Cisco Secure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense comparison

Cisco and Netgate are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Cisco holds a 7.5% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Netgate’s 9.1% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Netgate users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Secure Firewall, Netgate pfSense, and OPNsense based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls.

To learn more, read our detailed Firewalls Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

March 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.8

Fortinet FortiGate offers high ROI with cost savings, enhanced security, and increased productivity, driving widespread user satisfaction.

Sentiment score

4.8

Cisco Secure Firewall boosts returns with cost reductions, efficiency, stability, enhanced security, and appreciated integration and cost-effectiveness.

Sentiment score

5.9

Netgate pfSense provides high ROI by reducing hardware and licensing costs, enhancing reliability, and lowering support and maintenance expenses.

Sentiment score

3.3

Organizations achieved quick ROI with OPNsense, reducing costs, licensing fees, and improving security, saving up to $100,000 annually.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

There is always a return on investment because you find you invest heavily, but your environment is secure and then you are at rest; you do not need to panic.

FataiAkinwande

Specialist Datacenter And Server at IHS Towers

The biggest return on investment when using Cisco Secure Firewall is that there's no waste in any infrastructure cost and licensing costs for us.

Marc Roxas

Assistant Vice President at PLDT Enterprise

From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using Cisco Secure Firewall is the single pane of glass, which is a huge plus for us.

Dev Patel

Network Engineer at a government with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

Since the memory leak fixes, it's been incredibly stable and requires minimal maintenance.

Hunor Dori

Network Engineer at a media company with 51-200 employees

In four years of using it, that payment of 189 dollars per year has already paid off.

Reymond Rivera

L2 Systems Administrator at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

It's very favorable to have the inclusion of firewall, VPN, and router functionalities.

Brad Hodge

Owner at SimpleIT

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

The network attacks reduced by approximately 60% after using that, even without customizing the custom configuration yet.

Mahmoud Suleiman

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 11-50 employees

For a very little investment, I was able to increase the security of my network.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate support is generally well-rated for responsiveness and expertise, though experiences vary by region and complexity.

Sentiment score

7.3

Cisco Secure Firewall receives high ratings for responsive, knowledgeable support, despite some concerns about process speed and consistency.

Sentiment score

7.8

Netgate pfSense users often rely on forums, yet paid support is praised for its responsiveness and problem-solving expertise.

Sentiment score

5.5

OPNsense community offers strong, responsive support, often resolving user issues independently, with official service rated moderately high.

The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

I have to provide many logs, yet problems remain unresolved, often requiring workarounds rather than solutions.

Maharajan S

VSO at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

I have been working with them on firewalls, wireless, switching, and routing, and the support is the best.

GireeshRamamurthy

Principal Consultant at Epitome Infotech Solutions (P) Ltd

They have expertise and provide solutions for the most difficult problems.

Alvin Rubio Avila

Network Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

When I provide detailed information about the problem, they've been able to reply quickly with a solution or go research the problem and get back to us quickly with a fix.

SeanCox

NOC / Network Engineering Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

They are highly responsive.

Steve Gleason

Network Administrator at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees

I couldn't imagine having better support.

Tim Lambert

Director of IT at Cutting Edge Hair Salon RSS

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Compared to some open-source projects with weak support, OPNsense stands out for having both a strong community and commercial backing options.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

I mainly rely on community support since the solution is open source.

Stephen Zoran

Senior Client Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

If you say you do not have one, it is finished. This is where the monopoly starts.

Harry Fusser

Senior Solutions Engineer at a educational organization with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate effectively scales for diverse enterprises, despite occasional hardware limitations and complexities in adding new devices.

Sentiment score

6.7

Cisco Secure Firewall offers scalable performance for diverse enterprises, though potentially costly, with adaptable clustering and model options for growth.

Sentiment score

6.6

Netgate pfSense offers exceptional scalability and performance, efficiently managing various environments with seamless hardware integration and virtualization.

