GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs OPNsense comparison

GajShield and OPNsense are both solutions in the Firewalls category. GajShield is ranked #39 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 11.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of GajShield users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 97% of OPNsense users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

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

Download the complete report

Helped 867,676 peers since 2012

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 September 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.7%, up from 18.6% 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 11.1%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.7%
OPNsense	11.1%
GajShield Next Generation Firewall	0.1%
Other	68.1%

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

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.

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

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The primary feature I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is the ease of setup."

"The UTM feature is quite good. FortiAP is easy to deploy because both Fortigate and FortiAP are under the same brand. Otherwise, you need to do more work on the configuration."

"The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate IPS are the dashboard and reporting which give us very good visibility."

"It has improved our organization with control data."

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

"Fortinet FortiGate provides excellent security against ransomware attacks."

"The multi-tenancy feature is most valuable. It integrates very well with FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer."

"I like the common administration and the possibility of adding Fortinet defense systems."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"It is a stable solution."

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

"I feel that its valuable features are that it is simple and free."

"The interface and the dashboard are the most valuable features of this solution."

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

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

"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."

"It is a very good solution. I like the dashboard. I can see what is going on and manage it as I like it."

"We saved up to half a million Egyptian pounds, which is nearly $100,000 yearly on licensing or subscription using this kind of software, and the network attacks reduced by approximately 60% after using that, even without customizing the custom configuration yet."

"I find the solution to be user-friendly. It has a lot of reports and easy settings."

More OPNsense pros

Cons

"We can't identify which users are causing challenges when we have issues."

"The stability could be a bit better."

"It is stable, but its stability can be improved."

"There is a need for enhancement with the signature management, improving the datasheet numbers, and scalability issues."

"Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box."

"There are some cloud-based features that could be much more flexible than they currently are."

"Fortinet doesn't provide multiple virtual firewalls which would facilitate end users and customers."

"Vulnerabilities owing to viruses in the OS need to be reduced in FortiGate Next Generation Firewall from an improvement perspective."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

"The ability to set the VPN IP address would be a welcome addition."

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

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

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

"SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) is integrated into some restricted service providers for OPNSense."

"The logging could improve in OPNsense."

"Its interface should be a little bit better."

"When using the solution at the beginning was difficult. There was a steep learning curve."

More OPNsense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be lower."

"When I look around at other products, such as Sophos, Fortinet FortiGate is 20% to 30% more expensive with our current cost."

"I'll rate FortiGate's pricing a five out of ten since it is moderately priced."

"If we have an older version, the support costs get quite high."

"The platform offers a reasonable price point compared to its competitors."

"I would say that all things considered, the pricing is pretty good."

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

"The product is a little bit expensive."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"GajShield Next Generation Firewall is reasonably priced."

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

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

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

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

"OPNsense is an open-source solution and it is free to use."

"The price of OPNsense is good."

"I would rate the pricing three out of ten."

"It is a free solution, and when you compare it to alternatives like FortiGate, which is quite powerful but also costly, the value becomes evident."

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

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

"It's a free solution."

"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."

More OPNsense pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Media Company

28%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Outsourcing Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

16%

University

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	129
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	4
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 ...

See all answers

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?

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

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

SonicWall TZ vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Sophos XG vs GajShield Next Generation Firewall

Compared 53% 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 3% of the time

Sophos XGS vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

September 2025

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

GajShield Next Generation Firewall

September 2025

GajShield Next Generation Firewall report

Download GajShield Next Generation Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

August 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 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

September 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: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

867,676 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our GajShield Next Generation Firewall vs. OPNsense report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.