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Firewalla Purple vs Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)

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

all judged against firewalls at a similar price

The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra) scores 6.6/10 overall, ahead of the Firewalla Purple at 5.7/10.

The Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra) leads on throughput, ports and networking and software and features.

They score the same on security record and running costs.

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)

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

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)

6.6/10verdict: good, not the best

The 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.

Typically about £99.96 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightFirewalla PurpleUbiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)
Throughput25%6/107/10
Ports and networking20%4/106/10
Software and features20%6/107/10
Security record20%5/105/10
Running costs15%8/108/10
Overall5.7/106.6/10

Specifications

SpecFirewalla PurpleUbiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)
Firewall / IPS throughput1 Gbps software packet processing (no separate IPS figure published)not listed
Ports2x 1 Gbit Ethernet (LAN, WAN) plus USB-C power port1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN, 4x GbE RJ45 LAN, no SFP+ port
SoftwareFirewalla OS, managed through a smartphone appUniFi Network
VPN throughputWireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 Mbps; one site-to-site connectionnot listed
Processor6-core 64-bit ARMQuad-core ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz
Memory2048 MB3 GB system memory, 16 GB on-board storage
Subscriptions neededNo monthly fee for standard features; paid apps for pro or business users may come laterNo required subscription appears in sources; CyberSecure paid status not stated

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 ›

Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra)

  • + Lists 1 Gbps IDS/IPS throughput
  • + WireGuard as both VPN server and client
  • + Maximum power draw of 6.2 W
  • − No SFP+ port; LAN ports are all gigabit
  • − Firewall throughput figure not published
  • − CyberSecure paid status not stated

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need SFP+ or multi-gig LAN ports on the gateway
  • Anyone running IPS on a line faster than 1 Gbps
  • Buyers who need a published firewall throughput figure before purchase
Read the full Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra) review ›

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