Skip to content
Specdex
Compare now
Firewalla Gold Pro SE — Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription
Firewalla

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription

90
/ 100
From $729
VS
NETGEAR Orbi 970 wins by 1
NETGEAR Orbi 970 — Wi-Fi 7 · BE27000
NETGEAR

NETGEAR Orbi 970

Wi-Fi 7 · BE27000

91
/ 100
From $1,699
Specdex verdict

NETGEAR Orbi 970 takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, Firewalla Gold Pro SE lands at 90 and NETGEAR Orbi 970 at 91. That puts NETGEAR Orbi 970 ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick Firewalla Gold Pro SE if…

  • ✓10 GbE WAN + LAN
  • ✓Best layer-7 protection without subscription
  • ✓On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering

Pick NETGEAR Orbi 970 if…

  • ✓Current-gen Wi-Fi
  • ✓App-driven setup
  • ✓Parental controls (brand-dependent)
Share this comparison: Share to Reddit X / Twitter

Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

Features

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Compared on the features sub-score

Firewalla Gold Pro SE leads on features (100 vs 89).

Throughput

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Compared on the throughput sub-score

Firewalla Gold Pro SE leads on throughput (96 vs 91).

Range

NETGEAR Orbi 970

Compared on the range sub-score

NETGEAR Orbi 970 leads on range (86 vs 70).

Value for money

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

Firewalla Gold Pro SE more score per dollar ($729 vs $1,699).

Firewalla Gold Pro SE 90
vs
91 NETGEAR Orbi 970

Score breakdown

Firewalla Gold Pro SE
90
throughput 96
range 70
features 100
ease 84
value 0
NETGEAR Orbi 970
91
throughput 91
range 86
features 89
ease 0
value 82

Specs side-by-side

Firewalla Gold Pro SE versus NETGEAR Orbi 970 — full spec comparison
Spec Firewalla Gold Pro SE NETGEAR Orbi 970
CPU
Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76
—
RAM
8 GB
—
Storage
128 GB
—
Ports
10 GbE × 2 + 2.5 GbE × 4
—
Concurrent connections
500K+
—
Standard
—
Wi-Fi 7
Throughput
—
BE27000

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Pros
  • +10 GbE WAN + LAN
  • +Best layer-7 protection without subscription
  • +On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Cons
  • −Steeper learning curve vs eero
  • −No built-in Wi-Fi (need separate APs)
  • −Mobile-app-centric setup

NETGEAR Orbi 970

Pros
  • +Current-gen Wi-Fi
  • +App-driven setup
  • +Parental controls (brand-dependent)
Cons
  • −Advanced features sometimes subscription-gated
  • −Range varies
  • −Firmware stability improves over time

FAQ: Firewalla Gold Pro SE vs NETGEAR Orbi 970

Which is better, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 970? +

NETGEAR Orbi 970 scores 91 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is Firewalla Gold Pro SE worth the price? +

At $729, Firewalla Gold Pro SE delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in features.

Is NETGEAR Orbi 970 worth the price? +

At $1,699, NETGEAR Orbi 970 delivers a Specdex score of 91 — strongest in throughput.

Does Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 970 last longer? +

Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.

Which is better for features, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 970? +

Firewalla Gold Pro SE — leads on features (100 vs 89). Compared on the features sub-score.

Which is better for throughput, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 970? +

Firewalla Gold Pro SE — leads on throughput (96 vs 91). Compared on the throughput sub-score.