Comparison of firewalls

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Firewall software

Firewall License Cost and usage limits OS
Avast Internet Security Proprietary Paid Microsoft Windows
Comodo Internet
Security
Proprietary Free Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista x86/x64, XP x86
Intego VirusBarrier Proprietary Paid Mac OS X 10.5 or later; on an Xserve
Kaspersky
Internet Security
Proprietary Paid / 30 day trial Windows unknown versions x86/x64
Lavasoft
Personal Firewall
Proprietary Paid Windows unknown versions x86/x64
Microsoft
Forefront Threat
Management
Gateway
Proprietary Discontinued Windows unknown versions x64
NetLimiter Proprietary Paid Windows 10, 8, 7 x64
Norton 360 Proprietary Paid Windows unknown versions x86/x64
Online Armor
Personal Firewall
Proprietary Discontinued Windows unknown versions x86/x64
Outpost
Firewall Pro
Proprietary Discontinued Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP x86/x64
PC Tools
Firewall Plus
Proprietary Discontinued Windows unknown versions x86/x64
Sygate
Personal Firewall
Proprietary Discontinued Windows unknown versions x86
Windows Firewall Proprietary Included with Windows
XP SP2 and later
Windows versions x86/x64
ZoneAlarm Proprietary Free / Paid Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista x86/x64, XP x86
Netfilter/iptables GPL Free Linux kernel module
nftables GPL Free Linux kernel (>=3.13) module
Shorewall GPL Free Linux-based appliance
PeerBlock GPL Free Windows 8/8.1, 7, Vista x86/x64
NPF BSD Free NetBSD kernel module
PF BSD Free *BSD kernel module
ipfirewall BSD Free *BSD package
IPFilter GPLv2 Free Package for multiple UNIX-like operating systems

Firewall appliances

Firewall License Cost OS
Clavister Proprietary Included on all Clavister
NGFWs
Proprietary operating system cOS Core
Check Point Proprietary Included on Check Point
security gateways
Proprietary operating system Check Point IPSO
and Gaia (Linux-based)
FortiGate Proprietary Included on all Fortigate
devices
Proprietary, FortiOS,

Based on the Linux kernel

Palo Alto Networks Proprietary Included on Palo Alto
Networks firewalls
Proprietary, PAN-OS,

Based on the Linux kernel

Sophos Proprietary Included on Sophos UTM Linux-based appliance
Cisco ASA Firepower Proprietary Included on all CISCO
ASA devices
Proprietary operating system
Cisco PIX Proprietary Included on all CISCO
PIX devices
Proprietary operating system
Juniper SSG Proprietary Included on Netscreen
security gateways
Proprietary operating system ScreenOS
Juniper SRX Proprietary Included on SRX
security gateways
Proprietary operating system Junos
Sonicwall Proprietary Included on Dell appliance Proprietary operating system SonicOS

Based on the Linux kernel

Barracuda Firewall Proprietary Included Firewall Next Generation appliance Windows-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution
Cyberoam Proprietary Included Firewall Sophos appliance Windows-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution
D-Link Proprietary Included Firewall DFL Windows-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution
Endian Firewall Proprietary Free / Paid Linux-based appliance
Forcepoint NGFW Proprietary Included on all Forcepoint NGFW devices Proprietary operating system
OPNsense Simplified BSD / FreeBSD License Free / Paid FreeBSD-based appliance
firewall distribution
pfSense ESF/Apache 2.0 Free / Paid FreeBSD-based appliance
firewall distribution
Zeroshell GPL Free / Paid Linux/NanoBSD-based appliance
firewall distribution
SmoothWall GPL Free / Paid Linux-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution
IPFire GPL Free (Donations welcomed) Linux-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution
WatchGuard Proprietary Included on all Firebox devices Proprietary, Fireware OS,

Based on the Linux kernel

WinGate Proprietary Free / Paid Windows-based appliance
embedded firewall distribution

Firewall rule-set Appliance-UTM filtering features comparison

Can Target: Changing default policy to accept/reject (by issuing a single rule) IP destination address(es) IP source address(es) TCP/UDP destination port(s) TCP/UDP source port(s) Ethernet MAC destination address Ethernet MAC source address Inbound firewall (ingress) Outbound firewall (egress)
Trend Micro Internet Security Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Vyatta Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
Windows XP Firewall No No Yes Partial[lower-alpha 1] No No No Yes No
Windows Vista Firewall Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Windows 7 /
Windows 2008 R2
Firewall
Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
WinGate Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes
Zeroshell Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Zorp Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
pfSense Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
IPFire Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Notes
  1. can target only single destination TCP/UDP port per rule, not port ranges.

