GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs OPNsense comparison

GajShield and OPNsense are both solutions in the Firewalls category. GajShield is ranked #37 with an average rating of 7.5, while OPNsense is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.2. GajShield holds a 0.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to OPNsense’s 11.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of GajShield users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of OPNsense users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

OPNsense and GajShield Next Generation Firewall both compete in the firewall solutions category. Users highlight GajShield for its advanced features, giving it a perceived upper hand despite OPNsense's competitive pricing and user support.

Features: OPNsense is known for its open-source model, extensive plugins, and flexibility. GajShield offers deep packet inspection, comprehensive threat management, and robust security features.

Room for Improvement: OPNsense could enhance its reporting tools, increase the quality of its documentation, and provide better user support materials. GajShield needs to improve its configuration process, make its user interface more intuitive, and streamline its setup experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: OPNsense is noted for relatively simple deployment and good community support. GajShield is recognized for quick deployment and responsive customer service, providing a faster and more supportive deployment experience.

Pricing and ROI: OPNsense has low setup costs and quick ROI due to its open-source nature. GajShield has higher initial costs but delivers significant ROI through enhanced security features, offering greater perceived value despite being a more expensive option initially.

To learn more, read our detailed GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense

July 2025

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 21.2%, up from 17.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GajShield Next Generation Firewall is 0.1%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OPNsense is 11.4%, down from 17.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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.

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Nazish Sameer Shaikh

Senior Network Security Engineer at UNITE HERE HEALTH

Simplifies the management of complex data networks, but its technical support could be improved

Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services. The solution can adapt some of the tools where we, as network engineers, can adjust to the changing application needs. Also, the solution can provide us with multiple support, allowing us to create a network segment. The solution’s technical support could be improved.

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Akram Zaki Hussein

System and Network Administrator at El Sadat City Language School

Robust network security and management offering a user-friendly interface, open-source flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, with challenges regarding initial setup and the absence of official support

The interface is user-friendly, but there's room for improvement in terms of intuitiveness. The bundle management aspect requires additional attention to make it more intuitive, especially for inspecting high-level traffic. This is crucial, especially for larger companies where the existing features might not be the most optimal choice, given limitations like printer constraints. For high availability, it's crucial to have a method in place where a designated component oversees the entire process. Given that OPNsense plays a pivotal role as a firewall, safeguarding against various threats, having a reliable backup ensures uninterrupted protection even if unforeseen events impact the primary virtual machine. It would be beneficial if OPNsense supported additional virtualization platforms like Hyper-V from Microsoft and VMware, similar to how Kaspersky has integrated them.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I only deal with it from a security analyst's point of view. I don't really get into the features of the actual FortiGate. From the security point of view, it works, and it does its job."

"A strong point of FortiGate is the graphical interface is complete and easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is URL filtering."

"A strong point of FortiGate is that the graphical interface is complete and easy to use, especially if we think there is a list of operations that we are able to perform inside."

"The flexibility and ease of configuration are the most valuable features."

"Application control and the web filter are the best features of Fortinet FortiGate."

"Stateful packet inspection is valuable. It also does SSL packet inspection. It is able to provide a VPN for remote users with secure connectivity."

"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuration."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It is an easily scalable solution...The initial setup was very easy."

"Gajshiled's enterprise cloud and DLP-level features give it an advantage over other products."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall's best feature is the network DLP."

"The most valuable feature of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is the user-friendly settings, dashboards, and anti-threat protection. Additionally, the solution upgrades frequently which is good because we receive new features."

"The solution's outcome is very high, and we often use it in a very high-traffic environment."

"GajShield has improved our mobile device-based connectivity."

"It is a stable solution."

"We have found pretty much all the features of the solution to be valuable."

"It has an open license. It works very well, and there is an update every month."

"The solution is good for a basic firewall for a small business or for home use."

"The feature I find most valuable, is that the program helped me to realize all the requested functionality that was needed."

"I mostly rely on the solution's network intrusion detection and prevention system, along with other systems, CMs, and log management."

"The most valuable features of OPNsense are the GUI and frequent updates."

"OPNsense is easy to use and open source."

"OPNsense could improve by making the configuration more web-based rather than shell or command-line-based."

More OPNsense pros

Cons

"Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve to be on par with its competitors, such as Palo Alto and Sophos. They are the market leaders. Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve its capabilities. However, we are happy with Fortinet FortiGate."

"Some of the filtering is not robust, you can escape it with a VPN. Some of the users bypass some of the filters. It catches some but it also misses some, that area could be improved. It's functioning reasonably but there's room for improvement in that area."

"With the reports, you can see it, and you can get good feelings so upper management can go, "Oh, wow. That looks pretty." However, it's very basic."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having a frequent ask questions(FAQ) area for people to receive quick answers to popular questions. Additionally, it would be beneficial to have an SMS notification feature. For example, if you cannot access your email you could receive an SMS message."

"Its customer service could be better."