Sentiment score

6.8

OPNsense offers scalable adaptability for various environments, performing well in small to mid-sized enterprises, with flexible resource capabilities.

They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

When something happens in the device, the failover happens very quickly without any interruption.

Ahmad Savanna

Network Unit Head at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees

Cisco Secure Cloud now allows us to potentially take the management functions of Cisco Secure Firewall, move it into the cloud, and integrate it with other Cisco security products, managing everything from one single pane.

reviewer2802570

Senior Network Engineer at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees

I rate the scalability as a number 10.

Mohamed Fouad

Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

I don't think Netgate pfSense can offer much scalability for big enterprises.

reviewer2510328

Director at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

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.

reviewer2512578

IT Manager at a healthcare company with 11-50 employees

pfSense is almost infinitely scalable.

Dale Briggs

Owner at Xcelitek, LLC

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

OPNsense is an extremely scalable solution.

Chirosca Alecsandru

Owner at Networks srl

I use Zenarmor, pinning it to one core for packet inspection, and the CPU performance seems very good.

Stephen Zoran

Senior Client Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

OPNsense's scalability is excellent; I just need to resize my hardware and upgrade the server, and voilà, I am good to go.

Mahmoud Suleiman

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is stable, with minor issues mostly resolved by updates, and users rate its stability highly.

Sentiment score

7.7

Cisco Secure Firewall is praised for reliability, stability, strong performance, effective support, with minor bugs not affecting its high availability.

Sentiment score

7.1

Netgate pfSense is highly stable and reliable, with user-reported issues typically tied to hardware or outdated versions.

Sentiment score

7.7

OPNsense is stable and user-friendly, though it faces minor VPN and update issues; community support enhances user experience.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

We have often encountered split-brain scenarios during failover processes and code upgrades, which have been persistent problems for us.

Phil Shiflett

Senior Manager, Network Engineering at TTi Power Equipment

We work with a cluster with high availability, so if something goes wrong, we have it functioning.

reviewer2718378

Engineer

Cisco Secure Firewall offers exceptional performance and stability.

GireeshRamamurthy

Principal Consultant at Epitome Infotech Solutions (P) Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten.

Mohmad Saqib

Infrastructure and integration Architect at CommunityForce

I've noticed a substantial improvement in stability and ease of use for upgrades and patching over the past year or two.

Damon Martin

Technical Sales Specialist at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

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.

Vinc Duran

Partner and Owner at Free Range Geeks

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

For home and small network use, OPNsense is also reliable, providing enterprise-grade security at no cost.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

OPNsense is the same, but it does have a way of installing the Realtek drivers, which gives you a lot more stability overall on the system.

RicardoDias

Network and Programming Specialist at Twentytwo Integration

The only challenge faced was its inadequacy to manage large voice traffic effectively, even with dedicated hardware.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate users face stability issues, high costs, complex interfaces, and desire improvements in support, integration, and features.

Users desire a more intuitive Cisco Secure Firewall GUI with better integration, simplified licensing, and enhanced threat management capabilities.

Netgate pfSense users seek improvements in interface, management, features, reporting, and third-party integration for enhanced usability.

OPNsense improves wireless management, VPN features, and interface while needing better virtual integration and enhanced threat intelligence and security.

These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.

Elvis Mahadeo

Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company

It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.

Pravin Mandlik

Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

My ongoing complaint for the last six years has been the lack of CLI functionality, which hinders my ability to work on the firewall, alongside concerns regarding deployment time.

Phil Shiflett

Senior Manager, Network Engineering at TTi Power Equipment

The GUI is useless for me and frustrates me to a very high degree, which led me to switch to the CLI for configuration.

Sébastien Peeters

Network Engineer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees

Firewall as a Service can scale to a very large extent because it is a cloud-based offering that can scale up to a very large number, which is not a problem.

Rajender Bhandari

Chief Technology Officer at Binary Global Limited

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

It would be helpful to be able to query larger data sets, even if you had to break them up into smaller subsets.

Wes Shaw

Vice President Of Engineering at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

Netgate pfSense is extremely feature-rich for our specific use scenarios.

