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 10 alternatives to MikroTik RouterOS for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Self-Hosted, Mac, Windows and BSD apps. The best MikroTik RouterOS alternative is OpenWrt, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like MikroTik RouterOS are DD-WRT, OPNsense, pfSense and Freshtomato.

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MikroTik RouterOS alternatives are mainly Firewalls but may also be Router Custom Firmware 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 MikroTik RouterOS.

MikroTik RouterOS

Router Custom Firmware
Paid • Proprietary

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...

More about MikroTik RouterOS

MikroTik RouterOS alternatives page was last updated Feb 9, 2023

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is OpenWrt a good alternative to 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

DD-WRT
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
- Router Custom Firmware
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
DD-WRT Features
1. OpenVPN
2. Multiple languages
3. SSH
4. RADIUS Services
5. Overclock
Show all NaN DD-WRT features ▾
DD-WRT VS MikroTik RouterOS
Is DD-WRT a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?
- Almost everyone thinks DD-WRT is a great MikroTik RouterOS alternative.
- DD-WRT is the most popular Windows & Mac alternative to MikroTik RouterOS.
- DD-WRT is Free and Open SourceMikroTik RouterOS is Paid and Proprietary

OPNsense
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.
17 OPNsense alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Firewall
- Router Custom Firmware
Platforms
- Self-Hosted
+4
OPNsense Features
1. Two-factor Authentication
2. Privacy focused
3. Geofencing
4. Web filter
5. Encrypted VPN
6. Load balancing
Show all NaN OPNsense features ▾
OPNsense VS MikroTik RouterOS
Is OPNsense a good alternative to 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 focusedMikroTik RouterOS is not according to our users

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is pfSense a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is Freshtomato a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is VyOS a good alternative to 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

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is Tomato a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

OpenContrail
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.
8 OpenContrail alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Firewall
- VPN Service
Platforms
- Linux
- Self-Hosted
OpenContrail Features
1. Command line interface
2. OpenVPN
3. Gateway
4. L2TP
5. Content Filtering
Show all NaN OpenContrail features ▾
OpenContrail VS MikroTik RouterOS
Is OpenContrail a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

IPFire
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.
13 IPFire alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Firewall
- VPN Service
Platforms
- Linux
IPFire Features
DHCP Server
DNS Server
Show all NaN IPFire features ▾
IPFire VS MikroTik RouterOS
Is IPFire a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is LibreMesh a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is Tomato by Shibby a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?

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 MikroTik RouterOS
Is OpenWISP a good alternative to MikroTik RouterOS?