Firewall rule-set advanced features comparison

Can: work at OSI Layer 4 (stateful firewall) work at OSI Layer 7 (application inspection) Change TTL? (Transparent to traceroute) Configure REJECT-with answer DMZ (de-militarized zone) Filter according to time of day (quota) Redirect TCP/UDP ports (port forwarding) Redirect IP addresses (forwarding) Filter according to User Authorization Traffic rate-limit / QoS Tarpit Log
Sidewinder Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
WinGate Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes
Zeroshell Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
OPNsense Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
pfSense Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
IPFire Yes Yes ? No Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes No Yes
Features: Configuration: GUI, text or both modes? Remote Access: Web (HTTP), Telnet, SSH, RDP, Serial COM RS232, ... Change rules without requiring restart? Ability to centrally manage all firewalls together
WinGate GUI Proprietary user interface Yes N/A
ClearOS both RS232, SSH, WebConfig, Yes Yes with ClearDNS
Zeroshell GUI SSH, Web (HTTPS), RS232 Yes No
OPNsense both SSH, Web (HTTP/HTTPS), RS232 Yes No
pfSense both SSH, Web (HTTP/HTTPS), RS232 Yes No
IPFire both SSH, Web (HTTPS), RS232 Yes No

Firewall's other features comparison

Features: Modularity: supports third-party modules to extend functionality? IPS : Intrusion prevention system Open-Source License? supports IPv6? Class: Home / Professional Operating Systems on which it runs?
Vyatta Yes Yes Yes Yes Professional Vyatta OS (built on Debian)
WinGate Yes[lower-alpha 1] ? No No Professional Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008. 32bit and 64bit.
OPNsense Yes Yes, with Snort and Suricata (modules) Yes Yes Both FreeBSD/NanoBSD-based appliance
pfSense Yes Yes, with Snort and Suricata (modules) Yes Yes Both FreeBSD/NanoBSD-based appliance
IPFire Yes Yes, with Snort and Guardian Yes Yes (manual setup needed) Both Linux (based on Linux From Scratch)
Notes
  1. WinGate 6.x supports 3rd party modules for data scanning only (e.g. antivirus and content filtering).

Non-Firewall extra features comparison

These are not strictly firewall features, but are sometimes bundled with firewall software or appliance. Features are also marked "yes" if an external module can be installed that meets the criteria.

Can: NAT[lower-alpha 1] NAT64, NPTv6 Intrusion Detection System (IDS)[lower-alpha 2] Virtual Private Network (VPN)[lower-alpha 3] Antivirus (AV) Packet capture Profile selection[lower-alpha 4]
Vyatta Yes (three NAT types) ? Yes (integrated Snort) Yes (IPsec and OpenVPN) Yes (with clamav, Sophos Antivirus (optional)) Yes (with wireshark or tcpdump) ?
WinGate Yes ? Yes (with NetPatrol) Yes (proprietary) Yes (Kaspersky Labs) Yes (filtered capturing to pcap format) No
OPNsense Yes Yes (NPt) Yes (with Snort) Yes (OpenVPN, IPsec, L2TP, IKEv2, Tinc, PPTP) Yes (with squid and clamav) Yes (tcpdump) No
pfSense Yes Yes (NPt) Yes (with Snort) Yes (OpenVPN, IPsec, L2TP, IKEv2, Tinc, PPTP) Yes (with squid and clamav) Yes (tcpdump) No
IPFire Yes ? Yes (with Snort) Yes (OpenVPN, IPsec, IKEv2) Yes (with squid and clamav) Yes (tcpdump) No
Notes
  1. static, dynamic w/o ports, PAT
  2. monitors for malicious activity or policy violations
  3. types include: PPTP, L2TP, MPLS, IPsec, SSL
  4. store sets of firewall settings to switch between

See also

References