"Fortinet FortiGate could improve the user interface. There should be more functionality and options through the GUI."

"This product needs to have an analysis feature, rather than having the analysis done through the integration of a different product."

"Fortinet FortiGate could be improved in terms of user friendliness at the policy level and assigning URL based and keyword based features."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall would be improved with the addition of a load-balancing feature."

"Gajshield can improve SD-WAN compatibility at an enterprise cloud level."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall could improve the flow of the settings. If somebody's using a Cisco firewall or any other brand and they want to use GajShield Next Generation Firewall the platform's UI is a bit different. If it was more similar to the others it would be better."

"The firewall configuration and administration screens could use some improvement."

"We raised a support ticket, and the project didn't get a proper response. There was a skill issue in TAC support."

"We face issues with some configuration parts that we don't understand in the solution, and sometimes we face issues with the VPN connection."

"Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will help our approach to network services."

"The IPS solution could be more reliable."

"The solution would not be suitable for anything large-scale."

"The reporting part could be better."

"There are some add-ons that need enhancements to make management easier for users, especially the reporting features. Some reports don't show the level of detail I'm looking for, and I've had trouble installing certain add-ons, especially for Internet bandwidth shaping within my company."

"An area for improvement in OPNsense is the hardware, which needs to be updated more frequently. DNS blocking is another good feature I want to be added to the solution. pfSense has a peer-blocking feature that I also want to see in OPNsense."

"There are a few weaknesses. For example, there is a lack of some features that I have in certain commercial products."

"The interface of the solution is an area with shortcomings."

"The only thing that I would like to see improved is the Insight or the NetFlow analysis part. It would be good to have the possibility to dig down on the Insight platform. Right now, we can easily do only a few analyses. If this page becomes more powerful, it surely will be a well-adopted platform."

More OPNsense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cost-wise, there is not much difference from Sophos, but feature-wise, we get more features."

"I give the pricing a nine out of ten."

"The price is okay."

"It is cost-effective, and provides a good value for your money. The pricing, and license renewal, is very reasonable for us."

"Fortinet FortiGate is expensive."

"No comment."

"The pricing for the product is alright."

"The price of Fortinet FortiGate is the lowest in the market."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is not that expensive, and its pricing is better than Palo Alto."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is reasonably priced."

"It was about 15% cheaper compared to Sophos."

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is cheaper than the other products in the market. The licensing costs for the solution are on a yearly basis."

"The price of the GajShield Next Generation Firewall is very attractive when compared to other solutions."

"GajShield is a cheaper solution as of now. The subscription is yearly."

"The solution is not expensive."

"It's a free solution."

"OPNsense is a well known open-source tool."

"It is free."

"I'm using the free version of OPNsense. I didn't check the pricing for the solution because I still need to test it before getting the approval to purchase OPNsense, and it isn't easy to get approval from the higher-ups."

"Its pricing is unbeatable in comparison to other firewalls. You can have a small instance that could be €80 a month with the hardware underneath. Azure Firewall and FortiGate are out of the question at this price. If you are on a public cloud, you need the underlying infrastructure. Other than that, there is no additional cost. If you have it on-prem, you have to buy the server or the appliance. The hardware cost is replaced with the infrastructure cost in the cloud. You also have costs for the public IPs and underlying VMs, but that's not related to OPNsense. It would be the same for a FortiGate deployment on Azure. You need a FortiGate license, and you need the underlying infrastructure that scales up depending on your needs."

"It is open source and free."

"We are not paying any licensing fees. OPNsense is completely free for us."

More OPNsense pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Educational Organization

10%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Media Company

24%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

14%

Government

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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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What do you like most about GajShield Next Generation Firewall?

The solution's outcome is very high, and we often use it in a very high-traffic environment.

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What needs improvement with GajShield Next Generation Firewall?

Sometimes, we have to use SD-WAN support for the solution, which can be improved by adapting some features that will ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for GajShield Next Generation Firewall?

GajShield Next Generation Firewall helps us with security solutions and platforms. It helps us configure the network....

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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?

The pricing is competitive when compared to vendors like Palo and FortiNet.

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 5% of the time

Check Point NGFW vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 56% of the time

More GajShield Next Generation Firewall Competitors

Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense

Compared 36% of the time

IPFire vs OPNsense

Compared 15% of the time

Sophos XG vs OPNsense

Compared 8% of the time

Untangle NG Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 4% of the time

Sophos XGS vs OPNsense

Compared 4% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

July 2025

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Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall

June 2025

GajShield Next Generation Firewall report

Download GajShield Next Generation Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

June 2025

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Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate, Fortinet Firewall

GajShield NGFW

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate offers comprehensive network security and firewall protection across multiple locations. It effectively manages data traffic and secures environments with features like VPN, intrusion prevention, and UTM controls.

