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SPECIFICTION
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OpenBSD PF

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Spec score 7.5 #62 of 80 in Firewall Software

Spec sheet

Purpose
PF filters TCP/IP traffic and performs Network Address Translation.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Intended users
The PF documentation is focused on users of the most current OpenBSD release.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Supported platforms
OpenBSDRead 22 Sep 2026 · man.openbsd.org
Free plan
YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · man.openbsd.org
Security
PF provides an antispoof keyword for protection against address spoofing.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Documentation limit
The PF FAQ is a general introduction and supplement to the manual pages, not a replacement for them.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Filtering
Rules can pass or block packets based on criteria including network interface, address, port, and protocol.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Management
PF can be enabled or disabled with pfctl, and its rules are read from pf.conf by default at boot.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Network features
The guide covers NAT, traffic redirection, address pools, and load balancing.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Outbound control
advancedRead 22 Sep 2026 · man.openbsd.org
Redundancy
The guide documents firewall redundancy using CARP and pfsync.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Rule direction
bothRead 22 Sep 2026 · man.openbsd.org
Stateful inspection
PF tracks connection state in a state table, allowing packets in established connections to bypass ruleset evaluation.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org
Traffic handling
PF can normalize and condition TCP/IP traffic, control bandwidth, and prioritize packets.Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org

Plans and prices

OpenBSD PF Free Included in OpenBSD; part of the GENERIC kernel since OpenBSD 3.0 Read 11 Oct 2026 · openbsd.org

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Where Specifiction places it

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