Cisco Meraki MX vs Netgate pfSense comparison

Cisco and Netgate are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Cisco is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5, while Netgate is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Cisco holds a 3.5% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Netgate’s 7.7% mindshare. Additionally, 94% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Netgate users who would recommend it.

Cisco Meraki MX

Read 75 Cisco Meraki MX reviews

12,124 Views
11,397 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Netgate pfSense

Read 221 Netgate pfSense reviews

34,014 Views
31,973 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Cisco Meraki MX

Netgate pfSense

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Netgate pfSense and Cisco Meraki MX are competing products in the network security category. While Meraki MX is advantageous for its ease of use and advanced cloud capabilities, pfSense stands out for its customizability and open-source model catering to hands-on users.

Features: Netgate pfSense offers open-source flexibility with customizable configurations, community support, and compatibility with open-source hardware. Cisco Meraki MX is known for its advanced cloud management features, auto VPN, ease of deployment, and centralized management.

Room for Improvement: Netgate pfSense users look for better central management and improved UI, along with a more robust API for configuration. Cisco Meraki MX requires improvements in granular security features and better non-Meraki device support, with emphasis on client VPN provisioning and system integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Netgate pfSense provides strong open-source community support and flexibility in on-premises implementations, with optional paid support for critical environments. Cisco Meraki MX excels in simple deployment through cloud-based management, providing robust support and simplifying operations without needing extensive in-house expertise.

Pricing and ROI: Netgate pfSense is cost-effective with a free open-source version and optional paid enterprise versions, serving budget-conscious users. Cisco Meraki MX, while more expensive, justifies its cost with integrated cloud features and centralized management providing value to enterprises investing in seamless IT operations.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki MX vs. Netgate pfSense Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki MX vs. Netgate pfSense

June 2026

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Helped 903,182 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.2

Cisco Meraki MX provides significant ROI through intuitive management, reduced costs, and streamlined operations despite higher initial costs.

Sentiment score

5.9

Netgate pfSense provides significant ROI with cost-effectiveness, eliminating license fees, ideal for small to mid-sized companies replacing costly systems.

I have seen a return on investment with Cisco Meraki MX because of the time saved through cloud management.

Nader Elmansi

Presales System Engineer at Logicom Sales Inc

You can eliminate some positions because it manages itself.

Lester Perrin

Enterprise Networking Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

It greatly helps out when I am moving away from the expensive MPLS circuits or MPLS hardware.

JasminPatel

Senior Manager Networking at David Yurman

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

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

The total cost of ownership is extremely low when you compare it to a lot of the other devices or other gateway appliances that are available on the market.

reviewer2511729

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

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

8.3

Cisco Meraki MX support is responsive and knowledgeable, highly rated for reliability, though some advanced users face visibility challenges.

Sentiment score

7.8

Netgate pfSense receives praise for effective support, though some users experience slow responses; forums often suffice for troubleshooting.

When we raise a ticket with Meraki MX, they instantly become available to support us for configurations or troubleshooting.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

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

Cisco's TAC support for Cisco Meraki MX is excellent because no other OEM provides support at this level.

Sanjay Gaiswal

Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies

Cisco is one of the best vendors in the market.

Nader Elmansi

Presales System Engineer at Logicom Sales Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

I couldn't imagine having better support.

Tim Lambert

Director of IT at Cutting Edge Hair Salon RSS

The biggest fear I have, and probably the only reason I still have the old one lying around is that if something were to happen to this hardware and I had to send it back for support, I need to be able to keep my network running in the meantime.

Timothy Plimpton

Co-Owner at Steffi and Tim

The support is knowledgeable and responds quickly, so the questions are addressed professionally and accurately.

Alex Elmaleh

Senior Project Engineer at a manufacturing company with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

6.7

Cisco Meraki MX is scalable, adapting from small to large deployments, with minimal management and straightforward setup.

Sentiment score

6.6

Netgate pfSense is highly scalable for SMBs, supporting high user counts and complex configurations depending on hardware choices.

When you have hundreds of thousands of people it is very difficult to scale in Meraki.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

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

The scalability of Cisco Meraki MX is rated 10 out of 10; you can scale up and scale down with no effort.

