Ipfire vs pfsense – Which is the better firewall

Ipfire and pfsense are both amazing firewalls, but which one is better suited for your security needs and requirements?

Ipfire appears to be basic compared to pfsense. This is because pfsense has a lot of features that are difficult to find in professional firewalls, put together and packaged in a rather modern web interface. However, the features in ipfire though fewer, are the most vital for web security and are extremely well tested and very stable. Though pfsense is also rather solid, its wide array of differed features widens the room for incorrect configurations for an inexperienced or careless user. When pit against each other, both systems have areas where they shine and those where they are outshone.

What are the differences between ipfire and pfsense?

Feature	Ipfire (Winner)	Pfsense
Parent project	Linux	Free BSD
Scheduled system updates	More frequent	Less frequent
Set up, configuration and use	Easy	Difficult
Availability	Open source and free	Open source and free
Additional features	Limited	Wide and numbered
	Download here	Download here

Ipfire vs. pfsense – How do they compare?

• User interface and overall Performance

Ipfire has the better user interface. This is because its GUI is intuitive and easy to use compared to pfsense which contains a variety of options displayed in drop down menus which can be very confusing. They have relatively the same capacity for performance when gauged using over 30 devices in a given network. However, with pfsense, there is a spike in the CPU memory when using snort and a proxy.

• Configuration

Judging from the setting on the software, Pfsense wins. However ipfire makes custom configuration extremely easy upon mastery of the usage of the colours, Blue for wireless, green for internal and red for external compared to the package manager on pfsense which is rather confusing. It is also built on Linux which makes it easier to use than pfsense which is built on free BSD.

• Features

Although both pfsense and ipfire have similar features, pfsense has a better range of them for router, firewall and network appliance while ipfire seems to be focused solely at web security.

• Security

Both devices use Snort, clam AV and web proxy to secure their network which makes their security pretty much tied. However, it all comes back to the set up and configuration of these security processes and ipfire is the clear winner here. It is extremely easy to set up and configure and its reporting is top-notch compared to pfsense which offers quite the challenge in set up.

Ipfire vs pfsense- A comparison review

Ipfire

Ipfire is a Linux based firewall distribution which can be used as a router or a home server firewall. Its primary objective is to offer system security. It does this by having a firewall engine and Intrusion detection system (IDS) that are easy to configure to prevent attackers from breaking into the network. The network is also split into different zones with various security policies like DMZ (demilitarized zones) and LAN to manage the risks in the specific network as well as allowing for custom configuration for each segment in the network. This makes it easy to control and monitor the data usage and information flow in each segment within a larger network. This feature makes it widely used in schools for the content filtering feature, which uses blacklisting.

It is built from scratch which allows the developers to harden it as well as build the components for specific use as a firewall. It also has frequent updates which add an additional layer of security. It has an intuitive user interface which allows the administrator to create multiple groups of hosts and networks, which in turn keep the large set of customized rules short and tidy as well as making the system easily navigable.

Pros

• It is free to download and use
• Its IDS detects leaking data and any suspicious activity
• It is very easy to configure and use

Cons

• It comes with a limited number of additional features

Pfsense

Released in 2006, Pfsense is a free to distribute and open source Operating system, which was designed specifically to build routers but also for use as a firewall. Its multiple configuration feature allows you to control the information that flows to each subnet. It also allows you to monitor and set up blockers in regard to the data that flows through these subnets which is helpful in controlling dissemination of information to different levels of users as well as keeping certain information from the reach of other users. It also has intrusion detection and prevention that can run in transparent mode making its reporting rather prompt and efficient.

It comes with a wide array of additional features such as VLAN, WLAN, DNS servers, and web proxies. These application features diversify the utility of the software, from being used as a firewall. It also has an automatic encrypted system backups to google drive or next cloud which makes it possible to restore the system in the case of a sudden crash or reboot.

Pros

• Comes with a wide array of additional features
• It is free to use and download
• It has multiple uses on top of being a firewall

Cons

• Large number of features may be confusing to an inexperienced user

Conclusion

Both software can essentially perform the same functions with the biggest difference being that ipfire is easier to use while pfsense comes with a wider array of features.

Ipfire is the most convenient and easy to use solution. On the other hand pfsense would be perfect and an added bonus for its applications to users who really know what they are doing with the firewall.

Verdict – So which is better ipfire or pfsense?

Both ipfire and pfsense have similar features. However, ipfire has a more frequent update cycle as well as security patch schedule, it is also easier to use and configure, which make it the winner for me.

FAQs

Is Ipfire fully secure?

Ipfire is designed to be secure by default, however it can be further hardened so that it is even more difficult to attack. Hardening includes; Good Security Practice. Additional Security Configuration.

What is ipfire based on?

It is an open source Linux distribution and primarily performs router and firewall functions. Although it was originally built from IPcop, it has been re-written from scratch on the basis of Linux since its second version.

Is pfsense free?

Pfsense is free to download and use from the official pfsense website.