Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OPNsense VS VyOS

Compare OPNsense VS VyOS and see what are their differences

OPNsense logo OPNsense

OPNsenseยฎ you next open source firewall. Free Download. High-end Security Made Easyโ„ข. Offers Intrusion Prevention, Captive Portal, Traffic Shaping and more.

VyOS logo 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 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-26
  • VyOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14

OPNsense features and specs

  • Open Source
    OPNsense is open-source, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This allows for community contributions and transparency in code.
  • Regular Updates
    The project provides regular updates and patches, ensuring the software is up-to-date with the latest features and security fixes.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The user interface is clean and intuitive, making it easier for both beginners and advanced users to configure and manage the firewall and other network settings.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    Includes a wide range of features such as VPN capabilities, IDS/IPS, Web Proxy, and more, making it a versatile solution for various networking needs.
  • Strong Community Support
    The active community and forums provide robust support, tutorials, and shared knowledge, which can be very helpful in troubleshooting and optimizing the system.

Possible disadvantages of OPNsense

  • Hardware Requirements
    To run efficiently, OPNsense can require relatively high hardware specifications, which might be an issue for some users with older or less powerful equipment.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, the complexity of the features and settings can be overwhelming for users who are not already familiar with network security or firewall concepts.
  • Limited Commercial Support
    Being an open-source project, it lacks the extensive professional support structures that come with paid enterprise solutions, although commercial support is available through third parties.
  • Documentation Gaps
    Although there is a good amount of documentation available, some users find it lacking in detail, especially for more advanced configurations and troubleshooting scenarios.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There might be compatibility issues with certain hardware or software components, requiring users to invest additional time in ensuring everything works correctly.

VyOS features and specs

  • Open Source
    VyOS is an open-source network operating system, which means it can be freely used, modified, and distributed by anyone. This provides transparency and the ability to customize the software to specific needs.
  • Feature-Rich
    Offers a comprehensive set of networking features including routing, firewall, VPN, and NAT, making it suitable for a wide range of networking tasks and environments.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, VyOS has an active community that contributes to its development and provides support through forums, documentation, and other resources.
  • Cost-Effective
    VyOS provides enterprise-grade functionality without the associated cost of commercial networking solutions, making it an economical choice for both businesses and individuals.
  • Flexibility
    VyOS can be deployed on various hardware from physical machines to virtualized environments, providing a high degree of flexibility in deployment options.
  • CLI and API
    It provides a familiar command-line interface and REST API for configuration and management, which appeals to experienced network administrators and enables integration with automation tools.

Possible disadvantages of VyOS

  • Steeper Learning Curve
    While providing powerful features, VyOS can be complex for beginners due to its command-line interface and the need for network configuration knowledge.
  • Performance Limits
    Performance might not match that of specialized hardware-based solutions; thus, for very high throughput or low latency requirements, VyOS may not be the most suitable option.
  • Limited Vendor Support
    Compared to commercial network solutions, VyOS has less formalized support structures. While community support is available, the official support options might not be as extensive.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Although flexible, not all hardware is guaranteed to be compatible with VyOS, potentially necessitating hardware adjustments or specific configurations.
  • Certification
    Unlike some commercial solutions, VyOS does not have the same level of industry-recognized certifications, which might be a consideration for enterprises needing certified solutions for compliance reasons.
  • Commercial Features
    Certain features and timely updates are only available in the VyOS subscription model, which may limit the entirely free usage scenario.

Analysis of VyOS

Overall verdict

  • VyOS is a solid option for individuals or organizations looking for a customizable and cost-effective network solution. Its open-source nature, robust feature set, and active community support make it a competitive choice for network administrators seeking to build and manage complex network infrastructure.

Why this product is good

  • VyOS is a reputable choice for network operating systems because it is an open-source platform, providing flexibility and community-driven improvements. It supports a wide range of network features such as routing, firewalling, VPN building, and more. VyOS is beneficial for those wanting to maintain control over their network features, costs, and deployment settings. It also offers detailed documentation and a supportive community which can be incredibly beneficial for troubleshooting and customization.

