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.
Choosing network firewall software involves comparing traffic capacity, inspection features and deployment choices. Compared on firewall throughput and concurrent connections, the entries also cover intrusion prevention, SSL inspection and site-to-site VPN. Deployment model, free-plan availability and paid-from details add setup and cost context. NethSecurity, pfSense and Arista NG Firewall are among the options to consider. Think about the traffic your environment handles and which inspection or location-connection capabilities matter, then use the listed criteria to compare how each entry aligns with those requirements.
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 · 7.7 
#2 pfSense Runner-up · 7.7 
#3 Arista NG Firewall Also great · 7.1 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 planFree trialPlatforms - Free planFree trial Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - 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 planFree trialPlatforms$22.50/mofirst paid tier About Arista NG FirewallVisit site - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$8.15/mofirst paid tier About WatchGuard FireCloudVisit site - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- No
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidapiiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindowsRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- Linuxself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiself-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$0.07/mofirst paid tier About AWS Network FirewallVisit site -
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - self-hostedWeb
- Deployment model
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms -
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 420 /mo
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$0.36/mofirst paid tier About Alibaba Cloud Cloud FirewallVisit site - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- No
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms -
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
- Site-to-site VPN
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Intrusion prevention
- Yes
- SSL inspection
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms€59/mofirst paid tier About Little SnitchVisit site
Is your platform 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 The Geeks Club?
NethSecurity is ranked #1 of 33 with a score of 7.7. 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 how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.