Cisco IOS Security vs OPNsense comparison

Cisco and OPNsense are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Cisco is ranked #30 with an average rating of 9.0, while OPNsense is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.2. Cisco holds a 0.4% mindshare in Firewalls, compared to OPNsense’s 10.3% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of OPNsense users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

Cisco IOS Security and OPNsense compete in network security solutions. OPNsense seems to have an upper hand due to its comprehensive features and customization capabilities.

Features: Cisco IOS Security offers advanced threat protection, scalability, and robust support. OPNsense provides user-friendly configuration options, a rich plugin ecosystem, and significant customization capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Cisco IOS Security can improve its intuitive management tools, faster update cycles, and more flexible licensing options. OPNsense needs better documentation, enhanced multi-WAN support, and improved error handling.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco IOS Security offers straightforward deployment and excellent customer service. OPNsense is easy to set up but has mixed support quality, making Cisco IOS Security favored for reliable service.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco IOS Security tends to have higher setup costs, delivering good ROI due to reliability and support. OPNsense has lower initial costs and satisfactory ROI, appealing to budget-conscious users, thus more cost-effective.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 884,873 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score

5.8

Fortinet FortiGate offers a good ROI with enhanced security, cost savings, and efficient policy-deployment, valued by clients.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security delivered significant ROI through improved routing, security, stability, and cost-efficiency, despite competitive vendor pressures.

Sentiment score

3.3

Organizations achieved quick ROI with OPNsense, reducing costs, licensing fees, and improving security, saving up to $100,000 annually.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

The network attacks reduced by approximately 60% after using that, even without customizing the custom configuration yet.

Mahmoud Suleiman

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 11-50 employees

For a very little investment, I was able to increase the security of my network.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate support is mixed, praised for knowledge but criticized for delays, language issues, and varying regional experiences.

Sentiment score

6.7

Cisco IOS Security support is generally praised for speed and skill, though some report delays and complexity in access.

Sentiment score

5.5

OPNsense community offers strong, responsive support, often resolving user issues independently, with official service rated moderately high.

The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

As a solution provider, when I encounter problems, I connect directly with Fortinet support, and they provide solutions within a very short time.

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Compared to some open-source projects with weak support, OPNsense stands out for having both a strong community and commercial backing options.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

I mainly rely on community support since the solution is open source.

Stephen Zoran

Senior Client Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

If you say you do not have one, it is finished. This is where the monopoly starts.

Harry Fusser

Senior Solutions Engineer at a educational organization with 201-500 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate is scalable and adaptable, with virtual machines offering flexibility and seamless performance praised across industries.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, enterprise-level solutions but may increase costs and limit universality due to required hardware.

Sentiment score

6.8

OPNsense offers scalable adaptability for various environments, performing well in small to mid-sized enterprises, with flexible resource capabilities.

They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

OPNsense is an extremely scalable solution.

Chirosca Alecsandru

Owner at Networks srl

I use Zenarmor, pinning it to one core for packet inspection, and the CPU performance seems very good.

Stephen Zoran

Senior Client Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees

OPNsense's scalability is excellent; I just need to resize my hardware and upgrade the server, and voilà, I am good to go.

Mahmoud Suleiman

Senior IT Infrastructure Engineer at a real estate/law firm with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is generally stable, though firmware updates can cause issues; proper configuration is crucial for performance.

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco IOS Security is generally reliable with occasional issues, frequently updated for stability, scoring 7-10 in satisfaction.

Sentiment score

7.7

OPNsense is stable and user-friendly, though it faces minor VPN and update issues; community support enhances user experience.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

For home and small network use, OPNsense is also reliable, providing enterprise-grade security at no cost.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

OPNsense is the same, but it does have a way of installing the Realtek drivers, which gives you a lot more stability overall on the system.

RicardoDias

Network and Programming Specialist at Twentytwo Integration

The only challenge faced was its inadequacy to manage large voice traffic effectively, even with dedicated hardware.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiGate faces high costs, technical and usability issues, complex licensing, and requires improved support, stability, and AI integration.

Cisco IOS Security struggles with integration, usability, cost, lacking features, complex licensing, performance, and requires enhancement and support.

OPNsense improves wireless management, VPN features, and interface while needing better virtual integration and enhanced threat intelligence and security.

These sessions should be around five to ten minutes long, allowing users and partners to quickly grasp the information without disrupting their daily tasks.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The solution should be able to implement machine learning and analytics of all the logs for threat detection and protection.