Recommended for

    VyOS is recommended for small to medium-sized enterprises, network engineers, and IT professionals who require flexible deployment options and complete control over their network infrastructure. It is particularly suitable for those with Linux knowledge because of its command-line interface and those who are comfortable working within a community-driven open-source environment.

OPNsense videos

Introduction to OPNSense firewall the PFsense fork. Overview

More videos:

  • Review - pfSense vs OPNsense
  • Review - โœ… OPNsense Install - not what i was expecting!

VyOS videos

VYOS Reihe by Mr Beard Review Release April 19

More videos:

  • Review - VyOS as a Simple Lab Router
  • Review - VyOS Router Install and Configuration (New version)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OPNsense and VyOS)
Operating Systems
59 59%
41% 41
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Linux
52 52%
48% 48
Cyber Security
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OPNsense and VyOS

OPNsense Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
OPNsense is the best open-source and free firewall alternative to pfSense Software. OPNsense is a user-friendly, open-source, FreeBSD firewall and router. Most of the same capabilities are available in this fork of pfSense Software. It distinguishes itself from other firewalls by combining highly sophisticated features with an open-source system. First, the OPNsense firewall...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
OPNsense is an open-source router OS software that is based on FreeBSD. It is designed to be used as a firewall, router, and VPN gateway, and it includes a range of advanced networking features. OPNsense is a fork of the pfSense project, and it is actively maintained by the OPNsense community.
Best free Linuxย router and firewall distributions of 2023
OPNsense makes the top of the list in 2023 because, for the last four years of maintaining this list, it has proved to be one of the most quickly developing operating systems on the market. It's an easy to use, mature system with a slick UI. OPNSense includes most, if not all, features found in expensive enterprise commercial firewalls. It has the quality of a commercial...
Source: teklager.se
11 Best pfsense Alternativesย To Secure Your Network
By screening out unnecessary network traffic and malicious apps, firewall software protects networks and computers from attacks. For safeguarding your secure network from malware attacks and unauthorized access, OPNsenseis arguably top on our list of pfSense alternatives.
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
OPNSense is a rising star in the router software arena. It is powered by HardenedBSD, which is a security-oriented fork of FreeBSD. Its current development pace is rapid, and itโ€™s packed with features. It also has one of the best user interfaces of all of these options. Like a lot of these options, its primary weakness is its Wi-Fi support. A lot of OPNSense users started...

VyOS Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
VyOS is a community clone of Vyatta which is a Linux-based network operating system that has software-based routing, firewall, and virtual private network (VPN) capabilities. VyOS firewall offers network security services such as a web proxy, DHCP server and relay, and DNS forwarding. The VyOS firewall is compatible with IPv4 and IPv6, zone-based firewalls, and numerous NAT...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
One of the strengths of VyOS is its command-line interface (CLI), which allows for detailed configuration of networking features. The CLI is similar to the Juniper Networks Junos CLI, making it a good choice for users familiar with that platform. Additionally, VyOS includes a web-based GUI for configuring basic networking settings. VyOSโ€™s strengths also include its advanced...
Best free Linuxย router and firewall distributions of 2023
VyOS must be managed from the command line, and it requires a high level of expertise to maintain and use. If you are a Linux expert, have some time on your hands, and love the command line interface, you can give it a shot - some of our customers use it successfully. However, it's not a good choice if you are a home user who just wants to get things done. There are two...
Source: teklager.se
5 Router OS Turns Old PC Into High Performance Router And Enterprise Network Switch
VyOS runs on a wide range of hardware from small office routers to large servers, as well as virtual machines and multiple cloud providers. VyOS is not just a router, itโ€™s an open, customizable platform for network devices. Fully Open Source: Its entire codebase and build toolchain are available to everyone for auditing, building customized images, and contributing.
The Hunt For the Ultimate Free Open Source Firewall Distro
Thank you for the post! I would like to add a point if possible. As far as i know VyOS has dmvpn functionality available, which is a thing to consider for large-scale and rapidly growing companies. Other software routers do not have such thing as far as know.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OPNsense should be more popular than VyOS. It has been mentiond 96 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.

