I have two installations at schools as firewalls. The biggest drivers for using pfSense were cost-effectiveness and functionality. It offers higher functionality for its cost.
Owner at Xcelitek, LLC
Handles system updates and is easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "It allows me flexibility in hardware size and capabilities while maintaining the exact same interfaces and controls."
- "I would like to see a single pane of glass for multiple devices."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The benefits are fairly obvious at the beginning. There's no specific time frame required. The flexibility and consistency of the product are what draw me to it, regardless of the size or capacity of the operation. It's easy to deploy.
Arguably, the use of products like Suricata for intrusion prevention could help prevent data loss.
It gives a single pane of glass for each individual device, but not across multiple devices. pfSense could catch up with other market providers by offering a view across multiple devices, but the current interface is fine. It is just we have to individually manage each one.
There are two versions of pfSense, the paid "Plus" version and the free "Community Edition." I use the "Plus" paid version.
The way pfSense handles system updates is pretty good. The updates are virtually transparent to any downtime. I've had pfSense boxes running for 200 to 300 days with no downtime. From a software standpoint, pfSense is about as bulletproof as it comes.
pfSense provides visibility that enables us to make data-driven decisions. Its reporting is effective. The data is effective in making decisions based on traffic. It is not just one feature, it is how we manage data traffic. It provides adequate information to make decisions based on traffic.
I have used pfSense in virtualized environments, just not on AWS.
What is most valuable?
It allows me flexibility in hardware size and capabilities while maintaining the exact same interfaces and controls.
I also like the fact that based on its operating system, it has applications that can be added, such as IDS/IPS and filtering.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see a single pane of glass for multiple devices.
From a service provider standpoint, it is a bulletproof operation to deploy. Aside from being able to manage and monitor multiple devices from a single pane of glass, that would be the only thing I would change.
Buyer's Guide
Netgate pfSense
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Netgate pfSense. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used pfSense, probably for the last two or three years off and on.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's one of the most bulletproof solutions out there. I can't recall a problem where the system locked up or had any issue that required intervention to get it started back up again.
Aside from possibly a hardware failure, I haven't had any problems. And that's not the software.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is one of the reasons why it's a good product. You can utilize it in a budget-friendly way as well as a full-on enterprise. pfSense is almost infinitely scalable. Obviously, hardware is the dictating factor.
How are customer service and support?
I have never had a reason to contact customer service and support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Unifi products, DrayTek products, and Meraki products.
From a capability standpoint, I would put pfSense at the top of functionality. DrayTek comes close; however, it lacks the add-on applications. So, I would put pfSense at the top.
How was the initial setup?
I build the machines myself. Their hardware is not overly special, and I think it's overpriced, so, I build my own.
It's easy to deploy them, but then I've worked with them for a while. If I reflect back at the very beginning, there is a bit of a learning curve, but I don't think it's that steep. Overall, it's fairly easy.
It's fairly easy to add and configure features in pfSense, though it depends on the application. So, it is moderately easy. Some are simple, while others require a lot of preplanning and time to configure.
What about the implementation team?
One person can deploy it, but the deployment time varies because it depends on the network design. It can be up and running in ten or fifteen minutes, but configuring it for the network design may take longer.
Not much maintenance is required from the end user. Netgate pfSense do a very good job of keeping the application and operating system up to date by itself. Occasionally, applications require updates that need manual intervention, but for the most part, updates can almost be automated.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
pfSense's pricing or licensing model is very affordable. Netgate hardware is a bit overpriced, but the software itself is arguably underpriced.
I have not come across a more effective product. Unifi products are inexpensive but not feature-rich by any stretch of the imagination. From a pure feature standpoint, hands down, I would argue that Meraki is as capable and comparable in features, but the cost is prohibitive for most small businesses.
From a pure feature-function standpoint, pfSense has the best total cost of ownership, once it's installed, I don't have any problems with it. If taking into account the software licensing, the hardware, and the amount of time it takes to manage, I'm not sure there's a better TCO on the market.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.

