Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs OPNsense comparison

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewa...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router and OPNsense based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs. OPNsense Report (Updated: November 2026).

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs. OPNsense

November 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewa...

Ranking in Firewalls

22nd

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

OPNsense

Ranking in Firewalls

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router is 0.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OPNsense is 7.0%, down from 11.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
OPNsense	7.0%
Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router	0.3%
Other	92.7%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Jim Voige

Site Manager at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

High availability routing has secured our network and delivers reliable support every day

One downside of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router is the need for a better understanding of what hardware it would run on. Right now, we're using Netgate's hardware, but I'm interested in knowing if there are other hardware options available, particularly heavier duty hardware, because the Supermicro 1537 version we have only has a single power supply, which is a shortcoming in an IT environment where dual power supplies are ideal. The pricing for the hardware of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router is steep, which is one reason I'd explore other options. I'm familiar with the costs of Supermicro servers, and I believe Netgate charges a premium for their server hardware without enough upside to justify it. The pricing is not justified.

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Peter Muiruri

IT Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Open-source firewall has provided affordable real-time protection and secure remote access

In my opinion, OPNsense could improve by incorporating either an open side of wireless management or a way that you can also manage your interconnected devices. You could easily have SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol, incorporated in it so that you can easily manage the devices and easily get the information about the devices that you are managing. Additionally, the inclusion of Pi-hole would allow you to create an ad-free network instead of adding it on a separate device. I would prefer that incorporated into OPNsense, or if it is there, I would appreciate guidance on how to use it.

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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

"They are more satisfied with Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router in terms of its flexibility and customer support."

"My experience with the product is that it is a stable and good product that is easy to use."

"We use pfSense and Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router to establish a VPN tunnel between our client and our headquarters to transfer data between client and our equipment; it's very simple to use, efficient, up to date, and the hardware is very available; it's very safe."

"Overall, the entire Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router product has been reliable, though some of their smaller gear aimed at remote offices hasn't been cost-effective."

"It's very simple to use, efficient, up to date, and the hardware is very available; it's very safe."

"I do not have complaints about Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router with Firewall, VPN, and Router; it is really comfortable for use, and it does a pretty good job."

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

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

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

"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."

"OPNsense is highly stable."

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

"Its pricing is unbeatable in comparison to other firewalls."

"OPNsense is very stable, easy to upgrade, and maintain."

More OPNsense pros

Cons

"I would assess the effectiveness of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router's traffic shaping as good, but I would give a six marks only for that compared to others because in the past few years, there has been a stop of improvement or lack of improvement showing in Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router."

"The pricing for the hardware of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router is steep, which is one reason I'd explore other options."

"The most significant drawback in recent years has been the cessation of firmware release downloads."

"The effectiveness of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router traffic shaping is quite good, but I am not very satisfied with the interface for control."

"They have to learn something more from FortiGate."

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

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

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

"The logging could improve in OPNsense."

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

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

"We did not like the fact that you have to configure everything with the graphic user interface. We have used other firewalls, such as FortiGate, that you can configure via code. OPNsense is not easy to integrate. When you are deploying via GitHub or another source repository, this is not possible. That's one thing we didn't like much."

"I would like to see better SD-WAN performance."

More OPNsense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"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."

"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."

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

"As an appliance, it's in the medium price range."

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

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

More OPNsense pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

32%

Comms Service Provider

13%

Healthcare Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

18%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router?

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router regularly provides updates. One aspect they can improve is that most people ask whether an antivirus scanning system is available in pfSense. Other companie...

What is your primary use case for Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router?

We work with Netgate products. We are a reseller and consultant. We have been working with Netgate and Fortinet for around two years.

What advice do you have for others considering Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router?

For metrics to measure its impact, we do not measure in a formal way. We use bandwidth monitoring to check how effective the solution is. I have not encountered customers asking for additional feat...

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...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OPNsense?

Setup cost is almost zero as one can simulate the whole environment using open source version. Pricing seems fair enough. Open source license allows a beginner to have a complete firewall solution ...

What needs improvement with OPNsense?

When I talk about VPN, I am not completely satisfied with the VPN functions of OPNsense. What I have received so far is that sometimes the VPN route caches for some time and sometimes I want to cha...

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Product Reports

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router

October 2026

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router report

Download Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router product report

Download OPNsense product report

October 2026

Overview

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router offers open-source, license-free software with strong VPN options and robust networking capabilities, supporting secure, scalable, and reliable IT infrastructure integration.

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router stands out with its open-source framework, providing organizations the freedom from annual license renewals and enabling focus on CAPEX. It integrates seamlessly within IT environments, offering extensive package availability for broad functionality. Equipped with WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec, it ensures robust VPN configurations. Its traffic shaping, load balancing, and failover functionalities enhance network performance, while Multi-WAN connections boost uptime. Users benefit from its affordability, scalability, VLAN support, and consistent secure operations. However, clearer communication on antivirus capabilities and interface improvements for speed is needed. The equipment's transition to cloud-based firmware updates has seen mixed reception.

What are the key features of Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router?

License-Free Software: Avoid annual renewals, allowing financial focus on CAPEX.
Strong VPN Options: Supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec for secure connections.
Traffic Shaping and Load Balancing: Optimizes network performance and reliability.
Multi-WAN Capability: Enhances connectivity and ensures consistent uptime.
VLAN Support: Allows efficient network segmentation and management.
Open-Source Nature: Provides transparency and continuous community-driven enhancements.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces expenditure with license-free, open-source software.
Scalability: Grows with organizational demands without added costs.
Reliability: Ensures secure, stable connections with minimal downtime.
Ease of Use: Simplified configuration and management for technical teams.
Community Support: Backed by a knowledgeable user community for ongoing support.

In educational settings, such as universities and engineering colleges, Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router facilitates secure VPN tunnels for data transfer. It sees application as a high-availability BGP setup among consultants and resellers, ensuring reliability and network efficiency.

Netgate

OPNsense is a robust open-source platform known for its intuitive GUI, firewall capabilities, and seamless network management. It provides essential security features such as VPN and IDS/IPS, catering to organizations looking for reliable and custom-configurable solutions.

Renowned for its user-centric approach, OPNsense integrates functionality with scalability, making it a preferred choice for both on-premises and cloud deployments. Employing regular updates, OPNsense enhances security and offers modular configurations, DNS-level filtering, content control, and load balancing. Users value the platform's resilience and its ability to support features like WireGuard and Zenarmor for improved security management, especially appreciated by budget-conscious entities. However, complexity in its interface and reporting, along with challenges in cloud integration and API, require attention. Users also suggest improvements in VPN and firewall customization and seek better documentation and tools, considering the current pricing structure.

What are the key features of OPNsense?

GUI: Simplifies navigation and configuration tasks.
Firewall: Provides strong protection against network threats.
VPN: Ensures secure remote connectivity.
IDS/IPS: Detects and prevents intrusions effectively.
Modular Design: Allows for tailored configuration.
WireGuard: Enhances VPN speed and security.
Zenarmor: Offers advanced traffic analysis.

Why should users consider OPNsense?

Security: Frequent updates ensure robust protection.
Scalability: Adaptable for both small and large networks.
Cost-Effectiveness: Balances features with budget constraints.
Integration: Supports various third-party applications.
Flexibility: Suitable for diverse business environments.

In industries ranging from corporate enterprises to home offices, OPNsense is implemented for securing server data, managing VPN links, and enforcing firewall policies. It is particularly favored for providing secure remote access, efficient network management, and the flexibility needed for specific business requirements, whether deployed in cloud environments or traditional setups.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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.