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Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 28, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate
Sponsored
Ranking in Firewalls
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Number of Reviews
314
Ranking in other categories
Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd), WAN Edge (1st)
Netgate pfSense
Ranking in Firewalls
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
200
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OPNsense
Ranking in Firewalls
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2024, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 17.7%, up from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netgate pfSense is 22.4%, down from 24.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OPNsense is 18.4%, up from 18.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Firewalls
 

Q&A Highlights

Apr 03, 2023
 

Featured Reviews

Viraj Fernandopulle - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 7, 2024
Includes built-in APIs, is easy to deploy, and provides good insight into our network
FortiGate offers visibility into the types, brands, versions, and users of connected devices. This visibility is crucial for our industrial devices, as their reliable operation is essential to our business. Fortinet Security Fabric empowers us to comply with regulations, governance, and compliance requirements across regions like the US and Europe, ensuring smooth operations for our global business. FortiGate's built-in APIs enable us to integrate with the vendors of our choice. Fortinet's FortiGate is easy to deploy in our environment thanks to its well-written and easy-to-follow documentation. FortiGate is a highly benchmarked product that improves efficiency and adds value to our organization. Although we don't see a benefit overnight, we gradually see the benefits of FortiGate over the years. It has provided a lot of insight into our organization's activities. FortiGate significantly helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that could disrupt our production. This has protected us against financial losses. Fortinet has its management suite so it helps to centralize the management of network and security operations in our company. This helps us easily manage the issues and solutions that are required. Fortinet FortiGate provides us with actionable data to inform our decisions about the most appropriate course of action. It delivers insights into resource consumption and compromised hosts, helping us identify the source of unauthorized login attempts. This comprehensive view allows us to understand what's entering our network. Fortinet Security Fabric improved security across our industrial control systems. Fortinet FortiGate helped reduce our mean time to remediate. Fortinet FortiGate helped to mature our approach to cybersecurity for protecting our industrial equipment. The level of detail we can see regarding incoming traffic and ongoing activities is quite high. This detailed visibility extends to host configuration and other such aspects, providing us with valuable insights. As a result, Fortinet can provide a clear understanding of how to manage our network and quickly mitigate any issues that may arise.
DR
Jul 11, 2024
Enhances infrastructure visibility, optimizes performance right away and allows for an enterprise-grade VPN
I would like to see a subscription-based tech support option as opposed to this flat yearly rate. I'd like to see more of a monthly tech support feature. I think that would be helpful for a different type of consumer. So, there could be more room for Netgate to expand. To me, it would have been nice to have a little bit more tech support at first. But since I'm becoming so satisfied with this system I'm developing, I'm gonna step up anyway into the TNSR software. And when I do that, I get unlimited tech support. So, it's kind of like this: if I don't want to pay for tech support, I teach myself and learn how the device works. And that's what I've basically done to this point. It's pretty plug-and-play but some of it is, like, if you don't configure it correctly, it just doesn't work. I had a couple of instances where I was setting it up, and I set it up a certain way twice where I just didn't configure it in a way that it worked. I put so many security features in that I had locked myself out from even being able to log in. So, it would be better to make tech support more accessible because they're really good at what they do, like behind the scenes. They know how to configure things through the terminal differently than I was. System Reports: Reports would be good, like system reports and functionality. Dumbing it down a bit more would help, too. We do have a Setup Wizard , but it is even less complicated in terms of setting it up because the user guide is 2,000 pages long. So, the manual itself is, like, 2,000 pages for this device. If Netgate could make it a little bit less complicated for users. But, part of this appliance goes to IT departments anyway. So, they're more adept at setting it up than your average consumer. So that's generally who buys these things and sets them up. It's like your IT community usually gets involved with these because they understand that when you buy a computer, and you just start logging into the Internet, you've created a sort of dangerous atmosphere that not everybody understands by not making it safer. Everybody understands that when you log in if you don't even play with the settings on your computer. You're basically just setting yourself up to put your data out there like it's some type of free-for-all.
it_user1140060 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 11, 2022
An open-source firewall that works very well and gets updated every month
I use it for firewall purposes and OpenVPN. Another use is to protect the servers inside my company.  I am using its latest version. It is deployed on my own server It has an open license. It works very well, and there is an update every month. Its interface should be a little bit better. I…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the bundled subscription, which is IPS, TV and web filtering."
"We purchased Fortinet because of the pricing, its functionality, because it met our requirements, and the total cost of ownership over five years was quite reasonable. In the market, Fortinet is rated quite well."
"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."
"With FortiClient, you can easily connect when you are home, check out what you want to do, and connect to your network when you are not at work. You can switch on servers and you can check what is wrong."
"The most valuable feature is the policy routing and application control."
"It enables our organization to become more productive. Also, it protects our NEtWare from viruses and malware."
"It has improved our security capabilities."
"Advanced routing (RIP, OSPF, BGP, PBR). It gives you a seamless and simple integration into a large network."
"The automated backup is great."
"Easy to deploy and easy to use."
"The interface is very good. The configuration options are excellent."
"The most valuable feature, for instance, is the ease of migrating configurations between different Netgate devices housed in the same box."
"pfSense's greatest strength lies in its customizable package installation, detailed logging capabilities, and ability to manage log history, including sending it to Vault Logs via Syslog."
"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."
"Routing, load balancing, Traffic Limiter and queues. Since this company relies on an Internet connection, having these features is a must."
"The ability to create a VPN allows me to monitor branch offices from a central location."
"The initial setup is easy. It only takes 15-30 minutes to deploy."
"The solution is good for a basic firewall for a small business or for home use."
"We have been operating here in our lab for several months, and everything appears to be extremely stable."
"OPNsense is highly stable."
"The DNS-level filtering is impressive for thwarting time scanners."
"OPNsense could improve by making the configuration more web-based rather than shell or command-line-based."
"The interface and the dashboard are the most valuable features of this solution."
"The most valuable features in OPNsense are reporting and visibility."
 

