Software Alternatives & Reviews

Cisco IOS VS OpenWrt

Compare Cisco IOS VS OpenWrt and see what are their differences

Cisco IOS logo Cisco IOS

Cisco IOS is a family of software used on most Cisco Systems routers and current Cisco network...

OpenWrt logo OpenWrt

OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers
  • Cisco IOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08
  • OpenWrt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

Cisco IOS

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Linux
  • Transportation
  • Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Website cisco.com
Details $-

OpenWrt

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Routers
  • Firmware
  • Linux
Website openwrt.org
Details $

Cisco IOS videos

NET 100 Review of the Cisco IOS Modes of Operation

OpenWrt videos

Upgrading Your Home Router to OpenWRT and Why It Is Worth It

More videos:

  • Review - Playing with OpenWrt Wireless Settings
  • Review - Make Your TP-LINK Router into a High Power Router with OpenWrt

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cisco IOS and OpenWrt)
Linux
12 12%
88% 88
Operating Systems
8 8%
92% 92
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Routers
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Cisco IOS and OpenWrt. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Cisco IOS and OpenWrt

Cisco IOS Reviews

We have no reviews of Cisco IOS yet.
Be the first one to post

OpenWrt Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
Both pfSense and OpenWRT are formidable and versatile alternatives for network administration software. While OpenWRT is designed for embedded devices such as routers, Pfsense focuses on firewalls and routing functions that are more complex. Pfsense is more user-friendly, while OpenWRT provides more configuration options. Both are supported by thriving online communities...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
OpenWrt also offers a range of advanced networking configurations, including support for Quality of Service (QoS), network address translation (NAT), and virtual LAN (VLAN) tagging. These features make OpenWrt an attractive option for businesses and organizations that require more advanced networking capabilities. The open-source nature of OpenWrt means that users can...
Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
Unlike IPFire, OpenWRT has a large number of optional packages in its repository. As a result, you can configure this OS in countless different ways. Most importantly, OpenWRT has drivers for all hardware supported by Linux. This means that almost all Wireless hardware is supported, making it the most versatile OS for creating Access Points.
Source: teklager.se
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
OpenWRT is made primarily to replace the software on existing routers, but it can also run on x86 (PCs, server hardware, VMs) machines. It is a very mature OS and has some of the best Wi-Fi support around, unlike a lot of other router software options. It has a pretty good GUI and a ton of add-on packages.
7 Best Router Firmware | Open Source | 2022
OpenWrt Project is a Linux based alternative open source firmware for routers in 2022 and embedded systems. And it is one of the best Open Source Firmware that offers you an utterly writable filesystem along with package management. It allows for full customization and lets you customize the device for any application.
Source: viralhax.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenWrt seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 103 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Cisco IOS mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Cisco IOS yet. Tracking of Cisco IOS recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenWrt mentions (103)

  • Recommendation for a wifi router with L2TP or other VPN server support?
    If your current router supports a custom firmware like openWRT then you could do this without having to buy a new one. Source: 4 months ago
  • OpenWrt Site Account Creation
    Unfortunately, I can't create an account via Github on the openwrt site. Source: 6 months ago
  • openwrt.org not loading
    Anyone else having trouble reaching openwrt.org right now? I can't get the forums, main page or downloads. I've done plenty of troubleshooting and there isn't anything else on my network having trouble reaching anything else on the internet. Source: 7 months ago
  • Things just got a little weird, my current network is down, I'm a newb trying to start from the ground up and I found out I actually have another (newer) wifi router.... what to do?
    On the router. openwrt.org has lots of great documentation that lays out exactly what you're looking for and then some. Source: 9 months ago
  • As of June 2023, what is the best router that I could buy specifically for ease of use with all things pi-hole related
    Is the Verizon one a combined modem/router? If you want to add your own router, you might have to call them and ask them to put it into bridged mode. I like OpenWRT because it gives you a lot of customization options. I've just been running it on an old TP-Link Archer C7 for the past 5 years or so and I haven't had any issues, but that's ancient hardware now. Source: 10 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Cisco IOS and OpenWrt, you can also consider the following products

MikroTik RouterOS - The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS.

FRRouting - FRRouting (FRR) is an IP routing protocol suite for Linux and Unix platforms which

pfSense - pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more

VyOS - VyOS in an open source Linux-based operating system sold and distributed by Sentrium corporations. It is geared toward IT specialists and network administrators for the purpose of securing network and company data... read more.

OPNsense - OPNsense® you next open source firewall. Free Download. High-end Security Made Easy™. Offers Intrusion Prevention, Captive Portal, Traffic Shaping and more.

Quagga - Quagga is a network routing software suite providing implementations of Open Shortest Path First...