Software Alternatives & Reviews

MikroTik RouterOS VS IPFire

Compare MikroTik RouterOS VS IPFire and see what are their differences

MikroTik RouterOS logo MikroTik RouterOS

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

IPFire logo IPFire

IPFire is a server distribution with intended to use as a firewall.
  • MikroTik RouterOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • IPFire Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13

MikroTik RouterOS

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Linux
  • Perimeter Security And Firewalls
  • Cyber Security
Website mikrotik.com

IPFire

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Cyber Security
  • Linux
  • Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Website ipfire.org

MikroTik RouterOS videos

MikroTik RouterOS security review

IPFire videos

Exploring IpFire Open Source Firewall

More videos:

  • Review - IpFire vs PfSense
  • Review - Introduction to ipFire Open Source Firewall

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MikroTik RouterOS and IPFire)
Operating Systems
76 76%
24% 24
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Linux
79 79%
21% 21
Cyber Security
70 70%
30% 30

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MikroTik RouterOS and IPFire

MikroTik RouterOS Reviews

  1. many bugs that block connections

    since 2 years they didn't fix bugs that block the router from the internet


The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
MikroTik RouterOS is an open-source router OS software that is designed to provide a powerful, customizable, and secure networking experience. It is based on the Linux kernel and offers a range of features and capabilities that make it a popular choice among network enthusiasts, developers, and IT professionals. The open-source nature of MikroTik RouterOS means that users...
11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
Before acquiring licensed software, MikroTik enables you to test the MikroTik RouterOS technology. This is referred to as Trial Mode by MikroTik, and it allows you to try the whole MikroTik RouterOS features and functionality set for up to 24 hours.
10 Best pfSense Alternatives and Similar Firewalls
RouterOS has a stateful firewall, which conducts stateful inspection and maintains track of the state of network connections traversing it. It also includes Source and Destination Network Address Translation, NAT assistance for common applications, and UPnP compatibility.
5 Router OS Turns Old PC Into High Performance Router And Enterprise Network Switch
RouterOS is the operating system of RouterBOARD. It can also be installed on a PC and will turn it into a router with all the necessary features – routing, firewall, bandwidth management, wireless access point, backhaul link, hotspot gateway, VPN server and more.
A Feast of Linux-Based Routers
Though the code is not open and it is more of a commercial offering, RouterOS from MikroTik is Linux-based. It installs onto and turns regular PCs into a enterprise-level router. It gives you all the necessary features, including routing, firewall, bandwidth management, wireless access point, backhaul link, hotspot gateway, VPN server, and more.

IPFire Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
When utilized as a virtual private network (VPN), IPFire facilitates access from afar. The IPFire firewall has additional features built-in, unlike pfSense, which is another wonderful reason to use it instead of that other firewall. These extras improve IPFire in several ways, most notably by allowing it to function as a wireless access point. In addition, they provide file...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
One of the key features of IPFire is its firewall capabilities. It offers advanced features such as stateful packet inspection, traffic shaping, and intrusion detection and prevention. These features allow administrators to block unwanted traffic and prevent malicious attacks on their networks. IPFire also supports VPN connections, allowing users to securely connect to their...
Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
IPFire is a Linux-based distribution intended for Firewalls and Routers. IPfire is a continuation of IPCop (mentioned above) but has been rewritten from scratch. The system is regularly updated and maintained, but it doesn't have many features found in pfSense or OPNSense. It passes all our requirements but barely makes this list of recommendations because it has no...
Source: teklager.se
11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
IPFire is not built on any previous distribution; it was created from the ground up. This enables the programmers to harden IPFire to a greater degree than any host operating system and design all components expressly for use as a firewall.
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
IPFire is a Linux-based router OS that’s an up-and-comer. It is a little newer than the other options in this article, but it is rapidly catching up to others in options and features. It has a ton of firewall features, but it is growing in router features as well.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MikroTik RouterOS seems to be a lot more popular than IPFire. While we know about 23 links to MikroTik RouterOS, we've tracked only 2 mentions of IPFire. 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.

MikroTik RouterOS mentions (23)

  • Ubiquiti showing other users' consoles
    Anyone using Mikrotik these days? Been Mikro-curious for awhile and always see them thrown around as a Unifi alternative. Yet to hear of any firsthand implementations though. [0] https://mikrotik.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Free - Self-hosted - WebRTC - alternative to Zoom, Teams, Google Meet - Real time video calls, chat, screen sharing, file sharing, collaborative whiteboard, dashboard, rooms scheduler and more!
    I keep reading it as the networking hardware company Mikrotik. Source: about 1 year ago
  • hap ax2 or ax3
    The "Buy" link at the top of mikrotik.com - this is how most hardware vendors with a distribution network have their site set up. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Germany ups reliance on Huawei for 5G despite security fears
    Or Mikrotik from Latvia, for switching/routing: Https://mikrotik.com/. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Management VLAN vs Native.
    There is way to get default to do whatewer you want (including preseted VLAN on some port): Get some config, which you'd like to use as default Login to mikrotik.com Use branding section to get packet, which can be installed on any RoS to change default config and some other things. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

IPFire mentions (2)

  • How does pfSense compare to IPFire?
    Hello, I'm running an IPFire firewall on an APU4C4 since years and am pretty happy with it. It does everything I need and does it very well. I'm not missing anything. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Microsoft identifies and mitigates new malware targeting Ukraine “within 3 hours”
    Antivirus software is just another form of disease. IPFire has the tools to keep you healthy. Back that up with Windows+Defender or use OSX, and you should be able to live a long life. Source: about 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MikroTik RouterOS and IPFire, you can also consider the following products

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

OpenWrt - OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers

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

Gargoyle - Gargoyle Router Firmware home page

Endian Firewall Community - Endian Firewall Community (EFW) is a "turn-key" linux security distribution that turns...