Managing Director at IPC Solutions Pty Ltd
Fairly simple to configure and has a good administration interface but lacks a cloud management interface
Pros and Cons
- "PfSense is fairly simple to configure and has a good administration interface."
- "Another thing that's primarily an issue for us is that Netgate may soon stop production of the 1100. That's what we use for our telephony gateway. It doesn't need to be high performance, but it does need to be low cost. If they stop it and make the 2100 the lowest, that will be problematic for us. We will need to start using something else because it will become too expensive for our purposes."
What is our primary use case?
We use pfSense as a small business firewall and as a VPN gateway.
How has it helped my organization?
PfSense provides us with a cost-effective but reliable network appliance. We have a standard networking device that lower-end help desk people can use effectively. It's less complicated. We moved from another platform that although the hardware was reliable, the software wasn't particularly reliable, and it was difficult to use.
It helps our operations because it's a standard platform anyone on our help desk can use. Every site will be pretty much the same. Once cloud management comes out, it'll be even better.
What is most valuable?
PfSense is fairly simple to configure and has a good administration interface. It's built on pfSense, so I know it'll be reliable. It is quite flexible, and adding and configuring features is pretty easy. There's a lot of support for add-ons, and we can do a lot of stuff with it, so it suits our needs perfectly.
It secures against data loss pretty well. Plus only has a few additional features over the Community Edition. We mainly use Plus because it comes with the Netgate hardware.
What needs improvement?
The only feature I want to add is cloud management. I'll be an early adopter of that one. We're ready for that feature, and it's one of the few missing things, so that'll be excellent when it comes.
Another thing that's primarily an issue for us is that Netgate may soon stop production of the 1100. That's what we use for our telephony gateway. It doesn't need to be high performance, but it does need to be low cost. If they stop it and make the 2100 the lowest, that will be problematic for us. We will need to start using something else because it will become too expensive for our purposes.
Effectively, we are using it as just a VPN gateway, and 1100s are great for that. What's annoying is that we cannot buy the 1100s directly because we're not a partner, and it isn't approved for connection to Australia, so we need to buy it through a company that went out and got it approved. We lose a bit of margin doing it that way. We can buy 2100s and above directly, but we must go through a reseller to get 1100s.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used pfSense for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate pfSense nine out of 10 for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Netgate pfSense is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Netgate support seven out of 10.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used some other hardware, but the software was a dog. It's pretty difficult. We've also used some UniFi solutions, which are good, but they haven't sorted out the VPN component, so we'll continue using Netgate. Once they work out the kinks in their software, they'll possibly have a compelling solution.
However, if Netgate stops selling the 1100, that could be quite problematic for us, and we'll probably go with Ubiquiti because it's too expensive to use 2100s for VPN appliances.
How was the initial setup?
PfSense is straightforward to deploy once you know what to do. It's a one-person job and takes a couple of hours. After deployment, it requires upgrades, but that's it.
What was our ROI?
The total cost of ownership is good because you buy it upfront and don't need to pay a subscription fee. We've spent a bit more, but we pass that along to the customer. In the end, everyone wins because they get a reliable solution, and we get something much easier to manage.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate pfSense five out of five for pricing. It's fairly priced. We wouldn't buy it if it weren't. There are cheaper firewall options, but they aren't as reliable and easy to manage. Of course, there are also more expensive ones.
No ongoing subscription fee is nice because many of them are small businesses that don't want to pay for an ongoing subscription. It's always being updated, so that's good from a security perspective.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Netgate pfSense seven out of 10. I would recommend it to others.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Netgate pfSense
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Netgate pfSense. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
The failover functionality for connectivity helps minimize downtime
Pros and Cons
- "pfSense is a straightforward, feature-rich firewall."
- "One area where Netgate could improve is communication with its user base."
What is our primary use case?
I use pfSense for my home network firewall.
I've installed pfSense on nearly every environment type, including Virtual Manager and most virtual machine hypervisors like Microsoft Hyper-V, ESXi, and even older versions like VM Player. Currently, it's running as a VM in Virtual Machine Manager on my NAS, showcasing its flexibility.
