Best Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Alternatives in 2026
15 virtual routers software our editors would look at instead of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series, in our ranking order.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series: A cloud-ready virtual firewall with core routing protocols, VPNs and high availability. Where it falls short: security-focused rather than a deep standalone routing platform.
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Arista CloudEOS not yet scored
Best forTeams seeking an established cloud virtual router
A cloud-ready virtual router for enterprise WAN, VPN, and multi-cloud routing.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit Arista -
Juniper vMX not yet scored
Best forService providers needing Junos virtual routing
Junos-based virtual routing for service providers and enterprises needing MX edge capabilities.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit Juniper -
Nokia Virtualized Service Router not yet scored
Best forOperators needing virtualized service-provider functions
A service-provider-focused virtual router spanning IP/MPLS, broadband, NAT and IPsec functions.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit Nokia -
Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router not yet scored
Best forMid-market and enterprise multi-cloud teams
A cloud-deployable router with broad cloud coverage, VPN, routing, and centralized management.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredContact Huawei -
Best forTeams automating routing across varied environments
A flexible virtual router for teams automating network services across on-premises and cloud environments.
4.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit VyOS -
Best forFree Junos labs and small-scale virtual routing
A capable free Junos lab router, limited by 100 Mbps throughput and single-VM design.
4.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit Juniper -
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security not yet scored
Best forCloud teams prioritizing routing plus security controls
A cloud firewall and virtual gateway that pairs extensive routing with threat prevention.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit Check Point -
FortiGate not yet scored
Best forHybrid teams combining firewall, VPN, and SD-WAN
A hybrid firewall platform that combines VPN, SD-WAN, inspection, and centralized controls.
—not yet scoredVisit FortiGate -
Best forTeams needing a free firewall with failover
A free, firewall-focused platform with multi-WAN failover and VPN capabilities.
3.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit OPNsense -
Juniper Security Director not yet scored
Best forJuniper teams managing firewall policies centrally
A Juniper firewall management platform, not a virtual router.
—not yet scoredContact Juniper -
OpenWrt not yet scored
Best forEmbedded-device users seeking configurable network firmware
Free, configurable router firmware with firewall and VPN packages for supported hardware.
—not yet scoredVisit OpenWrt -
Best forBudget-conscious teams wanting a feature-rich virtual router
A perpetual-license virtual RouterOS with extensive routing, VPN, firewall and cloud options.
- VPN support
- High availability
Free plan · paid from $45 · 60-day trial Our MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) verdict → Visit MikroTik CHR9.8/10★★★★★Visit MikroTik CHR -
FRRouting not yet scored
Best forLinux operators seeking free routing and VRF
A free routing suite for Linux operators needing protocol breadth and VRF support.
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit FRRouting -
BIRD Internet Routing Daemon not yet scored
Best forLinux routing deployments needing mature open-source tools
A free, self-hosted routing daemon for teams that need protocol breadth and routing control.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit BIRD -
Arrcus ArcOS not yet scored
Best forTeams needing programmable, hardware-agnostic routing
A broad routing and automation feature set for teams building software-defined networks.
- VPN support
- High availability
—not yet scoredVisit Arrcus
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Palo Alto Networks VM-Series?
VyOS: #5 in our Virtual Routers Software ranking, with an editor score of 4.0 out of 10. A flexible virtual router for teams automating network services across on-premises and cloud environments.
Is there a free alternative to Palo Alto Networks VM-Series?
Yes. VyOS, Juniper vJunos-router, OPNsense, OpenWrt and MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) have a free plan or a free tier (7 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment type | Routing protocols | Max throughput | VPN support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| not scored | Palo Alto Networks VM-Series | No | — | — | BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP, static routing | — | Yes | — |
| not scored | Arista CloudEOS | No | — | — | OSPFv2, BGPv4, IS-IS, RIPv2, OSPFv3, BGPv6 | — | Yes | — |
| not scored | Juniper vMX | No | — | Virtual machine | SPRING (segment routing) | 100 Mbps | Yes | — |
| not scored | Nokia Virtualized Service Router | — | — | — | BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP | — | Yes | — |
| not scored | Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router | — | — | — | OSPFv2/v3, BGP/BGP4+, static routing | — | Yes | — |
| 5 | VyOS | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | 4.0 |
| 6 | Juniper vJunos-router | Yes | None | Virtual machine | BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, static routing | 100 Mbps | — | 4.8 |
| not scored | Check Point CloudGuard Network Security | — | — | Virtual machine | OSPFv2, BGP, RIP, static routes, multicast routes, policy-based routing, PIM-SM, PIM-DM, IGMP v2 and v3 | — | Yes | — |
| not scored | FortiGate | No | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | OPNsense | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | 3.8 |
| not scored | Juniper Security Director | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | OpenWrt | — | None | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) | Yes | — | Virtual machine | RIP v1/v2, OSPFv2, BGP v4, RIPng, OSPFv3, BGP, BFD | 1000 Mbps | Yes | 9.8 |
| not scored | FRRouting | Yes | None | — | BGP, RIP, RIPng, OSPFv2, OSPFv3, IS-IS, Babel, EIGRP, LDP, PIM, OpenFabric | — | — | — |
| not scored | BIRD Internet Routing Daemon | Yes | None | Virtual machine | BGP, OSPF, RIP, Babel | — | Yes | — |
| not scored | Arrcus ArcOS | — | — | — | BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, EVPN, SR-MPLS, SRv6 | — | Yes | — |
Head-to-Head
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Arista CloudEOS
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Juniper vMX
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Nokia Virtualized Service Router
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs VyOS
- Palo Alto Networks VM-Series vs Juniper vJunos-router
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026