Software Alternatives & Startups

Untangle VS Opalstack

Compare Untangle VS Opalstack and see what are their differences

Untangle

Untangle is a platform for deploying network based applications.

Untangle Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Opalstack

Managed Hosting for developers, entrepreneurs, and businesses like yours

Opalstack Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Untangle seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 4 times since March 2021.

social mentions
4 vs 0
Perimeter Security And Firewalls popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Untangle
Opalstack
Website untangle.com opalstack.com
Pricing
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Untangle 5 features
Opalstack 5 features
  • Comprehensive Network Security
    Untangle offers a wide range of security features including firewall, VPN, web filtering, and intrusion prevention, which provide robust protection against various cyber threats.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Untangle's dashboard is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for users without extensive technical expertise to manage and monitor network activity.
  • Scalability
    Untangle can be scaled to accommodate both small and large networks, making it a flexible option for businesses of varying sizes.
  • Customizable Apps
    Users can tailor Untangle's functionality to their specific needs by adding or removing apps from the Untangle App Center, allowing for a more customized security approach.
  • Detailed Reporting
    The platform offers detailed reporting and insights into network traffic and security incidents, helping administrators make informed decisions.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    While Untangle offers a free version, some advanced features require a subscription, which can be costly for small businesses or individuals.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Running Untangle effectively may require dedicated hardware with sufficient resources, which can be an additional expense for some users.
  • Complexity of Advanced Features
    Some of Untangle's more advanced features can be complex to configure and manage, potentially requiring more technical expertise.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Untangle has limitations in terms of features and support, which may not be suitable for those needing comprehensive protection.
  • Potential Learning Curve
    New users might experience a learning curve when first installing and configuring the software, especially if they are not familiar with network security concepts.
  • Developer-Friendly Hosting
    Opalstack is designed with developers in mind, offering SSH access, Git integration, and support for multiple programming languages and frameworks including Python, Node.js, Ruby, and PHP, giving developers granular control over their hosting environment.
  • Affordable Pricing
    Opalstack offers competitive pricing for shared and managed hosting plans, making it an accessible option for small businesses, freelancers, and individual developers who need robust features without enterprise-level costs.
  • Modern Control Panel
    Opalstack provides a clean, modern, and intuitive web-based dashboard for managing sites, applications, databases, and email accounts, which is a significant improvement over older-style hosting control panels like cPanel.
  • Strong Support for Multiple Applications
    The platform supports a wide variety of application types including WordPress, Django, Flask, Express, static sites, and more, allowing users to host diverse projects on a single account with easy deployment.
  • Reliable Infrastructure and Support
    Opalstack is built by former WebFaction team members, bringing experienced hosting expertise. They offer responsive customer support and a reputation for stable, well-managed server infrastructure with good uptime.

Possible disadvantages

  • Smaller Community and Ecosystem
    Compared to major hosting providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, or even shared hosts like SiteGround, Opalstack has a smaller user base, which means fewer community tutorials, third-party guides, and forum discussions available for troubleshooting.
  • Limited Scalability Options
    Opalstack is primarily a shared hosting provider, which means it may not be the best choice for high-traffic applications or projects that require rapid, on-demand scaling of resources like CPU, RAM, or storage.
  • Not Ideal for Beginners
    While developer-friendly, Opalstack's approach can be intimidating for non-technical users. Setting up applications often requires familiarity with the command line and server configuration, which may not suit those looking for simple one-click solutions.
  • Limited Data Center Locations
    Opalstack offers a relatively small number of data center locations compared to major cloud providers, which may result in higher latency for users targeting audiences in regions not well-served by the available server locations.
  • Fewer Managed Services and Add-ons
    Unlike larger hosting platforms, Opalstack lacks a wide range of managed add-on services such as built-in CDN integration, managed backups with granular restore options, or one-click SSL management that more mainstream providers offer out of the box.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Untangle
Opalstack

No analysis of Untangle yet.

Overall verdict

  • Opalstack is a solid choice for developers and tech-savvy users seeking an affordable, flexible control panel hosting solution with good performance and transparent pricing, though it may require more technical know-how than mainstream cPanel hosts.

Why this product is good

  • Uses a custom lightweight control panel that's fast and efficient compared to resource-heavy alternatives like cPanel
  • Offers straightforward, transparent pricing without hidden fees or aggressive upselling
  • Provides SSD storage and solid server performance for the price point
  • Supports multiple app types including Python, Node.js, and various frameworks beyond typical PHP hosting
  • Founded by the original creators of WebFaction, bringing significant hosting industry experience
  • Good for running multiple websites/apps under one account with granular resource control
  • Responsive customer support with a knowledgeable team
  • No long-term contracts required, allowing flexibility

Recommended for

  • Developers who need support for Python, Node.js, or other non-PHP applications
  • Users comfortable with a more technical, non-cPanel control panel interface
  • Small businesses or freelancers hosting multiple websites who want granular control
  • Former WebFaction users looking for a similar service after its shutdown
  • Budget-conscious users who want VPS-like flexibility without full server management
  • Users who prioritize transparent pricing over bundled marketing extras

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Untangle 3 videos + Add
Opalstack 0 videos + Add

Untangle Firewall Review

More videos

  • Review - Firewall Comparison, Which Ones We Use and Why We Use Them: Untangle / pfsense / Ubiquiti
  • Review - How I use Untangle to Secure my Home Environment Pt.1

No Opalstack videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Untangle
Opalstack
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Untangle and Opalstack. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Untangle no reviews yet
Opalstack no reviews yet

View more

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Untangle 4 mentions
Opalstack 0 mentions
  • What happened to Untangle
    I logged into untangle.com for the first time in a LONG time to see if there were any updates to reporting and was curious why it is now the Arista "Edge threat management" page! Did I miss something?? I don't recall any emails, etc... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Untangle NGFW site down
    Anyone else having this issue? untangle.com. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • "Sign in with Google" is broken
    Not a valid origin for the client: https://untangle.com has not been registered for client ID 1091873417511-s8mjl92mst5n2i6ku8je0nekj3eqsroi.apps.googleusercontent.com. Please go to https://console.developers.google.com/ and register... Source: almost 5 years ago

View more

Tracking Opalstack since Sep 2023.

Alternatives to Untangle and Opalstack

When comparing Untangle and Opalstack, you can also consider the following products.