Software Alternatives & Reviews

IPFire VS OpenWrt

Compare IPFire VS OpenWrt and see what are their differences

IPFire

IPFire is a server distribution with intended to use as a firewall.

OpenWrt

OpenWrt is an open-source firmware based on Linux for wireless routers
  • IPFire Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • OpenWrt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-14

IPFire

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Linux
  • Perimeter Security And Firewalls
  • Cyber Security
Website ipfire.org  
Details $-

OpenWrt

Categories
  • Operating Systems
  • Routers
  • Firmware
  • Linux
Website openwrt.org  
Details $

IPFire videos

Exploring IpFire Open Source Firewall

More videos:

  • Review - IpFire vs PfSense
  • Review - Introduction to ipFire Open Source Firewall

OpenWrt videos

Upgrading Your Home Router to OpenWRT and Why It Is Worth It

More videos:

  • Review - Playing with OpenWrt Wireless Settings
  • Review - Make Your TP-LINK Router into a High Power Router with OpenWrt

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to IPFire and OpenWrt)
Operating Systems
23 23%
77% 77
Perimeter Security And Firewalls
Linux
25 25%
75% 75
Routers
15 15%
85% 85

User comments

Share your experience with using IPFire and OpenWrt. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare IPFire and OpenWrt

IPFire Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
When utilized as a virtual private network (VPN), IPFire facilitates access from afar. The IPFire firewall has additional features built-in, unlike pfSense, which is another wonderful reason to use it instead of that other firewall. These extras improve IPFire in several ways, most notably by allowing it to function as a wireless access point. In addition, they provide file...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
One of the key features of IPFire is its firewall capabilities. It offers advanced features such as stateful packet inspection, traffic shaping, and intrusion detection and prevention. These features allow administrators to block unwanted traffic and prevent malicious attacks on their networks. IPFire also supports VPN connections, allowing users to securely connect to their...
Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
IPFire is a Linux-based distribution intended for Firewalls and Routers. IPfire is a continuation of IPCop (mentioned above) but has been rewritten from scratch. The system is regularly updated and maintained, but it doesn't have many features found in pfSense or OPNSense. It passes all our requirements but barely makes this list of recommendations because it has no...
Source: teklager.se
11 Best pfsense Alternatives To Secure Your Network
IPFire is not built on any previous distribution; it was created from the ground up. This enables the programmers to harden IPFire to a greater degree than any host operating system and design all components expressly for use as a firewall.
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
IPFire is a Linux-based router OS that’s an up-and-comer. It is a little newer than the other options in this article, but it is rapidly catching up to others in options and features. It has a ton of firewall features, but it is growing in router features as well.

OpenWrt Reviews

Best pfSense Software Alternatives and Competitors
Both pfSense and OpenWRT are formidable and versatile alternatives for network administration software. While OpenWRT is designed for embedded devices such as routers, Pfsense focuses on firewalls and routing functions that are more complex. Pfsense is more user-friendly, while OpenWRT provides more configuration options. Both are supported by thriving online communities...
The Best Open Source Router OS Software for Large or Small Networks
OpenWrt also offers a range of advanced networking configurations, including support for Quality of Service (QoS), network address translation (NAT), and virtual LAN (VLAN) tagging. These features make OpenWrt an attractive option for businesses and organizations that require more advanced networking capabilities. The open-source nature of OpenWrt means that users can...
Best free Linux router and firewall distributions of 2023
Unlike IPFire, OpenWRT has a large number of optional packages in its repository. As a result, you can configure this OS in countless different ways. Most importantly, OpenWRT has drivers for all hardware supported by Linux. This means that almost all Wireless hardware is supported, making it the most versatile OS for creating Access Points.
Source: teklager.se
Top 7 pfSense Alternatives
OpenWRT is made primarily to replace the software on existing routers, but it can also run on x86 (PCs, server hardware, VMs) machines. It is a very mature OS and has some of the best Wi-Fi support around, unlike a lot of other router software options. It has a pretty good GUI and a ton of add-on packages.
7 Best Router Firmware | Open Source | 2022
OpenWrt Project is a Linux based alternative open source firmware for routers in 2022 and embedded systems. And it is one of the best Open Source Firmware that offers you an utterly writable filesystem along with package management. It allows for full customization and lets you customize the device for any application.
Source: viralhax.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenWrt seems to be a lot more popular than IPFire. While we know about 103 links to OpenWrt, we've tracked only 2 mentions of IPFire. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

IPFire mentions (2)

  • How does pfSense compare to IPFire?
    Hello, I'm running an IPFire firewall on an APU4C4 since years and am pretty happy with it. It does everything I need and does it very well. I'm not missing anything. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Microsoft identifies and mitigates new malware targeting Ukraine “within 3 hours”
    Antivirus software is just another form of disease. IPFire has the tools to keep you healthy. Back that up with Windows+Defender or use OSX, and you should be able to live a long life. Source: almost 2 years ago

OpenWrt mentions (103)

  • Recommendation for a wifi router with L2TP or other VPN server support?
    If your current router supports a custom firmware like openWRT then you could do this without having to buy a new one. Source: 3 months ago
  • OpenWrt Site Account Creation
    Unfortunately, I can't create an account via Github on the openwrt site. Source: 5 months ago
  • openwrt.org not loading
    Anyone else having trouble reaching openwrt.org right now? I can't get the forums, main page or downloads. I've done plenty of troubleshooting and there isn't anything else on my network having trouble reaching anything else on the internet. Source: 6 months ago
  • Things just got a little weird, my current network is down, I'm a newb trying to start from the ground up and I found out I actually have another (newer) wifi router.... what to do?
    On the router. openwrt.org has lots of great documentation that lays out exactly what you're looking for and then some. Source: 8 months ago
  • As of June 2023, what is the best router that I could buy specifically for ease of use with all things pi-hole related
    Is the Verizon one a combined modem/router? If you want to add your own router, you might have to call them and ask them to put it into bridged mode. I like OpenWRT because it gives you a lot of customization options. I've just been running it on an old TP-Link Archer C7 for the past 5 years or so and I haven't had any issues, but that's ancient hardware now. Source: 9 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing IPFire and OpenWrt, you can also consider the following products

pfSense - pfSense is a free and open source firewall and router that also features unified threat management, load balancing, multi WAN, and more

MikroTik RouterOS - The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS.

OPNsense - OPNsense® you next open source firewall. Free Download. High-end Security Made Easy™. Offers Intrusion Prevention, Captive Portal, Traffic Shaping and more.

VyOS - VyOS in an open source Linux-based operating system sold and distributed by Sentrium corporations. It is geared toward IT specialists and network administrators for the purpose of securing network and company data... read more.

Endian Firewall Community - Endian Firewall Community (EFW) is a "turn-key" linux security distribution that turns...

Gargoyle - Gargoyle Router Firmware home page