Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Endian Firewall Community VS pfSense

Compare Endian Firewall Community VS pfSense and see what are their differences

Endian Firewall Community logo Endian Firewall Community

Endian Firewall Community (EFW) is a "turn-key" linux security distribution that turns...

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
  • Endian Firewall Community Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-29
  • pfSense Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20

Endian Firewall Community features and specs

  • Cost
    Endian Firewall Community is open-source and free to use, which means organizations can deploy it without incurring licensing costs.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    It offers a wide range of features such as a firewall, VPN, content filtering, and intrusion detection, providing a well-rounded security solution.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The web-based interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, which can help users, especially those with limited experience in network security, to configure and manage the firewall effectively.
  • Regular Updates
    The community edition receives regular updates that ensure the system is up to date with security patches and improvements.
  • Community Support
    A supportive community is available, where users can share knowledge and assistance through forums and other online resources.

Possible disadvantages of Endian Firewall Community

  • Limited Professional Support
    The community version does not come with official professional support, which might be a drawback for users who require dedicated technical support.
  • Resource Intensive
    Compared to some other firewall solutions, Endian can be resource-intensive, possibly requiring more robust hardware to run efficiently.
  • Less Customization
    The community edition may offer fewer customization options than the enterprise version, limiting its adaptability for certain complex network environments.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    Being a community-driven project, there might be occasional stability issues, especially when deploying new updates or features without thorough testing.
  • Documentation Gaps
    While there is community support, some users might find the official documentation to be lacking in detail, making the troubleshooting process more challenging.

pfSense features and specs

  • Open Source
    pfSense is open-source software, meaning it is free to use and has a large community-driven development environment. This allows for continuous improvement and updates.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    pfSense provides a wide array of features including firewall, VPN, routing, load balancing, and more, all within a single platform.
  • Customizability
    The platform offers extensive customization options for advanced users, allowing for tailored security and network solutions.
  • Excellent Documentation
    pfSense has a robust and detailed documentation repository, as well as an active community forum, which helps users troubleshoot and optimize their setup.
  • Enterprise Level Security
    With features like stateful packet filtering, role-based access control, and intrusion detection systems, pfSense offers high levels of security suitable for enterprise applications.
  • Scalability
    pfSense is highly scalable, suitable for small home networks up to large enterprise environments, allowing businesses to grow without having to switch platforms.

Possible disadvantages of pfSense

  • Complexity
    pfSense can be complex to configure and manage, especially for users who do not have extensive networking knowledge or experience.
  • Hardware Requirements
    High performance and some advanced features of pfSense may require more robust hardware compared to other solutions, which could increase costs.
  • Learning Curve
    The platform's extensive feature set can result in a steep learning curve for new users, particularly those unfamiliar with networking concepts.
  • Third-Party Integration
    While pfSense supports numerous plugins and features, integrating with some third-party solutions may require additional configuration and expertise.
  • Limited Support for Non-router Functions
    Although quite powerful as a firewall/router, pfSense may lack support for functionalities outside its primary roles, such as advanced endpoint protection or cloud-native security controls.
  • Updates and Maintenance
    Keeping the system up-to-date and secure requires regular maintenance and updates, which might be cumbersome for users managing multiple instances or complex configurations.

Endian Firewall Community videos

How to Install and Configure Endian Firewall 3.2.5

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 Endian Firewall Community and pfSense)
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Operating Systems
18 18%
82% 82
Cyber Security
10 10%
90% 90
Linux
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Endian Firewall Community Reviews

11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
As well as providing secure communication, it protects against potentially hazardous Internet threats. Endian Firewall Community is a Linux-based security solution that includes a wide range of features.
10 Best pfSense Alternatives and Similar Firewalls
It provides secure communication as well as security against dangerous Internet threats. Endian Firewall Community is a full-featured Linux security system. It transforms any machine into a full-featured security appliance with Unified Threat Management (UTM) capabilities.
8 Best Open Source Firewall to Protect Your Network
Endian Firewall Community (EFW) is a powerful, easy to install and use Linux based security product for home and small networks. It can transform a bare-metal hardware appliance into a powerful and effective unified threat prevention and management solution comprising of a firewall, an antivirus, VPN, and content filtering capabilities in a single box.
Source: geekflare.com

pfSense Reviews

The top 10 alternatives to OpenVPN
Netgate offers secure networking solutions, including pfSense Plus and TNSR software, which provide firewall, router, and VPN functionalities. These solutions cater to personal users, professional users, and organizations seeking secure and reliable internet connectivity.
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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, pfSense seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 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.

Endian Firewall Community mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Endian Firewall Community yet. Tracking of Endian Firewall Community recommendations started around Mar 2021.

pfSense mentions (10)

  • Need some help on setting up home network
    Https://pfsense.org (netgate hardware is used in businesses). Source: almost 2 years 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: about 2 years 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: about 2 years 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 2 years 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 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Endian Firewall Community 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.

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

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

ClearOS - A very good alternative for Windows Server, for free

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

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