Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs Netgate pfSense comparison

Arista and Netgate are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Arista is ranked #40 with an average rating of 7.0, while Netgate is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. Arista holds a 0.2% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to Netgate’s 9.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Netgate users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Netgate pfSense and Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall are both popular network security solutions. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall has the upper hand due to its advanced threat management and easy deployment.

Features: Netgate pfSense is known for its customizable features including VPN capabilities, firewall rules, and traffic monitoring. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall stands out with its robust threat protection, intuitive access control, and bandwidth management capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Netgate pfSense could benefit from a more modernized configuration process, better documentation, and an enhanced user interface. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall needs improved reporting functionality, more granular control settings, and better scalability options.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Netgate pfSense has a challenging initial setup with a steeper learning curve, while its customer service is well-rated but somewhat slow. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall offers straightforward deployment and excellent, responsive customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Netgate pfSense is cost-effective, offering a robust solution at a lower price point, essential for ROI. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall, though more expensive, justifies its price with superior threat management features, making it a valuable investment for many users.

To learn more, read our detailed Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs. Netgate pfSense Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs. Netgate pfSense

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.7%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netgate pfSense is 9.3%, down from 15.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.7%
Netgate pfSense	9.3%
Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall	0.2%
Other	71.8%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

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reviewer2785293

systems engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Perimeter security has reduced botnet attacks and now needs better interface and logging

The best features Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall offers are its ability to push a lot of traffic along with bandwidth management and traffic policy. Bandwidth management and traffic policy help my organization by keeping our internet subscription low. Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall has positively impacted my organization by reducing botnet attacks. Immediately after I installed the firewall, it stopped a few botnet attacks.

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Michael-Collins

Chief information security officer at Center for Information Management, Inc.

Provides visibility that enables users to make data-driven decisions

pfSense flexibility overall is pretty good. They are making some really big improvements. That said, they're a long way from enterprise. They advertise things that they don't have. I've worked for probably 30% of the Corporate 100, and they won't tolerate the high availability and it being as buggy as it is. The fact that if you configure it incorrectly without any visual indications that it's not done in the way Netscape does, then it will not only break the firewall, it will break both firewalls. The only way you can even try to recover is by getting new images from Netgate. You have to open up a tech support case, download the image for, then reimage the firewalls, and reapply your configuration. The fact that you can completely brick your firewalls just by having a configuration that they allow, and they don't even don't tell you there's a problem until they both go down. That's totally unacceptable in an enterprise. As a standalone firewall, they're excellent. As an enterprise, we're not touching it with a ten-foot pole. It’s difficult to configure and use add-on features. It's really easy to add them. On the website, they say “Oh, we do this, this, and this.” However, they do a lot through third-party add-ons. The problem is, if there's any problems at all, the very first thing they want you to do is disable those add-ons. So that's not really supporting anything. There are two ways that firewalls are viewed: talking to the firewall and talking through the firewall. If you're talking about “to the firewall,” then it's a very robust, very secure firewall. However, it doesn't have things that they claim helps with protecting data, most of it's third party. If you want to do all these things that are typically associated with enterprise-level firewalls, most of them are done by a third party. It's not actually cooked into their product. I like their OSPF. I wish it was more current. The only bugs that are in the OSPF are ones that have been known about for almost two years. Maybe they're they're victims of their own success. Their growth curve has outstripped their technical support and has outstripped their ability to develop. They're just growing so fast. They're trying to do everything. Updates from third parties can take too long. For example, if there's a problem with a package and no available update is available, you have to wait. Since it's via a third party, there's no definable schedule, as the update needs to come from a third-party open organization with no financial interest to make the process faster. Sometimes, there's more finger-pointing than resolution. In, OSPF, they give you lots of information. However, when it comes to hardcore troubleshooting of different routing zones or things like that, then you had to keep dropping down to the CLI in order to get it. And that's where your experience can change quite a bit. If you're running OSPF on Cumulus or some of the other big routing or switching solutions, then they're running much newer versions of it, which are all bug-patched and fixed. However, pfSense is running on an operating system that is not theirs. They don't necessarily have full control over it. When you get a real enterprise firewall, and when you hook up the redundancy, you expect redundancy to work and be predictable. And never ever will the redundancy crash your system. If you don't create the interfaces in the exact same order on both firewalls every single time, if so much as one interface is out of order, if the command line is different because of the way the operating system works, you will slowly corrupt your configuration to the point where it'll break.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The threat prevention is the solution's most valuable aspect."

