DD-WRT AlternativesTop Router Custom Firmwares and other similar apps like DD-WRT

DD-WRT is described as 'Linux based alternative OpenSource firmware suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers and embedded systems' and is a very popular router custom firmware in the network & admin category. There are more than 10 alternatives to DD-WRT for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Self-Hosted, OpenWrt, Tomato and Mac apps. The best DD-WRT alternative is OpenWrt, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like DD-WRT are pfSense, MikroTik RouterOS, Freshtomato and Gargoyle.

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DD-WRT alternatives are mainly Router Custom Firmware but may also be Firewalls or VPN Services. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of DD-WRT.

DD-WRT

164

Router Custom Firmware
Free • Open Source

DD-WRT is a Linux based alternative OpenSource firmware suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers and embedded systems.

More about DD-WRT

DD-WRT alternatives page was last updated Dec 23, 2022

OpenWrt
OpenWrt Project is a Linux operating system targeting embedded devices. Instead of trying to create a single, static firmware, OpenWrt provides a fully writable filesystem with package management. This frees you from the application selection and configuration provided by the...
20 OpenWrt alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Router Custom Firmware
- Operating System
Platforms
- Linux
OpenWrt Features
Security focused
Show all NaN OpenWrt features ▾
+6
OpenWrt VS DD-WRT
Is OpenWrt a good alternative to DD-WRT?
Comments about OpenWrt as an Alternative to DD-WRT

Guest
OpenWrt is more actively maintained than DD-WRT
Positive comment •Apr 10, 2017
7
- Almost everyone thinks OpenWrt is a great DD-WRT alternative.
- OpenWrt is the most popular Linux alternative to DD-WRT.
- OpenWrt is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to DD-WRT.
- OpenWrt is Free and Open SourceDD-WRT is also Free and Open Source

pfSense
pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more.
28 pfSense alternatives
License model
- Freemium • Open Source
Application types
- Firewall
- VPN Service
Platforms
- BSD
+2
pfSense Features
1. OpenVPN
2. Integrated Virus scanner
3. Load balancing
4. DHCP Server
5. No registration required
6. Spam Filter
7. LDAP support
8. Zabbix monitoring
9. RADIUS Services
10. Content Filtering
Show all NaN pfSense features ▾
pfSense VS DD-WRT
Is pfSense a good alternative to DD-WRT?

MikroTik RouterOS
The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS. Installed on a personal computer or server computer, it turns the computer into a network router, implementing features such as firewall rules, virtual private network (VPN) server and...
24 MikroTik RouterOS alternatives
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
- Router Custom Firmware
- Firewall
Platforms
- Online
- Self-Hosted
MikroTik RouterOS Features
SSH
Wi-Fi Direct
User Management
Show all NaN MikroTik RouterOS features ▾
MikroTik RouterOS VS DD-WRT
Is MikroTik RouterOS a good alternative to DD-WRT?
- MikroTik RouterOS is the most popular Web-based & Self-Hosted alternative to DD-WRT.
- MikroTik RouterOS is the most popular commercial alternative to DD-WRT.
- MikroTik RouterOS is Paid and ProprietaryDD-WRT is Free and Open Source

Freshtomato
FreshTomato firmware project is a system based on Linux, dedicated for routers with Broadcom chipset and distributed on the GPL license. This advanced system consists of a particularly friendly interface, thanks to which even inexperienced users can easily work with it.
9 Freshtomato alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Router Custom Firmware
Platforms
- Linux
Freshtomato Features
1. Built-in VPN
2. Wake on LAN
3. SSH
4. Traffic Monitoring
5. Access Control
6. Configurable
7. Port Forwarding
8. QoS
Show all NaN Freshtomato features ▾
Freshtomato VS DD-WRT
Is Freshtomato a good alternative to DD-WRT?

