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Firewalla Gold Plus vs Firewalla Purple

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against firewalls at a similar price

The Firewalla Gold Plus scores 6.8/10 overall, ahead of the Firewalla Purple at 5.7/10.

The Firewalla Gold Plus leads on throughput and ports and networking.

They score the same on software and features, security record and running costs.

The biggest difference is ports and networking, where the Firewalla Gold Plus scores 7/10 to the Firewalla Purple's 4/10.

Firewalla Gold Plus

Firewalla Gold Plus

6.8/10verdict: buy

The Firewalla Gold Plus is for buyers who want a dedicated firewall with four 2.5GbE ports and IDS/IPS. It suits people who are happy to run Firewalla's own Linux-based OS. It is a poor match for anyone who needs built-in Wi-Fi, SFP+ or a low upfront cost.

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Firewalla Purple

Firewalla Purple

5.7/10verdict: good, not the best

Firewalla 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.

Typically about £300 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightFirewalla Gold PlusFirewalla Purple
Throughput25%8/106/10
Ports and networking20%7/104/10
Software and features20%6/106/10
Security record20%5/105/10
Running costs15%8/108/10
Overall6.8/105.7/10

Specifications

SpecFirewalla Gold PlusFirewalla Purple
Firewall / IPS throughput5 Gbit software packet processing1 Gbps software packet processing (no separate IPS figure published)
Ports4 x 2.5 Gbit RJ45 plus a console port; no SFP+2x 1 Gbit Ethernet (LAN, WAN) plus USB-C power port
SoftwareFirewalla's own Linux-based OSFirewalla OS, managed through a smartphone app
VPN throughputWireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 MbpsWireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 Mbps; one site-to-site connection
ProcessorQuad-core 64-bit Intel CPU6-core 64-bit ARM
Memory4 GB DDR RAM, 32 GB storage2048 MB
Subscriptions neededNo subscription needed for core features; optional MSP web interface costs $40 per yearNo monthly fee for standard features; paid apps for pro or business users may come later

Strengths and weaknesses

Firewalla Gold Plus

  • + Four 2.5GbE ports and 5 Gbit packet processing
  • + No subscription needed for core features
  • + Passive cooling and low power use, per owners
  • − No Wi-Fi included
  • − No SFP+ port
  • − Owners call it expensive once UK import fees and VAT apply

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want to run a firewall OS other than Firewalla's own
  • Anyone who needs SFP+ or built-in Wi-Fi
  • Shoppers on a tight budget, given owner complaints about UK pricing
Read the full Firewalla Gold Plus review ›

Firewalla Purple

  • + No monthly fee for standard features
  • + Owners praise low power use
  • + WireGuard, OpenVPN, VLANs and Geo-IP filtering listed
  • − Gigabit ports only; no 2.5GbE or SFP+
  • − No separate IPS throughput figure published
  • − Manufacturer says sales are paused

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 2.5GbE or SFP+ ports
  • Anyone who needs a published IPS throughput figure before buying
  • Users who want more than 5 VLANs or several site-to-site VPN connections
Read the full Firewalla Purple review ›

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