IPFire

Name: IPFire
Brand: IPFire

Free, open-source Linux firewall distribution with intrusion prevention and built-in VPN.

softwareFirewallsopen source firewallintrusion preventionlinux gateway

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Our Verdict

Best for

Technical users who want a free, self-hosted firewall with built-in IPS and VPN.

Skip if

You need a fully managed, cloud-based firewall with no server to maintain.

What is IPFire?

IPFire is an open-source Linux distribution built specifically to run as a firewall and network security gateway. It provides stateful packet inspection, network segmentation with DMZ and guest zones, and a web-based console for managing rules and monitoring traffic in real time, running on ordinary commodity hardware or as a virtual appliance. Beyond basic filtering, IPFire integrates Suricata-based intrusion detection/prevention, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec VPN support, a community-maintained domain blocklist, and an IP geolocation database for location-based rules. It is free and open-source with no paywalled features, while Core Updates ship regularly and commercial appliances and support are available separately.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentSelf-hosted

open source✅ Yes

api available❌ No

support optionsCommunity forum, commercial support add-on

Key Features of IPFire

Provides stateful packet inspection and deep packet inspection for filtering network traffic.

Segments networks into zones such as DMZ and guest networks for isolation.

Integrates Suricata-based intrusion detection and prevention out of the box.

Supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec VPN connections for secure remote access.

Ships a web-based management console with real-time dashboards for monitoring traffic and rules.

Maintains a community-curated domain blocklist (IPFire DBL) to block known-malicious domains.

Includes an IP geolocation database (IPFire Location) for country-based filtering rules.

Runs on commodity hardware or as a virtual appliance, with pre-built commercial appliances also sold.

Use Cases for IPFire

Home network firewall

A home user repurposes an old PC into an IPFire firewall/router with IPS and ad/domain blocking.

Small business gateway

A small office uses IPFire to segment guest Wi-Fi from internal systems and run a site-to-site VPN.

Branch office VPN

IPFire connects remote sites back to headquarters over WireGuard or IPsec.

Lab/homelab security testing

Enthusiasts run IPFire as a virtual appliance to experiment with firewall rules and IDS/IPS.

Pros & Cons of IPFire

Pros

Completely free and open source with no feature paywall
Active development with regular Core Updates
Built-in IPS via Suricata without extra licensing
Flexible deployment on cheap hardware or VMs

Cons

Requires more networking knowledge than a consumer router's firewall app
No official cloud-hosted management, it is self-hosted
Commercial support/appliances are a separate purchase

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IPFire free to use?

Yes, IPFire is free and open source with no features locked behind a paywall; commercial appliances and support are optional extras.

Does IPFire include intrusion prevention?

Yes, it integrates a Suricata-based intrusion detection and prevention system.

What VPN protocols does IPFire support?

IPFire supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IPsec.

Can IPFire run on a virtual machine?

Yes, IPFire can run on commodity hardware or as a virtual appliance.

Pricing Overview

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Free

Detailed plans are not listed. Visit the official website for pricing information.

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