We performed a comparison between OPNsense and SonicWall TZ based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Features: OPNsense is highly praised for its ability to easily adapt to changing needs, its guest access options, its flexibility, and its open license. SonicWall TZ is known for its exceptional unified threat management, strong VPN capabilities, reliable web security, and user-friendly centralized interface.
OPNsense could benefit from improvements in interface simplicity, bandwidth management, high availability, logging, integration, hardware updates, reporting, SSL inspection, and learning curve. SonicWall TZ needs enhancements in rated throughput, secondary DNS hosting, cloud management, user interface, integration, marketing, reporting, additional ports, GSM and Sonic Analyzer features, advanced features and pricing, UI application and net policies, scalability and proxy feature, DPI-SSL clients, content filtering, DNS hosting, monitoring and pricing, security and VPN connections, overall cost, and version improvements.
Service and Support: The customer service for OPNsense has garnered varying feedback, with certain users appreciating prompt responses and valuable aid, whereas some encounter challenges when attempting to access support. SonicWall TZ's support has also generated diverse opinions, as a few customers face language barriers and delays, but overall find the support satisfactory.
Ease of Deployment: The setup process for OPNsense is uncomplicated and can be managed by clients without IT expertise, although it might be more time-consuming in certain scenarios like Azure. SonicWall TZ setup is simple, user-friendly, and can be finished within a timeframe ranging from 30 minutes to a few hours. Technical staff can provide assistance for swift deployment.
Pricing: The cost of setting up OPNsense primarily depends on the hardware used, since the software is provided for free. SonicWall TZ has received varying opinions regarding its pricing and licensing, with some users considering it cost-effective while others find it to be expensive.
ROI: OPNsense is a cost-effective option with a quicker return on investment due to the absence of ongoing fees. SonicWall TZ delivers satisfactory outcomes, although it suggests an upgrade for enhanced performance.
Comparison Results: Based on user feedback, OPNsense is the preferred choice when comparing it to SonicWall TZ. Users appreciate OPNsense for its scalability, excellent features, user-friendly interface, flexibility, stability, availability of a free version, and well-documented resources.
"The solution is stable."
"The most valuable features are the policies, filtering, and configuration."
"The inspection and web security features are most valuable."
"The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was straightforward."
"It's super reliable. I don't think I've ever had a reliability issue with it."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of use."
"The most valuable feature is the interface, which is very user friendly. We are utilizing most of the features, like content filtering. The firewall is powerful."
"We use a lot of function on the IPS and it works well for us."
"What I like best about OPNsense is that, as a firewall, it's pretty good. I'm quite impressed with it. I had an excellent experience with OPNsense, which helped me achieve the targets I wanted."
"We can open a new VPN connection easily. It's much easier than with Fortinet in our experience."
"It is a very good solution. I like the dashboard. I can see what is going on and manage it as I like it."
"OPNsense is highly stable."
"What I like the most about OPNsense is that it offers an easy-to-use dashboard for device management and control."
"I feel that its valuable features are that it is simple and free."
"It's open source."
"OPNsense could improve by making the configuration more web-based rather than shell or command-line-based."
"SonicWall TZ is a very cost-effective solution that provides good security."
"It does what it says it is going to do."
"Good site categorization and application controls."
"The site-to-site VPN connections, content filtering, and in our current remote working situation, SSL VPN remote desktop connectivity are the most valuable features."
"Good VPN connection."
"Offers the right amount of control without being incredibly convoluted and frustrating."
"The solution's VPN is very good for stability and detecting threats."
"SonicWall TZ is very user-friendly and has network MAC binding. Additionally, the firewall works well."
"I feel that the reporting needs to be improved."
"I think the only issue that needs improvement is the interface."
"Lacks sufficient security options."
"One area for improvement is the performance on the bandwidth demands for smaller devices, as well as better web filtering."
"The renewal price and the availability could be improved."
"For the migration, everyone has a firewall in use and I am selling Fortinet. Typically, I am replacing another firewall. Previously, there was a tool available to convert configurations from one firewall, such as Palo Alto, to Fortinet, but this tool is no longer free. If it could be made free again, it would be very beneficial."
"The central management for the FortiGate Fortinet Firewall needs improvement. They have the manager to do the essential management for both SD-WAN and for the security policy. They should also improve the SD-WAN function."
"We would like to see better pricing."
"They should improve IPEs for security in the future."
"The support for OPNsense is good because we have documents available on the internet. The support could improve a little."
"There are a few weaknesses. For example, there is a lack of some features that I have in certain commercial products."
"OPNsense could improve by making the configuration more web-based rather than shell or command-line-based."
"The IPS solution could be more reliable."
"An area for improvement in OPNsense is the hardware, which needs to be updated more frequently. DNS blocking is another good feature I want to be added to the solution. pfSense has a peer-blocking feature that I also want to see in OPNsense."
"You will need additional training before you can actually start to use it."
"I would like to see better SD-WAN performance."
"In general, the company needs to think contingently and integrate more security options."
"The solution must provide more ports."
"There is a point I don't like about SonicWall in the past and now. Most of the destinations we look at when we're detecting some user using too much bandwidth or something like that, SonicWall just gave us destination IP address, instead of the full qualified domain name. I think that's the most important part that is still missing. I think that's the most important for us."
"The lack of support is having me look into other solutions to replace SonicWALL."
"The reporting analytics could be improved, it is very unstable."
"Although the pricing is good, it could always be lower. If we get to pay less, we're happier."
"It could probably be more user-friendly, and it could be more scalable with releases and subscriptions."
"Full monitoring obviously needs to be improved. We need full monitoring covered under the security licensing."
OPNsense is ranked 3rd in Firewalls with 36 reviews while SonicWall TZ is ranked 12th in Firewalls with 78 reviews. OPNsense is rated 8.4, while SonicWall TZ is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of OPNsense writes "Robust network security and management offering a user-friendly interface, open-source flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, with challenges regarding initial setup and the absence of official support". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SonicWall TZ writes "Has efficient user access control feature and good technical support services ". OPNsense is most compared with Netgate pfSense, Sophos XG, Untangle NG Firewall, Sophos UTM and Check Point NGFW, whereas SonicWall TZ is most compared with Sophos XG, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX, SonicWall NSa and Zyxel Unified Security Gateway. See our OPNsense vs. SonicWall TZ report.
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