Cons

"The SD-WAN functionality is a bit overly complicated and not fully documented."
"If they could extend their fabric towards other vendor environments for integration, that would be great."
"Its reporting capabilities can be improved. It should have some out-of-the-box reporting capabilities and some degree of customization. The basic reporting that it currently has is not sufficient to create more usable reports. It needs some sort of out-of-the-box reporting. They try to make customers purchase FortiAnalyzer for this kind of reporting, which is an additional cost. Other firewall vendors, such as SonicWall and Sophos, provide this sort of reporting without any additional cost."
"WAN load-balancing could be a lot better at detecting when a link is poor or inconsistent, and not just flat out dead."
"The solution's framework needs to be frequently updated in order to have a stable solution."
"It is very expensive, and their support is not very good. I hope that their technical support will be better in the future."
"The solution can have more features in a single box that can be multi-applied to integrate everything."
"Fortinet doesn't provide multiple virtual firewalls which would facilitate end users and customers."
"They could always make pfSense slightly more user-friendly and modernize the interface a little."
"I don't think pfSense's web filtering solution is the best, so I don't use it for that purpose. They could add a little better web filtering solution to pfSense. They have solutions in place, like SquidGuard, but they aren't very good."
"It would be nice for the code optimization to run on even slower processes."
"PfSense's interface could be improved. For example, the menu is ordered alphabetically instead of logically. The reboot button should be located near the shutdown, but it's in alphabetical order. Also, Netgear should create a home license for pfSense Plus for non-commercial use."
"Updating some of the packages can be a bit difficult."
"The GUI. There are TONS of plugins for pfSense, as such, if a user wants to add quite a bit of functionality, the GUI will feel a little congested."
"​Perhaps the documentation is not clear and because it is supported in the community there is no basic documentation."
"I would like to see SD1 integration into the software. That would be fantastic."
"Its interface should be a little bit better."
"The reporting part could be better."
"The interface needs to be simplified. It is not user-friendly."
"The interface of the solution is an area with shortcomings."
"There should be more technical documentation."
"The interface isn't so friendly user. But we have some technicians here who are quite confident with this tool. OPNSense could maybe add sets of rules so it's simpler to manage different groups with particular needs."
"Given that OPNsense plays a pivotal role as a firewall, safeguarding against various threats, having a reliable backup ensures uninterrupted protection even if unforeseen events impact the primary virtual machine."
"The solution would not be suitable for anything large-scale."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When you look at these end security systems and firewalls, these firewalls even five years ago were $50,000 or perhaps $25,000 to implement in some types of customer sites. Now we're talking about tools that are $1,000. In this case, it might have been $500 or something like that."
"The price of the license and warranty can be better because it is very expensive."
"Its price is normal. If I compare it with other vendors, such as Palo Alto, it's normal. Palo Alto is expensive."
"The price of FortiGate is reasonable as I plan to buy new switches. The initial gadgets are already booted, and the pricing seems normal on the market. As for additional costs, I haven't subscribed to many extra features, so I'm only using what I need. Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us."
"The price of Fortinet FortiGate could improve, it is expensive."
"Fortinet's pricing is more straightforward than other solutions. If Fortinet doesn't stick out when you're searching for a solution, you are a glutton for punishment. You only need to know two things when purchasing a Fortinet solution: your total bandwidth and bandwidth at the site. You need to estimate the future bandwidth with other solutions if your customer plans to upgrade."
"Pricing and licensing is a little bit complicated in FortiGate. They are always on the higher side. This is one issue that we always raise with the company that they should reduce the price according to Indian market requirements. There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."
"Its pricing is good. It's average or normal as compared to Palo Alto and Check Point firewalls."
"I buy the appliance and accept whatever comes with it, but I am not bought into paid support. When it comes to the pricing of the appliances, they are pretty competitive. The price is pretty competitive."
"The solution is free. However, you need to pay for support."
"It is an open source firewall."
"PFSENSE turns out to be very economical, the license is free and for little money you get very good support"
"The pricing seems fair overall, but I think they need more reasonably priced options for very small offices."
"Unless they have specific requirements that demand a particular device, I always suggest pfSense specifically because of the absence of pricing and licensing."
"It is an open-source solution."
"PfSense is reasonable for a business but a little pricey for home use. With the time savings and reliability, it pays for itself. I've been more than happy with the unit we've gotten here for the capacity we need. However, it'd be nice to have nice to have some nice home units that aren't a thousand dollars."
"It is open source and free."
"There are no licensing costs for OPNsence."
"I've used the free version. My computer with two network cards at home allows me to try as many different software options as I want. I did pay for the license, but it was for the Zenarmor license, which is the packet inspection tool. They use AI for packet inspection, which integrates with OPNsense and pfSense."
"OPNsense is a well known open-source tool."
"It costs about $1000."
"I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, especially considering the availability of a free community edition."
"We are not paying any licensing fees. OPNsense is completely free for us."
"I'm using the free version of OPNsense. I didn't check the pricing for the solution because I still need to test it before getting the approval to purchase OPNsense, and it isn't easy to get approval from the higher-ups."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
21%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Government
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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How do I choose between Fortinet FortiGate and pfSense?
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What is the difference between PfSense and OPNsense?
Two of the most common and well recognized firewalls, PfSense and OPNsense both support site-to-site IPsec VPN and cl...
What do you like most about OPNsense?
What I like the most about OPNsense is that it offers an easy-to-use dashboard for device management and control.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OPNsense?
I've used the free version. My computer with two network cards at home allows me to try as many different software op...
What needs improvement with OPNsense?
SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) is integrated into some restricted service providers for OPNSense. I pret...
 

