Firewalla Purple vs Protectli Vault Pro VP2420

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

all judged against firewalls at a similar price

The Protectli Vault Pro VP2420 scores 6.1/10 overall, ahead of the Firewalla Purple at 5.7/10.

The Firewalla Purple leads on throughput.

The Protectli Vault Pro VP2420 leads on 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 Protectli Vault Pro VP2420 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

Protectli Vault Pro VP2420

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The Protectli Vault Pro VP2420 suits homelabbers and small offices who want a four-port 2.5GbE box to run pfSense or OPNsense themselves. It fits people who care more about VPN speed, build quality and low power draw than heavy intrusion prevention. Buyers should check stock first, because the manufacturer says the VP2420e has replaced it.

Typically about £569 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	Protectli Vault Pro VP2420
Throughput	25%	6/10	5/10
Ports and networking	20%	4/10	7/10
Software and features	20%	6/10	6/10
Security record	20%	5/10	5/10
Running costs	15%	8/10	8/10
Overall		5.7/10	6.1/10

Specifications

Spec	Firewalla Purple	Protectli Vault Pro VP2420
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	4x Intel I226-V 2.5G Ethernet RJ-45; 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A; console port
Software	Firewalla OS, managed through a smartphone app	Not a fixed OS; vendor states compatibility with a variety of operating systems including open source firewall projects; AMI or coreboot BIOS
VPN throughput	WireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 Mbps; one site-to-site connection	pfSense WireGuard ~2250Mbps (vendor test; conflicts with the ~1200Mbps OPNsense WireGuard figure, test conditions not fully stated)
Processor	6-core 64-bit ARM	Intel Celeron J6412, 4 cores/4 threads, 2.0 GHz base, up to 2.6 GHz burst, 1.5M cache, AES-NI, VT-x/VT-d
Memory	2048 MB	1x SO-DIMM slot, DDR4-3200, max 32GB
Subscriptions needed	No monthly fee for standard features; paid apps for pro or business users may come later	No paid subscription listed; 2-year factory warranty, extendable

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 ›

Protectli Vault Pro VP2420

+ Four 2.5GbE Intel I226-V ports
+ No paid subscription listed; two-year warranty
+ Owners report strong power efficiency for the performance
− Owners report limited CPU headroom under heavy IDS/IPS
− Listed as out of stock; replaced by VP2420e
− One SO-DIMM slot, no SFP+ listed

Skip it if:

Buyers who want heavy IDS/IPS inspection on a fast line
Anyone who needs SFP+ ports or a pre-installed firewall OS
Buyers planning several virtual machines on the same box

Read the full Protectli Vault Pro VP2420 review ›

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