IPFire vs TNSR
IPFire
ipfire.orgTNSR
netgate.comSide by side
| Figure | IPFire | TNSR |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $91.58/mo | $83.25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 3 |
| Spec score · Firewall Software | 9.3 (#2) | 8.7 (#11) |
| Spec score · Network Firewall Software | 9.0 (#1) | 8.5 (#7) |
| Spec score · Virtual Routers Software | 9.1 (#1) | 8.5 (#5) |
| API documentation | The DBL API publishes an OpenAPI 3.1 Swagger interface with domain, list, report and search endpoints. | The RESTCONF reference is automatically generated for release 26.02 and includes authentication and HTTP error details. |
| Company facts | LinkedIn describes IPFire as a nonprofit computer and network-security organization headquartered in Datteln, Germany, founded in 2004, with a stated size of 51–200 employees. | LinkedIn lists Netgate as a privately held computer-networking company founded in 2002, headquartered in Austin, Texas, with 51–200 employees. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Product | IPFire is an open-source firewall and security platform for networks ranging from home offices to global enterprises. | TNSR is a terabit software router and VPN concentrator for high-speed routing and VPN workloads. |
| Rating on AWS Marketplace | 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings. | 4 out of 5 from 2 reviews |
| Support | Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support, and the project points users to documentation, community forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker. | Netgate says TNSR subscriptions include 24x7 TAC support, and its overview describes access to support veterans, professional services, and training. |
| System requirements | The project recommends at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage and two network adapters. | Minimum requirements are a 64-bit x86 CPU with SSE4.2, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB storage and two network ports; three ports are recommended. |
| VPN | IPFire supports IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN for site-to-site or remote access VPNs. | TNSR provides site-to-site IPsec and high-speed VPN capabilities, with WireGuard support documented for remote access. |
| What it does | IPFire is a hardened Linux operating system functioning as a stateful firewall, VPN gateway, intrusion-prevention platform and extensible network appliance. | TNSR is a high-performance software router and VPN concentrator for enterprise, service-provider and government networks. |
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
TNSR
- TNSR AWS/Azure proof of conceptFree
- TNSR Software Subscription - Renewal$999 a year
- TNSR softwarePrice not published
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.
TNSR
TNSR is a software router and VPN concentrator for high-speed routing and VPN workloads. Netgate says its Vector Packet Processing can scale from 1 to 1000 Gbps and beyond on commercial off-the-shelf hardware. Routing options include BGP, OSPF, static and dynamic routing, policy-based routing, carrier-grade NAT, and equal-cost multipath. For VPNs, it supports routed site-to-site IPsec and WireGuard, with IKEv1 and IKEv2. Administrators can manage TNSR through a CLI, RESTCONF API, or NETCONF. Monitoring options include SNMP and a Prometheus exporter for dataplane statistics. Security features listed include access control lists, packet filtering, password or key authentication, RADIUS, and role-based access control. Netgate offers cloud deployments through AWS and Azure marketplaces, as well as its 6100, 8200, and 8300 appliance systems. Subscriptions include 24x7 TAC support. TNSR has firewall capabilities, but Netgate does not position it as a firewall and warns it may lack features customers expect from pfSense Plus.