NethSecurity vs OPNsense
NethSecurity
nethsecurity.org
OPNsense
opnsense.orgSide by side
| Figure | NethSecurity | OPNsense |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €12.50/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 6 |
| Spec score · Firewall Software | 9.0 (#6) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · Network Firewall Software | 8.9 (#4) | 9.0 (#2) |
| API | A public API server exposes authenticated JSON endpoints, including UBUS calls and file upload, download and deletion methods. | OPNsense exposes HTTP GET and POST API endpoints using module/controller/command paths and JSON payloads. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Pesaro, Italy | Middelharnis, the Netherlands |
| Minimum hardware | The quickstart lists two Ethernet cards, 1 GB RAM and 1 GB disk as minimum requirements. | The documented minimum is a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, 3 GB RAM, serial or VGA installation, and a 4 GB SD or CF target; disk-writing features are excluded. |
| Multi-WAN | Multi-WAN load-balances traffic across multiple connections to improve continuity. | Multi-WAN operation supports load balancing and failover. |
| Security updates | Release 8.8.0 rebased the system on OpenWrt 25.12.5, moved package management from opkg to apk, added persistent metrics storage and web-interface alerts. | OPNsense provides weekly security updates and follows a cycle of two major releases annually. |
| Support | The subscription page states that professional support response time is one business day during Monday-to-Friday business hours in the Italian time zone, excluding Italian holidays. | Commercial support offers network-design advice, issue solving, and custom development for an annual fee. |
| Traffic management | Multi-WAN can load balance across connections, and traffic shaping prioritizes traffic with minimum and maximum bandwidth settings. | Firewall tools include NAT, aliases, rule categories, traffic shaping, bandwidth reservations, prioritization, and FQ-CoDel. |
| VPN | Supported VPN technologies are IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard, including links between sites. | Built-in VPN support covers IPsec, OpenVPN, and pluggable Tinc and WireGuard implementations. |
| What it does | NethSecurity is an OpenWrt-based unified threat-management Linux firewall aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. | OPNsense is a FreeBSD-based open-source firewall and routing platform administered through a web interface. |
Plans
NethSecurity
- CommunityFree
- PartnerFree
- Personal€150 a year
- Business€297 a year
- Partner +20 active subscriptionsPriced on request
OPNsense
- Business EditionPrice not published
- Business Edition 3YrPrice not published
- Community EditionFree
- OPNsense Business Edition 1yr subscription€149 a year
- OPNsense Business Edition (3Yr)€399, paid once
- OPNsense Business Edition 3Yr€399 a year
In their own words
NethSecurity
NethSecurity is an OpenWrt-based unified threat management solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It combines firewall, multi-WAN, content filtering, deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention, and VPN capabilities, including IPsec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard. Multi-WAN can balance connections, while traffic shaping applies minimum and maximum bandwidth settings. Threat Shield blocks known malicious IP addresses using named blocklists and confidence scores. NethSecurity is an open-source project and is currently available only for x86-64 systems; minimum requirements are 1 vCPU/core, 1 GB RAM, 1 GB disk, and two Ethernet cards. Its optional Controller runs on NethServer 8 and manages multiple installations remotely. Without a subscription, it can register up to three community firewalls; with a valid subscription, there is no unit limit, but only subscribed firewalls can be registered. Nightly automatic cloud backup is subscription-only. A 30-day trial activates the Business plan, but commercial support cannot be requested during the trial. Professional support response time is one business day during specified Italian business hours, excluding Italian holidays.
OPNsense
OPNsense is an open-source firewall and routing platform based on FreeBSD, available for self-hosted, web, and API use. Its stateful firewall supports IPv4 and IPv6 and provides live views of passed and blocked traffic. VPN integrations include IPsec, OpenVPN, Tinc, and WireGuard. CARP supports automatic hardware failover with state synchronization, and inline intrusion prevention uses Suricata with Proofpoint Emerging Threats Open rules. The modular Model View Controller framework supports extensions and API functionality. Authentication options include LDAP, Active Directory, RADIUS, captive portal authentication, and 802.1X through a plugin. Community Edition is free at free under the 2-clause BSD license, and installation is limited to x86-64 architecture. Official setup guides cover AWS images, OVA images, and an Azure Virtual Appliance. Business subscriptions add commercial features and support; listed prices are €149 a year or €399 a year for three years. The project began in 2014 as a fork of pfSense and m0n0wall, with its first official release in January 2015.