MikroTik RouterOS AlternativesRouter Custom Firmwares & Firewalls like MikroTik RouterOS

MikroTik RouterOS is described as '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' and is a router custom firmware in the security & privacy category. There are more than 25 alternatives to MikroTik RouterOS for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Self-Hosted, BSD, Mac and OpenWrt apps. The best MikroTik RouterOS alternative is OpenWrt, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like MikroTik RouterOS are OPNsense, DD-WRT, pfSense and Freshtomato.

MikroTik RouterOS iconMikroTik RouterOS
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The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS. Installed on a personal computer...

More about MikroTik RouterOS
More about MikroTik RouterOS
MikroTik RouterOS alternatives page was last updated Mar 15, 2025
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  1. OpenWrt icon

    OpenWrt

     130 likes
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    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...

    22 OpenWrt alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    OpenWrt screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Command line interface
    3.  Support for IPv6
    4.  Built-in Firewall
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  No Tracking
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Network Tools
    9.  DHCP Server
    10.  Wireless-networking
    11.  DNS over HTTPS

    OpenWrt VS MikroTik RouterOS

     

    • Almost everyone thinks OpenWrt is a great MikroTik RouterOS alternative.

    • OpenWrt is the most popular Linux alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • OpenWrt is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • OpenWrt is Free and Open SourceMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary
    • OpenWrt is Privacy focusedMikroTik RouterOS is not according to our users
  2. OPNsense icon

    OPNsense

     59 likes
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    OPNsense includes most of the features available in expensive commercial firewalls, and more in many cases. It brings the rich feature set of commercial offerings with the benefits of open and verifiable sources.

    18 OPNsense alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • NL flagNetherlands
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    Login

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Encrypted VPN
    2.  Two-factor Authentication
    3.  Load balancing
    4.  Geofencing
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Web filter

    OPNsense VS MikroTik RouterOS

     

    • OPNsense is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • OPNsense is Free and Open SourceMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary
    • OPNsense is Privacy focused and LightweightMikroTik RouterOS is not according to our users
  4. DD-WRT icon

    DD-WRT

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

    19 DD-WRT alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    DD-WRT screenshot 1

    DD-WRT Features

    1.  OpenVPN
    2.  Multiple languages
    3.  SSH
    4.  RADIUS Services
    5.  Overclock

    DD-WRT VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  5. pfSense icon

    pfSense

     103 likes
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    pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more.

    29 pfSense alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • BSD
    pfSense screenshot 1

    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

    pfSense VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  6. Freshtomato icon

    Freshtomato

     8 likes
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    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.

    11 Freshtomato alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Freshtomato screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Built-in VPN
    2.  Wake on LAN
    3.  SSH
    4.  Traffic Monitoring
    5.  Access Control
    6.  Port Forwarding
    7.  QoS

    Freshtomato VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  7. IPFire icon

    IPFire

     17 likes
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    IPFire is a server distribution with intended to use as a firewall. It focuses on flexibility, and scales from small to middle sized business networks and home networks.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    IPFire screenshot 1

    IPFire Features

    1.  DHCP Server
    2.  DNS Server

    IPFire VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  9. RadiusDesk icon

    RadiusDesk

     2 likes
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    RADIUSdesk is a powerful and user-friendly RADIUS network management platform designed to simplify the administration of network authentication and accounting.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • ZA flagSouth Africa

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Raspberry Pi OS
    • OpenWrt
    • Docker
    RadiusDesk screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  No registration required
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Mesh network
    5.  Software defined network
    6.  RADIUS Services

    RadiusDesk VS MikroTik RouterOS

     

    • RadiusDesk is the most popular Web-based alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • RadiusDesk is Free and Open SourceMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary
    • RadiusDesk is Privacy focusedMikroTik RouterOS is not according to our users
  10. OpenWISP icon

    OpenWISP

     10 likes
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    OpenWISP is a free and open-source platform for efficient IT network deployment, monitoring & management. It allows automation of many aspects of networks: from configuration to monitoring, RADIUS, hotspots, mesh and firmware upgrades, all backed by the reliability of the...

    15 OpenWISP alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • IT flagItaly
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    OpenWISP screenshot 1

    OpenWISP Features

    1.  User Management
    2.  Mesh network
    3.  Software defined network

    OpenWISP VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  11. VyOS icon

    VyOS

     11 likes
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    VyOS is a community fork of Vyatta , a Linux-based network operating system that provides software-based network routing, firewall, and VPN functionality.

    23 VyOS alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux
    VyOS screenshot 1

    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

    VyOS VS MikroTik RouterOS

     

    • Almost everyone thinks VyOS is a great MikroTik RouterOS alternative.

    • VyOS is the most popular commercial alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • VyOS is Paid and Open SourceMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary
  12. Tomato icon

    Tomato

     18 likes
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    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...

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Tomato screenshot 1
    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 Features

    1.  QoS
    2.  Network Tools

    Tomato VS MikroTik RouterOS

     

    • Tomato is the most popular Windows & Mac alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.

    • Tomato is Free and ProprietaryMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary
  13. OpenContrail icon

    OpenContrail

     3 likes
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    OpenContrail is an Apache 2.0-licensed project that is built using standards-based protocols and provides all the necessary components for network virtualization–SDN controller, virtual router, analytics engine, and published northbound APIs.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted

    OpenContrail Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  OpenVPN
    3.  Gateway
    4.  L2TP
    5.  Content Filtering

    OpenContrail VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
  14. LibreMesh icon

    LibreMesh

     17 likes
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    LibreMesh is a set of modules extending the OpenWrt router distribution to create self-configuring wireless and wired mesh networks.

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • OpenWrt
    • LEDE - Linux Embedded Development Environment

    LibreMesh Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  Based on Debian
    3.  Mesh network
    4.  Distributed

    LibreMesh VS MikroTik RouterOS

     
12 of 26 MikroTik RouterOS alternatives