VyOS
VyOS: A programmable self-hosted firewall platform for complex network environments. Ranked #9 of 76 in Firewall Software by our editors (8.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for programmable open-source network security.
At a glance
- Editor score8.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forProgrammable open-source network security
- Free planYes
- Founded2013
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Stateful and zone-based IPv4 and IPv6 firewalling with NAT
- Broad VPN, routing, tunneling, and cloud platform support
- REST, GraphQL, Shell, Python, and infrastructure automation APIs
Where it doesn't
- Primarily self-hosted rather than a managed remote-access VPN service
- Free releases are intended for evaluation and non-critical use
- Corporate and Global plans provide best-effort support by default
Our verdict on VyOS
VyOS is an open-source network operating system for organizations deploying firewalling, routing, VPNs, and related network services on commodity hardware, virtual machines, cloud platforms, and edge environments. It suits network teams that want a programmable, self-hosted platform rather than a managed remote-access VPN service. The system provides a unified command-line interface and API, with support for bare-metal, virtualized, cloud, and edge deployments.
Its technical breadth is the main reason to consider it. VyOS supports stateful and zone-based IPv4 and IPv6 firewalling with NAT, along with IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, GRE, VXLAN, and other tunneling technologies. Routing coverage includes BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP, multicast routing, MPLS, and policy-based routing. High-availability and traffic-distribution features include VRRP, ECMP, stateful load balancing, and connection-state synchronization. Configuration commit, rollback, versioning, and archival add control for teams managing changing network policies.
Automation and deployment flexibility also stand out. REST and GraphQL APIs work alongside Shell and Python scripting APIs, while Ansible, Salt, Netmiko, NAPALM, Terraform, and cloud-init support fit infrastructure-as-code workflows. Integrations include AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, OpenStack, and Exoscale. The free rolling release is positioned for evaluation and non-critical use; paid subscriptions provide supported LTS releases, updates, and commercial support. Corporate covers unlimited on-premises deployments within one company, Global extends that model across subsidiaries and regions, and Alliance adds commercial deployment rights, a Next Business Day SLA for the first three tickets per month, a private engineering channel, and a dedicated Technical Account Manager. Choose VyOS for programmable network control and broad deployment options; choose another product if you want a fully managed VPN service.
Your product? Our editors can test VyOS in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
VyOS pricing
VyOS fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Outbound control | Not verified |
| Rule direction | Not verified |
| Connection alerts | Not verified |
| Application rules | Not verified |
| Supported platforms | Not verified |
| Central management | Not verified |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux |
| Compliance & security | GDPR |
| Support | Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 12 integrations: Ansible, Salt, Netmiko, NAPALM, Terraform, cloud-init … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | vyos.io |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
VyOS integrations
VyOS lists 12 integrations on its own site.
- Ansible
- Salt
- Netmiko
- NAPALM
- Terraform
- cloud-init
- AWS
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
- OpenStack
- Exoscale
Alternatives to VyOS
- FortiGateA broad hybrid firewall platform for organizations that need deep security and network controls.9.4
- Arista NG FirewallA broad firewall platform with a free plan and extensive network controls.9.3
- Google Cloud NGFWGoogle Cloud-native firewall protection with free rule evaluation and usage-priced advanced controls.9.2
Also Ranked In
VyOS is ranked in 5 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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