Firewalla Purple vs Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway

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

all judged against firewalls at a similar price

The Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway scores 7.1/10 overall, ahead of the Firewalla Purple at 5.7/10.

The Firewalla Purple leads on running costs.

The Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway leads on throughput, ports and networking and software and features.

They score the same on security record.

The biggest difference is ports and networking, where the Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway scores 7/10 to the Firewalla Purple's 4/10.

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

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway

7.1/10verdict: buy

The 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.

Typically about £465 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Firewalla Purple	Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway
Throughput	25%	6/10	8/10
Ports and networking	20%	4/10	7/10
Software and features	20%	6/10	8/10
Security record	20%	5/10	5/10
Running costs	15%	8/10	7/10
Overall		5.7/10	7.1/10

Specifications

Spec	Firewalla Purple	Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway
Firewall / IPS throughput	1 Gbps software packet processing (no separate IPS figure published)	not listed
Ports	2x 1 Gbit Ethernet (LAN, WAN) plus USB-C power port	Four 2.5GbE RJ-45 ports (PORT1WAN to PORT4); no SFP+ port listed
Software	Firewalla OS, managed through a smartphone app	pfSense Plus, preinstalled
VPN throughput	WireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 Mbps; one site-to-site connection	IPsec AES-GCM-128 3.2 Gbps (iPerf3) and 1.05 Gbps (IMIX); WireGuard supported
Processor	6-core 64-bit ARM	Intel Atom C1110, 4-core, 2.1 GHz with AVX2
Memory	2048 MB	4 GB LPDDR5
Subscriptions needed	No monthly fee for standard features; paid apps for pro or business users may come later	TAC Lite included; Professional $399/yr and Enterprise $799/yr; no paid subscription listed as required for core features

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway

+ Firewall throughput of 8.61 Gbps (iPerf3) is well above gigabit
+ Four 2.5GbE ports
+ No paid subscription listed as required for core features
− IPS throughput not published
− No SFP+ port listed
− No firmware or advisory history in the research

Skip it if:

Buyers who need a published IPS throughput figure before committing
Anyone needing SFP+ or fibre ports on the firewall itself
Buyers who require a documented firmware and advisory history

Read the full Netgate 4200 pfSense+ Security Gateway review ›

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