Juan San Martin

Systems Administrator at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

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.

reviewer2511729

Operations Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

I would like the APIs to be more mature and more developed and have more options to automate threat hunting.

Chirosca Alecsandru

Owner at Networks srl

Enhancing its performance for significant amounts of data traffic would make it closer to a perfect solution.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

It would be beneficial if they could create some videos on how to set it up themselves.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate is cost-effective and flexible compared to competitors, but may be expensive for small businesses.

Cisco Secure Firewall offers balanced pricing with comprehensive features, justifying higher costs through reliability, security, and support.

Netgate pfSense offers enterprises cost-effective, open-source security with free software and optional, competitively-priced support subscriptions.

OPNsense offers cost-effective open-source network security, with optional support fees but no licensing costs, competing with FortiGate and Azure Firewall.

Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

It's good to have them, however, it costs us a lot.

Corey Keyonnie

It Administration at Dilcon Community School

It's considered a premium, but people pay that price for Cisco.

GireeshRamamurthy

Principal Consultant at Epitome Infotech Solutions (P) Ltd

There are a lot of in-place contracts for us that provide the benefit of discounts.

Joshua

Solutions Architect at a manufacturing company with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

It is far cheaper than big brand names like FortiGate and Cisco while delivering a feature set that's nearly the same across the entire list.

SeanCox

NOC / Network Engineering Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Advanced features like Suricato or Snort require additional subscriptions for business use, but overall, pfSense remains a cost-effective solution.

Hunor Dori

Network Engineer at a media company with 51-200 employees

Netgate's maintenance contracts are significantly more affordable compared to other vendors, demonstrating their competitive pricing and commitment to customer value.

Scott Whitney

Infrastructure & network manager at a non-tech company with self employed

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

They use AI for packet inspection, which integrates with OPNsense and pfSense.

RicardoDias

Network and Programming Specialist at Twentytwo Integration

I consider the pricing of OPNsense to be high when compared with other market products.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

OPNsense is free, the licensing and setup was easy.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate offers robust security features, user-friendly interface, scalability, affordability, and centralized management, ideal for diverse applications.

Cisco Secure Firewall offers strong protection with VPN, FMC management, high availability, threat detection, and seamless Cisco integration.

Netgate pfSense is a cost-effective, scalable, customizable firewall offering security, VPNs, traffic management, and strong community support.

OPNsense provides scalable, cost-effective network security with advanced VPN, firewall, and filtering features for enterprises and small businesses.

We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.

VINAY GUJARATHI

Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions

They put in a thing called the FortiCookbook, which is very easy to read with real-life scenarios that make networking tasks like joining networks very straightforward.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks.

reviewer890418

Sales & Support at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

What stands out positively about Cisco is their training and support, which has effectively prepared engineers to work with their products.

Phil Shiflett

Senior Manager, Network Engineering at TTi Power Equipment

This is very important to my organization, as we work extensively with security because we are a bank, so we can keep the data safe.

Alvin Rubio Avila

Network Security Administrator at a government with 501-1,000 employees

Cisco Secure Firewall allows me to safeguard Layer 7 or Layer 3 and manage the security rules with the business needs of my organization.

reviewer2718378

Engineer

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Secure Firewall report

Netgate pfSense Plus provides features that help us minimize downtime. The ability to do high availability and failover of LAN links is a nice feature.

Victor Abyad

Technical Delivery Architect at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Netgate pfSense has a high-availability application called CARP that allows you to put two devices in failover mode.

