Skip to main content
TrustRadius
pfSense

pfSense

Overview

What is pfSense?

pfSense is a firewall and load management product available through the open source pfSense Community Edition, as well as a the licensed edition, pfSense Plus (formerly known as pfSense Enterprise). The solution provides combined firewall, VPN, and router functionality, and…

Read more
Recent Reviews

pfSense

9 out of 10
January 17, 2024
Incentivized
pfSense is used to route internal development networks, either tagged or untagged, manage the ACLs between those networks, and forward …
Continue reading

TrustRadius Insights

pfSense has proven to be a versatile and reliable network solution, addressing various use cases for organizations of different sizes and …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Popular Features

View all 11 features
  • VPN (11)
    10.0
    100%
  • Policy-based Controls (11)
    10.0
    100%
  • Reporting and Logging (11)
    8.0
    80%
  • Content Inspection (11)
    4.1
    41%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons

Video Reviews

2 videos

pfSense Review: With Over 10 Years of Service, pfSense Proves To Be A Reliable Firewall For Business
02:15
User Benefits From Open Source Nature of pfSense When Limitations Are Solved By Others: User Review
03:33
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing

SG-1100

$179

On Premise
per appliance

SG-2100

$229

On Premise
per appliance

SG-3100

$399

On Premise
per appliance

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.netgate.com/pricing-pfsense…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Return to navigation

Product Demos

PFSense 2.4.4 with LCDproc on Broadband9 Firewall appliance! Tested with 100Mbit leased line

YouTube

Introduction of PFSense Open Source Firewall and Router

YouTube

pfSense installation and setup demo (VirtualBox)

YouTube

Building cloud firewall-router appliances for free: Installing Pfsense in Hyper-V

YouTube

pfSense Tutorial - How to enforce Google Safe Search using PfSense - Guide and Demo

YouTube

1. How to Install and Configure BGP in GNS3 using pfSense

YouTube
Return to navigation

Features

Firewall

A firewall is a filter that stands between a computer or computer network and the Internet. Each firewall can be programmed to keep specific traffic in or out

7.6
Avg 8.5
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is pfSense?

pfSense is a firewall and load management product available through the open source pfSense Community Edition, as well as a the licensed edition, pfSense Plus (formerly known as pfSense Enterprise). The solution provides combined firewall, VPN, and router functionality, and can be deployed through the cloud (AWS or Azure), or on-premises with a Netgate appliance. It as scalable capacities, with functionality for SMBs.

As a firewall, pfSense offers Stateful packet inspection, concurrent IPv4 and IPv6 support, and intrusion prevention. Within its VPN capabilities, it provides SSL encryption, automatic or custom routing, and multiple tunneling options. pfSense also supports optional clustering and load-balancing, along with proxying and content filtering services. The product can also monitor and report on network traffic.

pfSense Videos

Pfsense vs Ubiquiti - Which is better for you?
In this video, TrustRadius goes over the pricing, top features, and user sentiment of pfSense.

pfSense Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(70)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

pfSense has proven to be a versatile and reliable network solution, addressing various use cases for organizations of different sizes and industries. Users have successfully managed multiple ISPs and performed load balancing, ensuring efficient internet connectivity and reducing downtime. The ability to quickly backup and restore configurations has been appreciated by customers, providing peace of mind and minimizing disruptions. The stability and ease of management have been particularly important for small IT teams, allowing them to efficiently handle network operations.

Many organizations rely on pfSense as their primary firewall, utilizing its features for load balancing, failover, and hosting software and services. The support for multi-WAN and load balancing at both the WAN and load distributing levels has been highly beneficial for users. pfSense has also been successfully used to establish multiple IPsec tunnels for site-to-site VPN connections, enabling secure communication between different locations.

The scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness of pfSense have made it a great solution for small to medium-sized businesses. It can be easily customized and integrated into existing infrastructures, including the implementation of VLANs and time-based rules. The GUI and CLI versions of pfSense have streamlined management tasks, making it accessible to users with varying technical expertise.

