Firewalla Purple vs Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)

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

all judged against firewalls at a similar price

The Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) scores 7.1/10 overall, ahead of the Firewalla Purple at 5.7/10.

The Firewalla Purple leads on running costs.

The Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) 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 Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) 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

Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)

7.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The 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.

Typically about £396 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	Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)
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	Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)
Firewall / IPS throughput	1 Gbps software packet processing (no separate IPS figure published)	3.5 Gbps IDS/IPS throughput (manufacturer rating, not independently tested); no firewall-only figure found
Ports	2x 1 Gbit Ethernet (LAN, WAN) plus USB-C power port	9 RJ45 GbE (8 LAN, 1 WAN) and 2 SFP+ 10G (one LAN, one WAN); no 2.5GbE port listed
Software	Firewalla OS, managed through a smartphone app	UniFi OS with the UniFi Application Suite: Network, Protect, Access, Talk and Connect
VPN throughput	WireGuard 500 Mbps; OpenVPN 120 Mbps; one site-to-site connection	not listed
Processor	6-core 64-bit ARM	not listed
Memory	2048 MB	not listed
Subscriptions needed	No monthly fee for standard features; paid apps for pro or business users may come later	Core features need no subscription; optional CyberSecure add-on at $99 per unit billed annually

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 Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro)

+ 3.5+ Gbps IDS/IPS rating from the manufacturer
+ Two SFP+ 10G ports plus eight GbE LAN ports
+ WireGuard, IPsec and OpenVPN with no subscription for core features
− No 2.5GbE port listed
− Owners report freezes, connectivity loss and slow support
− No published VPN throughput or measured power figures

Skip it if:

Buyers who need 2.5GbE ports on the gateway itself
Anyone who depends on fast vendor support
Users who want open-source firewall software

Read the full Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro (UDM-Pro) review ›

More comparisons

Compare all firewalls · Best firewalls