John Lloyd

Vice President at Griffin Networks

As a Layer 4 product, Netgate pfSense is very strong since I can easily create very advanced firewall rules, which I wouldn't be able to create as easily with other solutions, especially if they don't come with more than 10,000 or 20,000 USD as the price tag.

reviewer2510328

Director at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

The most valuable features include the basic firewall functionality and the GeoIP location services.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

I can have a Wi-Fi VLAN and feel secure that the server network or the VM network that I have on a different VLAN are isolated, and they cannot talk to one another, which adds a great level of security.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Firewall is 7.5%, up from 5.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netgate pfSense is 9.1%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OPNsense is 10.3%, down from 12.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.3%
Netgate pfSense	9.1%
OPNsense	10.3%
Cisco Secure Firewall	7.5%
Other	54.8%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

Read full review

Phil Shiflett

Senior Manager, Network Engineering at TTi Power Equipment

Unified policies streamline network management but complex licensing requires attention

Cisco Secure Firewall has some growth opportunities in terms of visibility and control capabilities regarding managing encrypted traffic. It has the ability to analyze encrypted traffic, and there is potential for more integration with APIs and AI to enhance these capabilities. Cisco Secure Firewall needs improvement in deployment time and the capability to access the CLI during support calls. I often encounter issues when technical support uses a CLI that is not familiar to me while troubleshooting through the GUI. My ongoing complaint for the last six years has been the lack of CLI functionality, which hinders my ability to work on the firewall, alongside concerns regarding deployment time. For the next release, they should look at the features offered by competitors such as Fortinet, including the ability to perform packet capture directly from the interface. If they enhanced their troubleshooting efficiency related to packet capture for each specific rule, it would simplify the process significantly.

Read full review

Juan-Arias

Principal Cloud Architect - Software Engineer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Rapid VPN setup has connected offices in minutes and brings live insights for proactive issue control

What I appreciate the most about Netgate pfSense is the ease and straightforward nature of the platform. I can set up a new office in less than 10 minutes. The benefits of using Netgate pfSense are that I can set up VPNs in less than two to three minutes, and then just deploy the file across my networks, where everybody would be connected in less than an hour. The dashboards of Netgate pfSense bring all the necessary information that I need at a glance, and it is actually a live update every three to five seconds. It is spotless, and I have been able to catch issues before they hit operations.

Read full review

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Has helped simulate enterprise security setups and strengthens network segmentation practices

For my capstone, I use OPNsense for my project and its broader benefits for enterprise and cybersecurity context. OPNsense is an open source based firewall and routing platform. It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost. This platform has a modular design, a clean web-based GUI, and frequent updates that prioritize security and usability. It competes with commercial firewalls such as Cisco ASA, FortiGate, and Palo Alto, but stands out because it's community-driven, cost-effective, and transparent. I find OPNsense's feature of acting as a central firewall and gateway most valuable, providing robust point segmentation between the internal network and DMZs in my capstone project, intrusion detection to monitor malicious traffic, VPN services for secure remote access, and logging and monitoring for compliance and auditing. This allows me to simulate a real-world enterprise environment on a smaller scale, demonstrating both security hardening and network efficiency. OPNsense impacts my projects and home network positively because its cost-effectiveness is perfect for lab and enterprise setup without expensive licensing. The flexibility, easy VLAN and DMZ configuration supports different zones such as web servers, mail servers, and log servers. The security-first design for IDS/IPS integration helps me showcase modern defense-in-depth strategies. The user-friendly management through the web GUI makes it possible to manage complex firewall rules clearly, which is critical when documenting and presenting a capstone. Scalability is also an advantage. Although my project is lab-based, OPNsense can scale into production deployments in SMBs and enterprise.

Read full review

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885,444 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

18%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	364
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	190

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	186
Midsize Enterprise	129
Large Enterprise	231

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	170
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	29

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

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What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

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What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

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Which is better - Fortinet FortiGate or Cisco ASA Firewall?

One of our favorite things about Fortinet Fortigate is that you can deploy on the cloud or on premises. Fortinet Fort...

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How does Cisco's ASA firewall compare with the Firepower NGFW?

It is easy to integrate Cisco ASA with other Cisco products and also other NAC solutions. When you understand the Cis...

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Which is better - Meraki MX or Cisco ASA Firewall?

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the operating software for the Cisco ASA suite. It supports netw...

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Help me find the best open source router

You don't really specify what type of router you are looking for but if you are talking about a gateway router I reco...