Nader Elmansi

Presales System Engineer at Logicom Sales Inc

Cisco Meraki MX scales with my growing needs for my organization very well because they are easy to deploy.

reviewer2847897

Network Engineer at a non-profit with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

If I put things into a certain context and say that we have a network that has around 100 people, then you don't put up a device that can manage 100 people. Instead, you need to get a device that can manage 150 to 200 people, and then you can create room for growth.

UdochiOdodo

CTO at Vigon Business Solutions Limited

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

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.6

Cisco Meraki MX offers high reliability and compatibility, with praised stability despite occasional content filtering and hardware issues.

Sentiment score

7.1

Netgate pfSense is highly stable, with users attributing minimal issues to hardware rather than the firewall, ensuring reliable performance.

There have been no outages, no stability issues, and we have not found any vulnerabilities during security audits.

Sanjay Gaiswal

Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies

I have had zero downtime at all with Cisco Meraki MX.

Lester Perrin

Enterprise Networking Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

I assess the stability and the reliability of Cisco Meraki MX as good, and I have experienced no downtime, crashes, or performance issues.

reviewer2847897

Network Engineer at a non-profit with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX 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

Room For Improvement

Cisco Meraki MX faces challenges with port control, VPN connectivity, interface usability, pricing, and integration, prompting user concerns.

Netgate pfSense requires better centralized management, an updated user interface, improved security integrations, and enhanced documentation for ease of use.

It should automatically remediate and find out the issue and then resolve it on its own without interrupting the work of the employees.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

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

Data is the only path, so optimization is essential.

Mayur_Patel

Chief Commercial Officer at InnovAge Home Care

An improvement would be to use Cisco Meraki MX as a software solution as well, which might reduce the cost.

Sanjay Gaiswal

Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

If I need to go between different VLANs, I have VLAN 19.1 and VLAN 19.2, and I strictly use Netgate pfSense, but it doesn't route very efficiently and works quite slowly.

Christos Adamidis

Information Security Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

They should support the idea of configuration management as code from source code and provide a more robust API for managing the pfSense configuration.

Timothy Plimpton

Co-Owner at Steffi and Tim

Monitoring is crucial. The easier the monitoring and user interface, the simpler our team can work on and investigate issues.

Mohmad Saqib

Infrastructure and integration Architect at CommunityForce

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Setup Cost

Cisco Meraki MX offers flexible licensing and high value but can involve significant initial costs and annual fees.

Netgate pfSense is affordable, offering open-source and paid versions with robust features and competitive hardware pricing.

I get it for $25,000, a device that can connect up to 75-100 users, whereas in Meraki MX, it goes to 75,000-80,000 per access point.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

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

The price could be reduced by around 30% to make it more comfortable.

Sanjay Gaiswal

Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies

If Cisco can make the pricing less, customers can purchase more licenses.

Nader Elmansi

Presales System Engineer at Logicom Sales Inc

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

It also offers a free community version that can't be beaten.

Aaron Shaffer

Owner at Shaffer Consulting

Since I'm using my own hardware instead of a Netgate appliance, this is the most bang for your buck you can deploy.

reviewer2507907

Owner at a consultancy with 1-10 employees

There are cheaper firewall options, but they aren't as reliable and easy to manage.

Michael Knill

Managing Director at IPC Solutions Pty Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Valuable Features

Cisco Meraki MX provides cloud management, SD-WAN, advanced security, and ease of use, making it ideal for scalable networks.

Netgate pfSense offers reliable VPN and firewall features, user-friendly management, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and strong community support.

Meraki MX is among those top solutions in their exceptional approach towards VPN-less, Zero Trust client access to office private networks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

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

Advanced security is the second tier of Cisco Meraki MX. It brings you the main next-generation firewalling features such as URL filtering, advanced malware protection, and threat protection.

Nader Elmansi

Presales System Engineer at Logicom Sales Inc

Cisco Meraki MX API makes it really easy for me to automate a lot of changes over several thousand devices.

reviewer2847915

Technology Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco Meraki MX report

I like the tool's flexibility in the sense that you do not have to buy an appliance. You can put it on your own hardware, and it can be very simplistic hardware with simple configurations.

Christos Adamidis

Information Security Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

The most valuable feature is the routing capability.

reviewer1493565

Managing Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

It is not licensed and is not run by some corporation that watches you.

