TrustRadius

OpenVPN Access Server vs. pfSense

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
OpenVPN Access Server
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
OpenVPN headquartered in Pleasanton allows users to create secure access to a private network in the cloud or on-premise with Access Server. Access Server is available to deploy directly on various cloud platforms like Amazon AWS, Google GCP, Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, and also available as ready-to-deploy virtual appliances for Microsoft HyperV and VMWare ESXi. Alternately, OpenVPN Access Server Virtual Appliance is a full-featured secure network tunneling VPN virtual appliance solution…
$75
per month
pfSense
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
pfSense is a firewall and load management product available through the open source pfSense Community Edition, as well as a the licensed edition, pfSense Plus (formerly known as pfSense Enterprise). The solution provides combined firewall, VPN, and router functionality, and can be deployed through the cloud (AWS or Azure), or on-premises with a Netgate appliance. It as scalable capacities, with functionality for SMBs. As a firewall, pfSense offers Stateful packet inspection, concurrent…
$179
per appliance
Pricing
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Editions & Modules
10 Connections
$75.00
per month
25 Connections
$150.00
per month
50 Connections
$219.00
per month
100 Connections
$300.00
per month
250 Connections
$575.00
per month
500 Connections
$1,095.00
per month
1,000 Connections
$1,560.00
per month
2,000 Connections
$3,100.00
per month
0-2 Connections
Free
SG-1100
$179
per appliance
SG-2100
$229
per appliance
SG-3100
$399
per appliance
SG-5100
$699
per appliance
XG-7100-DT
$899
per appliance
XG-7100-1U
$999
per appliance
XG-1537
$1,949
per appliance
XG-1541
$2,649
per appliance
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPrice decreases if paid yearly.—
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Features
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Firewall
Comparison of Firewall features of Product A and Product B
OpenVPN Access Server
-
Ratings
pfSense
7.6
Ratings
13% below category average
Identification Technologies00 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Visualization Tools00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Content Inspection00 Ratings4.00 Ratings
Policy-based Controls00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Active Directory and LDAP00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Firewall Management Console00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Reporting and Logging00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
VPN00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
High Availability00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Stateful Inspection00 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Proxy Server00 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Best Alternatives
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Small Businesses
Norton 360
Norton 360
Score 7.0 out of 10
Sophos UTM
Sophos UTM
Score 8.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.6 out of 10
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Quantum Firewalls and Security Gateways
Score 9.6 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Palo Alto Networks Virtualized Next-Generation Firewalls - VM Series
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(0 ratings)
9.6
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
OpenVPN Access ServerpfSense
Likelihood to Recommend
We used it to connect our two offices together. It aids in secure file transfer for remote users. Some of the 3rd party software is only allowed to run on specific IP addresses due to the license and this is a way that remote users can utilize that software without being on-site
Verified User
Anonymous
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pfSense is incredibly budget friendly and capable for organizations of all sizes. My specific scenario, working for a non-profit organization, requires budget consciences decisions without compromising security and function. pfSense has helped tremendously in accomplishing this. It specifically tackles advanced routing, static routing, remote access, intrusion prevention, in a single platform, mostly available for free.
Verified User
Anonymous
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Pros
  • Secure
  • Easy setup
  • 2 free users
  • automatic updates
Verified User
Anonymous
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  • Easy to use. Good user interface design! Easy to understand and easy to set up.
  • Lower hardware requirement. 3 years ago, we used an old PC to run it. Now, we have changed to a router device with Celeron CPU and 8GB RAM. It runs smoothly with a 1000G commercial broadband.
Allan Leung | TrustRadius Reviewer
Allan Leung
IT & T Manager
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Cons
  • some times error logs are not clear
  • Configuring 3rd party apps can sometimes be problematic
  • Limited functionality for iPhone users, but I believe that is due to an apple issue.
Verified User
Anonymous
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  • There is no API for making changes. This can be a hindrance in environments where auto-deploying something needs firewall rules or HAProxy configs updated. Since all settings are stored in an XML file and then configs are generated from that, even manually updating config files cannot be done.
  • Beware that some network cards can have issues. pfSense is based on FreeBSD, so it's best to look on their compatibility list before deploying.
Aaron Smith | TrustRadius Reviewer
Aaron Smith
Information Technology Manager
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Usability
No answers on this topic
pfSense can be a very elementary firewall but can also be as comples as you want, according your needs. I'd always reccomend a HA solution when used in a company and, for bigger companies, commercial license is recommended. It's also very adptable to everyone's needs.
Verified User
Anonymous
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
pfSense+ basic provides "As Available" email support. pfSense+ Pro offers 24 hr turn around email support. pfSense+ Enterprise offers 24/7 phone support.
Jerry Riggin | TrustRadius Reviewer
Jerry Riggin
President
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Alternatives Considered
We found OpenVPN to be more cost-effective vs Azure. In addition, it was easier to install, deploy, and manage
Verified User
Anonymous
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PFSense is not a fully featured and supported enterprise-grade solution; however, it does offer a lot of similar functionality at a fraction of the cost for more minor requirements.
Pablo Mojica | TrustRadius Reviewer
Pablo Mojica
Systems Administrator
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Return on Investment
  • Only 2 free users, it would be nice if they would expand to 5.
  • Easy way to establish a VPN backbone between two locations
  • Great for work at home or BCP events.
Verified User
Anonymous
Read full review
  • pfSense has only had positive impacts on our company. We are not a huge company so not having to buy licenses to get all these features have been excellent.
  • I was not around when our current sysadmin decided to use pfSense, but I am assuming from day one it was probably a 100% return on investment since it does everything we need it to and it was open source software.
Charles R. Coggins III | TrustRadius Reviewer
Charles R. Coggins III
Technical Support Specialist
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ScreenShots