OPNsense vs Stormshield Network Security comparison

Why PeerSpot?

OPNsense and Stormshield are both solutions in the Firewalls category. Additionally, 95% of OPNsense users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of Stormshield users who would recommend it.

OPNsense

Read 47 OPNsense reviews

28,130 Views
26,442 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Stormshield Network Security

Read 18 Stormshield Network Security reviews

4,227 Views
1,860 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

OPNsense

Stormshield Network Security

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between OPNsense and Stormshield Network Security based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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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

OPNsense

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (7th)

Stormshield Network Security

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Threat Management (UTM) (13th)

Featured Reviews

Peter Muiruri

IT Manager at a comms service provider with 201-500 employees

Open-source firewall has provided affordable real-time protection and secure remote access

In my opinion, OPNsense could improve by incorporating either an open side of wireless management or a way that you can also manage your interconnected devices. You could easily have SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol, incorporated in it so that you can easily manage the devices and easily get the information about the devices that you are managing. Additionally, the inclusion of Pi-hole would allow you to create an ad-free network instead of adding it on a separate device. I would prefer that incorporated into OPNsense, or if it is there, I would appreciate guidance on how to use it.

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Zsolt Jónás

System Administrator at NaxoNet

Advanced GUI and layered security have supported compliance and simplified intrusion prevention

I haven't had a task that I couldn't solve with Stormshield Network Security. The active-active high availability solution would be beneficial because currently, if you build a high availability solution with Stormshield Network Security, you have a main device and another one is a backup device. The HA can switch between them, but it would be good to have a master-master solution, not just a master-slave one. I could set a URL that I can call to update the DNS record. Currently, Stormshield Network Security devices support DynDNS, which is not a usual feature request from a server environment. I have my own solution instead of DynDNS because I don't prefer it, so I have my own service for that. However, the GUI does not support using a custom service instead of DynDNS. I had to solve it in the console on Stormshield Network Security device, but it would be much better if it was reachable on the GUI. I had to figure out a trick for the IPsec configuration. In the IPsec config, we have to provide the remote side's IP address, but it's always changing. This means that an office, for example a company that has an office but without a fixed IP address, cannot be used with IPsec VPN.

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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

"It is a very good solution. I like the dashboard. I can see what is going on and manage it as I like it."

"The VPN server feature is the most valuable. It is integrated with Radius and AAA for doing accounting and authentication. Insight view is also an important feature for me at this time. It allows me to assess our network traffic. I also like the firewall feature. The BSD kernel has a packet filter. It is one of the most solid frameworks for firewalls. Its user interface is one of the best interfaces I have used."

"The most valuable features are reporting, the Sensei plugin, and firewall capabilities."

"We can open a new VPN connection easily. It's much easier than with Fortinet in our experience."

"One of the most valuable features is the network checking. Additionally, the firewall and web filtering functionalities are highly useful."

"It has firewall and VPN capabilities, which are very valuable features."

"We have been operating here in our lab for several months, and everything appears to be extremely stable."

"OPNsense can be deployed in the cloud and on-premises, and I have used OPNsense in many different types of companies, such as financial and metropolitan."

More OPNsense pros

"Easily manageable in a variety of environments."

"The multi-layered security approach of Stormshield Network Security is a good one and has helped with compliance."

"I like how you can configure the rules. There is the task for the rules and a task for the network configuration. It also provides SMD filtering, and it can be integrated with the active directory for the users, their mission, and the VPN configuration. We are here in Sudan, and Stormshield didn't work in Sudan for more than a decade. Stormshield is a very strong firewall and very easy to configure and maintain. I am just working with the firewall solution, and we don't have any other solutions like endpoint solutions or something like that."

"Ease of use is the best feature of the product."

"This solution is quick and easy to configure."

"I can see what traffic is going on. I can easily block any programs from attacks."

"The most valuable features of this solution are the URL filtering database, which is great and contains all internet categories, the highly scalable interface that I can turn into what I want including hybrid, bridge, or router mode, the security with no back doors that is more secure than other solutions, and the hardware performance that is also better than others."

"This product has improved the way our organization functions."

More Stormshield Network Security pros

Cons

"They should improve IPEs for security in the future."

"FortiGate is a better firewall but that is commercial software that you have to buy a license for."

"The only thing that I would like to see improved is the Insight or the NetFlow analysis part. It would be good to have the possibility to dig down on the Insight platform. Right now, we can easily do only a few analyses. If this page becomes more powerful, it surely will be a well-adopted platform."

"The logging could improve in OPNsense."

"OPNsense struggles to handle large volumes of voice traffic, indicating scalability issues in that specific use case."

"To use Intrusion detection and Antivirus Plugin it is necessary to configure proxy; without a proxy, you cannot use the ClamAV antivirus plugin."