ChrisBlood

Owner at Sonic Trout LLC

For more quotes and insights, download the Netgate pfSense report

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Meraki MX

Ranking in Firewalls

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Threat Management (UTM) (6th)

Netgate pfSense

Ranking in Firewalls

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

221

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Cisco Meraki MX is 3.5%, up from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netgate pfSense is 7.7%, down from 11.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Netgate pfSense	7.7%
Cisco Meraki MX	3.5%
Other	88.8%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Sanjay Gaiswal

Technical Presales at Vcom Technologies

Cloud-based solution simplifies network management with excellent support

There have been no issues with stability after deployment. There have been no complaints. For stability, I would suggest that Cisco Meraki MX is the most stable device from the security processor. Regarding content filtering features, we are using content filtering and malware access, along with all security features in Cisco Meraki MX9500. We have received good feedback from customers because since installing Cisco Meraki MX9500, we have not received any complaints. There have been no outages, no stability issues, and we have not found any vulnerabilities during security audits. It is compatible with all different OEMs, and for VPN, site-to-site VPN has been configured with other firewalls as well. We are getting very good responses from customers as there have been no complaints where we have deployed Cisco Meraki MX9500.

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

12%

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	43
Midsize Enterprise	22
Large Enterprise	19

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	171
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	29

Questions from the Community

Fortigate 60d vs. Meraki MX67 for a small company without a dedicated IT Department

We have Meraki Mx devices now, we are looking to replace them. But that is because the Meraki MX platform lacks SSL Inspection, Granular Firewall rules (Block only, no allow setting), client vpn re...

See all answers

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 network security and firewall options. We researched both Meraki and ASA. We liked t...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Meraki MX?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that we went through a third party who negotiated all the prices with Cisco for us.

See all answers

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 recommend PFSense. This software solutions can be installed on youf own hardware or ...

See all answers

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 Fortigate both cost-effective and efficient. One of the features we like most is that Fo...

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 client, Open VPN and client, and PPTP client. Both also have intrusion detection a...

See all answers

Comparisons

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Cisco Meraki MX

Compared 25% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cisco Meraki MX

Compared 11% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Cisco Meraki MX

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco Meraki MX

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Cisco Meraki MX

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Meraki MX Competitors

OPNsense vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 54% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 3% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 3% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 1% of the time

More Netgate pfSense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki MX

July 2026

Download Cisco Meraki MX product report

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

June 2026

Download Netgate pfSense product report

Also Known As

MX64, MX64W, MX84, MX100, MX400, MX600

No data available

Overview

Cisco Meraki MX offers cloud-managed security with user-friendly setup and efficient management, enhancing VPN and firewall functionalities for businesses.

Cisco Meraki MX is known for its robust cloud-based network management, featuring AutoVPN, SD-WAN, and advanced security. Its centralized control over firewall, traffic shaping, and monitoring ensures excellent connectivity and security. The interface allows easy management by non-technical staff, offering remote access and seamless network performance through real-time alerts and troubleshooting. It supports global connectivity with minimal effort, addressing needs across small to enterprise environments. Despite its strengths, users point out areas needing improvement like load balancing, VPN features, more flexible logging, and session capabilities. Pricing, integration limits, and licensing need enhancement.

What are the key features of Cisco Meraki MX?

AutoVPN: Enables automatic VPN configuration for secure, site-to-site connections.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routes for increased performance and reliability.
Advanced Security: Offers unified threat management, intrusion prevention, and content filtering.
Centralized Management: Simplifies operations with remote monitoring and configuration.
Traffic Shaping: Prioritizes critical business applications to maximize performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Ease of Deployment: Simplified installation reduces setup time and cost.
Real-Time Alerts: Ensures proactive issue identification and resolution.
Scalability: Supports growth with seamless integration and management of multiple sites.
Global Connectivity: Maintains efficient connections across geographic locations with minimal effort.

In industries like retail, finance, and education, Cisco Meraki MX provides enhanced security and connectivity. Retail chains benefit from easy VPN setups for secure multi-site networking, while educational institutions find value in its ability to manage large campuses efficiently. Financial services leverage its robust security features to protect sensitive data, ensuring compliance and trust.

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

Sample Customers

Hyatt, ONS

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Meraki MX vs. Netgate pfSense

June 2026

Free Report: Cisco Meraki MX vs. Netgate pfSense

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki MX vs. Netgate pfSense and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

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