Best Network Firewall Software in 2026
Updated
In short: NethSecurity is ranked #1 of 33 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of pfSense and Arista NG Firewall. The best-ranked option with a free plan is pfSense. The lowest first paid tier on this page is AWS Network Firewall at $0.07/mo.
Network firewall software is used to control and inspect network traffic, with capabilities and deployment options varying across entries. The ranking starts with pfSense, Arista NG Firewall, and Sangfor EasyConnect, followed by Zscaler Private Access and IPFire. Compare firewall throughput and concurrent connections to assess the listed capacity measures, and look at deployment model when considering where a solution fits. Intrusion prevention, SSL inspection, and site-to-site VPN are additional capabilities to weigh. Free plan availability and paid-from pricing complete the comparison criteria.
33 network firewall software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 NethSecurity Top pick · 7.0 
#2 pfSense Runner-up · 7.0 
#3 Arista NG Firewall Also great · 6.9 Free plan · $22.50/mo- Free planFree trial Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 25 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$22.50/mofirst paid tier About Arista NG FirewallVisit site - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- No
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidapiiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindowsRecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
- Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$8.15/mofirst paid tier About WatchGuard FireCloudVisit site - Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.07/mofirst paid tier About AWS Network FirewallVisit site - self-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- No
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 420 /mo
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.36/mofirst paid tier About Alibaba Cloud Cloud FirewallVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which network firewall software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
NethSecurity is ranked #1 of 33 with a score of 7.0. pfSense is second and Arista NG Firewall third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, AWS Network Firewall has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.07/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.