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pfSense Plus is ranked #4 in the Network Security Software product directory based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report.

pfSense Plus Pricing

Based on our most recent analysis, pfSense Plus pricing starts at $0 (Per Hour, Usage-Based).

Price
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Starting From
$0.08
Pricing Model
Per Hour, Usage-Based
Free Trial
No

Training Resources

pfSense Plus is supported with the following types of training:

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars

Support

The following support services are available for pfSense Plus:

Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Help Desk
Knowledge Base
Tickets
Training
24/7 Live Support

pfSense Plus Benefits and Insights

Why use pfSense Plus?

Key differentiators & advantages of pfSense Plus

  • Enhanced Security: pfSense Plus offers advanced security features such as stateful packet inspection, intrusion detection, and prevention systems, ensuring robust protection against cyber threats.
  • Cost Efficiency: By utilizing open-source software, pfSense Plus reduces the need for expensive proprietary solutions, providing a cost-effective alternative for network management.
  • Scalability: Easily scalable to accommodate growing network demands, pfSense Plus supports a wide range of hardware configurations, from small home networks to large enterprise environments.
  • Customizability: With a modular design, pfSense Plus allows for extensive customization through packages and plugins, enabling tailored solutions to meet specific network requirements.
  • Comprehensive Reporting: Detailed logging and reporting features provide valuable insights into network performance and security, aiding in proactive management and troubleshooting.
  • High Availability: pfSense Plus supports high availability configurations, ensuring minimal downtime and continuous network operation through failover and redundancy mechanisms.
  • VPN Support: Robust VPN capabilities, including IPsec and OpenVPN, facilitate secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity, enhancing network flexibility and security.
  • Traffic Shaping: Advanced traffic shaping and Quality of Service (QoS) features allow for efficient bandwidth management, ensuring optimal performance for critical applications.
  • Community Support: A vibrant community of users and developers provides extensive documentation, forums, and resources, fostering a collaborative environment for troubleshooting and innovation.
  • Regular Updates: Frequent updates and patches ensure that pfSense Plus remains secure and up-to-date with the latest features and improvements, maintaining its reliability and effectiveness.
  • Ease of Use: A user-friendly web interface simplifies configuration and management tasks, making it accessible even to those with limited networking experience.
  • Compliance: pfSense Plus helps organizations meet regulatory requirements by providing features that support compliance with standards such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Industry Expertise

pfSense Plus is a cloud-based solution that provides businesses with security tools to monitor networking processes and prevent cyberattacks. It is best suited for businesses that need a robust and reliable firewall with advanced features such as stateful packet inspection, GeoIP filtering, and layer 7 application detection.

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Based on an aggregate of pfSense Plus reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.

Pros

  • Strong Security Features: pfSense Plus offers a robust set of security features, including a blacklist database of blocked IP addresses, stateful packet inspections, and SSL encryption, which help businesses protect their networks from cyberattacks.
  • Flexible Deployment Options: Users appreciate the flexibility of deploying pfSense Plus on various platforms, including cloud environments like AWS and Azure, as well as on physical appliances or virtual machines.
  • Cost-Effective Solution: pfSense Plus provides a comprehensive set of features at a competitive price point, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
  • Active Community Support: The availability of an active online community and extensive documentation provides users with valuable resources for troubleshooting and guidance, ensuring they can effectively utilize the software's capabilities.

Cons

  • Hardware Compatibility: While pfSense Plus software is open-source, optimizing its performance often necessitates compatible hardware, which could mean additional expenses for businesses.
  • Technical Expertise for Advanced Features: Although pfSense Plus offers a user-friendly interface, utilizing its advanced features, such as setting up complex VPN configurations or load balancing, may require a certain level of networking knowledge.

Researcher's Summary:

Is pfSense Plus a "sense-ational" choice for network security, or does it leave users feeling burned? pfSense Plus has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from users over the past year, praised for its robust feature set and exceptional value. Users consistently highlight its user-friendly interface, making complex network configuration accessible even for those without extensive technical backgrounds. For instance, one user lauded the intuitive dashboard, enabling them to easily set up VPNs for clients, a task that would have been significantly more challenging with other solutions.

However, some users have pointed out that while the base software is easy to navigate, configuring more advanced features can be cumbersome. This is particularly true for functionalities like high availability in cloud environments, which often require manual setup and troubleshooting. Despite this, the software's strengths in customization, reliability, and cost-effectiveness make it a compelling choice for a broad audience.

A key differentiator for pfSense Plus is its active community and extensive documentation, providing a valuable safety net for users encountering challenges. This robust support system, coupled with its enterprise-grade feature set at a fraction of the cost of competitors like Fortinet FortiGate, makes pfSense Plus an ideal solution for budget-conscious small to medium-sized businesses and tech-savvy home users. However, larger enterprises seeking advanced cloud integration out-of-the-box might find its limitations in this area a drawback.

Key Features

Notable pfSense Plus features include:

  • Advanced Firewall Capabilities: Offers stateful packet inspection, granular rule definition, and support for both IPv4 and IPv6.
  • VPN Support: Includes robust VPN options such as IPsec, OpenVPN, and WireGuard for secure remote access and site-to-site connections.
  • High Availability: Provides failover and redundancy through CARP (Common Address Redundancy Protocol) to ensure continuous network operation.
  • Traffic Shaping: Implements Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize critical network traffic and manage bandwidth effectively.
  • Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Integrates with Snort and Suricata to detect and block malicious traffic in real-time.
  • Comprehensive Logging and Reporting: Offers detailed logs and reports for monitoring network activity and diagnosing issues.
  • Package Manager: Allows for the installation of additional software packages to extend functionality, such as pfBlockerNG for ad blocking and DNS filtering.
  • Captive Portal: Provides a customizable web portal for authenticating users before granting network access, ideal for guest networks.
  • Dynamic DNS Support: Automatically updates DNS records when IP addresses change, ensuring consistent remote access.
  • Multi-WAN Capabilities: Supports load balancing and failover across multiple internet connections to enhance reliability and performance.
  • Advanced Routing: Includes support for dynamic routing protocols like OSPF and BGP, as well as static routing configurations.
  • Hardware Acceleration: Utilizes AES-NI and other hardware acceleration features to improve performance on supported devices.
  • Customizable Dashboard: Offers a user-friendly interface with customizable widgets for monitoring system status and performance metrics.
  • API Access: Provides a REST API for integrating with other systems and automating tasks.
  • DNS Resolver: Includes Unbound DNS resolver with DNSSEC support for secure and efficient name resolution.
  • VLAN Support: Enables the creation and management of Virtual LANs for network segmentation and improved security.
  • IPv6 Support: Fully supports IPv6, including dual-stack configurations and transition mechanisms.
  • Remote Management: Allows for secure remote administration via SSH, web interface, and VPN.
  • Extensive Documentation: Provides comprehensive documentation and community support for troubleshooting and learning.
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