Organizations rely on Fortinet FortiGate for its robust integration with advanced security policies, ensuring significant protection for enterprises, cloud environments, and educational sectors. It facilitates network segmentation, application-level security, and authentication management, securing communication within and between locations such as branches and data centers. Its efficient SD-WAN and UTM features enable streamlined data management and enhanced threat protection capabilities. Users appreciate its centralized management, facilitating seamless operations across diverse environments.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN Capabilities: Ensure secure remote access for users and seamless site-to-site connections.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Detect and prevent security threats and vulnerabilities.
Advanced Firewall: Offers robust firewalling with application control and web filtering.
SD-WAN: Optimizes application performance and enhances bandwidth management.
SSL VPN: Provides reliable and secure access for remote workers.

What benefits should users expect from Fortinet FortiGate?

High-performance Security: Delivers effective threat mitigation with high availability.
Centralized Management: Simplifies network operations with cloud-based management tools.
Detailed Analytics: Provides comprehensive insights into network activity and security threats.
Load Balancing: Ensures optimal resource distribution and traffic management.

Fortinet FortiGate is crucial in sectors like education, offering robust networks for secure data flow between campuses and facilitating remote learning. In enterprise environments, it allows efficient management of application traffic and security across multiple branches, while in the cloud, it seamlessly integrates with diverse platforms to enhance security infrastructure.

Fortinet

GajShield Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a cutting-edge cybersecurity solution designed to protect organizations from advanced threats and secure their network infrastructure. With its advanced features and robust capabilities, GajShield NGFW offers comprehensive security, high performance, and simplified management.

GajShield NGFW provides real-time visibility and control over network traffic, allowing organizations to monitor and manage their network effectively. It offers deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, which enables the identification and analysis of application-layer protocols, ensuring that only authorized applications are allowed to pass through the firewall.

This next-generation firewall also incorporates advanced threat intelligence and behavior-based analytics to detect and prevent sophisticated cyber threats. It uses machine learning algorithms to identify and block malicious activities, ensuring that organizations are protected against zero-day attacks and advanced persistent threats (APTs).

GajShield NGFW offers a wide range of security features, including an intrusion prevention system (IPS), virtual private network (VPN), web filtering, and data loss prevention (DLP). These features help organizations enforce security policies, prevent unauthorized access, and protect sensitive data from being leaked or compromised.

Furthermore, GajShield NGFW provides granular control over user access and application usage, allowing organizations to define and enforce policies based on user roles and responsibilities. It also offers bandwidth management capabilities, enabling organizations to prioritize critical applications and ensure optimal network performance.

With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, GajShield NGFW simplifies the management and administration of network security. It provides centralized control and monitoring, allowing administrators to configure policies, generate reports, and receive real-time alerts on security events.

GajShield Next Generation Firewall is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that offers advanced threat protection, network visibility, and simplified management. With its powerful features and robust capabilities, it helps organizations safeguard their network infrastructure and protect against evolving cyber threats.

GajShield

OPNsense is widely used for firewall functionalities, intrusion detection, VPN and IPSec, content filtering, securing network traffic, and remote access. It protects internal networks and manages servers securely, suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.

OPNsense is a comprehensive firewall solution leveraging open-source technology. It integrates with third-party modules like WireGuard and CrowdSec, enhancing its security capabilities. Offering on-premises and cloud deployment, it features an intuitive graphical interface, advanced reporting, VPN functionality, IDS/IPS features, and high scalability. Users find it ideal for small businesses and home networks due to its stability and ease of use. Frequent updates and an active community support its continuous improvement. However, it needs advancements in VPN selection, scalability, and technical documentation. Enhanced high availability, threat intelligence, and integration with virtualization platforms are required. User feedback suggests improvements in connectivity, alerting, traffic monitoring, and antivirus protection.

What are the key features of OPNsense?

Strong Firewall: Robust firewall capabilities for securing network traffic.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Effective IDS/IPS for threat mitigation.
VPN Functionality: Comprehensive VPN support including WireGuard.
Content Filtering: DNS-level filtering for enhanced security.
Advanced Reporting: In-depth traffic analysis and reporting features.
High Scalability: Supports growing network demands.
Integration Capabilities: Works with third-party modules like CrowdSec.
Intuitive GUI: User-friendly graphical interface enhances usability.

What benefits should users look for in OPNsense reviews?

Security: High level of protection for internal networks.
Manageability: Easy management of servers and network traffic.
Cost-Effective: Open-source nature reduces costs.
Reliability: Stable performance suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Community Support: Active community and frequent updates.

OPNsense is implemented across various industries to secure network infrastructure and ensure reliable connectivity. In fintech, it safeguards sensitive financial data while maintaining compliance. Educational institutions deploy it to protect student information and enable secure remote learning environments. Healthcare organizations use it to secure patient data and comply with HIPAA regulations. By integrating with tools like WireGuard and CrowdSec, businesses enhance their cybersecurity posture and streamline network management, making OPNsense a versatile choice for diverse operational needs.

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

Zodiac Clothing

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.

Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense

July 2025

Free Report: GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense

Find out what your peers are saying about GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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