Free OpenWrt AlternativesRouter Custom Firmwares and other similar apps like OpenWrt

The best free alternative to OpenWrt is pfSense, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 10 alternatives to OpenWrt and 19 is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to OpenWrt are DD-WRT, OPNsense, ClearOS and Freshtomato.

filter to find the best alternatives

OpenWrt alternatives are mainly Firewalls, but if you're looking for Router Custom Firmware or VPN Services you can filter on that. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to OpenWrt.
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Alternatives list

  1. pfSense icon
     110 likes

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

    30 pfSense alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • BSD
     
  2. DD-WRT icon
     164 likes

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

    18 DD-WRT alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
     
  3. OPNsense icon
     65 likes

    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.

    19 OPNsense alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
     
  4. ClearOS icon
     71 likes

    ClearOS is a family of operating systems for the enterprise, small business, and home. There are three editions to choose from depending on your needs and suitable to your abilities. They are: ClearOS Enterprise, ClearOS Home, and ClearOS Core.

    28 ClearOS alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  5. Freshtomato icon
     8 likes

    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.

    10 Freshtomato alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  6. OpenWISP icon
     10 likes

    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...

    16 OpenWISP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
     
  7. Gargoyle icon
     18 likes

    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...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • OpenWrt
     
  8. X-wrt icon
     2 likes

    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...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  9. PiFi icon
     2 likes

    PiFi is a networking firmware and software project for Raspberry Pi devices that makes it easy to setup a VPN/travel router (Wireguard, AdGuard, OpenVPN, NAS) with no technical knowledge which can be managed via smartphone app.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • Raspberry Pi
     
  10. A secure, open-source WiFi router that simplifies network management with easy-to-use policies, device isolation, adblock and advanced DNS controls - customizable with plugins for added flexibility.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Docker
    • iPhone
     
  11. LibreMesh icon
     18 likes

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

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • OpenWrt
    • LEDE - Linux Embedded Development Environment
     
  12. TomatoUSB fork.

    • Torrent client integration (Transmission) with user-friendly GUI for configuration.
    • NFS server integration
    • Support for USB 3G modems (thx @LDevil)
    • Support MultiWAN.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Tomato
     
12 of 19 OpenWrt alternatives