Gargoyle
Gargoyle is a free firmware upgrade for your wireless router, based on OpenWRT but with an enhanced interface (not LUCI) focused on ease of use. Some enhanced features of Gargoyle include MONITORING BANDWIDTH per connected computer, SET QUOTAS AND THROTTLE to ensure that...
13 Gargoyle alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Router Custom Firmware
- Firewall
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- OpenWrt
Gargoyle Features
Portable
Traffic Monitoring
QoS
Wireless
Show all NaN Gargoyle features ▾
+1
Gargoyle VS DD-WRT
Is Gargoyle a good alternative to DD-WRT?
- Gargoyle is the most popular Windows & Mac alternative to DD-WRT.
- Gargoyle is Free and Open SourceDD-WRT is also Free and Open Source

Tomato
Tomato is a small, lean and simple replacement firmware for Linksys' WRT54G/GL/GS, Buffalo WHR-G54S/WHR-HP-G54 and other Broadcom-based routers. It features a new easy to use GUI, a new bandwidth usage monitor, more advanced QOS and access restrictions, enables new wireless...
11 Tomato alternatives
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application type
- Router Custom Firmware
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Tomato Features
QoS
Network Tools
Show all NaN Tomato features ▾
Discontinued
Tomato hasn't been updated since 2011. For reason of proof, the latest Tomato update, 1.28, includes in its change notes that it updated dnsmasq version to v2.55. DNS Masq is currently at version v2.72. The v2.55 DNSmasq update was published in 2010.

Tomato VS DD-WRT
Is Tomato a good alternative to DD-WRT?

LibreMesh
LibreMesh is a set of modules extending the OpenWrt router distribution to create self-configuring wireless and wired mesh networks.
21 LibreMesh alternatives
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Platforms
- Linux
- OpenWrt
- LEDE - Linux Embedded Development Environment
LibreMesh Features
Decentralized
Based on Debian
Mesh network
Distributed
Show all NaN LibreMesh features ▾
LibreMesh VS DD-WRT
Is LibreMesh a good alternative to DD-WRT?

Tomato by Shibby
TomatoUSB fork.

Torrent client integration (Transmission) with user-friendly GUI for configuration.

NFS server integration

Support for USB 3G modems (thx @LDevil)

Support MultiWAN.
10 Tomato by Shibby alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Router Custom Firmware
Platforms
- Linux
- Tomato
Tomato by Shibby Features
QoS
Show all NaN Tomato by Shibby features ▾
+3
Discontinued
Project Discontinued - No project activity since may 2017.

Tomato by Shibby VS DD-WRT
Is Tomato by Shibby a good alternative to DD-WRT?

OpenWISP
OpenWISP is a software platform that can be used to implement a complete public wifi service.
10 OpenWISP alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
Platforms
- Linux
- Self-Hosted
OpenWISP Features
User Management
Mesh network
Show all NaN OpenWISP features ▾
OpenWISP VS DD-WRT
Is OpenWISP a good alternative to DD-WRT?

VyOS
VyOS is a community fork of Vyatta , a Linux-based network operating system that provides software-based network routing, firewall, and VPN functionality.
21 VyOS alternatives
License model
- Paid • Open Source
Application types
- Firewall
- VPN Service
Platforms
- Linux
VyOS Features
1. Command line interface
2. AES-256 Encryption
3. No Tracking
4. WireGuard
5. OpenVPN
6. Built-in VPN
7. End-to-End Encryption
8. Network Discovery
Show all NaN VyOS features ▾
VyOS VS DD-WRT
Is VyOS a good alternative to DD-WRT?

EasyTomato
EasyTomato is a powerful, easy-to-use, free bandwidth manager that is perfect for schools, hospitals, and nonprofits with slow internet connections and limited IT knowledge.
9 EasyTomato alternatives
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application type
- Firewall
Platforms
- Online
- Tomato
EasyTomato Features
QoS
Show all NaN EasyTomato features ▾
EasyTomato VS DD-WRT
Is EasyTomato a good alternative to DD-WRT?

Smoothwall
The SmoothWall Open Source Project was set up to develop and maintain SmoothWall Express - a Free firewall that includes its own security-hardened GNU/Linux operating system and an easy-to-use web interface.
13 Smoothwall alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Firewall
Platforms
- Linux
Smoothwall Features
Gateway
Based on OpenVPN
Show all NaN Smoothwall features ▾
Discontinued
The site says the last release was October 2014.

Smoothwall VS DD-WRT
Is Smoothwall a good alternative to DD-WRT?