"Fortinet FortiGate has many valuable features, such as IDS, and intrusion detection. It has security features that are in part with the technologies that are available in the market."

"Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls."

"It's a user-friendly firewall. Most of the tasks are very simple. It's simple to configure and troubleshoot this firewall."

"One of the most valuable features of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is the ease of usability it offers."

"Having IPS helps in ensuring that our network is protected from potential threats, which is crucial as we implement our payment gateway."

"You can purchase switches and you don't need to do anything with them. You just put in the firewall and the switches get all the policies and rules that you already have in the firewall. With Fortinet, you just connect the FortiSwitch to the Fortinet and that's it."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment."

More Fortinet FortiGate pros

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall has positively impacted my organization by reducing botnet attacks."

"Phish Blocker is a valuable feature."

"The stability of Netgate pfSense is rock solid; I have never had any problems with stability."

"Support is excellent."

"The plugins or add-ons are most valuable. Sometimes, they are free of charge, and sometimes, you have to pay for them, but you can purchase or download very valuable plugins or add-ons to perform internal testing of your network and simulate a denial-of-service attack or whichever attack you want to simulate. You can also remote and monitor your network and see where the gap is. Did you forget a printer port? Most attacks at the moment are happening through printers, and they can tell you immediately that you forgot to close the port of the printer. There are more than one million printers that are in danger, and everybody knows that hackers are using them to enter the network. So, you can download plugins to protect your network."

"The most valuable aspects of pfSense are the stability, hardware compatibility, and low cost."

"The gain in performance and security from configuring the VPN connections was significant."

"The ability to create a VPN allows me to monitor branch offices from a central location."

"The most valuable features of pfSense are the high availability that easily allows failover to a backup unit and the Snort integration with pfSense and WireGuard."

"Stability has been excellent. We have experienced no issues; it never fails."

More Netgate pfSense pros

Cons

"The routing capability on the FortiGate devices has room for improvement."

"When we cluster the two Fortinet FortiGate boxes together we have some issues."

"The main area needing improvement is the user-friendliness of FortiGate's integration with other Fortinet tools like FortiAuthenticator and VPN services."

"The solution's stability should be improved because it is extremely unstable."

"There are some cloud-based features that could be much more flexible than they currently are."

"The price and deployment part of Fortinet FortiGate is good, but it can always be better."

"The renewal price and the availability could be improved."

"It is somewhat expensive compared to other solutions such as Sophos."

More Fortinet FortiGate cons

"Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall can be improved, particularly the user interface, which is not very good, and also the logs, which are not very good."

"The product has a lot to improve in the area of policy implementation."

"The documentation is not clear."

"The user interface needs improvement. Even though it's a system that's easy to get working upon installation, the configurations are not intuitive."

"AI would always be a plus point, and if pfSense could change its framework from FreeBSD and PHP to a different language and Linux OS, that could enhance security."

"I have been using WireGuard VPN because it is a lot faster and more secure than an open VPN. However, in the latest version of pfSense, they have removed this feature, which is one of the main features that I need. They should include this feature."

"Something that I do not appreciate about Netgate pfSense and I wish they would change would be the feature limitations."

"The first time we deployed it, it was kind of tricky."

"User interface is a little clumsy."

"It is not centrally managed, where you log into the website and can see all your services there. We would like to be able to see is all the configurations from a central interface on all our pfSenses."

"The solution could use better reporting. They need to offer more of it in general. Right now, the graphics aren't the best. If you need to provide a report to a manager, for example, it doesn't look great. They need to make it easier to understand and give users the ability to customize them."

More Netgate pfSense cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is only a standard license cost to use the solution."

"Each feature costs money, so it is important to study your needs."

"FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is an expensive solution."

"It is an expensive solution."

"Fortinet FortiGate IPS' licensing is quite simple to understand."

"The product is not very expensive."

"It is more affordable than Check Point and Palo Alto. Another thing is that all the features and the OS remain the same irrespective of the size of the device. Pricing-wise, Fortinet typically provides one-year support with the firewall appliance. There is also an option for three years which is how their licensing works."

