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McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] vs Netgate pfSense comparison

Why PeerSpot?
McAfee and Netgate are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 75% of McAfee users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Netgate users who would recommend it.
Netgate pfSense
Read 223 Netgate pfSense reviews
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  • 31,509 Comparison Views
94% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] and Netgate pfSense based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet, Cisco, Netgate and others in Firewalls.

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Buyer's Guide
Firewalls
October 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

McAfee Firewall Enterprise ...
Average Rating
7.0
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Netgate pfSense
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
223
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (3rd)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer999975 - PeerSpot reviewer
reviewer999975
Computer Technician at a leisure / travel company with 1,001-5,000 employees
We cannot find resources to help us configure it, so most of the time the virus still goes on our computer and McAfee doesn't detect it
It's pretty easy to use on a daily basis, but there are no other features because it's hard to configure on the server. On the endpoint it's really easy to push. It's hard to configure on the server, though. It's hard to find resources to help us configure it, and there is not much online help that you can find. Most of the time, we were looking at the forums, and we needed to go very deep to find what we were looking for. It was hard, and McAfee was not really helpful when we were trying to get the product to work perfectly. This is why are changing it.
Read full review
Juan-Arias - PeerSpot reviewer
Juan-Arias
Principal Cloud Architect - Software Engineer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Rapid VPN setup has connected offices in minutes and brings live insights for proactive issue control
What I appreciate the most about Netgate pfSense is the ease and straightforward nature of the platform. I can set up a new office in less than 10 minutes. The benefits of using Netgate pfSense are that I can set up VPNs in less than two to three minutes, and then just deploy the file across my networks, where everybody would be connected in less than an hour. The dashboards of Netgate pfSense bring all the necessary information that I need at a glance, and it is actually a live update every three to five seconds. It is spotless, and I have been able to catch issues before they hit operations.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's a very functional and stable product if you're looking for a Layer 7 firewall with reputation filtering and encrypted traffic inspection."
"For managing multiple MFE firewalls it is incredibly handy, convenient, and it is easy to use the product with McAfee Control Centre."
"ROI: It's good."
"We have 10 offices throughout Brazil, and now they are all connected by using the VPN feature of the firewall."
"It does give certain protection for everything that is well configured on our McAfee server. We have good protection with it. If we could find a feature and make it work, it would work perfectly, there would be no bugs, and it would be really good."
"Overall, our experience with pfSense has been good."
"Routing, load balancing, Traffic Limiter and queues. Since this company relies on an Internet connection, having these features is a must."
"Initial setup was very straightforward; the interface is very self-explanatory."
"Firewall system for small, medium, and large data networks. It allows you to provide security to your environment: DMZ networks, LAN, WAN, etc."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"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."
"Network security and speed have both improved."
"My favorite thing about pfSense is its overall stability of the product. It's rock solid and low maintenance. I like that aspect. It doesn't cost much, and it's feature-rich, including mobile VPN, pfBlocker, and IPS."
More Netgate pfSense pros
 

Cons

"HA configuration is a bit difficult for the first time."
"Customer support and AV are both lacking and are really hard to come to you when the product is installed. Those are the two major points that they need to work on."
"The hardware is not stable and we have faced many stability issues."
"Migrating from v7 to v8 of McAfee Firewall Enterprise, in many cases, involves you having to completely re-write all of your previous McAfee Firewall Enterprise v7 policies due to the difference in the way the interfaces are named in the product going from v7 to v8."
"Administration of the firewall is a little confusing for end users."
"One area where Netgate could improve is communication with its user base."
"The configuration could be a little more intuitive."
"The hotspot and the portal feature in this solution are not stable for WiFi access. We use it at least once or twice every day and it crashes. Some modules can be better by improving detection and having new updates. Additionally, we have some issues with clustering and load balancing that could improve."
"RadiusServer needs some work done."
"The stability could be improved."
"It requires more attention to provide a better alternative for open source to small government or educational institutions with reduced budgets in terms of technology."
"The problem with open-source is that no one can take responsibility."
"The GUI could use improvements, though it is manageable."
More Netgate pfSense cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"pfSense offers a surprisingly affordable enterprise-grade solution for small businesses."
"I think Netgate pfSense is very fairly priced."
"It is on the higher side. If you want to purchase pfSense Plus alone, the cost is roughly $150 a year, but the value provided justifies the expense. However, a lower-end tier option, around $100, would be beneficial."
"It is an open-source solution."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"They have a free community version and a paid version. The free version works if you are a home user who needs a fixed cost, but that's not my use case."
"It is an open source firewall."
"pfSense pricing is reasonable."
More Netgate pfSense pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
21%
Construction Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business172
Midsize Enterprise34
Large Enterprise29
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
Help me find the best open source router
You don't really specify what type of router you are looking for but if you are talking about a gateway router I recommend PFSense. This software solutions can be installed on youf own hardware or ...
See all answers
How do I choose between Fortinet FortiGate and pfSense?
Fortinet’s Fortigate is a firewall solution we use and are very much satisfied with its performance. We find Fortigate both cost-effective and efficient. One of the features we like most is that Fo...
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 client, Open VPN and client, and PPTP client. Both also have intrusion detection a...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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SonicWall NSa vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL]
Compared 37% of the time
Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] Logo
Fortinet FortiGate-VM vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL]
Compared 11% of the time
Trellix Network Detection and Response vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] Logo
Trellix Network Detection and Response vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL]
Compared 10% of the time
Fortinet FortiGate vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] Logo
Fortinet FortiGate vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL]
Compared 9% of the time
Sophos Cyberoam UTM vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] Logo
Sophos Cyberoam UTM vs McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL]
Compared 6% of the time
More McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] Competitors
OPNsense vs Netgate pfSense Logo
OPNsense vs Netgate pfSense
Compared 49% of the time
Fortinet FortiGate vs Netgate pfSense Logo
Fortinet FortiGate vs Netgate pfSense
Compared 8% of the time
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense Logo
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Netgate pfSense
Compared 5% of the time
Sophos Firewall vs Netgate pfSense Logo
Sophos Firewall vs Netgate pfSense
Compared 3% of the time
Sophos UTM vs Netgate pfSense Logo
Sophos UTM vs Netgate pfSense
Compared 3% of the time
More Netgate pfSense Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Firewalls
October 2026
McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] reportDownload McAfee Firewall Enterprise MFE [EOL] product report
Buyer's Guide
Netgate pfSense
October 2026
Netgate pfSense reportDownload Netgate pfSense product report
 

Also Known As

Firewall Enterprise MFE, Intel Security Firewall Enterprise MFE
No data available
 

Overview

McAfee Firewall Enterprise defends critical assets, such as regulated data repositories (customer, financial, and healthcare data), email and web servers, extranets, and data centers. This proxy-based firewall also offers application visibility and deep application controls for defense, delivers strong policy-based controls, blocks the latest threats, and eliminates unwanted traffic.
McAfee

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

French Ministry of Education, RWTH Aachen, Avency, Cegedim, Cobweb, Intel Security, Cemex Mauser, R_sler Oberfl_chentechnik
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
Firewalls
October 2026
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