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Netgate pfSense vs Sangfor NGAF comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 25, 2026

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
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
Sangfor NGAF
Ranking in Firewalls
28th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Netgate pfSense is 7.0%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sangfor NGAF is 1.2%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Netgate pfSense7.0%
Sangfor NGAF1.2%
Other91.8%
Firewalls
 

Featured Reviews

JA
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.
AK
Network Administrator at GC University Lahore
Leverage detailed reporting for effective attack management
We are hosting applications over the platform, including websites and NAT traffic from our side. Because it's deployed in our data center, which is fully operational, we have various applications hosted there, websites, FTP portals, making it quite comprehensive. Essentially, it performs all the…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like how easy it is to access VPNs and stuff like that. It's so simple to set up a site-to-site VPN."
"The most valuable aspect of pfSense for me is its firewall functionality."
"The most valuable aspects of pfSense are the stability, hardware compatibility, and low cost."
"This is a good product and I have no issues with it."
"pfSense provides visibility that enables users to make data-driven decisions. I'd rate the capabilities seven out of ten."
"pfSense made my life easier for controlling users and their bandwidth."
"The solution's most valuable feature is that it is a highly configurable tool."
"For those who want to implement this solution I would advise it is great for a small enterprise, it is best to get started without having any harm getting to their networks."
"The solution is quite safe and good, and furthermore, it is very good for different environments."
"The price versus value is good because the solution is less expensive than Sophos, Fortinet, or SonicWall."
"The built-in features function as intended, providing exceptional value."
"It seems to be a durable, stable product."
"The stability of Sangfor NGAF is good."
"I think Sangfor NGAF is more valuable than Cisco products because of its simplicity and ease of management. If I compare it with Palo Alto and Cisco, both are quite complex products. And if I compare it with FortiGate firewalls from Fortinet, I have also used all these products. Fortinet and Sangfor NGAF are similar products because the applications behind the application and policy layers are almost identical."
"It enables us to not only detect but also prevent various types of incoming threats, allowing us to take appropriate corrective actions and exercise control over the network."
"We can utilize our own network rather than paying for a private one."
 

Cons

"We would like to see ready-made profiles to cover most users' needs."
"It would be great to add more to security."
"I would like a management console to manage multiple pfSense installs. We have five or six pfSense hardware devices installed. As far as I know, there is no single, unified pane of glass that I can use to manage multiple appliances. That's the one thing I wish I had, just having a good single unified configuration interface for each install."
"AI would always be a plus point, and if pfSense could change its framework from FreeBSD and PHP to a different language and Linux OS, that could enhance security."
"We appreciate the flexibility of the Netgate pfSense solution, but we have waited approximately two years for new updates to the Community Edition. We are now moving to OPNsense."
"The technical support is not great. It's very slow."
"Maybe Netgate needs to see if a medium-level Netgate pfSense Plus can be created for smaller organizations."
"The downsides of Netgate pfSense include a lack of graphics to show a customer."
"I feel Sangfor should follow the hierarchy and close deals via resellers instead of closing it all with their own team."
"Lacks consistency in terms of filtering certain websites and applications."
"Our experience with its customer support was quite challenging."
"I think the GUI needs to be improved, there are a lot of areas where the panes do not make sense."
"The product must provide more IPS features."
"The interface and user experience are horrible."
"Sangfor NGAF could improve the policies and default criteria. They could be much better."
"They need to increase the number of ports in the firewall."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's not too expensive considering all of the features on offer. It's about $1700 a year."
"They are on the higher end, but you do not get stuck with spending thousands of dollars every year. You do not have recurring license costs to have people use a simple feature like VPN. That makes it more cost-effective in the long term."
"I am using the free version of pfSense."
"pfSense is open-source."
"Our customers must pay for an annual license."
"Compared to other business routers, pfSense's pricing is reasonable."
"Netgate pfSense is fairly priced."
"PFSENSE turns out to be very economical, the license is free and for little money you get very good support"
"I rate the product price as one on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The license of Sangfor NGAF can be purchased at different interval lengths, such as annually or three years. They offer a range of packages to choose from, such as combo or hybrid packages. We are using the complete solution package which includes IM, NGF and SSL VPN, and WAF."
"For over 2000 users, the cost is around 5000 to 6000 USD. If you want a web application firewall, you have to purchase an additional license for it."
"Sangfor NGAF price is reasonable and there is an annual license. However, the maintenance cost can be a bit high."
"It costs about 8 to 10 thousand dollars per year for 500 users, standard licensing fees included."
"The price is unmatcheable."
"Price-wise, I would not consider Sangfor NGAF to be a cheap product. It is an expensive firewall solution, though not as expensive as something like Palo Alto, which is costly. However, the higher price point is justifiable given the feature set the tool provides that other firewalls may not offer in a single dedicated appliance."
"For four to five physical appliances for a licensed firewall, it costs approximately $4,000."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business171
Midsize Enterprise33
Large Enterprise29
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

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 ...
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...
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 Sangfor NGAF?
The licensing cost is quite high compared to other available firewalls in the market.
What needs improvement with Sangfor NGAF?
The cost of licensing is very high compared to other firewalls available here. There should be improvements in hardware scalability, allowing for more storage and memory capacity. Making the soluti...
What is your primary use case for Sangfor NGAF?
We are hosting applications over the platform, including websites and NAT traffic from our side. Because it's deployed in our data center, which is fully operational, we have various applications h...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Sangfor NGAF Firewall Platform
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Indonesia), Lawson, Inc. (Philippines), Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Indonesia), TEK Automotive (Italy), etc.
Find out what your peers are saying about Netgate pfSense vs. Sangfor NGAF and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
914,351 professionals have used our research since 2012.