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Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router Reviews

Vendor: Netgate
4.5 out of 5
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What is Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router?

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.

Get the Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router and more!
Buyer's Guide
Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router
April 2026
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PeerResearch reports based on Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryFirewallsMay 5, 2026Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersMay 5, 2026Download
ComparisonNetgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs Fortinet FortiGateMay 5, 2026Download
ComparisonNetgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs Netgate pfSenseMay 5, 2026Download
ComparisonNetgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router vs Sophos FirewallMay 5, 2026Download
 
 
Key learnings from peers
Last updated Mar 1, 2026

Valuable Features

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router offers license-free usage, eliminating yearly subscription renewals. It supports multiple VPNs like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec and provides effective load balancing and failover with multiple ISPs. Users value its scalability, open-source transparency, robust VLAN support, and extensive package options like IDS and IPS. It's easy to install and configure, supporting unlimited VPN tunneling and VLANs. Its affordability and efficiency meet comprehensive network management needs.
  • "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."
  • "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."

Room for Improvement

Some areas needing enhancement in Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router include better communication on antivirus capabilities and clear hardware compatibility details. Customers suggest reverting to the previous method of firmware updates rather than cloud-only options. There is feedback about the interface speed needing improvement and concerns over high hardware pricing. Dual power supplies in heavier-duty hardware options are requested by users. They appreciate the open-source model and desire a captive portal feature in future updates.
  • "The most significant drawback in recent years has been the cessation of firmware release downloads."
  • "They have to learn something more from FortiGate."
  • "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."

Popular Use Cases

Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router is primarily employed for establishing VPN tunnels to transfer data between clients and headquarters with simplicity and efficiency. It serves high availability BGP needs and supports VLAN setups. Users integrate OpenVPN and WireGuard, finding them reliable. Its use spans various sectors, notably in education among universities and engineering colleges. As resellers and consultants, users also appreciate the hardware's availability and safety features.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
40%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Healthcare Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
4%
Transportation Company
4%
Performing Arts
4%
Outsourcing Company
4%
Security Firm
2%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
2%
Leisure / Travel Company
1%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
1%
Hospitality Company
1%
Integrator
1%
Educational Organization
1%
Legal Firm
1%
Media Company
1%
Non Tech Company
1%
Recruiting/Hr Firm
1%

Learn more about Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router

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.

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Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall/VPN/Router Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Site Manager at a consultancy with 11-50 employees5.0I've used Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router since 2018 and find it reliable, scalable, and well-supported, though hardware pricing is steep and dual power supplies are lacking; overall, it's a robust, transparent solution with excellent technical support.
Owner at it logic4.5I've used Netgate pfSense Plus for 15+ years in education; it's stable, customizable, and cost-effective with strong VPN, VLAN, and load balancing. While updates have slowed, it's still a solid, open-source firewall solution.
Director at Mistral Networks India Pvt4.0As a Netgate reseller/consultant, I value pfSense Plus for being license-free with strong VPN options, packages for IDS/IPS, VLANs, traffic shaping, and effective multi-WAN load balancing/failover. Support is solid, but built-in/clearer antivirus positioning would help. I rate it 8/10.
Operations Engineer - R&D at MG International Poseidon4.5Our pfSense solution is simple, efficient, and stable, fully meeting our VPN requirements. However, I am concerned with the new cloud-only firmware update policy, finding it problematic that we cannot update without an internet connection.
Network Administrator at Navigator CORPORATION LLC4.5I've used Netgate pfSense Plus Firewall_VPN_Router for VLANs and VPNs like OpenVPN and WireGuard with great results. Load balancing works well, though the interface could be faster. Overall, it's reliable, and I'd rate it eight out of ten.