If your evaluation is successful and you decide to deploy the system into a production environment, you do not need to rebuild your configuration from scratch.
While the trial license is incredibly useful for learning and testing, it comes with strict resource and feature constraints to prevent it from being used in production environments. 1. Hardware and Resource Limits
Supports basic routing, firewall policies, and limited VPN capabilities.
Fortinet offers a "permanent" free trial tier for its virtual appliances. Unlike older versions that expired after 15 or 30 days, the modern FortiGate VM trial allows for ongoing use with specific performance and feature limitations. This makes it ideal for learning, configuration testing, and small-scale proof-of-concepts. Key Features of the Trial License: fortigate vm license trial
Limited access to documentation and basic updates (full 24/7 support requires a paid contract).
The FortiGate VM requires DNS resolution and outbound internet access to contact Fortinet’s validation servers during initial setup. Ensure your management port has a properly configured default gateway and DNS settings:
Developers can use the trial to test Terraform providers, Ansible playbooks, or Python scripts against the FortiOS REST API. If your evaluation is successful and you decide
Once logged in, configure an IP address on your primary interface (usually port1 ) to allow web management:
You will be immediately prompted to create a new, secure administrator password. Step 2: Configure the WAN Interface
Upon login, she is prompted to register. She chooses the "Trial" option. She navigates to Dashboard > License Information . This makes it ideal for learning, configuration testing,
You will not receive automatic, real-time security packages for Antivirus, Web Filtering, or Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS).
(also called Permanent Evaluation License) starting with FortiOS 7.2.1. While this removes the 15-day expiration hurdle of older versions, it introduces strict resource caps designed for light lab testing rather than performance evaluation. Permanent Trial License (FortiOS 7.2.1+)