OpenWrt: Embedded operating system based on Linux secure by default
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
OpenWrt
openwrt.org 4 ratings so far*
Rate OpenWrt: No account needed
Threat level
Hardened
A hardened pick. Worth the effort once you have chosen to shrink your footprint on purpose. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
Replacing your router’s stock firmware with OpenWrt buys you control most consumer routers deliberately withhold: real configurability, security updates long after the vendor abandons the hardware, and no manufacturer phoning home. The catch is squarely on you, flashing the wrong image or fumbling the config can brick the device, and the learning curve is steep. Pick it when you want to own your network and your router is on the supported list. If the idea of recovering a bricked router scares you, this isn’t a casual upgrade.
GitHub at a glance
openwrt/openwrt
Stars
27,507
+ 352 this week
Last commit
8d ago
healthy
Latest release
v25.12.5
10d ago
Stars, last 31d
Website at a glance
openwrt.org
B score 70
Solid website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 14d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
OpenWrt alternatives
OPNsense OPNsense is a FreeBSD-based open-source firewall and routing platform, forked from pfSense. It provides a web-based interface for stateful firewall rules, VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec), traffic shaping, intrusion detection via Suricata, and a plugin system.
pfSense pfSense: Firewall and router software based on FreeBSD
LibreCMC LibreCMC: For computers with minimal resources
* Average ratings will show on this page once the threshold of 5 ratings is reached.