Buying guides

No-nonsense guides from our engineers — written to help you buy the right firewall, including when the answer is the cheaper one.

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Netgate 4200 vs 6100
Which pfSense firewall should you buy? Official benchmarks, the VPN surprise, and an honest recommendation.
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Best firewall for a small UK business
Our honest picks by business size — from £294.00 inc. VAT, with no per-user licensing.
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pfSense vs SonicWall
Subscriptions, renewals and lock-in compared — and when staying on SonicWall makes sense.
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pfSense vs WatchGuard
What the Firebox Security Suites really cost over three years, and how ownership compares.
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pfSense for Cyber Essentials
Every firewall requirement of the UK scheme, mapped to pfSense Plus — and how to stay compliant at renewal.
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Netgate sizing guide
Which model for your users, connection speed and VPN load — with honest throughput numbers.
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What a firewall really costs (TCO)
3-year cost of pfSense vs SonicWall, WatchGuard and FortiGate — hardware, subscriptions, and what happens when you stop paying.
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Netgate for Germany & the EU
EU (Type E/F) plugs as standard, euro quotes, zero-rated B2B invoicing and direct delivery — former Voleatech customers welcome.
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Replacing a DrayTek
When a UK business outgrows the Vigor — including keeping it as a bridge-mode modem.
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pfSense vs FortiGate
Costs, licensing and lock-in compared for UK SMEs — including when FortiGate is genuinely the right call.
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Still not sure? Let us help — free

Two-minute quiz, or email us a quick description of your network and we'll give you an honest recommendation — even if it's the cheaper model.

Take the quiz → Ask us