Softwr

Networking · head to head

pfSense vs Pop!_OS

pfSense logo

pfSense

Networking

Open source firewall software with a free Community Edition and a separate commercial Plus edition sold by Netgate

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pop!_OS logo

Pop!_OS

Operating Systems

Ubuntu-based Linux distribution tuned for developers and GPU work

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: pfSense pfSense CE and pfSense Plus are not simply the same software with a support contract layered on top; Plus is a separately developed edition with its own feature set, and moving between them is a migration, not a toggle; Pop!_OS built primarily around System76 hardware, so other machines get less attention
  • They diverge on capability: pfSense covers Stateful firewall and NAT, Pop!_OS covers NVIDIA ISO.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which pfSense and Pop!_OS actually diverge.

Attributes where pfSense and Pop!_OS differ
AttributepfSensePop!_OS
Pricing modelOpen source Community Edition, free; commercial Plus edition sold separately by NetgateOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinuxLinux, Desktop
CategoryNetworkingOperating Systems

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in pfSense

  • Stateful firewall and NAT
  • VPN support
  • Traffic shaping and QoS
  • Package ecosystem
  • CE and Plus editions

Only in Pop!_OS

  • NVIDIA ISO
  • Auto-tiling
  • Pop!_Shop
  • Ubuntu base

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

pfSense

  • A home user or small business wanting a free, fully-featured firewall on commodity hardware with no licence costnot Pop!_OS
  • A business wanting an integrated firewall appliance with vendor support, typically buying a Netgate appliance bundled with pfSense Plusnot Pop!_OS
  • A team wanting to evaluate advanced features like real-time threat intelligence before committing to Netgate hardware or a Plus migrationnot Pop!_OS
  • An organisation replacing an expensive commercial firewall with an open source alternative while retaining the option to add commercial support laternot Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS

  • Machine learning and graphics work needing NVIDIA drivers that work on first bootnot pfSense
  • Developers who want tiling without configuring a window managernot pfSense
  • System76 hardware, which it is built aroundnot pfSense

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

pfSense

  • pfSense CE and pfSense Plus are not simply the same software with a support contract layered on top; Plus is a separately developed edition with its own feature set, and moving between them is a migration, not a toggle
  • Running Plus on non-Netgate hardware depends on Netgate's current migration terms, which have changed over time, so a buyer planning to use white-box hardware with Plus should verify current eligibility rather than assume it works as it did previously
  • CE has no official vendor support channel; a business relying on it for production firewalling without a support contract is self-supporting on community forums
  • Some newer features and threat intelligence integrations are Plus-only, so CE users do not get feature parity going forward even though both editions remain under active development
  • Netgate's own appliance pricing and the terms of the CE-to-Plus migration path are not always clearly presented in one place, requiring some digging to understand the real total cost of a Plus deployment on non-Netgate hardware
  • As with any self-managed firewall, security depends on the operator applying updates and correctly configuring rules; there is no managed security operations layer included even in Plus

Pop!_OS

  • Built primarily around System76 hardware, so other machines get less attention
  • Based on Ubuntu LTS, so packages lag current upstream
  • A smaller team than Ubuntu or Fedora, and releases have sometimes slipped well behind the Ubuntu base
  • The COSMIC desktop rewrite has been a long transition with the older GNOME-based version in maintenance

Pricing, plan by plan

pfSense

Free
  • pfSense CEFree
    • Full firewall and routing functionality
    • No vendor lock-in to hardware
    • Community support
  • pfSense Plus (via Netgate appliance)$undefined/one-time
    • Bundled with Netgate hardware appliances from around $189
    • Threat intelligence feeds
    • Certified support tiers

Pop!_OS

Free
  • Pop!_OSFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose pfSense if

  • You need stateful firewall and nat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want vpn support.
pfSense review

Choose Pop!_OS if

  • You need nvidia iso.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want auto-tiling.
Pop!_OS review

Questions people ask

Is pfSense or Pop!_OS better?
Neither clearly leads. pfSense starts at Free and Pop!_OS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, pfSense or Pop!_OS?
pfSense starts at Free and Pop!_OS at Free.
Does pfSense or Pop!_OS run on more platforms?
pfSense runs on Linux. Pop!_OS runs on Linux, Desktop.
Can I use pfSense for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is pfSense best used for?
pfSense is most often used for a home user or small business wanting a free, fully-featured firewall on commodity hardware with no licence cost, a business wanting an integrated firewall appliance with vendor support, typically buying a netgate appliance bundled with pfsense plus, a team wanting to evaluate advanced features like real-time threat intelligence before committing to netgate hardware or a plus migration, an organisation replacing an expensive commercial firewall with an open source alternative while retaining the option to add commercial support later. Of those, a home user or small business wanting a free, fully-featured firewall on commodity hardware with no licence cost and a business wanting an integrated firewall appliance with vendor support, typically buying a netgate appliance bundled with pfsense plus are not what Pop!_OS is typically brought in for.
What can pfSense do that Pop!_OS cannot?
pfSense covers Stateful firewall and NAT, VPN support, Traffic shaping and QoS, Package ecosystem. Pop!_OS covers NVIDIA ISO, Auto-tiling, Pop!_Shop, Ubuntu base.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

pfSense: What is the difference between pfSense CE and pfSense Plus?

CE is the free, open source edition installable on any compatible hardware; Plus is a commercial edition from Netgate with additional features and support, typically bundled with Netgate appliances.

Pop!_OS: Is Pop!_OS free?

Yes, free and open source. System76 funds it through hardware sales.

pfSense: Can I run pfSense Plus on my own hardware?

It is possible through a migration from a CE installation via Netgate's official channel, but the terms and availability of that path have changed over time and should be confirmed directly with Netgate.

Pop!_OS: Why is there a separate NVIDIA download?

It ships with the proprietary GPU drivers already installed and working, which removes the most common first-day failure on Linux for GPU work.

pfSense: Is pfSense CE really free with no catch?

Yes, CE has no licence fee and no hardware lock-in, though it comes with community rather than vendor support.

Pop!_OS: Is it just Ubuntu?

It is based on Ubuntu LTS and uses its repositories, with a different desktop, tiling, an NVIDIA image and System76 tuning on top.

Share

Related pages

More on pfSense

More on Pop!_OS

Keep looking

Other head to heads