First, this isn’t an attempt at an unfair shit on Netgate post. I’ve been a pfSense user (and member of their sub) for many, many years. I’ve endured (along with everyone else) their…unique PR strategy. I always told myself the software is good regardless of the company and their penchant for public trouble. I even defended them a couple of years ago when they announced pfSense+.
But, last week’s abrupt announcement about the end of pfSense+'s Home+Lab edition and a requirement to pay $399/yr to continue using + was the final dramatic incident for me. I’m not decided on what I’m doing, but I don’t think it’s pfSense+.
Today, they announced a price reduction to $129/yr. But 35 cents a day to stay on + still seems like a lot to me. Considering the free alternatives (CE & OPNsense), not because it’s unattainable pricing.
I’m curious how the greater pfSense community feels, but I don’t feel confident this post won’t just get taken down in r/pfSense.
For the unfamiliar, here’s the context:
no, they burned the briges with removing the home/lab licence (for no reason other than fuck you), plus the way they’ve been treating the community and the shitty excuse they gave in the first place is frankly, not good enough.
I’ll keep using CE and see what happens there, but hopefully someone can make a pfsense to opnsense converter and I can move over to opnsense if CE dies
I voted that I will pursue a free option, but that’s not necessarily the gist of it. I don’t mind paying for a good product, but I will not buy into a subscription model, and will certainly not deal with a company willing to rugpull, or otherwise scheme, customers.