Freedom251 › Firewall Software
VyOS
by VyOS
What VyOS is
VyOS is an open-source networking operating system for bare-metal, cloud, and edge deployments. It provides routing options that include BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP, MPLS, EVPN, and segment routing, along with VPN and tunneling choices such as IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, VXLAN, GENEVE, GRE, IPIP, and SIT. Firewall capabilities include stateful and zone-based IPv4 and IPv6 controls, plus source and destination NAT, including NAT64, NAT66, and carrier-grade NAT. Network automation can use REST and GraphQL APIs, Ansible, Salt, Netmiko, NAPALM, Terraform, cloud-init, Shell, and Python. Listed deployment platforms include KVM, Hyper-V, VMware, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, and Dell NativeEdge. The free rolling release is intended for labs, evaluation, and non-critical use; VyOS Stream is a technology preview. LTS images are available to subscribers, contributors, and VyOS for Good members. Each major LTS release receives three years of support, with security and bug fixes through minor releases. Subscriptions provide access to network engineers through a support portal. VyOS began in 2013, when engineers forked the last community Vyatta release and shipped VyOS 1.0.
Who it suits
VyOS suits network engineers and IT teams managing routing, VPNs, firewalls, and automation across bare-metal, virtualized, cloud, or edge deployments. Its Alliance subscription is aimed at IT service providers, including managed service providers, cloud providers, system integrators, consultancies, and IT outsourcers.
What it does well
- Supports a broad set of routing protocols and tunneling options.
- Includes stateful and zone-based IPv4 and IPv6 firewalls.
- Automation options include APIs, Terraform, Ansible, and Python.
- Plain-text configurations and documented APIs support review and auditing.
- Rolling release and VyOS Stream are free.
What to know first
- The free rolling release is intended for labs, evaluation, and non-critical use.
- VyOS Stream is a technology preview.
- LTS images are limited to subscribers, contributors, and VyOS for Good members.
- Listed paid annual plans begin at $8,000 a year.
Limits
The free rolling release is intended for labs, evaluation, and non-critical use, and VyOS Stream is a technology preview. LTS images are available to subscribers, contributors, and VyOS for Good members.
Plans
VyOS's published prices are being re-checked against the maker's own page.
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate | Unlimited deployments · Single company | Price being re-checked |
| Global | Unlimited deployments · Multiple subsidiaries · Multiple geographic regions | Price being re-checked |
| Corporate (annual) | Annual · Unlimited on-premises deployments in one company within one jurisdiction · bare-metal and virtual images · best-effort email/web support | Price being re-checked |
| Global (5-year commitment) | 5-year commitment; 20% discount · Unlimited on-premises deployments across affiliates and regions · bare-metal, virtual and cloud-init images · best-effort email/web support | Price being re-checked |
| Global (3-year commitment) | 3-year commitment; 10% discount · Unlimited on-premises deployments across affiliates and regions · bare-metal, virtual and cloud-init images · best-effort email/web support | Price being re-checked |
| Global (annual) | Annual · Unlimited on-premises deployments across affiliates and regions · bare-metal, virtual and cloud-init images · best-effort email/web support | Price being re-checked |
| Alliance | Annual; starting at · Unlimited client-environment deployments · NBD SLA for first 3 tickets/month · engineering chat · technical account manager · 8 professional-services hours/year · 3 VCNE vouchers | Price being re-checked |
| Corporate (5-year commitment) | 5-year commitment; 20% discount · Unlimited on-premises deployments in one company within one jurisdiction · bare-metal and virtual images · best-effort email/web support | Price being re-checked |
The first 8 of 9 plans, as vyos.io lists them, read 22 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word. Every plan
Getting started
- Visit https://vyos.io/ to review VyOS releases and subscriptions.
- Choose the free rolling release for labs, evaluation, or non-critical use, or consider VyOS Stream as a technology preview.
- Use bare-metal, virtualized, cloud, or edge deployment platforms listed for VyOS.
- Obtain LTS images through subscriber, contributor, or VyOS for Good access if needed.
Verdict
Choose VyOS if you need an open-source networking operating system with extensive routing, firewall, VPN, and automation options. The free releases have stated use constraints, while LTS images and network-engineer support are tied to membership or subscriptions; the listed annual Corporate plans start at $8,000 a year.
Questions
Is VyOS open source?
Yes. VyOS is an open-source networking operating system.
Which platforms can run VyOS?
Supported deployment types include bare metal, virtualized, cloud, and edge. Listed platforms include KVM, Hyper-V, VMware, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, and Dell NativeEdge.
Is there a free version?
Yes. The rolling release and VyOS Stream are free for everyone. The rolling release is intended for labs, evaluation, and non-critical use, while Stream is a technology preview.
How much do VyOS subscriptions cost?
Listed annual Corporate plans cost $10,000 a year, or $9,000 a year with a 3-year commitment, or $8,000 a year with a 5-year commitment. Listed Global annual plans cost $16,000 a year, $14,400 a year with a 3-year commitment, or $12,800 a year with a 5-year commitment.
How long is an LTS release supported?
Each major LTS release is supported for three years, with security and bug fixes delivered through minor releases.
What does a subscription provide for support?
Subscriptions provide access to VyOS network engineers through a support portal, with committed response times. Higher support levels add channels or technical account management.
Facts from VyOS's own pages
- Access model
- vpn · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Admin control level
- advanced · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Auditability
- The site describes VyOS configurations as plain text and its APIs as documented, allowing changes to be reviewed, versioned, and audited. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Audit logs
- Yes · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Automation
- Automation options include REST and GraphQL APIs, Ansible, Salt, Netmiko, NAPALM, Terraform, cloud-init, Shell, and Python. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Company history
- VyOS says engineers forked the last community Vyatta release and shipped VyOS 1.0 on December 22, 2013. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Firewall and NAT
- VyOS provides stateful and zone-based IPv4/IPv6 firewalls and source and destination NAT, including NAT64, NAT66, and carrier-grade NAT. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2013 · vyos.io, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Free releases
- The rolling release and VyOS Stream are free for everyone; the rolling release is intended for labs, evaluation, and non-critical use, while Stream is a technology preview. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The site lists deployment platforms including KVM, Hyper-V, VMware, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, and Dell NativeEdge. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The Alliance subscription is aimed at IT service providers, including managed service providers, cloud service providers, system integrators, consultancies, and IT outsourcers. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- LTS access
- LTS images are available to subscribers, contributors, and VyOS for Good members. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Product
- VyOS is an open-source networking operating system for bare-metal, cloud, and edge deployments. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Routing
- Routing features include BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP, MPLS, EVPN, and segment routing. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Security maintenance
- The company says supported LTS releases continue receiving security fixes through sponsored extended support for their Debian base versions and packages it builds from source. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Site-to-site networking
- Yes · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Support
- Subscriptions provide access to VyOS network engineers through a support portal, with committed response times and additional channels or technical account management at higher support levels. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- bare metal,virtualized,cloud,edge · vyos.io, 22 Sept 2026
- Support lifecycle
- Each major LTS release is supported for three years with security and bug fixes delivered through minor releases. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
- VPN and tunneling
- The platform supports IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, VXLAN, GENEVE, GRE, IPIP, and SIT tunnels. · vyos.io, 9 Oct 2026
Where VyOS stands on Freedom251
- Firewall Software#7 of 81
- Virtual Routers Software#7 of 25
- Network Management Software#11 of 34
- Business VPN Software#33 of 94
- Virtual Private Network Software#26 of 54