Name: Netgate pfSense
Brand: Netgate
Rating: 4.3 (219 reviews)

Francis Abubot

System Administrator at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Jan 5, 2022

Download

Affordable and scalable but some features are difficult to configure and enable

Pros and Cons

"Sophos Intercept X is scalable. Currently, we have almost 30 people using it in our company."

"It would be great to add more to security."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is Endpoint Advanced. I have set it up for the firewall and the open VPN connections.

What needs improvement?

It would be great to add more to security.

I know that pfSense has a lot of features, but I don't know how to configure and enable them. That is why I am looking into my support options. I am looking for better security and performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for almost two years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

pfSense is scalable. Currently, we have almost 30 people using it in our company.

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

December 2025

Free Report: Netgate pfSense Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Netgate pfSense. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

879,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.

How are customer service and support?

I'm currently struggling with deploying pfSense more extensively. Right now, we are not getting much support on their end.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

My opinion about pfSense's pricing is good. They are open source.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

DiegoVoltolini

IT Infrastructure Analyst at a logistics company with 201-500 employees

Oct 6, 2021

Download

Good security features

Pros and Cons

"I like pfSense's security features."

"The integration of pfSense with EPS and EDS could be better. Also, it should be easier to get reports on how many users are connecting simultaneously and how sections connect in real-time."

What is our primary use case?

I use pfSense for OpenVPN and DNS.

What is most valuable?

I like pfSense's security features.

What needs improvement?

The integration of pfSense with EPS and EDS could be better. Also, it should be easier to get reports on how many users are connecting simultaneously and how sections connect in real-time.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using pfSense for about 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

PfSense is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

PfSense is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

It's easy to set up pfSense. But it generally takes two or three days, depending on the environment.

What other advice do I have?

Eight out of 10

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

December 2025

Free Report: Netgate pfSense Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Netgate pfSense. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

879,371 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Aug 18, 2021

Download

Easy to use, open-source, stable, and easy to install

Pros and Cons

"It is a better firewall than others and it has better features."

"The security could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use pfSense as a firewall in the healthcare sector, education sector, and banking sector.

What is most valuable?

pfSense is very easy to use.

It is a better firewall than others and it has better features.

What needs improvement?

They do not provide support in India.

The security could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been selling pfSense for 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

pfSense is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 50 customers who use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We provide local support to our customers.

How was the initial setup?

It is very easy to install.

We only need one person to install and maintain this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

When compared with other firewalls, the price is reasonable.

There is an open-source community version that is available.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate pfSense a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Divyesh Jesadiya

Full Stack Developer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Aug 1, 2021

Download

A scalable solution with an easy setup

Pros and Cons

"A valuable feature is that the solution is open source."

"The stability could be improved."

What is most valuable?

While it is difficult for me to point to any one specific advantage of the solution in respect of the firewall, I do know that it has many benefits. For one, it is open source.

What needs improvement?

The stability could be improved. Whenever there is an update, in spite of developments I may have made, I am required to make certain changes to the coding.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using pfSense for perhaps two or three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability could be better.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution seems to be scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to set up.

What other advice do I have?

I develop the solution on behalf of my company.

With my scant knowledge of networking and the firewall I would rate pfSense as an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

it_user1621578

Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Jul 13, 2021

Download

Excellent at blocking problematic IP addresses

Pros and Cons

"Is good at blocking IP addresses."

"Lacks instructional videos."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case is for controlling incoming traffic from various countries and blocking IP addresses if necessary. I'm the company director and a user of pfSense.

What is most valuable?

A key feature is being able to block IP addresses. This is a good product and I have no issues with it.

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see some instructional videos as opposed to documentation. It would be helpful for beginners and start-up companies.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for a couple of months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable.

What other advice do I have?

It's worth giving this product a shot and testing it out because it's free and community based.

I would rate the community version a 10 out of 10.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

it_user1612161

Senior System Administrator at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Jul 2, 2021

Download

Is stable and easy to install

Pros and Cons

"It is a stable solution. It is also easy to install and can be deployed and maintained by one team member."

"pfSense has some limitations in detecting site sessions. We want to control internet usage based on sites and their content, and pfSense doesn't perform this function."

What is most valuable?

It is a stable solution. It is also easy to install and can be deployed and maintained by one team member.

What needs improvement?

pfSense has some limitations in detecting site sessions. We want to control internet usage based on sites and their content, and pfSense doesn't perform this function.

The site itself could be improved; it's not easy to find the things that you want to implement and apply.

It would be good if it had more features like Sophos does.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using pfSense for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was easy. I was able to install it in two hours maximum. Only one person is needed for deployment and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Currently, we don't pay for a license.

What other advice do I have?

We have fifty users in our organization, and I can recommend pfSense. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

reviewer1614375

Owner at a manufacturing company with 11-50 employees

Jun 30, 2021

Download

An open source firewall solution with many valuable features, but there are some bias and network intrusion issues

Pros and Cons

"I mostly like all of it. Whatever we use is valuable."

"There are some bias issues and some intrusions in our network that have to be addressed. So, we're thinking of changing this firewall to something like a professional hardware-enabled firewall."

What is our primary use case?

We use pfSense as a firewall and proxy server. We use it to apply different restrictions for different users from some data locations.

What is most valuable?

I mostly like all of it. Whatever we use is valuable.

What needs improvement?

There are some bias issues and some intrusions in our network that have to be addressed. So, we're thinking of changing this firewall to something like a professional hardware-enabled firewall.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with pfSense for many years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

pfSense is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

pfSense is a scalable solution. We have about 200 users in our company.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give pfSense a seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

FlorianBUIS

Infrastructure Administrator at a manufacturing company with 1-10 employees

May 27, 2021

Download

Customizable, easy to use, and reliable

Pros and Cons

"The main features of this solution are customization and ease to use."

"The configuration of the solution is a bit difficult."

What is our primary use case?

This solution can be used for a firewall, VPN, and VLAN.

What is most valuable?

The main features of this solution are customization and ease to use.

What needs improvement?

The configuration of the solution is a bit difficult.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have found this solution to be scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support was good in my experience.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy and can take approximately one day.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation of the solution and we have five technicians available for implementation and maintenance.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to those wanting to implement this solution is that if you are new to configuring this solution I would seek assistance. You most likely will have problems if you have not done it before.

I rate pfSense an eight out of ten.