

Barracuda CloudGen Firewall and Netgate pfSense compete in the firewall solutions category. Barracuda seems to have the upper hand due to its integrated features, straightforward deployment, and strong customer support.
Features: Barracuda CloudGen Firewall has advanced threat protection capabilities, centralized management, and reliable VPN services. Netgate pfSense has open-source flexibility, comprehensive plugin support, and strong security features. Barracuda’s features are seen as more integrated and user-friendly.
Room for Improvement: Barracuda CloudGen Firewall could improve its reporting tools, scalability options, and configuration process. Netgate pfSense could enhance its documentation, support, and troubleshooting processes.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is known for its straightforward deployment process and responsive customer support. Netgate pfSense offers flexible deployment but requires more technical expertise. Barracuda’s customer service is consistently positive, while pfSense users report delays in support resolution.
Pricing and ROI: Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is considered relatively expensive, but users find it worthwhile for its comprehensive features and good ROI. Netgate pfSense is favored for its cost-effectiveness and strong return on minimal investment.
The centralized management and automation features have reduced manual monitoring efforts, saving our IT team several hours per week.
It has drastically reduced the amount of infections from cybersecurity threats and makes managing close to 50 clients or more for our engineers much easier, hence saving a lot of time and cost.
Since using Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, the security incidents have decreased significantly by approximately 25 to 35 percent across our global network.
It's very favorable to have the inclusion of firewall, VPN, and router functionalities.
The total cost of ownership is extremely low when you compare it to a lot of the other devices or other gateway appliances that are available on the market.
There's a significant return on investment.
The support team is responsive and knowledgeable, assisting us promptly whenever we have faced configuration questions or technical issues.
Barracuda's partner support is better than the majority, and it stands out as one of their strengths.
Whenever I faced any issues and searched the knowledge base, I found many solutions in place.
The support is knowledgeable and responds quickly, so the questions are addressed professionally and accurately.
Snort requires you to pay extra for that help. It's a third-party plugin for pfSense.
When we're down, that's $8000 an hour on a $1500 firewall.
Its flexible licensing and hybrid deployment options allow it to adapt to evolving network requirements, ensuring continuous security and reliable operations.
Regarding scalability and the ability to scale and expand with Barracuda CloudGen Firewall, there is no issue, so I would rate it a ten.
I can handle growth and larger workloads easily with Barracuda CloudGen Firewall.
Even with a jump from a 50 megabit to a 500 megabit internet connection and approximately 65 active VPN clients, our firewall operates smoothly without any strain.
pfSense is almost infinitely scalable.
The next step up now is to the 4100, which gives you an additional preconfigured WAN port that allows you to easily separate networks.
Its robust infrastructure and real-time monitoring give us the confidence that our network remains secure and operational at all times.
We have very few issues with Barracuda Firewall, even in the case of zero-day vulnerabilities.
In my experience, Barracuda CloudGen Firewall has been reliable and very high performing.
I've noticed a substantial improvement in stability and ease of use for upgrades and patching over the past year or two.
When I replace consumer routers with pfSense for small businesses with two or three employees, they are often amazed to discover the router can run for a year without a reboot.
Netgate pfSense rates a 10 for stability, and I have experienced no issues there.
Integration with AI would be helpful as modern attacks often utilize AI.
It would be beneficial to merge the existing application policy with the main policy into a single unified policy to improve manageability.
AI can help us enhance our cybersecurity posture, but at the same time, it can be a nightmare that brings attackers. We need to use caution while enabling any AI-driven features.
Netgate pfSense is extremely feature-rich for our specific use scenarios.
Having a reseller portal of some kind that allows us to easily remotely access all the different pfSense gateways that we have out there (like Meraki does with their equipment) would be ideal.
I need to speak to someone immediately.
Our experience with Barracuda CloudGen Firewall pricing and licensing has been reasonable and transparent.
The license price of Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is lower than others, and maintenance or support is included.
It is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive option available.
It also offers a free community version that can't be beaten.
The cost of the 3500 was closer to $4,000.
The total cost of ownership is so low because the license and the hardware are remarkably good.
This integration helps secure our data and applications from attackers trying to gain access and detect malicious activity.
The real-time monitoring helps us quickly identify unusual traffic patterns and potential threats, allowing us to respond immediately and maintain secure and uninterrupted network operations.
Barracuda CloudGen Firewall has positively impacted my organization by increasing the level of network protection against threats from twenty percent to forty-five percent.
pfSense's flexibility is great. If you don't have the money to buy the NetGate hardware, anything works with it. You can toss it on any low-end piece of hardware or virtualize it if you choose to virtualize it.
In contrast, pfSense has a graphical user interface, which makes it all very straightforward and easy to use to set up some pretty sophisticated routing scenarios.
Netgate pfSense provides 100 percent visibility, enabling my organization to make data-driven decisions.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Netgate pfSense | 7.7% |
| Barracuda CloudGen Firewall | 1.0% |
| Other | 91.3% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 32 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 10 |
| Large Enterprise | 13 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 171 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 33 |
| Large Enterprise | 29 |
Barracuda CloudGen Firewall offers strong VPN, scalable network management, and advanced threat protection. Its capabilities include dynamic VPN, SD-WAN, URL filtering, and malware protection, making it essential for network security in distributed environments.
Known for its robust security and user-friendly management, Barracuda CloudGen Firewall helps safeguard networks, manage traffic, and secure connections across distributed sites. It provides critical security features and solutions like firewalling and intrusion prevention for protecting environments such as data centers, offices, and remote locations. Room for enhancement includes the user interface, needing better tutorials, improved load balancing, and stronger tech support.
What are the most valuable features?Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is leveraged by industries to enhance network security and application performance. It caters to sectors requiring strong protection for IT infrastructure, managing traffic in data centers, and ensuring secure connectivity for distributed workforces, which is crucial in sectors like finance, healthcare, and education.
Netgate pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software known for scalability, cost-effectiveness, and community support. It includes customizable packages for varied network management needs, offering solid performance and straightforward management for diverse setups.
Netgate pfSense provides an impressive range of functionalities including firewall capabilities, VPN options, and extensive customization through packages. Its low resource usage and high availability make it viable for businesses of all sizes, especially when dealing with tailored network demands. Despite its strengths, users suggest improvements in ease of use, mobile compatibility, and support for plug-ins. Enhanced centralized management, better documentation, and additional security features are frequent requests.
What are the key features of Netgate pfSense?In education and healthcare, Netgate pfSense is employed for secure connectivity and efficient traffic management, accommodating distinct demands of remote access and content filtering. Organizations in these sectors often utilize features such as load balancing and VPNs to maintain secure and reliable network operations while integrating with services like Active Directory for streamlined identity management. Small to medium-sized enterprises benefit from its affordability and robust functionality, making it a go-to choice for managed service environments requiring effective network security and control.
We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.