Software Alternatives & Reviews

VyOS VS pfSense

Compare VyOS VS pfSense and see what are their differences

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.

pfSense logo pfSense

pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more
  • VyOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14
  • pfSense Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

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)

pfSense videos

pfsense Firewall Setup and Features in Depth Version 2.4

More videos:

  • Review - Pfsense: 5 Reasons to Use It
  • Review - Netgate SG-3100 Teardown / Speedtest / Review of this powerful pfsense packet pusher!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VyOS and pfSense)
Operating Systems
41 41%
59% 59
Cyber Security
0 0%
100% 100
Linux
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using VyOS and pfSense. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

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. VyOS’s strengths also include its advanced...
Best free Linux 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, it’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.

pfSense Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
pfSense Software firewall is a robust, open-source security solution that is compatible with any hardware and can be tailored to meet your specific needs. It is a widely used technology, and many individuals seek dependable, popular software solutions with multi-device support, multiple concurrent connections, and protocol selections. Despite its usefulness, pfSense has...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
pfSense is a free and open-source router and firewall operating system based on the FreeBSD operating system. It is designed to be used on standard x86 hardware and can be deployed as a virtual machine or on dedicated hardware. pfSense offers advanced features and capabilities that are typically found in commercial routers and firewalls, making it an ideal solution for small...
Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
pfSense is one of the most popular operating systems today. It's a BSD-based system, similar to OPNSense, but with a longer history. pfSense started in 2004, and since then, it has grown to be the most well-known open-source platform in the industry. Although it gradually loses users to OPNsense, it's still an excellent system for new users because it has the most extensive...
Source: teklager.se
11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
Unlike those of other available pfSense competitors, its capabilities allow it to be compared to commercial firewalls. You can also customize the pfSense firewall to match your needs based on the level of security and protection you want, as well as your specialist knowledge.
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
Wait, I said alternatives to pfSense so what is this doing on the list? pfSense Plus recently forked away from pfSense community edition (CE). Over time pfSense Plus and pfSense CE will continue to diverge. pfSense Plus is expected to have more features.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VyOS should be more popular than pfSense. It has been mentiond 30 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.

VyOS mentions (30)

  • VyOS From Scratch – 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 / 9 months ago
  • VyOS is the next-generation network operating system
    VyOS is the next-generation network operating system that’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: 12 months 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. They’re super friendly to reach out to, and seems like they’re still actively developing some really cool features. They do support WiFi interfaces, among many others. Pretty decent online docs too! Source: about 1 year 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: about 1 year 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 1 year ago
View more

pfSense mentions (10)

  • Need some help on setting up home network
    Https://pfsense.org (netgate hardware is used in businesses). Source: about 1 year ago
  • Is pfsense.org down, or is it just me?
    I am having trouble seeing available packages, updating pkg, or getting a response from pfsense.org. Is anyone else seeing this or am I going to spend the rest of my day chasing bugs? Source: over 1 year ago
  • Help with VLAN
    From the PIA Client to pfsense.org PING pfsense.org (208.123.73.69) from 10.6.112.128: 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=0 ttl=49 time=49.455 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=1 ttl=49 time=51.927 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=2 ttl=49 time=49.333 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=3 ttl=49 time=49.133 ms 64 bytes from 208.123.73.69: icmp_seq=4 ttl=49 time=49.027 ms ... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Can Surveillance Station record offsite cameras ?
    The above setup is critical to a reliable system. I'd use enterprise quality routers for a store and home connection. I personally use https://pfsense.org but there are many to choose from and several open source. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Exposing Synology to web: best/practical practices?
    What I would do is put that thing in DMZ and install a good router behind it like https://www.pfsense.org. No affiliation, just been my router for many years. There's also it's sibling https://opnsense.org. There are many, just get a enterprise quality router. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VyOS and pfSense, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

SonicWall - SonicWall security solutions protects your network, systems, users and data from cyber threats.

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