"FortiGate's pricing falls within the mid-range when compared to other leading firewall solutions."

More Fortinet FortiGate pricing and cost advice

"I consider it an averagely-priced tool."

"The tool is quite cheap."

"Their pricing is quite reasonable."

"While pfSense hardware from Netgate might have a higher upfront cost, I've had very little trouble with it. Plus, buying from them directly helps fund the software's development, making it a worthwhile investment in my eyes."

"There are a few features not included, and when you have to use those features, you have to pay for them."

"The price of pfSense is on par with everything else. It depends on how big an appliance you buy and whether you're purchasing it directly from Netgate. Some rack-mounted systems are expensive—a couple thousand bucks. The one that I use at my house was $700."

"pfSense is excellent for a low total cost of ownership. pfSense pricing is extremely competitive, and it delivers exactly what is advertised."

"The solution software does not require a license, it is free. The support contract is about $600 dollars."

"I would recommend it for a small business or a startup as a starting point. It's also good for companies that are on a tight budget."

"This solution provides enterprise-level features at a fraction of the cost of an enterprise firewall."

More Netgate pfSense pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

No data available

Comms Service Provider

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	357
Midsize Enterprise	133
Large Enterprise	189

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	168
Midsize Enterprise	33
Large Enterprise	29

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall?

I consider it an averagely-priced tool. Adding additional features does not cost extra. My small company pays around ...

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What needs improvement with Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall?

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall can be improved, particularly the user interface, which is not very good, a...

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My advice to others looking into using Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall is that it is effective and accompli...

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Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 20% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 14% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

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Sophos UTM vs Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall

Compared 31% of the time

OPNsense vs Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall

Compared 22% of the time

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall

Compared 15% of the time

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OPNsense vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 55% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 2% of the time

KerioControl vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 2% of the time

Sophos UTM vs Netgate pfSense

Compared 2% of the time

More Netgate pfSense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Firewalls

January 2026

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall report

Download Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall product report

Buyer's Guide

Netgate pfSense

January 2026

Download Netgate pfSense product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

No data available

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate is a versatile network security tool offering features like VPN, firewall, web filtering, intrusion prevention, and scalability. It is known for its performance and integration with other Fortinet products, making it a preferred choice for robust cybersecurity.

Fortinet FortiGate stands out as a comprehensive cybersecurity solution with strong performance and ease of configuration. It delivers unified threat management, integrating features such as dynamic routing, SD-WAN support, and centralized management. Despite its strengths, improvements in the web interface's stability, pricing structures, and reporting capabilities are needed. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and automation advancements to enhance the experience further. These enhancements, alongside improvements in bandwidth management and the reduction of licensing costs, are points of interest for users looking to capitalize on FortiGate's extensive capabilities.

What are Fortinet FortiGate's key features?

VPN: Ensures secure remote connections.
Firewall: Protects against unauthorized access.
Web Filtering: Blocks malicious sites and content.
Application Control: Manages and controls applications.
Intrusion Prevention: Detects and prevents vulnerabilities.
SSL Inspection: Enhances security by inspecting encrypted traffic.

What benefits should be considered when evaluating Fortinet FortiGate?

Affordability: Offers cost-effective security solutions.
Reliability: Known for consistent and stable performance.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Fortinet products.
Comprehensive Protection: Provides broad threat protection capabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries as a primary firewall system for securing internet gateways and safeguarding data centers. It supports businesses in achieving SD-WAN integration and enhances cybersecurity by providing essential features like antivirus, web filtering, and application control. Enterprises utilize FortiGate for securing remote connections and ensuring compliance with security standards, making it adaptable for different network sizes and industries.

Fortinet

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall enhances network security by managing threats, providing VPN connectivity, and monitoring network traffic. It simplifies network management and ensures compliance with policies, offering features like load balancing and network reliability.

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall is known for its robust security, straightforward deployment, and extensive features. It boasts reliable threat detection, flexible policy management, and scalability, catering to different network sizes. Users appreciate the streamlined management console, consistent performance in threat mitigation, and content filtering capabilities. However, customer support response time needs improvement, and software updates sometimes cause issues. The solution has a steep learning curve and requires more intuitive setup processes. Users find the troubleshooting documentation unclear and the reporting features limited, desiring more comprehensive and customizable options.