How has it helped my organization?
pfSense is a highly flexible product with a rich feature set. While designed with a graphical user interface in mind, it also offers command-line access for greater control. This versatility allows users to tailor the product to their specific needs.
Adding packages to pfSense is straightforward; navigate to the package manager and click "add." However, incorporating hardware, such as a dongle, is slightly more complex.
I saw the benefits of pfSense immediately. Going from a SOHO router to a pfSense one is night and day. pfSense is an enterprise-grade product that is easy to use and has a simple GUI.
The dashboard is very handy. I use mine almost daily. I can put up the widgets I want to see or remove widgets I don't want to see. It has pertinent information about my services running, any VPN connections I have, and clients connected. It's a nice dashboard.
The failover functionality for connectivity helps minimize downtime. It has also been simplified recently with some excellent added features. If I lose or corrupt my image, I can easily reinstall the operating system and restore my configuration. I'm pleased with these features of pfSense.
What is most valuable?
pfSense is a straightforward, feature-rich firewall. I am a big fan.
What needs improvement?
One area where Netgate could improve is communication with its user base. While they make an effort, much of their user base isn't composed of enterprise-level engineers who regularly read release notes and stay abreast of feature changes. A few years ago, they held a commendable meeting with forum moderators to discuss upcoming changes, which was appreciated. However, they could enhance their communication further by providing more precise information about changes and release timelines for new features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Netgate pfSense for 13 years.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted technical support for any technical issues. I did contact them for a replacement box, and their support was fantastic. I received the replacement box within a couple of days. I do contact their TAC when they release a new version. That process is changing with their new Netgate, the store, and everything. Previously, if we had a Netgate appliance and wanted a new image to install natively, we had to contact TAC with a ticket. The turnaround time was always excellent, just a couple of minutes. They would provide a link where we could download the image. I've been surprised by how fast they respond sometimes. Even when they're in the middle of deploying a new version, I've reached out and received a download link within five minutes. So they're usually on the spot.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Over the years, I've played with quite a few different firewalls, but I always go back to pfSense. It's a leader in its field, with its direct competition being OPNsense. There was a feud when they forked off. pfSense is the leader in that sense.
How was the initial setup?
Installing pfSense should be relatively straightforward, even for a network engineer unfamiliar with the product. The process is user-friendly and guided, similar to installing an operating system like Windows. With a basic understanding of networking concepts, setting up pfSense can be accomplished within minutes. The main challenge arises when users need more fundamental networking knowledge, such as understanding IP addresses or the difference between DHCP and static configurations. For someone with networking experience, however, the installation process is quick and straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable. It costs money to run a product. It used to be completely free, and I think that's where many people became a bit disappointed when the pricing model was introduced, but I think it's a pretty fair price point. Some users don't understand that they can't offer everything for free. The development work involved costs money.
The inclusion of firewall, VPN, and router functionalities significantly reduces the total cost of ownership. In my previous role, we utilized pfSense in some locations due to its superior cost-effectiveness compared to other enterprise solutions. For smaller companies or those aiming to reduce expenses, it's a highly affordable option, and even their hardware is reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Netgate pfSense ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
CIO and President at Aim High! Inc.
I appreciate the depth of what the solution can do and the simplicity of the initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "I appreciate the depth of what you can do with pfSense and the simplicity of the initial setup. One thing we've done is create an image, and when we get a new customer who needs a device, we can put that image on there. The image gets them up to 90 percent of what we need them to have, and we only have to customize the remaining 10 percent."
- "We do a lot of managed services and are currently trying to get people off of L2TP VPN. Apparently, we can download a mobile config file from a configured NetGate device, and we're primarily Apple. We've experimented with it on a device that's not a production device, and we can't seem to get the phase one IPSec set correctly so that the Apple config will accept it."
What is our primary use case?
We use pfSense as an edge router for customers. I use pfSense Plus. We're using Netgate boxes preconfigured with pfSense.
How has it helped my organization?
