Name: Netgate pfSense
Brand: Netgate
Rating: 4.3 (221 reviews)

Arturo Rony-Oncebay Casanova

System Implementer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees

Feb 14, 2022

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Highly scalable, open source solution, fast and simple to set up

Pros and Cons

"The initial setup was simple and fast."
"It is highly scalable, from graphic monitoring services to load balancing or captive portal, and OpenVPN has helped me to interconnect the company network in a secure and manageable way."

"ClamAV AntiVirus can cause some crashes. That service should be improved."
"ClamAV AntiVirus can cause some crashes. That service should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

At a custom company with several locations.

How has it helped my organization?

It has improve my organization through the services that can be added, which makes it highly scalable, from graphic monitoring services to load balancing or captive portal.

What is most valuable?

It is very difficult to decide one, as they all complement each other, from the DHCP administration to the captive portal. in my case, I would say OpenVPN has helped me to interconnect the company network in a secure and manageable way.

What needs improvement?

ClamAV AntiVirus can cause some crashes. That service should be improved.

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

March 2026

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For how long have I used the solution?

For two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I consider it very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is highly scalable. All services are free.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

No, there was no firewall implemented.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was simple and fast.

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

It is an open source firewall.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes, OPNsense. It is very similar and better than PfSense.

What other advice do I have?

You should try it.

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.

EvrardMalima

Sans emploi at a pharma/biotech company with 51-200 employees

Jan 5, 2022

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Simple no-cost solution

Pros and Cons

"pfSense allows us to spread the hours of connection and do the filtering on the pfSense site."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is its simplicity."

"The integration could be improved."
"The integration could be improved."

How has it helped my organization?

pfSense allows us to spread the hours of connection and do the filtering on the pfSense site.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is its simplicity.

What needs improvement?

The integration could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy and took about 50 minutes.

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

This is a no-cost solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution as eight out of ten because it's a central solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

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

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

March 2026

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: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

885,728 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Francis Abubot

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

Jan 5, 2022

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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."
"My opinion about pfSense's pricing is good."

"It would be great to add more to security."
"I'm currently struggling with deploying pfSense more extensively. Right now, we are not getting much support on their end."

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.

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.

reviewer868524

IT consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

Nov 15, 2021

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Reliable, scalable, simple installation

Pros and Cons

"I have found pfSense to be stable."
"pfSense is very good because it allows us to do what we want."

"The solution could improve by having centralized management and API support online."
"The solution could improve by having centralized management and API support online."

What is most valuable?

pfSense is very good because it allows us to do what we want.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by having centralized management and API support online.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using pfSense for a long time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found pfSense to be stable.

How are customer service and support?

We are providing support for our customers here in Sweden.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of pfSense is simple.

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

The price of pfSense is reasonable. However, there is a free version available.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to those wanting to implement pfSense is to start out with the free version before going with the appliance.

I rate pfSense a ten out of ten.

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

it_user1685520

IT Infrastructure Analyst at TranspoTech Equipamentos

Oct 6, 2021

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Good security features

Pros and Cons

"I like pfSense's security features."
"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."
"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.

Manish Nalawade

Owner at it logic

Aug 18, 2021

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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."
"pfSense is very easy to use, it is a better firewall than others and it has better features."

"The security could be improved."
"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 Infrassist Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Aug 1, 2021

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A scalable solution with an easy setup

Pros and Cons

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

"The stability could be improved."
"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 Pixels IoT Ltd

Jul 13, 2021

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Excellent at blocking problematic IP addresses

Pros and Cons

"Is good at blocking IP addresses."
"This is a good product and I have no issues with it."

"Lacks instructional videos."
"I'd like to see some instructional videos as opposed to documentation."

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.