pfSense is one of the easiest-to-use firewalls out there. It works on appliances and off-the-shelf hardware and is entirely scalable. I've tried many other firewall solutions and I keep coming back to pfSense

Load balancing two ISP connections into my office.

I have been using pfSense Plus as my firewall software for a couple years and have been impressed with its performance and features. I am running it on a dedicated Netgate Device (an older SG-5100 model). Even though this piece of hardware has been discontinued from production, I am under the impression that the pfSense software will continue to be compatible and maintained to run on this device for quite some time. If and when I DO have to migrate, I appreciate that the Community Edition (or open-source pfSense CE) is similar enough to the Plus version that I could just as easily run the software on my own dedicated hardware of choice. I also understand that there is an option to purchase a license to the Plus version which unlocks the ability to run the Plus version on a DIY machine. At this stage in the game, running the commercial version of the pfSense Plus (closed source) firewall makes the most sense to me. The inherent simplicity and reliability of a full-fledged package with its own specialized hardware and software implemented with added features seems like a decent enough business model for a company - and I have no qualms with this approach. There are certainly FOSS purists among us who will adamantly disagree and oppose Netgate's shift away from the single-stream development model of the firewall software... but I am not one of them, and I appreciate all that the company has to offer. The web-based user interface of pfSense is straightforward to use, which is important for me as someone who doesn't have a ton of experience with firewall software. The dashboard provides a helpful overview of the system status and traffic, configuration pages are intuitive, for they allow me to customize settings without feeling as overwhelmed as one might with a command-line interface. I also appreciate that the firewall rule builder is easy to use and allows complex rules to be easily created. The software supports various VPN protocols, which has been helpful for me because I have to connect to a VPN occasionally. Additionally, there are several packages that be installed on top of the stock firewall software - which can provide a network administrator with even more customization and other powerful tools. One thing to note is that pfSense may require more technical knowledge than other firewall software options. However, there is a large and helpful community that provides documentation and support, so I haven't found this to be an issue. Overall, I would highly recommend pfSense Plus as a powerful and easily customized firewall platform that can meet the needs of organizations of all sizes. Although I am running a rather simple network in a small home office environment, I am enticed by the fact that the software is not only highly effective when applied to a niche use-case scenario - but it is just as capable when used in an enterprise-level network build. I am happy that I have become accustomed to the experience of hardening my network against intrusion and malicious attacks by using pfSense Plus. I feel reassured when I consider all the company has to offer, and I look forward to seeing what else they can come up with in terms of community support and feature development. I am looking forward to the years ahead - with what I hope is continued stability and reliability from both an excellent hardware vendor and a great software development firm!