pfSense AlternativesOnly apps from the EU

The best alternative to pfSense is OPNsense, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to pfSense and 12 are so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting alternatives to pfSense are MikroTik RouterOS, NethServer, Endian Firewall Community and DynFi Firewall.

filter to find the best alternatives

pfSense alternatives are mainly Firewalls, but if you're looking for VPN Services or Router Custom Firmware you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Free and Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to pfSense.
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Alternatives list

  1. OPNsense icon

    OPNsense

     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
    OPNsense screenshot 1
     
    |
    3
    OPNsense vs pfSense Comments
    Zazucki
    Positive
    4

    Read this: https://teklager.se/en/pfsense-vs-opnsense/ Especially the part under "Politics, drama & bad blood between the two projects"

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Stability is the in the center of OPNsense distribution. To achieve this goal, only a limited number of plugins are available, but they are well tested and upgraded together with the core.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -3

    OPNSense has the lost features in pfSense.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • OPNsense is Free and Open SourcepfSense is Freemium and Open Source
    • OPNsense is Privacy focused and LightweightpfSense is not according to our users
  2. MikroTik RouterOS icon

    MikroTik RouterOS

     32 likes

    Linux-based system converts standard PCs into customizable routers, featuring advanced firewall, VPN server and client, bandwidth control, QoS, wireless AP, captive portal, remote management, industry protocol support, automation, and scalable licensing for network needs.

    27 MikroTik RouterOS alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    MikroTik RouterOS screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    MikroTik RouterOS vs pfSense Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Mainly a router, after all

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • MikroTik RouterOS is Paid and ProprietarypfSense is Freemium and Open Source
  4. NethServer icon

    NethServer

     34 likes

    NethServer is an application manager for Linux servers. The product's main feature is the ability to easily and quickly install and manage instances of applications over multiple nodes. It allows users to deploy services, like [Nextcloud](https://alternativeto.

    11 NethServer alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    NethServer screenshot 1
     
    |
    5
    NethServer vs pfSense Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Aas
    3

    Multi purpose server. Not just firewall.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    6

    It's main function (server) does not match pfSense (firewall)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    pfSense is a firewall and router, NethServer is a Linux server platform for running other types of services

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    • NethServer is Freemium and Open SourcepfSense is also Freemium and Open Source
    • NethServer is Privacy focusedpfSense is not according to our users
  5. Endian Firewall Community icon

    Endian Firewall Community

     20 likes

    Endian Firewall Community (EFW) is a "turn-key" linux security distribution that turns every system into a full featured security appliance with Unified Threat Management (UTM) functionality. The software has been designed with "usability in mind" and is very...

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Endian Firewall Community screenshot 1
     
  6. DynFi Firewall icon

    DynFi Firewall

     2 likes

    DynFi® Firewall is the first French Open Source firewall. The system integrates many filtering features and allows for the first time to manage a large number of your appliances. Available for free, DynFi Firewall has two images (with VGA or Serial return) compatible with...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    DynFi Firewall screenshot 1
     
  7. Vilfo OS icon

    Vilfo OS

     Like

    Vilfo OS is an easy and powerful software enabling multiple simultaneous connections to VPN servers. It contains firewall, split tunneling, DNS leak protection, VPN killswitch, notifications and much more.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    User interface
     
  9. IPCop icon

    IPCop

     14 likes

    IPCop Firewall is a Linux firewall distribution geared towards home and SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) users. The IPCop interface is very user-friendly and task-based. IPCop offers the critical functionality of an expensive network appliance using stock, or even obsolete...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    DHCP
     
    |
    1
    IPCop vs pfSense Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Low HW needs, easy to use.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • IPCop is Free and Open SourcepfSense is Freemium and Open Source
  10. ZeroShell icon

    ZeroShell

     8 likes

    Zeroshell is a Linux distribution for servers and embedded devices aimed at providing the main network services a LAN requires. It is available in the form of Live CD or Compact Flash image and you can configure and administer it using your web browser.

    10 ZeroShell alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    ZeroShell screenshot 1
     
  11. OpenWISP icon

    OpenWISP

     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
    OpenWISP screenshot 1
     
  12. CacheGuard Gateway icon

    CacheGuard Gateway

     6 likes

    CacheGuard Gateway is a free and open-source Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution, a Web Application Firewall (WAF), and a Quality of Service (QoS) platform designed to optimize WAN traffic. To obtain a CacheGuard Gateway appliance, download CacheGuard-OS and install it on...

    134 CacheGuard Gateway alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • VirtualBox
    • Self-Hosted
    • VMware vSphere Hypervisor
    • Microsoft Hyper-V Server
    • Proxmox Virtual Environment
    CacheGuard Gateway screenshot 1
     
  13. Zorp GPL icon

    Zorp GPL

     Like

    Zorp GPL is a next generation, open source proxy firewall with deep protocol analysis. It allows you to inspect, control, and modify traffic on the application layer of the ISO/OSI model. Decisions can be made based on data extracted from the application-level traffic (for...

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  14. FRITZ!OS icon

    FRITZ!OS

     Like

    FRITZ!OS is the genius in the FRITZ! family. With this intelligent operating system, the FRITZ! team reveals intriguing potentials in your home network. This lets your FRITZ!Box use the most advanced technologies while providing for the perfect balance between exciting features...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    FRITZ!OS screenshot 1
     
12 of 12 pfSense alternatives