IPFire
Firewall software
Network security software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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€301.29 per year
Free TrialFree version
Small
Medium
Large
- Construction
- Education and training
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
What is IPFire
IPFire is an open-source Linux-based firewall distribution used to secure and segment networks at the edge or between internal zones. It targets small-to-midsize organizations, schools, and technically capable teams that want a self-managed firewall on commodity hardware or a virtual machine. The platform provides stateful firewalling, NAT, VPN, and optional add-on packages for services such as intrusion detection and web proxying. It is typically deployed where organizations prefer community-maintained software and direct control over configuration and updates.
Open-source and self-hosted
IPFire is distributed as open-source software and can run on standard x86 hardware or as a virtual appliance. This supports deployments where organizations want to avoid vendor lock-in and manage the full stack themselves. It also enables use in labs, branch offices, and cost-sensitive environments where commercial licensing is a constraint.
Clear zone-based segmentation
IPFire uses a color-coded zone model (e.g., WAN, LAN, DMZ, Wi‑Fi) to separate networks and apply policy between them. This helps administrators implement basic segmentation without building complex rule sets from scratch. The approach fits common perimeter and internal-segmentation use cases such as guest networks and DMZ-hosted services.
Extensible via add-ons
The platform supports optional packages that extend core firewalling into adjacent security and network services. Common examples include IDS/IPS components, proxy features, and additional monitoring tools depending on the add-on set. This lets teams tailor a single gateway to multiple roles when they accept the operational overhead of maintaining those components.
Limited enterprise feature depth
Compared with many commercial next-generation firewall platforms, IPFire typically offers fewer built-in enterprise capabilities such as centralized multi-device management, advanced policy orchestration, and integrated cloud-delivered security services. Organizations with many sites may need additional tooling to standardize configuration and reporting. This can increase operational effort as the environment scales.
Support model is community-led
IPFire primarily relies on community documentation and forums rather than vendor-backed SLAs. For regulated environments or organizations that require guaranteed response times, this can be a constraint. Teams may need to provide in-house expertise or engage third-party consultants for production support.
Performance depends on hardware
Throughput and VPN performance depend heavily on the selected hardware, drivers, and tuning. Unlike many commercial appliances, there is no standardized performance envelope tied to a certified platform. This can require benchmarking and careful sizing for high-throughput or latency-sensitive deployments.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| IPFire Entry Support | $699 per year | Included hours: 3; Hourly rate: €180; Minimum runtime: 1 year; Covers unlimited appliances. |
| IPFire Standard Support | $1,099 per year | Included hours: 5; Hourly rate: €170; Minimum runtime: 1 year. |
| IPFire Premium Support | $1,699 per year | Included hours: 8; Reduced hourly rate (€160); 24/7 support; Minimum runtime: 1 year. |
| IPFire Enterprise Support | $2,499 per year | Included hours: 12; 24/7 prioritized support; Minimum runtime: 1 year. |
| IPFire Open Source License (donation/subscription) | €664.29 per year (includes 21% VAT on the EU listing) | Funds project development, documentation, hosting; billed yearly; minimum runtime 1 year. |
| IPFire Development Partnership | €301.29 per year | Development partnership tier (listed on official store). |
Usage-based / Other offerings (official store listings): Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go (Cloud marketplace) Free tier/trial: IPFire on AWS: 14-day free trial available. Example costs: IPFire on AWS (x86_64) — starting from US$0.01 per hour (official listing).
Appliances / One-time purchases (official store SKUs):
- IPFire Mini Appliance (EU/US/GB variants): approx. $/€769 (US/EU listings vary by region).
- IPFire Office Appliance: $1,399 (US listing).
- IPFire Business Appliance: $2,299 (US listing).
- IPFire Enterprise Appliance: $4,399–$4,499 (US/GB listings vary).
Notes: All appliance and support prices are shown on the official Lightning Wire Labs store (store.lightningwirelabs.com). Prices shown on the store may include VAT for EU listings and differ by region/currency. Where applicable pages explicitly state renewal interval (1 year) and minimum runtime (1 year).