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How do I choose between Fortinet FortiGate and pfSense?

Fortinet’s Fortigate is a firewall solution we use and are very much satisfied with its performance. We find Fortigat...

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What is the difference between PfSense and OPNsense?

Two of the most common and well recognized firewalls, PfSense and OPNsense both support site-to-site IPsec VPN and cl...

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What do you like most about OPNsense?

What I like the most about OPNsense is that it offers an easy-to-use dashboard for device management and control.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OPNsense?

Setup cost is almost zero as one can simulate the whole environment using open source version. Pricing seems fair eno...

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What needs improvement with OPNsense?

In my opinion, OPNsense could improve by incorporating either an open side of wireless management or a way that you c...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 2% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 11% of the time

Palo Alto Networks WildFire vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 10% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 5% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 2% of the time

Juniper SRX Series Firewall vs Cisco Secure Firewall

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Secure Firewall Competitors

Sophos Firewall vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos UTM vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 2% of the time

KerioControl vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 2% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 1% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 1% of the time

More Netgate pfSense Competitors

IPFire vs OPNsense

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 6% of the time

Sophos UTM vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

Untangle NG Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 2% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs OPNsense

Compared 2% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Firewall

March 2026

Download Cisco Secure Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

March 2026

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Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

March 2026

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Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Firewall, Cisco ASA NGFW, Adaptive Security Appliance, Cisco Sourcefire Firewalls, Cisco ASAv, Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewall, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Virtual - BYOL

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Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Cisco Secure Firewall provides comprehensive network security with advanced features such as application visibility, URL filtering, and malware protection. It combines a user-friendly interface with robust VPN capabilities, making it a reliable choice for varying network environments and industry applications.

Cisco Secure Firewall offers exceptional protection with its integration into Cisco's broader ecosystem, ensuring enhanced threat detection and policy unification. Despite its complexity in command-line interfaces and management, Cisco Secure Firewall remains a potent tool for safeguarding data. It is widely adopted for edge security, VPN services, perimeter defense, and traffic segmentation, especially in hybrid settings. Essential sectors like banking and telecom benefit from its stable connectivity and centralized security management. Though there are challenges with costs and support for third-party APIs, the firewall's scalability and high availability provide comprehensive support for protecting network assets.

What are the key features of Cisco Secure Firewall?

Application Visibility: Offers in-depth visibility of application traffic to monitor and protect against threats.
Advanced Malware Protection: Protects against known and emerging malware threats with powerful detection capabilities.
URL Filtering: Manages and restricts access to websites, enhancing organizational data security.
VPN Capabilities: Ensures secure remote access and encrypted communication through strong VPN features.
Integration with Cisco Ecosystem: Enhances security measures with seamless integration with Cisco's suite of security tools.

What benefits and ROI should be expected from Cisco Secure Firewall?

Comprehensive Protection: Offers multi-layered security for diverse network environments, increasing overall data protection.
Performance Efficiency: High availability and scalability lead to improved network performance and resource management.
Management Simplification: Centralized security management streamlines policy deployment across networks.
Enhanced Threat Detection: Integration capabilities improve threat detection and mitigation for better security posture.

Cisco Secure Firewall is widely implemented across sectors like banking, education, ISPs, and telecoms. It fortifies data centers and network edge security, delivering strong protection for client access, hybrid environments, and intrusion prevention. In these industries, firewall solutions ensure secure connectivity and manage RTU traffic effectively, leveraging centralized management and integration with Cisco's security tools.

Cisco

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?

Scalability: Suits any network size from small home setups to large enterprises.
Open-source: Offers transparency and flexibility, allowing for community-driven development.
Firewall Capabilities: Provides robust protection against unauthorized access.
VPN Options: Supports secure remote connectivity with various VPN protocols.
Customizable Packages: Allows users to personalize functionalities to fit network needs.
High Availability: Ensures continuous network operations with redundancy features.
Load Balancing: Distributes traffic efficiently across multiple paths or connections.
Traffic Shaping: Manages bandwidth allocation to optimize network performance.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Significant savings due to low operational costs and open-source nature.
Performance: Reliable service delivery with minimal hardware demands.
User-friendly Interface: Intuitive design that simplifies complex network management.
Community Support: Access to extensive community resources for troubleshooting and advice.
Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed guides and tutorials to facilitate installation and configuration.

