Tech riderRev. 2 Oct 2026
- 1Runs onLinux, self-hosted, Web
- 2CostsFree plan · free trial
2 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: pfsense.org, netgate.com
Overview
pfSense is ranked #35 of 86 in business VPN software on Specifiction, made by pfSense (Austin, Texas). It runs on Linux, Self-hosted, Web. There is a free plan. A free trial is offered.
pfSense plans and pricing
All planspfSense Community Edition Not published Free · Open source · Firewall and router software pfsense.org · 21 Sept 2026
pfSense Plus Cloud Not published Available through Amazon and Azure marketplaces · Virtual machine deployment · 30-day software trials available netgate.com · 21 Sept 2026
pfSense Community Edition Free Free network firewall distribution · self-hosted installation pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
pfSense Plus Cloud $0.08 Starting at $0.08/hr; software prices range from $0.08/hr to $0.40/hr depending on provider and VM option. Amazon and Azure marketplaces · VM options vary by memory, CPU, storage, and networking · free 30 day software trials netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
pfSense Plus on third-party hardware $129/yr Starting at $129/yr. Third-party hardware deployment · Netgate Installer netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
Compared on business VPN software
- Free plan
- Yespfsense.org
Facts
- Purpose
- pfSense is a free, open-source FreeBSD-based firewall and router distribution managed through a web interface.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Firewall
- Its firewall uses stateful packet inspection and can block traffic based on policy matches.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Routing
- Listed routing features include policy-based routing, static routes, and concurrent IPv4 and IPv6 support.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Attack prevention
- The feature list includes IDS/IPS, Snort packet analysis, Suricata rules, IP block lists, and application detection.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- VPN
- It supports IPsec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard, including site-to-site and remote-access VPN capabilities.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The feature page names Azure and name.com as dynamic DNS providers, and RADIUS/LDAP as VPN authentication sources.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The software can run on selected hardware, virtual machines, and cloud instances; the project says it is the software portion of the firewall.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Cloud availability
- The getting-started page says pfSense is available in the Azure and AWS Marketplaces, including their US GovCloud regions.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Security process
- Netgate publishes security advisories and asks vulnerability reports to include a description, affected product and versions if known, and any plausible workaround.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- Netgate Global Support covers installation, deployment, and configuration issues, and is available for self-installed and virtual pfSense software.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Limits
- The download guide says the USB installer overwrites the entire hard drive and does not support dual booting with another operating system.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Netgate identifies home and remote workers, businesses, government, education, and service providers as users of pfSense Plus.netgate.com · 2 Oct 2026
- Project license
- The pfSense project source code is distributed under the Apache 2.0 open-source license.pfsense.org · 2 Oct 2026
Company
- Headquarters
- Austin, Texas, USApfsense.org · 28 Sept 2026
Best pfSense alternatives
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Where it ranks on Specifiction
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Sources
- pfsense.org/about-pfsense/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- netgate.com/pfsense-features· checked 2 Oct 2026
- pfsense.org/getting-started/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- netgate.com/security· checked 2 Oct 2026
- pfsense.org/get-support/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- pfsense.org/download/· checked 2 Oct 2026
- netgate.com/pfsense-plus-software· checked 2 Oct 2026
- pfsense.org· checked 28 Sept 2026
- netgate.com/pricing-pfsense-plus· checked 21 Sept 2026