OPNsense mentions (96)

  • Set up country blocking with OPNsense GeoIP aliases
    OPNsense is an open source, feature rich firewall and routing platform used by home users, small businesses, and enterprises around the world. OPNsense features โ€œGeoIPโ€ support, which allows you to block or allow traffic from specific countries using a geolocation database. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • US Weighs Banning TP-Link Routers
    >I'm currently upgrading my home network, trying various options, and one of the headaches is provenance of the equipment. If you're concerned about provenance (or even if you're not), I suggest using a general purpose device and rolling your own ala pfSense[0]/OPNSense[1], etc, or just use one of the BSDs or Linux and use native tools or one of the many router/firewall distros[2] [0] https://www.pfsense.org/ [1]... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • How to bypass public IP and NAT
    Firmware's like Asuswrt-Merlin or OpenWRT can support dynamic-dns, or you can do like I do and run something like OPNsense in an x86 VM with a NIC passed through, or buy an inexpensive firewall appliance (up to 500mbps/1gbps/10gbps). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Stop ISP from getting into my Router
    The easiest solution is to buy your own router, set it up, disable the router functionality on the Fritzbox 7590 and plug your router into it. It'll be cheaper and easier than a Cisco Firewall, but if you want to go the dedicated firewall route then I would recommenced OPNsense. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • OpenBSD Innovations
    BSDs may not have a significant presence on desktops, but they're well known in the networking world for their reliability. They also were the foundation used to build OSes for specific applications. OpnSense and XigmaNAS, for example, are two excellent FreeBSD based applications aimed at firewalling/security and NAS/services. https://opnsense.org/ https://xigmanas.com/xnaswp/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
View more

VyOS mentions (30)

  • VyOS From Scratch โ€“ Edition 1 (set up your own router)
    Might be worth adding a paragraph about what VyOS is, maybe not for the target audience but certainly for HN. https://vyos.io/ The VyOS website says: > Democratizing how we access networks through a universal Router and Open source software. > Our vision at VyOS is to dramatically change how we access networks so that we can all build the solutions we always dreamed of, without restrictions, limitations, or... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • VyOS is the next-generation network operating system
    VyOS is the next-generation network operating system thatโ€™s revolutionizing the way businesses manage their networks. With its powerful tools and intuitive interface, VyOS makes it easy to manage and configure even the most complex networks. Plus, with its open-source architecture, you have access to a community of developers and users who are constantly improving and expanding the capabilities of the system. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Advice for a high school networking lab
    VyOS https://vyos.io/ is my go-to for open source CLI focused router platform. Configuration syntax is similar to that of Juniper. I believe as an educational institution you would qualify for free LTS images from them. Theyโ€™re super friendly to reach out to, and seems like theyโ€™re still actively developing some really cool features. They do support WiFi interfaces, among many others. Pretty decent online docs too! Source: over 2 years ago
  • linux network project ideas
    There's VyOS if that's what you're looking for? If you want to do everything from scratch, just use Debian/Ubuntu and configure all the components individually. Source: over 2 years ago
  • VPN Site to SIte (Fortigate or Asus)
    If you absolutely have to do your homelab experiments in production, at least do it properly. Get some decent hardware (I just got a pair of these, they are fun: https://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm) and install something like https://vyos.io/ or opnsense or ipfire or something. Then you might actually learn something, plus in my experience these much more stable than cheapass consumer crap. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OPNsense and VyOS, 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

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

IPFire - IPFire is a server distribution with intended to use as a firewall.

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

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