"The monitoring is a little complicated and I have tried to use a plug-in, but it's quite complicated to configure."

"The documentation should be clearer because I faced some difficulties navigating many options."

More OPNsense cons

"A more user-friendly interface would be helpful."

"One thing, though, is that not all the fields are activated yet and we were informed that it will take at least one month."

"It could be better if it were more user-friendly. It's too complicated for us to use it. The price could be better as well."

"I don’t recommend this product at all."

"It could be better if it were more user-friendly for us as we dont use it very often even if we never had problems to modify setup when needed."

"Support is always an issue because they're constantly busy."

"This solution has a big problem with web filtering and it needs to be improved."

"Improvement is also needed in terms of the technical support of the manufacturer, they're not very responsive when it comes to technical support."

More Stormshield Network Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is free."

"The price of OPNsense is good."

"OPNsense is an open-source solution and it is free to use."

"We are not paying any licensing fees. OPNsense is completely free for us."

"It is a free solution, and when you compare it to alternatives like FortiGate, which is quite powerful but also costly, the value becomes evident."

"We are using the paid version."

"As an appliance, it's in the medium price range."

"I'm using the free version of OPNsense. I didn't check the pricing for the solution because I still need to test it before getting the approval to purchase OPNsense, and it isn't easy to get approval from the higher-ups."

More OPNsense pricing and cost advice

"The price of this solution and the price of support are ok."

"I think the price is good."

"The pricing could be better."

"We chose Stormshield for its price, as the Azure firewall was too expensive."

"The SN200 series costs between $500 USD and $600 USD per year, whereas the SN700 series costs approximately $1,000 annually."

"For mid-sized companies, they sell their appliances for good prices."

"We bought a three-year license, and we renew it whenever it expires. The price could be better. It's always very expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

18%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

18%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	32
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	8

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

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...

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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 enough. Open source license allows a beginner to have a complete firewall solution ...

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What needs improvement with OPNsense?

When I talk about VPN, I am not completely satisfied with the VPN functions of OPNsense. What I have received so far is that sometimes the VPN route caches for some time and sometimes I want to cha...

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What needs improvement with Stormshield Network Security?

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What is your primary use case for Stormshield Network Security?

I already use Stormshield Network Security, and I am now looking for a new solution. I am already working with Stormshield Network Security, and the official reseller of Stormshield.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Stormshield Network Security?

The pricing is increasing, and I would say it is a bit expensive. Palo Alto and others are much more expensive, but Stormshield Network Security is also not inexpensive. My overall review rating fo...

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Comparisons

Netgate pfSense vs OPNsense

Compared 48% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs OPNsense

Compared 7% of the time

IPFire vs OPNsense

Compared 5% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs OPNsense

Compared 3% of the time

More OPNsense Competitors

Fortinet FortiGate vs Stormshield Network Security

Compared 15% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Stormshield Network Security

Compared 11% of the time

Sophos UTM vs Stormshield Network Security

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos Firewall vs Stormshield Network Security

Compared 4% of the time

WatchGuard Firebox vs Stormshield Network Security

Compared 4% of the time

More Stormshield Network Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

OPNsense

October 2026

Download OPNsense product report

Buyer's Guide

Stormshield Network Security

September 2026

Download Stormshield Network Security product report

Also Known As

No data available

NETASQ Firewalls

Overview

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

Stormshield Network Security offers comprehensive protection with features like backup inspection, scalable interface, and load balancing, suitable for network security management.

Stormshield Network Security is designed for organizations requiring reliable IT infrastructure protection, providing firewall capabilities, intrusion detection, and application control. Users find VPN support, URL filtering, and UTM functions beneficial for network management. Models like SN200 and SN910 are used globally in clustered configurations, addressing different demands. Challenges include pricing, interface friendliness, filtering configurations, and technical support.

What are the key features of Stormshield Network Security?

Backup Inspection: Enhances reliability and recovery options.
Antivirus Controls: Provides robust virus protection.
Intrusion Detection: Alerts on potential threats.
Load Balancing: Distributes network traffic efficiently.
URL Filtering: Blocks malicious websites for safe browsing.

What benefits should users seek in reviews?

Scalability: Adapts to each organization's growing needs.
Reliability: Supports clustered configurations for uptime.
Management Ease: Intuitive dashboard aids network oversight.
Performance: High throughput with efficient clustering.

Stormshield Network Security is widely implemented in industries needing IT infrastructure protection, like finance or healthcare. Organizations deploy it in data centers or branch offices, benefiting from features ensuring safety and performance. The tool supports environments that demand high security levels and robust network monitoring.

Stormshield

Sample Customers

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.

ACESUR group, Ministry of Education Oman, Anios Laboratories, Zain, DLM Location

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