As home and office networks become more complex, protecting them with a robust firewall is crucial. When evaluating your options, two solutions stand out from the crowd: Unifi‘s Dream Machine Pro (UDM Pro) and the free, open-source pfSense software firewall.
But which one should you choose to secure your devices and data? This comprehensive comparison highlights the key pros, cons, features, and use cases of UDM Pro vs. pfSense. Read on to determine which advanced firewall is best fit for your needs!
An Overview of Dream Machine and pfSense
Before we dive into the details, let‘s briefly cover what exactly these solutions are and who created them:
UniFi Dream Machine Pro
- Offered by Ubiquiti Networks, a wireless networking equipment company
- Launched in 2019 as an all-in-one router + firewall + network controller
- Packages the UniFi ecosystem into a polished, compact piece of hardware
- Focused on delivering a robust unified management interface across networking functions
pfSense
- Free, open source firewall software distribution based on FreeBSD
- Originally released in 2004 by Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich
- Goal is provide enterprises with powerful open-source routing and firewall
- Hyper modular and customizable with packages, add-ons, and third party support
Both options have passionate user bases behind them. Now let‘s see how they compare.
Firewalling Fundamentals: A Side-by-Side Feature Rundown
UniFi and pfSense take vastly different approaches, but deliver compelling firewall and networking experiences catered to their target users. Here‘s an overview of how they stack up across some key metrics:
| UniFi UDM Pro | pfSense | |
|---|---|---|
| Release Year | 2019 | 2004 |
| Underlying OS | UniFi OS | FreeBSD |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz Quad-Core | 500 MHz+ |
| RAM | 4 GB | 512 MB |
| Hard Disk | No HDD | Optional SSD |
| Pricing | $379 | Free (Paid subscriptions available) |
| Max Throughput | 3.5 Gbps | 650 Mbps+* |
*Actual firewall throughput scalable based on hardware selection
As you can see, the UDM Pro packages much more advanced processing power into a pre-configured commercial appliance. But pfSense offers extreme flexibility to match your budget and hardware.
Under the hood, both leverage powerful open source operating systems purpose-built for networking. And both can route traffic at near gigabit internet speeds for home and small office use cases.
But that‘s just the beginning of the story…
Hands on the Dash: Ease of Management
Once installed, actually configuring and managing these firewalls on a daily basis can differ dramatically:
UniFi Dream Machine
- Delivers the same smooth UniFi controller experience customers expect
- Intuitive web dashboard with status info, device mgmt, alerts and more
- Dynamic firewall rules shown visually with scope and affected clients
- No coding required! Modify settings in a simple GUI
- For UniFi environments, broadly considered very user friendly
pfSense
- Configuration and rules managed in technical XML config files
- Requires direct editing of text policies and firewall rules
- Very manual and intimidating for networking novices
- Key strength for advanced engineers wanting granular control
- Expect a steep learning curve without networking experience
The philosophical difference is clear:
UniFi builds appliances with a polished UI that "just work" for consensus use cases. But pfSense allows endlessly granular configurations by directly manipulating configuration files.
Advanced users may scoff at UDM Pro‘s lack of customization. But for layman, not having to actually code firewall rules is welcomed!
Mapping the Portscape: Networking Capabilities
Both firewalls include all the core networking capabilities expected in 2021:
- Traffic shaping and quality of service controls
- Built-in support for virtual private networks
- Robust LAN/WAN port options
- Dynamic routing protocols and access controls
However, as with their management experience, UDM Pro favors simplicity while pfSense offers more extensive customization for power users:
Networking with UDM Pro
- 4 configurable LAN ports with auto-sensing 1Gbps or PoE
- 1 WAN port with support up to 10 Gpbs
- Mostly fixed configurations that "just work"
- Quality of Service allows some traffic shaping
- Site-to-site VPN allows securely linking offices
Networking with pfSense
- Software runs on any PC platform with available ports
- Add specialized WiFi, cellular, fiber or monitoring cards
- Extremely advanced traffic shaping and QoS options
- Supports more routing protocols like BGP and OSPF
- More deployment flexibility fit any hardware setup
As you scale far beyond the basics, pfSense certainly reveals more networking muscle. But many smaller networks today don‘t require esoteric customizations – making UDM Pro‘s pitch of an integrated one-box solution compelling.
Reviewing the Reports: Monitoring and Alerts
Crucially, your firewall also serves as a monitoring command station for your network. Once again our contenders take different approaches here:
| UniFi Dream Machine | pfSense | |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Stats | Yes | Yes |
| Historical Reporting | Limited | Extensive logs |
| Traffic Analysis | Basic reporting | Fully custom reporting |
| Live Traffic View | Yes | No default dashboard |
| Alerting | Yes | Logs only by default |
UniFi centralizes monitoring on a single pane of glass but doesn‘t match pfSense‘s raw logging horsepower. Having near real-time network visibility and alerting in the UniFi dashboard is extremely convenient for some. But long term analysis requires exporting data.
pfSense can log nearly ANY activity in massive detail – giving engineers ultimate oversight. Yet all that data then requires custom reporting UIs and analyst education to harness properly.
So once more we see UniFi favoring slick convenience while pfSense offers more raw infrastructure control.
The Verdict: Which Firewall is Your Best Fit?
When evaluating Unifi‘s Dream Machine Pro vs pfSense, its clear why both firewalls inspire such loyal followers despite different philosophies.
For layman getting started or prioritizing simplicity, UDMP knocks it out of the park. The integrated hardware appliance simplifies setup while providing ample ports and horsepower for home and small business use cases. And IT novices will particularly appreciate its polished UniFi management experience rather than coding rules by hand.
For advanced networking engineers wanting limitless control, pfSense can‘t be beat. The ability to fully customize firewall policies, spin up VMs, fine tune traffic, and endlessly log network events offers next-level oversight. But that flexibility comes at the cost of manual configuration and a steep learning curve.
So at the end of the day, your choice comes down to whether you value more convenience or control:
I encourage you to review the key strengths and constraints for how you intend manage your network firewall. If long term growth may require esoteric customization, start with open-source pfSense. But if you want robust firewalling without needing a PhD in networking, grab yourself a UniFi Dream Machine Pro!
Either way you have fantastic options to protect your team and infrastructure as networks evolve. Enjoy architecting your ideal firewall setup!