PfSense gives our customers high security, and it's easy to implement. Most customers are looking for a VPN, so we set up a static IP that makes the VPN easy. The benefits of pfSense are immediate. It has a few features that prevent data loss, such as backups and creating rules. It does packet inspection to ensure large known malware does not get through to the end users.
It offers features that help us prevent downtime, but that doesn't apply to our customers. It has failover, so if an internet line were to go bad, you could failover to another line. That doesn't apply to our customers because they can't afford a second internet line.
What is most valuable?
I appreciate the depth of what you can do with pfSense and the simplicity of the initial setup. One thing we've done is create an image, and when we get a new customer who needs a device, we can put that image on there. The image gets them up to 90 percent of what we need them to have, and we only have to customize the remaining 10 percent. PfSense is incredibly flexible. It's complicated, but it's incredibly flexible.
What needs improvement?
We do a lot of managed services and are currently trying to get people off of L2TP VPN. Apparently, we can download a mobile config file from a configured NetGate device, and we're primarily Apple. We've experimented with it on a device that's not a production device, and we can't seem to get the phase one IPSec set correctly so that the Apple config will accept it.
We've tried looking at the documentation but haven't found anything. While it's not the highest priority, it is rather frustrating. We'd like to do this, and the feature is right there, but we can't get it configured. We certainly don't want to try it on a production machine because it will break the current VPN.
I would like to download the Apple mobile config so that I can tell it to configure my VPN connection to do that. We have some cross-platform things. So there's also a Windows VPN. You can download a script or a PowerShell, put it on a Windows machine, and it can connect to the VPN. It would be nice if I could say I want Mac only, Windows only, or both. I wish it could configure the IPSec phase one and phase two, or at least give me solid instructions on how to configure that.
It doesn't supply out-of-the-box visibility to drive decisions. You get 75 log lines, so if you're trying to troubleshoot something, you have to look at one log and then another. It integrates with SysLog systems, but our customers are not at the level where they want to pay for some third-party SysLog system. Usually, we can get things taken care of fairly quickly.
I would like to have the ability to control all my devices from one place. With Ubiquiti, you can get a controller that allows you to control all of your Wi-Fi devices, switches, and routers. From one area, you can switch to that customer and see what's happening in their environment. That's not part of pfSense. I understand why it's not because pfSense is open source and community supported. That's something that someone in the community needs to pick up and run with. It's not something the pfSense can easily implement. If they could, that'd be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used pfSense for 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give it an eight out of 10. I've never had any lag or downtime.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The higher-end boxes have a lot of scalability. You can run pfSense on a Unix box and add cards or all sorts of things. If you had a powerful Unix box and hot spot-able, there would be a lot of scalability to it. I primarily use their Netgate appliances from the 1100 to 2100 hundred, so the scalability is limited.
The old 3100 had a lot more scalability than its replacement the 2100. But the next step up now is to the 4100, which gives you an additional preconfigured WAN port that allows you to easily separate networks. It jumps from $400 to $900.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Netgate support eight out of 10. They're great. I called about an issue with a bad box. They answered the phone and I got somebody who was highly familiar with the product. He had me try several troubleshooting things, identified that the box was bad, and got me a replacement.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We’ve used SonicWall and switched due to cost. Though SonicWall is easier to manage, the on-going costs are prohibitive.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment difficulty depends on what you need to do. Let's say you get a box and plug it into your network, but you can't get it to work, so you call the folks at pfSense. They will help you configure it so that you can ping a remote device. That's pretty easy.
I gave one of the pfSense boxes to one of my people who has minimal knowledge about setting up network devices. He could get it to ping in about 25 minutes. Then, I asked him to add a VLAN, and he's still working on that. That's been two and a half months. If someone needs something to put on their network, it's pretty easy, but if you want the full benefit of a firewall, it may take a while. One person is enough to do it. After deployment, you just need to do some periodic firmware updates.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
PfSense's pricing is reasonable. However, support is relatively expensive for smaller customers, and you need to pay per device to get it. So if Customer A is having an issue, I have to get support, and then I have to get support for Customer B, and so on. It would be nice as a managed services provider to get support for my company rather than individual devices.
