When it comes to powerful, flexible, and cost-effective network firewalls, two names dominate the conversation: OPNsense and PfSense. Both are open source, highly capable, and both have loyal followings. However, at Infrastructure Contractors, we find ourselves recommending OPNsense far more often.
History: Two Paths from One Project
PfSense has been around for years, built on the foundation of an older open source project that was once a shining example of community-driven development. Over time, however, changes in leadership and business direction shifted its focus. The project is now maintained by Netgate, a company that has steered PfSense toward a more commercial approach, including a stronger emphasis on selling proprietary hardware.
OPNsense, on the other hand, is a fork of PfSense created by developers who wanted to preserve the original vision of a truly open source firewall/router platform. It has maintained that ethos, allowing anyone to download, install, and use it — at home or in business — without licensing restrictions.
While OPNsense does offer paid support packages and accepts donations, the core software remains freely available. This approach fosters a vibrant developer community and ensures ongoing innovation. Here is why.
Practical Differences for Businesses
- PfSense:
- Still a capable router/firewall solution with strong features.
- Offers virtual machine (VM) deployments, but the emphasis is on running PfSense on Netgate’s own branded hardware.
- The commercial focus means some features and updates are more tightly controlled.
- OPNsense:
- Fully open source with a transparent development process.
- Easy to deploy as a VM, allowing for fast backup, restoration, and scaling.
- Runs on virtually any compatible hardware, from enterprise servers to small embedded devices.
Why Unix-Based Routers Make Sense
Whether you choose OPNsense or PfSense, both are Unix-based — which brings some serious advantages:
- Stability: Unix systems have a reputation for rock-solid uptime, making them ideal for critical networking infrastructure.
- Security: Frequent updates, robust permissions models, and open code review make vulnerabilities easier to identify and fix.
- Flexibility: Being software-based, they can run on physical hardware, in virtual machines, or even in cloud environments.
- Feature-rich: Advanced routing, VPN capabilities, intrusion detection/prevention, and traffic shaping are all possible without extra licensing fees.
Virtualization: The OPNsense Advantage
One of OPNsense’s biggest strengths is how well it runs in a virtual environment.
- Need to upgrade hardware? Migrate the VM to a new server.
- Concerned about downtime? Restore from a snapshot in minutes.
- Want to scale resources? Increase CPU, RAM, or network interfaces without buying a new box.
Other firewall solutions — especially proprietary ones — often require expensive hardware purchases and ongoing licensing fees just to achieve the same results.
Our Recommendation (and Why)
At Infrastructure Contractors, we sell and support both proprietary and open-source routers. There are times when a commercial, proprietary appliance makes perfect sense. For example inflexible compliance requirements or vendor-specific ecosystems may dictate your options.
We urge clients to explore open source router platforms like OPNsense. For many businesses, the combination of cost savings, flexibility, and transparency makes it the smarter choice. And because OPNsense can be run on any suitable hardware or as a VM, it often integrates seamlessly into existing infrastructure without requiring a major capital investment.
Infrastructure Contractors can help you evaluate your networking needs, compare both platforms in real-world scenarios, and implement the solution that works best for your business.
Contact us today to explore how we can future-proof your network infrastructure.