Compare Netgate pfSense and WatchGuard Network Security 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (68.6% of reviews)
Mid-Market (53.5% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
No pricing available
Netgate pfSense
Star Rating
(324)4.8 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (68.6% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Netgate pfSenseWatchGuard Network Security
Star Rating
(264)4.7 out of 5
Market Segments
Mid-Market (53.5% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Free Trial is available
Learn more about WatchGuard Network SecurityNetgate pfSense vs WatchGuard Network Security
When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found WatchGuard Network Security easier to use, set up, and administer. However, reviewers preferred doing business with Netgate pfSense overall.
- Reviewers felt that Netgate pfSense meets the needs of their business better than WatchGuard Network Security.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Netgate pfSense is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of WatchGuard Network Security over Netgate pfSense.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Netgate pfSense
No pricing availableWatchGuard Network Security
No pricing availableFree Trial
Netgate pfSense
Free Trial is available
WatchGuard Network Security
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.4
259
9.3
184
Ease of Use
8.5
266
9.1
187
Ease of Setup
8.7
245
9.0
162
Ease of Admin
8.8
243
9.1
159
Quality of Support
9.1
207
8.8
176
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.2
197
9.1
156
Product Direction (% positive)
8.6
260
9.2
169
Features by Category
Security - Unified Threat Management
Not enough data
9.0
96
Not enough data
9.2
100
Not enough data
8.7
85
Not enough data
9.2
101
Not enough data
9.2
102
Not enough data
9.5
104
Administration
Not enough data
8.5
103
Not enough data
8.9
104
Administration
8.7
187
8.9
106
8.3
209
8.3
104
8.4
179
8.6
100
9.0
200
8.7
103
Agentic AI - Firewall Software
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Functionality
9.1
217
9.3
105
6.6
136
8.8
89
7.9
167
8.9
104
9.3
200
9.4
100
Monitoring
8.5
163
8.8
88
8.2
168
8.8
90
8.7
188
9.1
101
8.4
181
9.0
100
Generative AI
6.7
73
Not enough data
Artificial Intelligence - Firewall
Not enough data
Not enough data
Usage
9.2
146
Not enough data
9.5
162
Not enough data
9.3
165
Not enough data
9.4
156
Not enough data
7.9
110
Not enough data
8.5
113
Not enough data
8.5
108
Not enough data
Miscellaneous
8.1
109
Not enough data
9.3
147
Not enough data
8.2
97
Not enough data
Encryption
Not enough data
9.0
18
Not enough data
8.5
17
Not enough data
8.9
24
Not enough data
9.1
25
Not enough data
9.0
20
Not enough data
8.3
14
Compliance
Not enough data
9.0
34
Not enough data
9.0
36
Not enough data
9.0
36
Management
Not enough data
8.2
25
Not enough data
8.5
25
Not enough data
8.5
23
Not enough data
8.9
28
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Netgate pfSense and WatchGuard Network Security are categorized as Firewall Software
Unique Categories
Netgate pfSense is categorized as Business VPN
WatchGuard Network Security is categorized as Unified Threat Management (UTM) and Encryption
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Netgate pfSense
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
WatchGuard Network Security
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Information Technology and Services
20.3%
Computer & Network Security
10.8%
Computer Software
6.3%
Telecommunications
4.1%
Computer Networking
3.8%
Other
54.7%
Information Technology and Services
13.2%
Computer & Network Security
7.4%
Telecommunications
3.7%
Computer Networking
3.3%
Hospital & Health Care
3.3%
Other
69.1%
Alternatives
Discussions
Can pfSense be used as a router?
11 Comments
SG
pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software distribution based on FreeBSD. It supports NAT and different types of interfaces (WAN, LAN, DMZ). It...Read more
What is pfSense used for?
7 Comments
RB
pfSense is a a preconfigured operating system and suite of tools for directing traffic between your LAN and the Internet.
The community version of pfSense...Read more
Is pfSense still free?
5 Comments
JK
Yes, it is. There is a Community Edition and a Plus edition. The Community Edition is free. The Plus edition is free for home lab and comes pre-installed...Read more
why i cant block Youtube
1 Comment
MS
You must run deep inspection so you can use application control with deep inspection.Read more
Is WatchGuard any good?
1 Comment
FO
In my opinion I think it is a good brand with which to work and continue learning, as well as collaborating.Read more
How do I block sites on WatchGuard?
1 Comment
MH
First possibility:
On the Watchguard firebox web interface.
Second possibility:
In the Panda Adaptive Defense web console.Read more
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