IPFire vs pfSense
IPFire
ipfire.orgpfSense
pfsense.orgSide by side
| Figure | IPFire | pfSense |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $91.58/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 5 |
| Spec score · Network Firewall Software | 9.0 (#1) | 8.0 (#11) |
| Spec score · Virtual Private Network Software | 9.1 (#4) | 8.1 (#24) |
| Spec score · Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software | 9.0 (#3) | 8.1 (#9) |
| Deployment | The current download page offers x86_64 and aarch64 ISO and flash images for bare metal, virtual machines, embedded hardware, USB sticks, and SD cards. | The software can run on selected hardware, virtual machines, and cloud instances; the project says it is the software portion of the firewall. |
| Firewall | Its Linux Netfilter-based firewall supports network zones, port forwarding, NAT, and stateful packet inspection. | Its firewall uses stateful packet inspection and can block traffic based on policy matches. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | SourceForge lists Cisco AnyConnect, AWS Marketplace, Amazon Web Services, Exoscale, Juniper Identity Management Service and OpenVPN as integrations. | The feature page names Azure and name.com as dynamic DNS providers, and RADIUS/LDAP as VPN authentication sources. |
| Support | Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support, and the project points users to documentation, community forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker. | Netgate Global Support covers installation, deployment, and configuration issues, and is available for self-installed and virtual pfSense software. |
| VPN | IPFire supports IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN for site-to-site or remote access VPNs. | It supports IPsec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard, including site-to-site and remote-access VPN capabilities. |
Plans
IPFire
- IPFireFree
- IPFire softwareFree
- IPFire Nano Appliance$749, paid once
- IPFire Mini Appliance (US)$979, paid once
- IPFire Standard Support$1,099 a year
- IPFire Enterprise Appliance (US)$4,299, paid once
pfSense
- pfSense Plus SoftwarePrice not published
- pfSense Community EditionFree
- pfSense Plus CloudPriced on request
- pfSense Plus on third-party hardware$129 a year
- pfSense Plus on Netgate appliances$189, paid once
In their own words
IPFire
IPFire is a free, open-source firewall and security platform for networks from home offices to global enterprises. Its Linux Netfilter-based firewall supports network zones, port forwarding, NAT, and stateful packet inspection. VPN options include IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN for site-to-site or remote access. A Suricata-powered intrusion prevention system detects and blocks malicious traffic using updated rule sets. IPFire includes a Squid web proxy with optional URL filtering through URLFilter or SquidGuard, and uses Red, Green, Blue, and Orange zones for roles such as trusted networks, DMZs, and Wi-Fi. Its web interface monitors bandwidth, connections, and intrusion attempts. Proxy authentication can use Microsoft Windows Active Directory, LDAP, or RADIUS. The download page offers x86_64 and aarch64 images for bare metal, virtual machines, embedded hardware, USB sticks, and SD cards; cloud images are available for AWS, Exoscale, and other providers. The project says it releases frequent security updates. Documentation, forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker are available, and Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support.
pfSense
pfSense is a free, open-source firewall and router distribution based on FreeBSD, managed through a web interface. Its firewall uses stateful packet inspection and can block traffic based on policy matches. Routing features include policy-based routing, static routes, and concurrent IPv4 and IPv6 support. Security options include IDS/IPS, Snort packet analysis, Suricata rules, IP block lists, and application detection. It supports IPsec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard for site-to-site and remote-access VPNs. The software can run on selected hardware, virtual machines, and cloud instances, and is available in the Azure and AWS Marketplaces, including their US GovCloud regions. The Community Edition is free and open source. pfSense Plus on third-party hardware starts at $129 a year; on Netgate appliances it starts at $189, paid once, with the software included at no charge with an appliance. The USB installer overwrites the entire hard drive and does not support dual booting.