I would compare the total cost of ownership to SonicWall. We can compare the basic functions of the Netgate 2100, the model we use most, to the SonicWall 3500. They have very similar functionality. The cost of the 3500 was closer to $4,000.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Netgate pfSense eight out of 10. I recommend doing a lot of research or spending the $500 to get the extended support.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: MSP Reseller
Owner at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Flexible, minimizes downtime, and offers good support
Pros and Cons
- "It helps me make more data-driven decisions."
- "They could make it easier to configure packages."
What is our primary use case?
I use it as a firewall and router. I use it in a few locations. I have three pfSense products.
What is most valuable?
I like that I can geofence and block different countries from accessing my network.
The flexibility is very good.
I noted the benefits of pfSense within a year. I had it on my VM for a year and then put it into production.
It's good at blocking malware and DNS attacks. I don't use it for data loss prevention.
The solution gives me a single pane of management. Everything is accessible from the dashboard.
It provides features that help me minimize downtime. I have a WAN, and if any of my WANs go down, it's okay; I have them connected to pfSense.
It helps me make more data-driven decisions.
With pfSense, I can optimize performance.
I don't really need too many features. I just use it as a plain firewall. I like to keep it clean. I don't like to run too many things on it.
What needs improvement?
The configuration can be a little difficult. You need to know the system a little bit. Even now, I do have one in a VM where I test my stuff, and then implement it into production.
They could make it easier to configure packages. They could have a wizard that helps you out a bit more.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't had any issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't had issues with scalability. It's easy to back it up and load the backup.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is fast to respond. However, I did have to eventually pay for them to help me out. I had some problems with the firmware. Someone remote into my appliance and fixed it. They patched it up and now it's working fine.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used OPNsense and SonicWall previously.
While pfSense has more features, OPNsense is a lot easier to use.
How was the initial setup?
I have the solution as an appliance. Deployment for a device is a little bit hard, so it can take a few days.
Maintenance is required every few days.
What about the implementation team?
I did not have any help from outside consultants. I manage the deployment myself. I was able to eventually figure it out myself via forums.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I like the fact that there is a free version. I'd like the entire offering to be free. That said, it's 100% worth the cost of ownership.
What other advice do I have?
I use both the paid and community version.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
I would advise new users to test it before implementing it in their environment.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Vice President at Griffin Networks
Provides a lot of different applications for VPN and multi-way traffic
Pros and Cons
- "Netgate pfSense has a lot of different applications you can use for VPN and multi-way traffic."
- "The solution should provide a single pane of glass and a management console for all devices."
What is our primary use case?
We use Netgate pfSense to deploy to our customers.
What is most valuable?
Netgate pfSense has a lot of different applications you can use for VPN and multi-way traffic. It's very simple as far as firewall rules and NAT rules go. It's an overall solid application and product. We don't really have too many RMAs, and there are no monthly fees associated with it.
Netgate pfSense is extremely flexible due to the nature of the multi packages that you can use for different VPNs. You can do the same thing in multiple different ways, and it's very handy when you're trying to troubleshoot problems.
You can add packages to pfSense with Snort and pfBlocker to keep hackers out. We've been using pfSense by creating rules that only allow our IP addresses into those devices. That way, they are never open to the outside world, and we've been doing that for almost 20 years.
Netgate pfSense has a high-availability application called CARP that allows you to put two devices in failover mode.
The visibility that pfSense Plus provides helps us optimize performance because that's all in the updates they push out.
We use pfSense Plus on Amazon EC2 VMs, and it's been pretty good and fairly quick in testing.
What needs improvement?
The solution should provide a single pane of glass and a management console for all devices.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Netgate pfSense for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is fairly stable unless there's an environmental issue.
I rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten for scalability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have previously used SonicWall. SonicWall has all the packages prebuilt. With Netgate pfSense, you have to download and install the packages and then configure everything. These include antivirus and anti-spam, which you have to turn on, but they cost money.
