Software Alternatives & Reviews

ZeroShell VS OpenWrt

Compare ZeroShell VS OpenWrt and see what are their differences

ZeroShell logo ZeroShell

Zeroshell is a Linux distribution for servers and embedded devices aimed at providing the main...

OpenWrt logo OpenWrt

OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers
  • ZeroShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-19
  • OpenWrt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

ZeroShell videos

ZeroShell Webinar

More videos:

  • Review - Zeroshell Router Easy Setup

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 ZeroShell and OpenWrt)
Operating Systems
8 8%
92% 92
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
Cyber Security
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using ZeroShell and OpenWrt. 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 ZeroShell and OpenWrt

ZeroShell Reviews

Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
Although Zeroshell never reached the point of being good enough to be recommended, we had high hopes for it in 2019 when we started maintaining this list of recommendations because it was developed from scratch rather than based on another system and had some innovative features. Unfortunately, the system got officially abandoned in September 2021. No longer maintained and...
Source: teklager.se
5 Router OS Turns Old PC Into High Performance Router And Enterprise Network Switch
Zeroshell is a Linux distribution for servers and embedded devices aimed at providing the main network services a LAN requires. It is available in the form of Live CD or Compact Flash image and you can configure and administer it using your web browser.
A Feast of Linux-Based Routers
I've also done tutorials on ZeroShell for LinuxPlanet, covering several topics: introduction and setup, setting up RADIUS server for Enterprise Wi-Fi encryption, configuring captive portal, Internet gateway and router, and creating bonded VPNs for higher throughput and failover.
The Hunt For the Ultimate Free Open Source Firewall Distro
Any chance for an overview/update of the top contenders? Your last update was 2015 and we are closing fast on 2020. I'd like to see a revisit of top contenders only - ideally free but feel free to include a commercial version or two if it is really that much better. In particular I'd appreciate more drill down on pfsense vs zeroshell. I've begun playing with zeroshell but...

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.

ZeroShell mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ZeroShell yet. Tracking of ZeroShell 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: 5 months ago
  • OpenWrt Site Account Creation
    Unfortunately, I can't create an account via Github on the openwrt site. Source: 7 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: 8 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: 10 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: 11 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ZeroShell and OpenWrt, 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

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

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

Emsisoft Online Armor Firewall - Emsisoft Online Armor Firewall is a freemium online firewall protection system by the Emsisoft that is based on the own independent protection technology of the Emsisoft.

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

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.