Overview

OPNsense is a self-hosted, FreeBSD-based firewall and routing platform for administrators who want control over their network stack. It is strongest where firewalling, VPN choice and appliance failover need to sit together; teams seeking vendor support or commercial firmware can move to Business Edition.

Key features

The stateful firewall supports IPv4 and IPv6 and provides live views of passed and blocked traffic. That gives administrators useful visibility while managing network policy, but also assumes responsibility for operating the appliance. CARP adds automatic hardware failover with state synchronization, making OPNsense a stronger fit for deployments where a single device outage would disrupt service.

VPN support spans IPsec, OpenVPN, Tinc and WireGuard, including site-to-site VPN. That breadth accommodates different network requirements without tying the deployment to one VPN technology. Inline intrusion prevention uses Suricata with Proofpoint Emerging Threats Open rules; ET PRO and ET PRO Telemetry are optional rulesets. SSL inspection is supported as well.

The modular Model View Controller framework enables extensions and API functionality. Authentication integrations include LDAP, Active Directory, RADIUS and captive portal authentication; 802.1X is available through a plugin. OPNsense provides weekly security updates and two major releases annually, a regular cadence that administrators should account for in their own maintenance work.

Business Edition undergoes LINCE security certification testing twice yearly with independent evaluator jtsec. That assurance is relevant to organizations with security verification needs, but it is tied to the commercial edition rather than the free Community Edition. OPNsense is licensed under the OSI-approved 2-clause BSD license.

Pricing

Community Edition costs 0.00 USD per free and includes the open-source 2-clause BSD license for a self-hosted x86-64 installation. It is the straightforward choice for teams able to manage their own deployment and willing to forgo the commercial repository and bundled Business Edition services.

OPNsense Business Edition 1yr subscription costs 149.00 EUR per year for one installation. It includes a commercial firmware repository, official OVA image, OPNcentral and GeoIP database. This is the paid option for a single installation when those commercial components are useful; the Community Edition does not include them.

OPNsense Business Edition 3Yr costs 399.00 EUR per year for one installation, billed for three years at the stated sale price. It includes the same commercial repository, official OVA image, OPNcentral and GeoIP database. The longer commitment suits organizations prepared to commit for three years; the one-year subscription gives a shorter renewal horizon. Business Edition and Business Edition 3Yr are also offered with custom pricing. Business support includes remote email and phone support, implementation help, migration assistance, troubleshooting and hot fixes, with two hours included. There is no free trial.

Platforms

OPNsense is available for self-hosted x86-64 installations, with web and API platforms. Its software setup and installation supports x86-64 only, an important constraint for teams planning other hardware architectures. Official setup guides cover AWS images, OVA images and an Azure Virtual Appliance. The deployment model is hybrid.

Who it's for

OPNsense suits administrators and teams that want an open-source firewall and routing platform they can run themselves, with multiple VPN technologies, intrusion prevention and hardware failover. Business Edition is aimed at companies, enterprises and professionals seeking a selective upgrade path and additional commercial features. It is less suitable when x86-64 is not viable or when the team does not want to operate its own network appliance.

Pros and cons

Pros: Community Edition is free and BSD-licensed, with firewall, routing, VPN and extensibility capabilities in a self-hosted package.
Pros: CARP failover and several VPN technologies support resilient and varied network designs.
Pros: Business subscriptions add commercial firmware and deployment components, while Business Support includes two hours of assistance.
Cons: Installation is limited to x86-64, ruling out other architectures.
Cons: Self-hosting means the operating and maintenance burden remains with the deploying team.
Cons: The paid subscriptions are per installation, and the three-year option requires a longer commitment.

Alternatives

For a different firewall approach, compare Network Firewall Software. Teams choosing by platform category can also browse Operating Systems, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software and Business VPN Software.

pfSense is a relevant alternative for teams comparing another freemium firewall and router platform with a free Community Edition and a Plus software offering. NethSecurity is another freemium option, with a free trial and a maker-described fully open-source project. Arista NG Firewall offers a free tier with basic security and connectivity features, while paid capabilities may suit teams needing more than its limited free tier.

AWS Network Firewall is a paid API and web alternative for teams considering a cloud-oriented firewall service. Cato SASE Platform is a paid option spanning mobile, desktop, Linux and web platforms, with pricing by request. Palo Alto Networks Panorama is another paid alternative with API, self-hosted and web platforms. WatchGuard FireCloud is a paid alternative with a free trial and a 1–50 license annual plan. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Secret Management is a free API and web service for managing secrets, rather than a firewall replacement.

Verdict

Choose OPNsense if your team wants a self-hosted, open-source firewall and router with broad VPN support and automatic failover, and can operate an x86-64 installation. The free Community Edition makes that capable foundation accessible; look elsewhere if you need another installation architecture or do not want to carry the operational work yourself.

	OPNsense	Smallstep ZTNA
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, self-hosted, Web	iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	No
SSO / SCIM	—	Yes
Admin control level	—	advanced
Access model	—	ztna
Supported platforms	—	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS

OPNsense vs Smallstep ZTNA

OPNsense

Smallstep ZTNA