It's really just a configuration setup. SonicWall and Netgate pfSense are two very different firewalls. It's very difficult to compare them other than monthly and yearly licensing versus buying at once.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is super easy. I've taught several people with little knowledge of how to do it, and it's been very simple to explain and set up.
What about the implementation team?
From start to finish, the solution's deployment can be done by one person in probably an hour.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think Netgate needs to charge a nominal fee for the actual software so that it gets paid for because a lot of people skirt the licensing and use the community edition. Netgate should charge something nominal like $50 a year for the community edition to deter people from using it for everything.
What other advice do I have?
Depending on the specifics, adding and configuring features to pfSense could take three or four hours for a RADIUS server with a VPN or less than two minutes to set up a NAT rule.
We were embedded with pfSense in 2023. It took us some time after we deployed the solution to see the benefits.
I have 236 devices in production. Some of the cheaper models are more susceptible to power outages, which cause them to fail. However, some of the more robust models are expensive, but they last for many, many years, and there's very little interaction that we have to do with them.
The only maintenance the solution needs is just updates to the device as required.
New users should do some basic research before configuring Netgate pfSense. There's lots of information about the tool on the web, and it's very easy to get the answers to your questions because somebody's already probably run into that issue. There are tutorials on basic configuration on YouTube.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
IT Consultant and Project Coordinator at GE Consulting
Customizable and easy to configure with responsive support
Pros and Cons
- "Users can manage everything under one single pane of glass."
- "Updating some of the packages can be a bit difficult."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in two ways. I deploy it commercially and I use it in my home lab as well.
How has it helped my organization?
It's very easy to deploy. It's nice when you've used something for a while. You get comfortable with all of the benefits. I know what I'm doing. I'm very familiar with the product.
What is most valuable?
The addition of packages makes it very customizable. The flexibility is very good. Not all firewalls out there have that. Typically, you are tied into three or four different plugins. pfSense, however, allows you to add more than the standard handful others offer.
It's easy to add features and configure them.
They do improve it consistently, which makes me want to return to it over and over as a solution.
It just introduced, with the latest revision, the ability to save your backups incrementally as well as go back and make changes. I can go back to a particular backup, and that's quite useful.
The solution does prevent data loss. You can pick up your configuration files consistently, whether you want to do it daily, monthly, hourly, et cetera.
Users can manage everything under one single pane of glass.
I also use pfSense Plus. It provides good features that help minimize downtime. The updates come quicker to Plus, which is helpful. It also helps optimize performance. Having the pane of glass offers consistency in terms of finding things. The UI is very intuitive.
What needs improvement?
Updating some of the packages can be a bit difficult. It's hard to stay on top of them all. There also might be a bit of a lag on updates.
If they could get to something like Meraki, where I could remotely log in and not have to deploy a package to do that, that would be nice to have.
It would be helpful if they had more documentation. Some online details seem out of date and you have to spend a lot of time going through forums to uncover what everyone else is doing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for probably ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good. I'd rate it nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Most of my clients who are users are under 50 users. I handle mostly SMBs. I'd rate scalability eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is awesome. I haven't dealt with them a ton, however, every time I do, via email, within an hour, they've responded.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Cisco Meraki over the years. It's a bit different. There's also a cost factor.
I've also tried OPNsense. I didn't like the look of it after using pfSense for so long.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment is straightforward. It's awesome. I always bench test it before deployment. I do it through my office, not on-site, to go through the various variables that could make things go sideways.
The implementation only takes about a day. I can manage the process by myself. I don't need a team.
A majority of my deployments are for home users.
There's not a lot of maintenance. You just want to keep packages updated when the time comes.
What was our ROI?
I have witnessed an ROI from a remote perspective. I'm able to remote in for some users and fix any problems that way.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is fairly priced. The total cost of ownership is pretty good. They do offer appliances as well and those are quite cost effective.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a consultant.
I'd advise new users to learn at home first and play with pfSense just to get used to it.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Owner at davecanfixit.com
It is highly configurable with zero downtime but lacks a web dashboard
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of pfSense are its ability to segment networks, create different subnets, create different VLANs, and use the VPN, as well as its affordability."