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.

Netgate

OPNsense is an adaptable open-source firewall and routing platform appreciated for its flexibility, scalability, and user-friendly interface. It is equipped with robust security features and offers excellent reporting and visibility, essential for small businesses and home setups.

OPNsense stands out for its modular design, allowing cost-effective customization. This system supports VPNs and various firewall capabilities, making it suitable for securing networks from malicious traffic. Its frequent updates and extensive documentation, combined with a supportive online community, enhance user experience. However, there is room for improvement in integration with virtual servers and Azure. Scalability and hardware updates are important for large-scale environments, and users desire more reliable VPN solutions and enhanced threat intelligence tools.

What are OPNsense's most important features?

Flexibility: Easily customizable due to its open-source nature.
Robust Security: Advanced security features for network protection.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplified management and configuration.
Frequent Updates: Regular improvements and new features.
Dense Documentation: Extensive resources and community support.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source design reduces costs.
Scalability: Ability to grow with business needs.
Customizability: Tailored solutions for different requirements.
Community Support: Access to a strong network of resources and peers.

OPNsense is implemented in industries requiring VPN and firewall functions, supporting site-to-site connections, protecting servers, and managing commercial network traffic. Companies apply it for security, UTM, SD-WAN, content filtering, intrusion detection, and prevention, utilizing its open-source nature and effectiveness as a next-generation firewall.

OPNsense

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

There are more than one million Adaptive Security Appliances deployed globally. Top customers include First American Financial Corp., Genzyme, Frankfurt Airport, Hansgrohe SE, Rio Olympics, The French Laundry, Rackspace, and City of Tomorrow.

Nerds On Site Inc., RKC Development Inc., Expertech, Fisher's Technology, Ncisive, Consulting, CPURX, Vaughn's Computer House Calls, Imeretech LLC, Digital Crisis, Carolina Digital Phone, Technigogo Technology Services, The Simple Solution, SwiftecITInc, Rocky Mountain Tech Team, Free Range Geeks, Alaska Computer Geeks, Lark Information Technology, Renaissance Systems Inc., Cutting Edge Computers, Caretech LLC, GoVanguard, Network Touch Ltd, P.C. Solutions.Net, Vision Voice and Data Systems LLC, Montgomery Technologies, Techforce, Concero Networks, ASONInc, CPS Electronics and Consulting, Darkwire.net LLC, IT Specialists, MBS-Net Inc., VOICE1 LLC, Advantage Networking Inc., Powerhouse Systems, Doxa Multimedia Inc., Pro Computer Service, Virtual IT Services, A&J Computers Inc., Envision IT LLC, CommunicaONE Inc., Bone Computer Inc., Amax Engineering Corporation, QPG Ltd. Co., IT 101 Inc., Perfect Cloud Solutions, Applied Technology Group Inc., The Digital Sun Group LLC, Firespring

1. Deciso B.V. 2. iXsystems, Inc. 3. EuroBSDCon 4. Netgate 5. Claranet 6. Voleatech 7. Open Systems AG 8. Securebit AG 9. Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH 10. AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH Additional customers include: T-Systems International GmbH, Deutsche Telekom AG, Vodafone GmbH, 1&1 IONOS SE, OVHcloud, Hetzner Online GmbH, Strato AG, PlusServer GmbH, Host Europe GmbH, United Internet AG, 1&1 Versatel Deutschland GmbH, QSC AG, Bechtle AG, Cancom SE, Computacenter AG & Co. oHG, T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH, Atos SE, Capgemini SE, Accenture plc, IBM Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Netgate, Sophos and others in Firewalls. Updated: March 2026.

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