Furthermore, the extensive online manual and community support have received praise from users, providing valuable resources for troubleshooting and guidance. The community-supported nature of pfSense ensures that it stays up-to-date with the latest security measures.

Overall, pfSense serves as a reliable network backbone, handling routing, VPN connections, security features, failover scenarios, and inter-VLAN routing. Its versatility eliminates the need for multiple servers in smaller environments while providing essential security functions. Users appreciate its basic security measures and routing features which make it a cost-effective solution for those with limited budgets. With its proven reliability and enterprise-grade features, pfSense continues to be a trusted choice for organizations seeking a powerful network solution.

Intuitive User Interface: Users have consistently praised the intuitive and user-friendly interface of pfSense. Many reviewers have expressed that the well-thought-out web interface makes it easy to configure firewall rules and set up VPNs, allowing them to perform tasks quickly and efficiently.

Informative Dashboard: The extensive dashboard of pfSense has received widespread praise from users. Reviewers have mentioned that the traffic graphics on the dashboard are wonderful and provide all the necessary information at a glance, making it easy to monitor network activity and performance.

Low Hardware Requirements: Users appreciate that pfSense can run smoothly even on older PCs or router devices with lower-end specifications. This is seen as a significant advantage by many reviewers as it allows them to implement pfSense without the need for expensive hardware upgrades.

Inconvenient integration with modems: Several users have expressed frustration that integrating modem functionality into pfSense is not possible, which can be inconvenient for those looking for a more comprehensive solution.

Challenging web GUI setup and management: Non-expert users may find it challenging to set up and manage the web GUI, particularly when it comes to assigning WAN and LAN interfaces.

Limited API and scripting capabilities: Some reviewers have highlighted the lack of an API for making changes in pfSense. This limitation can be a hindrance in environments where frequent updates to firewall rules or HAProxy configs are required.

Users have made several recommendations based on their experiences with pfSense. The most common recommendations are:

  • Users recommend reading the documentation and taking official training for pfSense. This suggestion highlights the importance of familiarizing oneself with the product and its features. By investing time in understanding the documentation and receiving official training, users can maximize their proficiency in network administration using pfSense.

  • Users suggest making the switch to pfSense and using reliable hardware. This recommendation emphasizes the benefits of utilizing pfSense as a comprehensive solution for routing and firewall requirements in network administration. By switching to pfSense and ensuring the use of reliable hardware, users can optimize their network resource management.

  • Users advise doing test builds and hardening before going live with pfSense. This recommendation underscores the importance of thorough testing and securing the system before implementing it in a live environment. By conducting test builds and hardening processes, users can identify potential issues or vulnerabilities, ensuring a smoother transition to pfSense.

These recommendations reflect user opinions on how to effectively utilize pfSense for routing and firewall requirements while optimizing network resource management.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-24 of 24)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
January 17, 2024

pfSense

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Filtering and NAT forwarding.
  • Routing
  • IDS/IPS
  • IDS/IPS requires tuning and is sometimes too aggressive.
  • Filtering acts only by specifying ips. Even if less performing and secure, allowing the user also to insert DNS names would be a nice option.
June 28, 2021

Review for pfSense

Pardeep Sharma | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • pfSense blocker NG
  • Ips
  • Ad blocker
  • Ha proxy
  • QOS
  • Country wise block
  • Lots of issue with fresh configure [in my experience]
  • [I feel] Gui not user-friendly
  • Not advanced level security features available [in my experience]
June 22, 2021