- "pfSense lacks a centralized web dashboard for viewing all my clients' pfSense dashboards."
What is our primary use case?
My company uses Netgate pfSense firewall routers for some clients, but I choose the device based on their needs. For locations like restaurants that require constant internet, I use a different device with cellular failover built-in. The cost-effective Netgate pfSense is a good option in simpler locations like doctors' offices. I can leverage Netgate's ability to handle multiple ISPs for clients with large internet demands. Ultimately, the choice depends on the client's budget and specific requirements.
In my role, I decide what our clients should implement for their network security. I want to create a secure environment by separating the business network from the Wi-Fi and phone networks. To achieve this separation, pfSense uses different subnets to effectively block any incoming traffic attempting unauthorized access to the network.
How has it helped my organization?
pfSense is highly configurable, offering flexibility to tailor its features and functionality to each client's network needs.
pfSense offers a wide range of plugins and add-ons, making initial configuration straightforward. However, since I primarily rely on endpoint security products installed on clients' workstations for their overall protection, my pfSense setup focuses on basic functionality. This includes configuring the firewall for my in-house network and leveraging its ability to handle multiple WAN connections. Ultimately, pfSense's affordability and ease of use make it a great choice for me as a secure and customizable router/firewall solution.
Network segmentation offers the biggest benefit for my clients. By creating separate Wi-Fi, phone systems, and business network segments, I can isolate any security breaches and prevent them from spreading throughout the entire network. As the decision-maker, I prioritize client security without needing them to understand the technical details. My focus is ensuring their networks are secure.
I have never had any downtime using pfSense Plus.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of pfSense are its ability to segment networks, create different subnets, create different VLANs, and use the VPN, as well as its affordability.
What needs improvement?
pfSense lacks a centralized web dashboard for viewing all my clients' pfSense dashboards. A single pane of glass for both web access and management would be a game-changer. This missing interface is my biggest frustration with pfSense, and improvement is sorely needed. I have clients all over the United States and would deploy many more pfSense firewalls if it had a centralized web dashboard.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started installing Netgate pfSense for clients almost three years ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Netgate pfSense ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of Netgate pfSense ten out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've worked with almost every firewall: SonicWall, Cradlepoint, Ubiquiti, Fortinet, and UniFi devices. You get into the licensing of some of those with SonicWall and Fortinet, and it's just not the product that I like to sell to my clients. I'm always client-friendly. I want to find the most affordable product for them that does the best job. NetGate pfSense is the right one for some but not for others.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment is simple. We preconfigure the device in the shop and then take it out and hook it up in less than one hour.
We have three people total who deploy the firewalls, including myself.
What was our ROI?
Netgate pfSense is a set-and-forget product other than deploying and periodically updating the firmware. pfSense has been solid for me.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Unlike many firewalls that require annual licensing fees, making them expensive for small businesses, pfSense is an affordable option.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Netgate pfSense seven out of ten. The only area of improvement is the web dashboard, which is currently lacking in pfSense.
I use other products to control data security. Most of my clients don't have an in-house server. I work with small businesses, and that's why the Netgate pfSense device works well. For my larger clients, we go to the cloud for data storage and data security with redundancy. So, I don't use pfSense for data security at all.
pfSense is a good value for some clients; it's client-specific. It depends upon other things we are deploying there, such as what kind of Wi-Fi network we use. If we are adding a VoIP phone system. It just depends on what the client's needs are, but It is the right device for the right client.
A lot of our clients are small businesses. I've got one fairly large business. It is a restaurant group nationwide with 700 employees, but its main office has maybe 30 to 50 employees. So, that's probably my largest deployment of the Netgate device.
The only maintenance required for the pfSense firewalls is applying the occasional firmware updates.
Some MSPs are more focused on making money. I'm not. I'm focused on the right fit for the client, and the money takes care of itself. pfSense is a great device. I'm not focused on what will make me money. I'm focused on what is best for the client. In many decisions, the Netgate pfSense is the right decision for that client.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: MSP

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Updated: September 2025
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