pfSense

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pfSense
Version of the FreeBSD operating system
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The main dashboard of pfSense 2.7.0-DEVELOPMENT
DeveloperRubicon Communications, LLC (Netgate)
OS familyFreeBSD
Working stateCurrent
Source modelClosed source and open source
Released to
manufacturing		Oct 2006
Latest releasePage Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.
  • Community Edition: 2.8.1 (amd64) / September 4, 2025; 11 months ago (2025-09-04)[1]
  • Plus: 24.11 / November 25, 2024; 20 months ago (2024-11-25)[1]
Supported platforms32-bit (discontinued in 2.4.x); 64-bit Intel / AMD
Default
user interface		Web
LicenseApache License 2.0[2] (Applies to pfSense CE)
Preceded bym0n0wall
Official websiteTemplate:Official url
Support status
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  • Supported by the community
  • Paid commercial support

pfSense is a firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD. The open source pfSense Community Edition (CE) and pfSense Plus is installed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network.[3] It can be configured and upgraded through a web-based interface, and requires no knowledge of the underlying FreeBSD system to manage.[4][5]

Overview

The pfSense project began in 2004 as a fork of the m0n0wall project by Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich. Its first release was in October 2006.[6] The name derives from the fact that the software uses the packet-filtering tool, PF.[7]

Notable functions of pfSense include traffic shaping, VPNs using IPsec or PPTP, captive portal, stateful firewall, network address translation, 802.1q support for VLANs, and dynamic DNS (DDNS).[8] pfSense can be installed on hardware with an x86-64 processor architecture. It can also be installed on embedded hardware using Compact Flash or SD cards, or as a virtual machine.[9]

Release cadence and support

Since 2021,[1] pfSense Plus editions have followed an annual major version release cadence. The CE version of the software has followed an annual minor version release cadence. Based on their list of unsupported software,[10] pfSense only supports the current and previous version of both the CE and Plus editions.

OPNsense

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In January 2015, the OPNsense project was started by forking the version of pfSense at that time.[11]

In November 2017, a World Intellectual Property Organization panel found Netgate, the copyright holder of pfSense, utilized OPNsense' trademarks in bad faith to discredit OPNsense, and obligated Netgate to transfer ownership of a domain name to Deciso.[12][13]

WireGuard protocol support

In February 2021, pfSense CE 2.5.0 and pfSense Plus 21.02 added support for a kernel WireGuard implementation. Support for WireGuard was temporarily removed in March 2021 after implementation issues were discovered by WireGuard founder Jason Donenfeld.[14][15][16] The July 2021 release of pfSense CE 2.5.2 version re-included WireGuard.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Releases — Versions of pfSense and FreeBSD". netgate.com. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."pfSense adopts Apache 2.0 License". Serve The Home (Loyolan Ventures, LLC). 19 June 2016.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ot, Anina (2021-02-03). "6 Reasons Why You Should Be Using pfsense Firewall". MUO.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."You should be running a pfSense firewall". InfoWorld. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Miller, Sloan (26 June 2008). "Configure a professional firewall using pfSense". Free Software Magazine (22). Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fields, Robert (28 October 2016). "Happy 10th Anniversary to pfSense Open Source Software". Netgate Blog.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mobily, Tony (14 August 2007). "Interview with Jeff Starkweather, Chris Buechler and Scott Ullrich". Free Software Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."pfSense® CE functions". Miniserver Blog.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."How to Install pfSense Firewall on Ubuntu and CentOS?". Geekflare. 2020-02-06.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Releases — Older/Unsupported Releases". docs.netgate.com.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fischer, Werner (2018-11-21). OPNsense: the "open" firewall for your datacenter. Retrieved 2024-10-11 – via media.ccc.de.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."WIPO Domain Name Decision: D2017-1828". WIPO. November 12, 2017.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."OPNsense – Forkin' Fork". www.opnsense.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Salter, Jim (2021-03-15). "In-kernel WireGuard is on its way to FreeBSD and the pfSense router". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Releases — 21.02/21.02-p1/2.5.0 New Features and Changes". docs.netgate.com. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kumar, Rohit (2021-03-19). "pfSense and FreeBSD Pull Back on Kernel WireGuard Support". ServeTheHome. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."pfSense CE 2.5.2-RELEASE Now Available". www.netgate.com.

Further reading

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