Also Known As

FortiGate 60b, FortiGate 60c, FortiGate 80c, FortiGate 50b, FortiGate 200b, FortiGate 110c, FortiGate
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Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

1. Amazon Web Services 2. Microsoft 3. IBM 4. Cisco 5. Dell 6. HP 7. Oracle 8. Verizon 9. AT&T 10. T-Mobile 11. Sprint 12. Vodafone 13. Orange 14. BT Group 15. Telstra 16. Deutsche Telekom 17. Comcast 18. Time Warner Cable 19. CenturyLink 20. NTT Communications 21. Tata Communications 22. SoftBank 23. China Mobile 24. Singtel 25. Telus 26. Rogers Communications 27. Bell Canada 28. Telkom Indonesia 29. Telkom South Africa 30. Telmex 31. Telia Company 32. Telkom Kenya
Nerds On Site Inc., RKC Development Inc., Expertech, Fisher's Technology, Ncisive, Consulting, CPURX, Vaughn's Computer House Calls, Imeretech LLC, Digital Crisis, Carolina Digital Phone, Technigogo Technology Services, The Simple Solution, SwiftecITInc, Rocky Mountain Tech Team, Free Range Geeks, Alaska Computer Geeks, Lark Information Technology, Renaissance Systems Inc., Cutting Edge Computers, Caretech LLC, GoVanguard, Network Touch Ltd, P.C. Solutions.Net, Vision Voice and Data Systems LLC, Montgomery Technologies, Techforce, Concero Networks, ASONInc, CPS Electronics and Consulting, Darkwire.net LLC, IT Specialists, MBS-Net Inc., VOICE1 LLC, Advantage Networking Inc., Powerhouse Systems, Doxa Multimedia Inc., Pro Computer Service, Virtual IT Services, A&J Computers Inc., Envision IT LLC, CommunicaONE Inc., Bone Computer Inc., Amax Engineering Corporation, QPG Ltd. Co., IT 101 Inc., Perfect Cloud Solutions, Applied Technology Group Inc., The Digital Sun Group LLC, Firespring
1. Deciso B.V. 2. iXsystems, Inc.  3. EuroBSDCon  4. Netgate  5. Claranet  6. Voleatech  7. Open Systems AG  8. Securebit AG  9. Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH  10. AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH  Additional customers include: T-Systems International GmbH, Deutsche Telekom AG, Vodafone GmbH, 1&1 IONOS SE, OVHcloud, Hetzner Online GmbH, Strato AG, PlusServer GmbH, Host Europe GmbH, United Internet AG, 1&1 Versatel Deutschland GmbH, QSC AG, Bechtle AG, Cancom SE, Computacenter AG & Co. oHG, T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH, Atos SE, Capgemini SE, Accenture plc, IBM Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about Netgate pfSense vs. OPNsense and other solutions. Updated: July 2024.
798,889 professionals have used our research since 2012.