The permanent trial license is available for one VM per FortiCloud/FortiCare account.
The primary allure of the Permanent Trial license lies in its democratization of advanced security features. Traditionally, Unified Threat Management (UTM) features—such as Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), antivirus scanning, web filtering, and application control—are locked behind expensive annual subscriptions. For a small business with a limited IT budget or a hobbyist building a home lab, these recurring costs can be prohibitive. Fortinet addressed this by offering select FortiGate models (typically entry-level desktop units like the 40F, 60F, or 80F series) with a built-in, non-expiring trial of these UTM features. This allows users to deploy enterprise-level security controls without the pressure of a ticking clock. Unlike a standard 30-day evaluation license, which forces a purchase decision after a month, the Permanent Trial allows the user to utilize the full capability of the device indefinitely, provided they accept certain constraints. fortigate permanent trial license
Thus, Fortinet deliberately limits trials to short periods and low throughput to encourage legitimate purchase. The permanent trial license is available for one
: Restricted to a maximum of 1 vCPU and 2 GB of RAM . For a small business with a limited IT
To activate the permanent trial, you must have a FortiCloud account. Permanent trial mode for FortiGate-VM 7.2.1