Netgate pfSense review
A powerful, customizable option for technical teams comfortable with open-source software.
Top 11 rank
#10 of 11
Score
7.3/9.4
Pricing
$ (Software is free, requires hardware/cloud instance)
HQ
Austin, USA
Verdict
Netgate's pfSense earns a spot for being a highly flexible and cost-effective solution for teams with the in-house expertise to configure and manage a powerful open-source router, firewall, and VPN gateway.
What customers praise
The sheer number of configuration options and packages available allows for a highly customized and powerful network security setup at a very low cost.
What customers criticise
It requires significant technical knowledge to set up and maintain securely, and it lacks the user-friendly centralized cloud management of modern SASE platforms.
Best for
Technically proficient IT teams that want maximum control and flexibility by using a powerful, open-source-based firewall and VPN solution.
At a glance
- Integrations: RADIUS, LDAP, Snort, Suricata
- Regions served: Self-hosted
- Typical onboarding: 3 days
- Free tier: yes
Red flags
Public risk signals as of June 2026: none. No material public risk signals as of 2026-06-09. See the full red-flag report.
Alternatives
See alternatives to Netgate pfSense, or compare against the next-ranked entry: Netgate pfSense vs Tailscale.
Source: Top 11 The 11 Best Business VPNs, verified June 9, 2026 — no paid placement.