GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs OPNsense comparison

GajShield and OPNsense are both solutions in the Firewalls category. GajShield is ranked #40 with an average rating of 7.5, while OPNsense is ranked #3 with an average rating of 7.9. GajShield holds a 0.1% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to OPNsense’s 11.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of GajShield users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% 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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense

September 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 October 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.4%, up from 19.1% 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 11.0%, down from 15.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.4%
OPNsense	11.0%
GajShield Next Generation Firewall	0.1%
Other	68.5%

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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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.

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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

"The inspection and web security features are most valuable."

"The most valuable feature is the FortiManager for centralized management."

"It is very flexible to use."

"The most valuable feature is the policy routing and application control."

"It's simple to operate and use."

"The product offers very good security."

"Fortinet FortiGate is good for helping you secure and protect mission-critical data."

"The notable features that I have found most valuable are that it includes the antivirus, and also IPS, and even SD-WAN."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

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

"It is a stable solution."

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

"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."

"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."

"The technical support is very good."

"It has firewall and VPN capabilities, which are very valuable features."

"OPNsense impacts my projects and home network positively because its cost-effectiveness is perfect for lab and enterprise setup without expensive licensing, and the flexibility, easy VLAN and DMZ configuration supports different zones such as web servers, mail servers, and log servers."

"YouTube provides video explanations, and that brings you to speed, instead of sitting down and reading a 200-page document on the product."

"We can open a new VPN connection easily. It's much easier than with Fortinet in our experience."

"The most valuable feature is the Dual WAN in OPNSense, which offers advanced capabilities."

"The tool's integration is more like a button press."

"OPNsense is easy to scale when running on the hardware."

More OPNsense pros

Cons

"One area of improvement I've noticed is the lack of built-in monitoring capabilities in the firewall. Currently, we rely on third-party solutions for monitoring purposes. However, I believe the firewall itself has the potential to do a better job in this aspect. Another aspect of Fortinet that concerns me is related to redundancy. We have a setup with two firewalls working in parallel, which requires a highly adaptable configuration. However, it feels unfair that clients need to purchase two licenses, especially when one of the firewalls serves as a backup. We have noticed that other manufacturers have different policies on this matter."

"The support is inadequate. The support staff I have dealt with lately are very rude. Some support staff are not up-to-speed with the technology. They basically read a script."

"Areas of improvement for Fortinet FortiGate include the need for more training and certification, especially when dealing with distributors globally, which presents challenges in product availability and delivery timelines."

"Palo Alto has a feature called WildFire Analysis that is unavailable in FortiGate. WildFire is better than a sandbox because it can address zero-day threats and vulnerabilities. It can immediately identify zero-day threats from the cloud."

"In the past six to seven years with the Fortinet FortiGate, we've had two major downtimes, both caused by firmware upgrades."

"There are problems with the custom reporting of the unique traffic. The data is there, but it is too difficult for us to extract."

"Its technical support could be better."

"There aren't really any negative aspects to discuss."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"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."

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

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

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

"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."

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

"OPNsense struggles to handle large volumes of voice traffic, indicating scalability issues in that specific use case."

"The reporting part could be better."

"There are issues with stability and reliability."

"They should improve IPEs for security in the future."

"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."

"The support for OPNsense is good because we have documents available on the internet. The support could improve a little."

"You will need additional training before you can actually start to use it."

"pfSense has better performance and quicker updates."

More OPNsense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is perfect."

"Other firewalls are more expensive than Fortinet FortiGate, such as the Azure firewall."

"The value is the capability of having multiple services with one unique license, not having the limitation per user licensing schema, like other vendors."

"The solution's price is average."

"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten"

"Here in Brazil, we're going through difficult economic times and the tax on the dollar is high. All the solutions from minor competitors are growing in the market. The prices have come more competitive."

"It is too expensive for us. My organization is very small, and we have a total of ten users. We have three internal users and seven external users. The FortiGate 100D series is too expensive for renewing the licenses."

"It is an expensive solution."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

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

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is reasonably priced."

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

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

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

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

"I've used the free version. My computer with two network cards at home allows me to try as many different software options as I want. I did pay for the license, but it was for the Zenarmor license, which is the packet inspection tool. They use AI for packet inspection, which integrates with OPNsense and pfSense."

"It is not an expensive product. Basically, I deployed it because it was the fastest solution to satisfy our needs in open source."

"The price of OPNsense is good."

"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's not expensive."

"OPNsense is open source software so at this time it is free for us to use."

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

"There are no licensing costs for OPNsence."

More OPNsense pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

30%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

16%

Computer Software Company

16%

University

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	5
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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that since OPNsense is free, the licensing and setup was eas...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 18% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 37% of the time

WiJungle vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 24% of the time

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Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense

Compared 38% of the time

IPFire vs OPNsense

Compared 14% of the time

Sophos XG vs OPNsense

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos XGS vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

Untangle NG Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall

October 2025

GajShield Next Generation Firewall report

Download GajShield Next Generation Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

October 2025

Download OPNsense product report

Also Known As

No data available

GajShield NGFW

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

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 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

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

September 2025

Free Report: GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense

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