Pfsense review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Vpn server
  • Load balancing
  • Traffic shaping
  • Dns and dhcp server
  • Intrusion Detection System and Intrusion Prevention System
  • Packet Inspection
  • No advanced security features
  • No sandbox features available
  • Complicated configuration
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • Firewall rules
  • Multiple WAN failover & balancing
  • Statistics and reporting of internet connection use
  • Automated configuration backup
  • More support for PPOE connection drops/errors
  • Central management console for multiple devices
James Freeman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Robust appliance that is easy to install, manage and update.
  • XML-based configuration backup and restore lends itself well to automation and pre-built configurations.
  • Open-source platform means the availability of a wide array of third-party packages providing integration with everything from monitoring servers to backup.
  • First releases are often buggy. For example, 2.5.0 broke fundamental routing features in some environments.
  • Lack of API for automated configuration.
  • Lack of CLI for scripting and automation purposes.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • OpenVPN is very easy to set up and administer.
  • The web UI makes it very easy to configure.
  • The feature set is broad and powerful.
  • No official central management system (cloud or otherwise).
  • Support for WireGuard VPN is limited.
Allan Leung | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easy to use. Good user interface design! Easy to understand and easy to set up.
  • Lower hardware requirement. 3 years ago, we used an old PC to run it. Now, we have changed to a router device with Celeron CPU and 8GB RAM. It runs smoothly with a 1000G commercial broadband.
  • Need to assign WAN, LAN interface in "text" console but not in web interface when you first install in a new network.
  • I need to configure everything and send a pfSense device to my colleague in other countries, they are not IT professionals so they have difficulty assigning interfaces when they first boot.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • OpenVPN solution: straight forward and very easy to manage. It's easy to setup clients through the OpenVPN export wizard.
  • Load Balancing Internet Connections: I was able to use a single pfSense machine to load balance two internet connections. Basically, if one connection is losing too many packets or drops out, all internet traffic is automatically routed through the other internet service gateway. Users didn't even notice whenever there were internet outages.
  • Sometimes when there was an internet outage pfsense would start running really slow. I'm assuming because all the clients trying to access the internet creates a load. There should probably be a timeout feature where all traffic pauses and stops trying to access the internet if the internet is obviously down. The simple fix for this is to just disconnect the switch with all clients.
  • There are numerous packages that try to act as middle-man web traffic filters. They are a little complex and don't always work. This pfsense isn't to blame but it just might be nice to see a more standardized solution that's easy to set up.
March 07, 2019