Elvis Mahadeo

Senior Systems Engineer at Caribbean Development Company

It would be better for customers to get immediate replacements even with a standard subscription.

Pravin Mandlik

Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

I would like the APIs to be more mature and more developed and have more options to automate threat hunting.

Chirosca Alecsandru

Owner at Networks srl

Enhancing its performance for significant amounts of data traffic would make it closer to a perfect solution.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

It would be beneficial if they could create some videos on how to set it up themselves.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate offers competitive pricing with good value, but users highlight concerns about renewal costs and feature expenses.

Cisco IOS Security is costly, favoring medium to large enterprises with longer-term savings over SMB challenges.

OPNsense offers cost-effective open-source network security, with optional support fees but no licensing costs, competing with FortiGate and Azure Firewall.

Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

They use AI for packet inspection, which integrates with OPNsense and pfSense.

RicardoDias

Network and Programming Specialist at Twentytwo Integration

I consider the pricing of OPNsense to be high when compared with other market products.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

OPNsense is free, the licensing and setup was easy.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate excels in easy deployment, advanced security features, integration, scalability, user-friendly interface, and cost-effectiveness for robust network protection.

Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, stable solutions with VPN, AAA, firewall integration, and user-friendly management for high-demand environments.

OPNsense provides scalable, cost-effective network security with advanced VPN, firewall, and filtering features for enterprises and small businesses.

We got a firewall and gave an SSL VPN to my client to connect to their servers, after which, such kind of activities involving ransomware attacks stopped.

VINAY GUJARATHI

Owner at Mindware Computer Solutions

They put in a thing called the FortiCookbook, which is very easy to read with real-life scenarios that make networking tasks like joining networks very straightforward.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks.

reviewer890418

Sales & Support at a tech services company with 1-10 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

The best features of Cisco IOS Security are its integration with software management tools such as Cisco DNA Center and Cisco ICE, which provide centralized policy and network access control.

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

The most valuable features include the basic firewall functionality and the GeoIP location services.

reviewer1027455

Senior Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

I can have a Wi-Fi VLAN and feel secure that the server network or the VM network that I have on a different VLAN are isolated, and they cannot talk to one another, which adds a great level of security.

Richard Chamberlain

Administrator at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost.

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the OPNsense report

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 18.3%, down from 21.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OPNsense is 10.3%, down from 12.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	18.3%
OPNsense	10.3%
Cisco IOS Security	0.4%
Other	71.0%

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.

Read full review

Danijel Cerovecki

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection

We are a Gold Partner with Cisco. Our customers come from various industries, including service providers, and we target service providers and enterprise customers.We do not extensively use Zone-Based Firewalls in Cisco IOS Security, instead typically deploying standalone firewalls such as Cisco FTDs or Cisco ASA devices. For threat analytics and vulnerability scanning, we utilize third-party vendors with dedicated devices and software. We use products such as Tenable from Nessus for this type of analysis. We have implemented Secure Access Control Server in Cisco IOS Security, which combines multiple security mechanisms including AAA, 802.1X for network access control with Cisco ICE, TrustSec for identity-based segmentation, and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco IOS Security's VPN support is comprehensive and increasingly important in daily communication, from basic site-to-site tunnels to remote access VPNs and SD-WAN secure VPNs. Protecting and encrypting communication is essential in modern networks. The challenges with Cisco IOS Security are more operational than product-related. There is an understaffing issue, making automation and orchestration capabilities particularly valuable. For the products themselves, we only encounter routine operational matters such as addressing new vulnerabilities and patching. For those considering Cisco IOS Security, it is important to understand that Cisco offers a complete ecosystem. When embracing the Cisco ecosystem fully, customers receive excellent products and comprehensive solutions. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cisco IOS Security a 9.

Read full review

Moutaz Sheikh Alard

ISO 27001 Lead Implementer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees

Has helped simulate enterprise security setups and strengthens network segmentation practices

