s recommended lineup, though the F-Series models remain in active production and are still available for purchase.
The core change is silicon. The G-Series runs Fortinet’s fifth-generation FortiSP5 ASIC, which is specifically designed to accelerate both security functions and SD-WAN operations on a single chip. The F-Series used earlier ASIC generations that delivered strong performance for their time but could not match the SP5 in throughput, energy efficiency, or SSL inspection capacity.
Both generations run FortiOS, integrate with the Fortinet Security Fabric, and support the same ATP, UTP, and ENT bundle licensing structure available in 1, 3, and 5 year terms. Both include FortiCare Premium support at no extra cost with any bundle. From a licensing standpoint, the fortinet g series vs f series difference is hardware only. The licensing model did not change when the hardware did.
The following fortinet g series vs f series figures come directly from Fortinet’s official ordering guide and product datasheets, published on fortinet.com. All throughput values are maximum figures measured under lab conditions with specific test parameters. Real-world performance will vary based on traffic type, inspection policies, and configuration.
For the SMB and branch tier, the side-by-side looks like this:
FortiGate 30G vs 40F
FortiGate 50G vs 60F
FortiGate 70G vs 70F
The pattern is consistent: the G-Series does not always win on raw firewall throughput (the 50G’s 5 Gbps firewall number is lower than the 60F’s 10 Gbps), but it wins significantly on the metrics that matter for security-enabled traffic. Threat protection throughput on the 50G is 57 percent higher than the 60F. SSL inspection throughput is more than double. For organizations running full UTM or ENT inspection on encrypted traffic, which describes most Canadian businesses in 2026, those numbers matter more than the raw firewall figure.
You can review the full G-Series specs and ordering information directly in Fortinet’s NGFW Ordering Guide on fortinet.com.
The SP5 is the practical reason the fortinet g series vs f series comparison tilts toward the G-Series for new purchases. It combines a RISC-based CPU with Fortinet’s proprietary security processing unit on a single chip, allowing the appliance to handle SSL inspection, IPsec VPN, and SD-WAN functions in hardware rather than software. Earlier ASIC generations offloaded some of these tasks but not all of them.
The result is that SSL inspection, which is the single most performance-intensive function in a modern firewall policy, no longer creates the same bottleneck it did on F-Series hardware. For a Canadian organization running Microsoft 365, cloud-hosted ERP, or any other encrypted SaaS traffic, this is not a marginal improvement. The 50G inspecting encrypted traffic at 1.3 Gbps versus the 60F at 630 Mbps is the difference between SSL inspection being practical at full line speed and SSL inspection being a tradeoff.
Power consumption is also substantially lower on G-Series hardware. Fortinet’s published data shows the 70G consumes 62 times fewer watts per Gbps of IPsec VPN throughput compared to the industry average. For organizations managing energy costs in colocation environments or dense branch office deployments, this is another area where the fortinet g series vs f series difference adds up over a multi-year ownership period.
The fortinet g series vs f series decision is not automatic. There are real reasons to stay on F-Series hardware in 2026.
If you purchased F-Series appliances within the last one to two years and are current on licensing, replacing working hardware before the end of its practical life is rarely the right financial decision. In the fortinet g series vs f series evaluation, recency of purchase matters. The F-Series is still fully supported, still receives FortiOS updates, and still delivers the same FortiGuard security services as the G-Series. A FortiGate 60F running a current ENT bundle is a capable appliance. It is not obsolete.
Port density is also a factor. Some IT teams prefer the 60F specifically because of its seven internal LAN ports. The 50G has three LAN ports. If your network design depends on the 60F’s port count and you do not want to add a FortiSwitch, the 60F remains the better fit for that specific use case.
Budget timing is another consideration. If your renewal is coming up and the hardware is performing well, renewing the license on existing F-Series equipment and planning a hardware refresh in the next budget cycle is a sensible approach. DataCenter360 can quote both renewal and replacement options so you can compare the total cost of each path before committing.
Upgrading makes financial sense in a few specific situations.
If your current F-Series appliance is at or approaching end of support, or if you are running hardware that is three or more years old with a renewal coming up, the cost of renewing a license on aging hardware versus putting that same spend toward new G-Series hardware with a fresh license is worth calculating. In many cases the gap is smaller than it looks.
If SSL inspection is currently disabled on your network because it was degrading performance on your F-Series appliance, that is a strong signal that upgrading to G-Series hardware is justified on security grounds alone. Running a modern NGFW without SSL inspection means a significant portion of your network traffic is passing through uninspected. The G-Series resolves that tradeoff.
If you are planning to expand your FortiSwitch or FortiAP infrastructure, the G-Series dedicated FortiLink ports make that integration cleaner. The 30G has one dedicated FortiLink port, the 50G has one, and the 70G has four, all without consuming LAN ports you would otherwise use for workstations or servers.
You can review the full FortiGate G-Series product page and available models directly at fortinet.com/products/next-generation-firewall.
Will my existing F-Series FortiGate licensing work on a G-Series appliance?
No. FortiGuard licenses are tied to the specific hardware appliance they are purchased for. If you replace an F-Series appliance with a G-Series model, you will need new licensing for the new hardware. You cannot transfer an existing F-Series license to a G-Series unit. When budgeting for a hardware upgrade, factor in the cost of new licensing from day one. DataCenter360 can provide a complete quote covering both hardware and multi-year bundle licensing so there are no surprises.
Is the F-Series being discontinued?
Not at the time of writing. Fortinet has not announced end-of-sale or end-of-support dates for the F-Series models. They remain in active production and are available for purchase. That said, Fortinet’s current generation focus is clearly on the G-Series, and new features and optimizations will be developed for that platform going forward. Organizations planning multi-year infrastructure decisions should factor this into their planning.
Does the G-Series support the same FortiGuard bundle tiers as the F-Series?
Yes. Both the F-Series and G-Series support the same three bundle tiers: ATP (Advanced Threat Protection), UTP (Unified Threat Protection), and ENT (Enterprise Protection). All three are available in 1, 3, and 5 year terms. All three include FortiCare Premium 24×7 support with a one-hour response time for critical issues at no extra cost. Fortinet’s ordering guide recommends the ENT bundle for G-Series models, though UTP and ATP remain available options.
Which G-Series model replaces the FortiGate 60F?
The FortiGate 50G is the closest G-Series equivalent in the SMB tier, though as noted above the port layouts differ. The 50G has fewer LAN ports than the 60F but significantly higher threat protection and SSL inspection throughput. Organizations that relied on the 60F’s port density may want to look at pairing a 50G with a FortiSwitch to maintain the number of directly connected devices while gaining the G-Series performance benefits.
DataCenter360 is a Fortinet Select Partner and MSSP based in Toronto, serving businesses across Canada. Whether you are evaluating a move from F-Series to G-Series, planning a renewal on existing hardware, or sizing a new deployment, the team can walk you through the options and provide CAD pricing for hardware, licensing, and multi-year terms.
Contact DataCenter360 at datacenter360.ca/contact-us or call 647-255-1700.