Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Gargoyle VS OpenWrt

Compare Gargoyle VS OpenWrt and see what are their differences

Gargoyle logo Gargoyle

Gargoyle Router Firmware home page

OpenWrt logo OpenWrt

OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers
  • Gargoyle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-05-03
  • OpenWrt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

Gargoyle features and specs

  • Open Source
    Gargoyle is open source, allowing users to modify and customize the firmware according to their needs without any licensing restrictions.
  • Broad Hardware Compatibility
    It supports a variety of routers, giving users flexibility in choosing devices and upgrading their network hardware.
  • Advanced Bandwidth Management
    Gargoyle offers advanced bandwidth management features such as QoS and bandwidth quotas, which help in optimizing network performance and preventing bandwidth hogging.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, making it accessible to both novice and experienced users.
  • Extensive Feature Set
    It provides a range of features including VPN functionalities, dynamic DNS, and real-time monitoring, making it a comprehensive solution for router management.

Possible disadvantages of Gargoyle

  • Limited Hardware Support Compared to Commercial Firmware
    While broad, the hardware compatibility is not as extensive as some commercial router firmware options, limiting choices for some users.
  • Community-Driven Support
    Support primarily comes from community forums rather than official dedicated support staff, which can be less reliable for troubleshooting complex issues.
  • Potential for Software Bugs
    As with many open-source projects, there is the potential for bugs or instability that might not be present in more thoroughly tested commercial firmware.
  • Requires Technical Knowledge for Advanced Features
    While basic features are user-friendly, leveraging advanced functionalities may require a higher level of technical knowledge.
  • Frequent Manual Updates
    Users may need to manually update the firmware to access new features or security patches, which can be less convenient than automatic updates offered by some commercial options.

OpenWrt features and specs

  • Customizability
    OpenWrt provides a high degree of customizability, allowing users to install and configure a wide variety of software packages to tailor the firmware to specific needs.
  • Performance
    Being lightweight and efficient, OpenWrt can enhance router performance, leading to faster network speeds and more reliable connections.
  • Security
    OpenWrt receives regular updates and has strong security features, including state-of-the-art encryption and support for VPNs, which can help protect your network.
  • Community Support
    A large and active community surrounds OpenWrt, providing extensive documentation, forums, and support, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source project, OpenWrt allows users to freely inspect, modify, and share the software, contributing to transparency and community-driven improvements.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    OpenWrt is compatible with a wide range of devices, from routers to embedded devices, making it a flexible option for various hardware.

Possible disadvantages of OpenWrt

  • Technical Complexity
    The high level of customization and advanced features can be overwhelming for inexperienced users, requiring a steep learning curve to effectively manage the firmware.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    Although generally stable, custom configurations and new updates can sometimes lead to instability or bugs, which may require troubleshooting.
  • Limited Manufacturer Support
    Using OpenWrt might void the warranty or result in limited support from the router manufacturer, as it replaces the stock firmware with a third-party alternative.
  • Initial Setup
    The initial installation and setup process can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users who are not familiar with command-line interfaces and networking concepts.
  • Resource Intensive on Low-End Hardware
    On lower-end or older hardware, OpenWrt might not perform optimally, and some features could be too resource-intensive to function properly.

Gargoyle videos

GTA Online Gargoyle DeathBike Review!

More videos:

  • Review - Gargoyles [Season 1] | Review / Retrospective - Bull Session

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 Gargoyle and OpenWrt)
Operating Systems
17 17%
83% 83
Routers
24 24%
76% 76
Linux
19 19%
81% 81
Perimeter Security And Firewalls

User comments

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Reviews

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

Gargoyle Reviews

7 Best Router Firmware | Open Source | 2022
Gargoyle is a Linux-based open-source firmware. It is also one of the best open-source router firmware with amazing features. It is best for Atheros and Broadcom routers, you can find both the Graphical and command-line user interface.
Source: viralhax.com
7 Free Alternative Router Firmware – Unlock Hidden Features
Gargoyle is a free firmware upgrade for your wireless router, based on OpenWRT but with an enhanced interface (not LUCI) focused on ease of use. Reliable, easy to use and configure, and you’ll know exactly where your bandwidth is allocated thanks to the convenient graphs available in the administration interface.
DD-WRT vs. Tomato vs. OpenWRT: Which Router Firmware Is the Best?
Gargoyle – It’s based on OpenWRT and offers both a GUI and a command line interface. It’s designed mainly for older routers with Atheros and Broadcom-based chipsets. You’ll also find a built-in VPN, QoS, adblocker, Tor client, and network file sharing capabilities.

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.

Gargoyle mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Gargoyle yet. Tracking of Gargoyle 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: about 1 year ago
  • OpenWrt Site Account Creation
    Unfortunately, I can't create an account via Github on the openwrt site. Source: over 1 year 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: over 1 year 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: over 1 year 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: over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Gargoyle and OpenWrt, you can also consider the following products

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

pfSense - pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more

AdvancedTomato - A Tomato by Shibby fork with intuitive and modern flat design GUI.

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

Tomato by Shibby - TomatoUSB fork. - Torrent client integration (Transmission) with user-friendly GUI for configurat...

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.