A trial license unlocks the full features of a FortiGate VM (supported on VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, Xen, and AWS/Azure marketplaces) for a specific evaluation period.
If you are using this for a long-term home lab or studying, keep in mind that you can redeploy a new VM and request a new trial license once the initial period expires, though Fortinet’s terms of service regarding repeated trials should be reviewed. For production use, purchasing a "BYOL" (Bring Your Own License) license is required to unlock the throughput capabilities of the VM.
As the lab grew complex, Alex hit the 3-route limit. To test advanced SD-WAN features, a more robust license was needed. Following advice from the Fortinet Community , Alex reached out to a local Fortinet Account Manager Within a day, Alex received a PDF containing an activation code 60-day evaluation license
(functions.RelatedSearchTerms) "suggestions":["suggestion":"FortiGate VM trial license how to request","score":0.9,"suggestion":"download FortiGate VM image VMware trial","score":0.75,"suggestion":"apply FortiGate license GUI CLI","score":0.7] fortigate vm license trial
Can you extend a FortiGate VM trial? Officially, . Fortinet typically does not allow extending a license file once it expires. However, you have two options:
To encourage users to upgrade to a licensed version for production, the free trial comes with several constraints:
First, you must download the appropriate VM image for your platform from the official Fortinet Support portal (support.fortinet.com) and deploy it on your hypervisor (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, etc.). Once the VM is powered on and you have configured its management IP address, you can proceed. A trial license unlocks the full features of
Network administrators can safely test complex routing protocols (OSPF, BGP), SD-WAN policies, and firewall objects before deploying them to production hardware.
, find the old VM's serial number, and decommission it before spinning up a new trial instance. 4. Alternative for Multi-Node Labs (GNS3 / EVE-NG)
However, its severe mean it is not suitable for production workloads or for testing high-throughput scenarios. For any serious production deployment, a paid license is mandatory. But for anyone looking to learn or evaluate Fortinet's enterprise firewall technology risk-free, the "FortiGate VM license trial" is a powerful and accessible gateway. As the lab grew complex, Alex hit the 3-route limit
Maximum of 3 interfaces , 3 firewall policies , and 3 routes .
Enter your FortiCloud (FortiCare) credentials . If you don't have an account, you can register for free on the FortiCloud Registration Page .
That’s when she saw it. A banner she had ignored for months.
To start, you’ll need an account on the Fortinet Customer Service & Support portal. Log in and navigate to .