Comparison conclusions:
pfSense offers paid options for additional support and features (pfSense Plus), a wider range of features and a larger community, but might have a steeper learning curve.
OPNsense provides a clean interface and built-in security features, but its community and documentation are smaller
The summary above is based on 40 interviews we conducted with pfSense and OPNsense users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"It performs very well."
"FortiGate is flexible and easy to use."
"FortiGate Secure SD-WAN includes best-of-breed next-generation firewall (NGFW) security, SD-WAN, advanced routing, and WAN optimization capabilities, delivering a security-driven networking WAN edge transformation in a unified offering."
"We use the filtering feature the most. It has filtering and inbuilt securities. We can create customized rules to define which users can access a particular type of site. We can create policies inside the firewall."
"FortiGate has a very strong unified threat management system."
"The most valuable feature is the policy routing and application control."
"Mainly the FortiGate reporting system is very good. It guides us through all the expectations of security. Fortinet provides us all that we need for security. Also, Fortinet FortiGate is a next-generation firewall. It is much more advanced than others."
"I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be scalable."
"The initial setup was straightforward, therefore I wanted to continue using the product."
"Easy to deploy and easy to use."
"One of the advantages of pfSense is that it is very easy to work with. It is a very good open-source solution, and it works really well. pfSense provides a complete package. For some features, it could be the first solution in the world. It is a very good alternative in the market for a firewall solution. You don't need to go to Cisco or other brands with expensive firewalls. pfSense also allows us to offer some support services."
"The product’s documentation is good."
"The gain in performance and security from configuring the VPN connections was significant."
"A free firewall that is a good network security appliance."
"The solution is very easy to use and configure."
"The flexibility of adding new kinds of services without spending any money can't be beaten."
"The most valuable feature is the Dual WAN in OPNSense, which offers advanced capabilities."
"The IDS and IPS features are valuable. From the usability perspective, there is a lot of good documentation. As IT professionals, we found it very easy to configure the firewall. It was easy to configure and use."
"URL blocking, Wireguard, Tail Scale, Engine Blocker, and VPN are the most valuable features for me."
"OPNsense is easy to scale when running on the hardware."
"We can open a new VPN connection easily. It's much easier than with Fortinet in our experience."
"The feature I find most valuable, is that the program helped me to realize all the requested functionality that was needed."
"The solution is user-friendly and easy to configure."
"We have found pretty much all the features of the solution to be valuable."
"The feature which gives us a lot of pain is ASIC architecture."
"Fortinet could improve the windows opener or the virtual IP solutions for opening windows. The virtual IP settings need improvement as firewalls are trending in new development directions."
"Fortinet FortiGate can be integrated with different platforms. They have integrations in place, but I can't say they're 100%."
"The performance could be a bit better. Right now, I find it to be lacking. Having good performance is very important for our work."
"It does not have key authentication for admin access."
"The updates Fortinet provides are sometimes unstable."
"We'd like more management across other integrations."
"I would like Fortinet to add more automation to FortiGate."
"A malware blocker should be included. I do not know if it is included yet. However, until now, we have not experienced a large malware invasion."
"We are at the moment looking to use it as a proxy service so that we can limit what websites people go and view and that sort of thing. That's an area I've struggled with a little bit at the moment and it could be a bit easier to set up."
"Web interface could be enhanced and more user friendly."
"They can improve the dynamic of the input of IPs from outside."
"It could use a little bit of improvement in the reporting."
"The main problem with pfSense is that we have to use proxy solutions."
"If you want to take advantage of all of the solution's options, you need to have a bit of a technical background. It's not for a layperson."
"Layer 7 advanced firewall features are not included in the solution."
"The IPS solution could be more reliable."
"The solution would not be suitable for anything large-scale."
"When using the solution at the beginning was difficult. There was a steep learning curve."
"The solution could be more secure."
"OPNsense showed me some problems when using it in different environments. The problem is integration with a virtual server."
"There should be more technical documentation."
"On the customer-side, because I'm a small business, I need a cheaper or free solution option."
"The reporting part could be better."
Netgate pfSense is ranked 1st in Firewalls with 128 reviews while OPNsense is ranked 3rd in Firewalls with 36 reviews. Netgate pfSense is rated 8.6, while OPNsense is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Netgate pfSense writes "User-friendly, easy to manage the firewall, rule-wise and interface-wise". On the other hand, the top reviewer of OPNsense writes "Robust network security and management offering a user-friendly interface, open-source flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, with challenges regarding initial setup and the absence of official support". Netgate pfSense is most compared with Sophos XG, KerioControl, Sophos UTM, Cisco Secure Firewall and WatchGuard Firebox, whereas OPNsense is most compared with Sophos XG, Untangle NG Firewall, Sophos UTM, IPFire and WatchGuard Firebox. See our Netgate pfSense vs. OPNsense report.
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