OPNsense
Dutch-developed open source firewall and routing platform with an optional paid Business Edition
Quick Overview
| Company | Deciso Sales B.V. (developer of OPNsense) |
|---|---|
| Category | Firewall Software (NGFW) |
| Headquarters | Middelharnis, Netherlands |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - Netherlands (EU) |
| Data Location | Runs on your own hardware |
| Open Source | BSD-style 2-clause licence |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes, installs on your own hardware or virtual machine |
| Main Features | Stateful IPv4/IPv6 firewall, traffic shaping, IPsec, WireGuard, Suricata intrusion prevention, caching proxy, OPNcentral management plugin, REST API |
| Pricing | Community edition free; Business Edition EUR 149/year per installation |
| Best For | IT teams comfortable running their own firewall on commodity or Deciso hardware |
| Replaces | Fortinet FortiGate, pfSense, Sophos XG |
Detailed Review
OPNsense is built on FreeBSD and published as open source. The OPNsense site describes a simplified two-clause licence, and a community of contributors tests and updates it.
Deciso Sales B.V. in Middelharnis, the Netherlands, sells hardware, support and the Business Edition. Its terms name Dutch law as applicable.
Features
The platform covers a stateful firewall, traffic shaping, IPsec and WireGuard VPN, and inline intrusion prevention with Suricata and Emerging Threats Open rules. Optional commercial rule sets exist, and Q-Feeds threat intelligence is promoted as an add-on.
Hardware
Deciso sells desktop and rack DEC appliances, advertised as designed, made and shipped from Europe, for buyers who want vendor support on a known device.
Limitations to Consider
There is no central vendor-run cloud console as in commercial suites, though the OPNcentral plugin offers central features. Support depends on a paid plan or the community forum, and the Business Edition licence covers one installation only. Throughput of software builds depends on your own hardware, so Stormshield or genua are easier to certify for regulated use.
Who Should Use OPNsense
Administrators and MSPs who want an auditable code base, no per-device licence for the community build, and the option to buy support from a Dutch company.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Open source code under a short licence
- Free community build
- Business Edition at a published price
- Dutch hardware and support available
- WireGuard and Suricata included
Cons
- No national security qualification stated
- Support is a separate purchase
- You size and maintain hardware yourself
- Business licence limited to one installation
Alternatives to OPNsense
Other European firewall software (ngfw) worth comparing before you decide:
Stormshield
France · French network firewalls qualified by ANSSI, for IT and OT
genua
Germany · Two-box high resistance firewall for classified networks
R&S LANCOM Unified Firewalls
Germany · German UTM firewalls from the LANCOM line, hardware or virtual
Securepoint
Germany · German UTM firewalls with an all-inclusive licence per device
See all European firewall software (ngfw) or compare them directly against Fortinet FortiGate on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The community build is free to download. A Business Edition subscription costs EUR 149 per year per installation in the Deciso shop.
Deciso, based in the Netherlands, with a community of contributors.
Yes, WireGuard is among the VPN options named by Deciso.