For my capstone, I use OPNsense for my project and its broader benefits for enterprise and cybersecurity context. OPNsense is an open source based firewall and routing platform. It offers enterprise-grade features such as intrusion detection and prevention system, VPN support, traffic shaping, and web filtering, all without license cost. This platform has a modular design, a clean web-based GUI, and frequent updates that prioritize security and usability. It competes with commercial firewalls such as Cisco ASA, FortiGate, and Palo Alto, but stands out because it's community-driven, cost-effective, and transparent. I find OPNsense's feature of acting as a central firewall and gateway most valuable, providing robust point segmentation between the internal network and DMZs in my capstone project, intrusion detection to monitor malicious traffic, VPN services for secure remote access, and logging and monitoring for compliance and auditing. This allows me to simulate a real-world enterprise environment on a smaller scale, demonstrating both security hardening and network efficiency. OPNsense impacts my projects and home network positively because its cost-effectiveness is perfect for lab and enterprise setup without expensive licensing. The flexibility, easy VLAN and DMZ configuration supports different zones such as web servers, mail servers, and log servers. The security-first design for IDS/IPS integration helps me showcase modern defense-in-depth strategies. The user-friendly management through the web GUI makes it possible to manage complex firewall rules clearly, which is critical when documenting and presenting a capstone. Scalability is also an advantage. Although my project is lab-based, OPNsense can scale into production deployments in SMBs and enterprise.

Read full review

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Firewalls solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

21%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Marketing Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

18%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	360
Midsize Enterprise	135
Large Enterprise	190

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	31
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	8

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

See all answers

What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

See all answers

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It off...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending o...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

Regarding improvements in Cisco IOS Security, what consistently confuses me is the inability of Cisco to maintain a c...

See all answers

What is the difference between PfSense and OPNsense?

Two of the most common and well recognized firewalls, PfSense and OPNsense both support site-to-site IPsec VPN and cl...

See all answers

What do you like most about OPNsense?

What I like the most about OPNsense is that it offers an easy-to-use dashboard for device management and control.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for OPNsense?

Setup cost is almost zero as one can simulate the whole environment using open source version. Pricing seems fair eno...

See all answers

Comparisons

Sophos Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 19% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 13% of the time

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 13% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 7% of the time

Fortra's Tripwire Enterprise vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 6% of the time

Check Point IPS vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense

Compared 52% of the time

IPFire vs OPNsense

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 7% of the time

Sophos UTM vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

Untangle NG Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 2% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiGate

March 2026

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security

March 2026

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

March 2026

Download OPNsense product report

Also Known As

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

IOS Security

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

Cisco IOS Software delivers a sophisticated set of security capabilities for a comprehensive, layered security approach throughout your network infrastructure. Cisco IOS security technologies help to defend critical business processes against attack and disruption, protect privacy, and support policy and regulatory compliance controls.

Cisco

OPNsense is an adaptable open-source firewall and routing platform appreciated for its flexibility, scalability, and user-friendly interface. It is equipped with robust security features and offers excellent reporting and visibility, essential for small businesses and home setups.

OPNsense stands out for its modular design, allowing cost-effective customization. This system supports VPNs and various firewall capabilities, making it suitable for securing networks from malicious traffic. Its frequent updates and extensive documentation, combined with a supportive online community, enhance user experience. However, there is room for improvement in integration with virtual servers and Azure. Scalability and hardware updates are important for large-scale environments, and users desire more reliable VPN solutions and enhanced threat intelligence tools.

What are OPNsense's most important features?

Flexibility: Easily customizable due to its open-source nature.
Robust Security: Advanced security features for network protection.
User-Friendly Interface: Simplified management and configuration.
Frequent Updates: Regular improvements and new features.
Dense Documentation: Extensive resources and community support.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Open-source design reduces costs.
Scalability: Ability to grow with business needs.
Customizability: Tailored solutions for different requirements.
Community Support: Access to a strong network of resources and peers.

OPNsense is implemented in industries requiring VPN and firewall functions, supporting site-to-site connections, protecting servers, and managing commercial network traffic. Companies apply it for security, UTM, SD-WAN, content filtering, intrusion detection, and prevention, utilizing its open-source nature and effectiveness as a next-generation firewall.

OPNsense

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

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

1. Deciso B.V. 2. iXsystems, Inc. 3. EuroBSDCon 4. Netgate 5. Claranet 6. Voleatech 7. Open Systems AG 8. Securebit AG 9. Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH 10. AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH Additional customers include: T-Systems International GmbH, Deutsche Telekom AG, Vodafone GmbH, 1&1 IONOS SE, OVHcloud, Hetzner Online GmbH, Strato AG, PlusServer GmbH, Host Europe GmbH, United Internet AG, 1&1 Versatel Deutschland GmbH, QSC AG, Bechtle AG, Cancom SE, Computacenter AG & Co. oHG, T-Systems Multimedia Solutions GmbH, Atos SE, Capgemini SE, Accenture plc, IBM Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense

March 2026

Free Report: Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Cisco IOS Security vs. OPNsense report.

See our list of best Firewalls vendors.

We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.