What are the key features?

Robust Security: Reliable threat detection and content filtering.
Easy Deployment: Straightforward setup process.
Flexible Policy Management: Adaptable to different requirements.
Scalability: Suitable for varying network sizes.
Streamlined Management Console: Simplifies network management.
Consistent Performance: Efficient threat mitigation.

What are the benefits and ROI?

Enhanced Cybersecurity: Blocks malicious activity and ensures compliance.
Simplified Network Management: Eases the complexity of managing networks.
Improved Network Reliability: Ensures dependable performance.
Efficient Deployment: Reduces setup time and effort.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Monitors and addresses potential threats.

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall is widely adopted in industries requiring stringent network security and efficient management, including finance, healthcare, and education. Organizations use it for load balancing, ensuring network reliability, and maintaining compliance with strict security standards. Its ability to manage policies and scale according to different network sizes makes it a versatile tool for businesses with complex security demands.

Arista

Netgate pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software known for scalability, cost-effectiveness, and community support. It includes customizable packages for varied network management needs, offering solid performance and straightforward management for diverse setups.

Netgate pfSense provides an impressive range of functionalities including firewall capabilities, VPN options, and extensive customization through packages. Its low resource usage and high availability make it viable for businesses of all sizes, especially when dealing with tailored network demands. Despite its strengths, users suggest improvements in ease of use, mobile compatibility, and support for plug-ins. Enhanced centralized management, better documentation, and additional security features are frequent requests.

What are the key features of Netgate pfSense?

Scalability: Suits any network size from small home setups to large enterprises.
Open-source: Offers transparency and flexibility, allowing for community-driven development.
Firewall Capabilities: Provides robust protection against unauthorized access.
VPN Options: Supports secure remote connectivity with various VPN protocols.
Customizable Packages: Allows users to personalize functionalities to fit network needs.
High Availability: Ensures continuous network operations with redundancy features.
Load Balancing: Distributes traffic efficiently across multiple paths or connections.
Traffic Shaping: Manages bandwidth allocation to optimize network performance.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Significant savings due to low operational costs and open-source nature.
Performance: Reliable service delivery with minimal hardware demands.
User-friendly Interface: Intuitive design that simplifies complex network management.
Community Support: Access to extensive community resources for troubleshooting and advice.
Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed guides and tutorials to facilitate installation and configuration.

In education and healthcare, Netgate pfSense is employed for secure connectivity and efficient traffic management, accommodating distinct demands of remote access and content filtering. Organizations in these sectors often utilize features such as load balancing and VPNs to maintain secure and reliable network operations while integrating with services like Active Directory for streamlined identity management. Small to medium-sized enterprises benefit from its affordability and robust functionality, making it a go-to choice for managed service environments requiring effective network security and control.

Netgate

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Information Not Available

Nerds On Site Inc., RKC Development Inc., Expertech, Fisher's Technology, Ncisive, Consulting, CPURX, Vaughn's Computer House Calls, Imeretech LLC, Digital Crisis, Carolina Digital Phone, Technigogo Technology Services, The Simple Solution, SwiftecITInc, Rocky Mountain Tech Team, Free Range Geeks, Alaska Computer Geeks, Lark Information Technology, Renaissance Systems Inc., Cutting Edge Computers, Caretech LLC, GoVanguard, Network Touch Ltd, P.C. Solutions.Net, Vision Voice and Data Systems LLC, Montgomery Technologies, Techforce, Concero Networks, ASONInc, CPS Electronics and Consulting, Darkwire.net LLC, IT Specialists, MBS-Net Inc., VOICE1 LLC, Advantage Networking Inc., Powerhouse Systems, Doxa Multimedia Inc., Pro Computer Service, Virtual IT Services, A&J Computers Inc., Envision IT LLC, CommunicaONE Inc., Bone Computer Inc., Amax Engineering Corporation, QPG Ltd. Co., IT 101 Inc., Perfect Cloud Solutions, Applied Technology Group Inc., The Digital Sun Group LLC, Firespring

Buyer's Guide

Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs. Netgate pfSense

February 2026

Free Report: Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs. Netgate pfSense

Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Edge Threat Management NG Firewall vs. Netgate pfSense and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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