Best firewalls under £500 (2026)
The firewalls we've reviewed that cost £500 or less, best first. Each is scored against products at a similar price, so a high score here means good for the money. Where we don't have today's price, we use the typical UK price we found when researching it.
Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
- #1
Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway Max
7.3/10verdict: buyThe UniFi Cloud Gateway Max is for people who want a compact router, firewall and IDS/IPS box running Ubiquiti's UniFi software. It suits a UK gigabit line or faster, thanks to a 2.5GbE WAN port and a vendor IDS/IPS figure of 2.3 Gbps. It is a better fit for existing or planned UniFi users than for anyone who wants non-proprietary software.
2.3 Gbps IDS/IPSFive 2.5G/1G/100M/10M RJ45 portsUniFi Application SuiteRead the full review ݣ272.40typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #2
Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)
7.1/10verdict: good, not the bestThe UDM-Pro suits homelabbers and small offices that want routing, firewalling, IDS/IPS and VPN in one UniFi OS device. It is a good fit if you already run, or plan to run, other UniFi products. Buyers who need proven stability or quick support should read the owner complaints first.
3.5 Gbps IDS/IPS throughput9 RJ45 GbEUniFi OS with the UniFi Application Suite…16W idle · £36.89/year to run · £506.67 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ396typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #3
Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway
7.1/10verdict: buyThe Netgate 4200 is a desktop pfSense Plus firewall with four 2.5GbE ports and published multi-gig firewall and VPN throughput. It suits anyone with a gigabit or faster line who wants four 2.5GbE ports and a firewall platform they can configure in depth. It is less clear-cut for buyers who need published IPS throughput, SFP+ ports or a documented advisory history.
Four 2.5GbE RJ-45 portspfSense PlusIPsec AES-GCM-128 3.2 Gbps13W idle · £29.97/year to run · £554.92 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ465typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #4
Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)
6.6/10verdict: good, not the bestThe Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra suits home, homelab and small-office networks that already use or plan to use UniFi. It lists 1 Gbps of IDS/IPS throughput, so it matches a gigabit line with inspection switched on. Buyers who need SFP+, several multi-gig LAN ports or a published firewall throughput figure should look at the details first.
1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN, 4x GbE RJ45 LANUniFi Network4.5W idle · £10.38/year to run · £131.09 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ99.96typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #5
Netgate 2100 pfSense+ Security Gateway
5.9/10verdict: good, not the bestThe Netgate 2100 is for people who want a supported, fanless pfSense Plus firewall for a small office or home network. It suits those who value low running costs and a no-subscription core over inspection headroom. Buyers planning IPS on a full gigabit line should check the throughput evidence first.
One 1 GbE WANpfSense Plus with lifetime upgradesIPsec VPN, 254 Mbps iPerf34.6W idle · £10.61/year to run · £467.82 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ436typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #6
Firewalla Purple
5.7/10verdict: good, not the bestFirewalla Purple is for home and small-office users who want an app-managed firewall on a gigabit connection. It suits people who want to avoid a monthly fee and keep power use low. The manufacturer's page says sales are paused, so availability needs checking first.
1 Gbps software packet processing2x 1 Gbit EthernetFirewalla OSWireGuard 500 Mbps7W idle · £16.14/year to run · £348.42 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ300typical UK price when researchedSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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