Instead of pfSense
pfSense alternatives
pfSense brings firewall and router functions together in a FreeBSD-based distribution controlled through a web interface. It filters traffic with stateful inspection and policy matches, supports policy-based and static routing across IPv4 and IPv6, and offers IDS/IPS capabilities including Snort, Suricata rules, IP block lists and application detection. Its VPN options include IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard for remote access and site-to-site connections. It can run on selected hardware, virtual machines and cloud instances, with a free, open-source Community Edition and several Plus deployment options.
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OpenVPN Access Server
by OpenVPN Access ServerFree plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3Enterprise VPN access with SSO and audit logs — OpenVPN Access Server centers on enterprise VPN access, SSO, SCIM and audit logs rather than pfSense’s firewall and routing functions.
Free plan · paid from $7/mo · 14-day trial Visit site - 2
NetBird
by NetBirdFree plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3Hybrid networking with device posture controls — NetBird pairs site-to-site networking with SSO, device posture and audit logs, while pfSense centers on firewall inspection and routing.
Free plan · paid from €6/user/mo Visit site - 3
Cloudflare Access
by Cloudflare AccessFree plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4Zero-trust access to apps and infrastructure — Cloudflare Access verifies identity, device posture and context for each request to self-hosted apps, SaaS and infrastructure.
Free plan · paid from $7/user/mo (annual) Visit site - 4
GoodAccess
by GoodAccessFree plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+3Hybrid access with SSO and device posture — GoodAccess combines hybrid access, site-to-site networking, SSO and device posture controls rather than pfSense’s firewall and routing toolkit.
Free plan · paid from $7/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Visit site - 5
Tailscale
by TailscaleFree plan Open source AndroidAPIExtension+6Peer-to-peer VPN connections across devices — Tailscale uses WireGuard for end-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer connections and device-level access controls, rather than pfSense’s firewall and routing toolkit.
Free plan · paid from $8/user/mo · 14-day trial Visit site - 6
Twingate
by TwingateFree plan AndroidAPIExtension+6Identity-bound access to individual resources — Twingate binds connections to verified identities and individual resources, with policies based on authentication, device security, location and usage.
Free plan · paid from $5/user/mo (annual) · 14-day trial Visit site - 7
ZeroTier
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5Software-defined overlays across devices and clouds — ZeroTier provides virtual overlay networking across clouds, data centers and devices, with identity-based controls and Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking.
Free plan · paid from $18/mo Visit site - 8
IPFire
Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1 - 9
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Alibaba Cloud Cloud Firewall
Free trial APIWeb - 16
Google Cloud Secret Manager
Free plan Web - 17
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Certificates
Free plan Web - 18
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Cisco Catalyst Center
Paid APILinuxMac+3 - 20
AWS Network Firewall
Paid APIWeb - 21
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Sophos Central Firewall Management
by Sophos Central Firewall ManagementFree trial APISelf-hostedWeb - 23
Azure Firewall Premium
Paid APIWeb5.7 Visit site - 24
Firewalla
Paid AndroidiPhoneWeb - 25
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Oracle Cloud Infrastructure DNS
Paid APILinuxWeb - 30
Huawei Cloud Firewall
Paid Web5.3 Visit site - 31
Endian UTM
Paid AndroidiPhoneLinux+3
Alternatives may suit you better if your main need is secure access between users, devices and private resources rather than a combined firewall and router. Check whether a product provides firewall inspection and routing or focuses instead on VPN connectivity or zero-trust access. Deployment also matters: pfSense’s USB installer overwrites the entire drive and does not support dual booting.