pfSense is rock solid

Jay Moore | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Great firewall. It has all the capabilities of very expensive firewalls. I have never had to restart the device in 10 years due to an issue.
  • DHCP always works without any issues.
  • OpenVPN has been rock solid, I like that OpenVPN has clients for all Linux, Mac and MS Windows.
  • Reporting
  • Viewing log files
Charles R. Coggins III | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • pfSense is an excellent firewall - It logs all of your traffic. It has packages you can install to snort bad traffic.
  • pfSense has a tool called "p0f" which allows you to see what type of OS is trying to connect to you. You can filter these results and you can also block a specific OS from connecting to you.
  • pfSense is an excellent load-balancer: (Multi-WAN and Server Load Balancing) The fail-over/aggregation works very well. This is perfect if your business uses multiple ISP's to ensure your customers are always able to access their data. Also helps with bandwidth distribution as well.
  • VPN's - I am not entirely sure if this package was free with pfSense, but it does offer the ability to use OpenVPN which is what I am familiar with.
  • They also have IPsec in the settings as well, but I am not familiar with that enough to go into any detail with it.
  • As I mentioned I do use OpenVPN the only thing I don't care for with it is I can create OpenVPN configs for each user I want to be able to VPN into the network and I assumed each one would be "unique" but this does not seem to be the case. I could be doing it wrong, but if I create a config for a specific employee I would expect only that employee should be able to use that config, but I have been able to login to everyone that I made using my credentials.
  • I mentioned earlier that pfSense had a GUI.
  • I personally really think it is cool because it has a bunch of reporting graphs for monitoring your networks. I think when I become the full-time admin at the company I am going to try to talk them into getting me a TV I can mount on the wall and display all the graphs and real-time info pfSense shows so I can monitor what is going on with the network(s) at all times. Plus I think it would look rad.
  • I did kind of mention a Con in the Pro section with OpenVPN.
  • When I create a config for an employee other employees are able to login to that config.
  • I could be doing something wrong when I am making it - I am not afraid to admit that as I am pretty new to all of this, but it seems like it builds a key and I would think the key would be unique in some way to each employee, but I could be wrong.
  • I actually do not have a lot of Con's for this software - I did not get to set this up on our work network so I am not sure of any downfalls when installing.
  • I installed this on my personal machine in a Hyper-V environment to get a feel for it before I started working on it at work and it seemed pretty smooth. I didn't run into any issues.
Aaron Smith | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easily configure firewall rules through a well thought out web interface.
  • Easy to configure VPN setups and if using OpenVPN, easy to deploy client setups.
  • Many additional packages and features can be installed on the fly, including things like OpenBGPD, freeradius3, and lightsquid.
  • Load Balancing and connection proxies built in and the ability to HAProxy easily.
  • Backup and restore in minutes, not hours. A online (free) service is also offered to backup each and every change made to their cloud.
  • There is no API for making changes. This can be a hindrance in environments where auto-deploying something needs firewall rules or HAProxy configs updated. Since all settings are stored in an XML file and then configs are generated from that, even manually updating config files cannot be done.
  • Beware that some network cards can have issues. pfSense is based on FreeBSD, so it's best to look on their compatibility list before deploying.
germary zambrano | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • stable vpn connection through your web application and easy to use
  • load balancer that allows me to distribute the bandwidth to the ip that I need with more power at the request of the user and less power to users who have fewer requirements
  • dns server that allows me to give a domain name to several applications that I have hosted in my network so that it has a connection from the outside and can be seen by the user
  • they should improve in creating more manuals of procedures or processes that can be done with this systems since the documentation obtained from this system is small, which makes it difficult to use 100 percent of this system
Victor Arana | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Open Source (free). Pay only for support.
  • Plugins are the crown of the product.
  • An extensive dashboard gives you all that you need to have on the first look.
  • Traffic graphics are wonderful.
  • You can't integrate modem functionality into a pFSense box.
  • I don't want to go completely open source if downtime is a risk factor that could lose more income that supported products would cost.
  • Can be an expensive configuration if you choose to build your own pFsense box for several ISP.
  • For non expertise users is a pain in the neck to manage the web GUI.
Jim Rubenstein | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Point and click configuration for nearly any network infrastructure service you could need
  • Centralized configuration, with documentation, of all firewall rules, dhcp lease rules, vlan routes, etc
  • Fast security updates when vulnerabilities (and patches) are found in any of the software that pfSense uses out of the box
  • Super simple to deploy
  • Light-weight, doesn't need a high end system to run
  • Some services can be clunky to configure if you're not 100% familiar with the technology
  • Service configuration is bound to the pfSense interface, so if the UI doesn't expose configuration for a feature you need (and the service supports it), it's a significant challenge to configure the service outside of the pfSense system. (Note: this has rarely been an issue for us, once or twice in the entire time we've used the software)
Paolo Daniele | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Web User Interface: With new web UI, based on Bootstrap framework, you can control your Pfsense from everywhere.
  • Scalable: It's an all-in-one solution useful for every kind of company. It's also very easy to set up rules and NAT, and it has several modules like transparent proxy, VPN, and traffic shaping.
  • Community: There's a large community behind Pfsense so you can find a lot of documentation, tutorials, and howtos and also support from the official forum.
  • Virtualization: We use virtualization on our systems based on KVM enviroment so they could improve Virtualization integration.
  • Export/Import: You cannot import/export all of pfsense modules configuration. And also sometimes pfsense export/import creates conflicts with s Mac address.
July 27, 2016

pfSense - Review

Rikia Kosaka | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Great Multi-Wan redundancy.
  • Great control of ACLs
  • Perfect for VPN connections
  • The tools that come with pfsense are great but I've seen better tools from home based routers like the ASUS routers. Wish we had more pretty graphs, traffic use by user or hostname, etc.
  • The UI is good but seems a little outdated. The graphs and reporting looks more like cacti versus the look of something pretty like Kibana.
Richard Kiernan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Easy and quick to change firewall rules - no painful re-loads or reboots (!) like some firewall solutions
  • VPN support is excellent and so fast as hardware acceleration is supported
  • Large set of free add-on tools
  • Multiple hardware platforms supported
  • Quality of service and traffic shaping setup could be better but the answers are usually on the pfSense forums if you look
  • Non-technically minded will lose patience but it's designed to be a fully-fledged firewall so it's not surprising
Return to navigation