pfSense
World's Most Trusted Open Source Firewall.
Overview
pfSense is a powerful, open-source firewall and router platform based on FreeBSD. It can be deployed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network. It has a wide range of features that are often only found in expensive commercial firewalls, including VPN, load balancing, and traffic shaping.
✨ Key Features
- Firewall
- Router
- VPN (IPsec, OpenVPN, L2TP)
- Load Balancing
- Traffic Shaping
- Captive Portal
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Open source and highly customizable
- Large and active community
- Wide range of features for free
Unique Value: pfSense provides a powerful and flexible open-source firewall and router solution that can be customized to meet the specific needs of any network, at a fraction of the cost of commercial alternatives.
🎯 Use Cases (5)
✅ Best For
- Firewall and router for SMBs
- VPN gateway
- Network security appliance
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Users looking for a simple, plug-and-play solution
🏆 Alternatives
Offers more features and flexibility than many commercial firewalls, and has a larger community and more extensive documentation than other open-source alternatives.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Phone Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (Netgate Global Support tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Community Edition is free
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