pfSense Plus vs CE when migrating to new hardware

TAC57

I’ve been running pfSense for roughly 10 years in a home / homelab environment.

I currently have three installations of pfSense Plus:

Two very old backup systems
One main system running on a ZimaBoard SBC, which has just failed (the board boots and runs only if I disconnect the two SSDs)

I’m now looking to move my primary firewall to newer hardware.

From what I understand, pfSense Plus is no longer available for free on user-supplied hardware, and Plus is now free only on Netgate appliances. That would mean my options are either:

Pay for pfSense Plus on new hardware, or
Switch to pfSense CE

My questions:

Is it fair to characterize moving from pfSense Plus to pfSense CE as a “downgrade,” or is CE still considered functionally equivalent for most non-commercial use cases?
Are my existing pfSense Plus installations tied to the Netgate Device ID (NDI) of the original hardware they were installed on, meaning they cannot be transferred to new hardware?
If the hardware fails, is there any supported path to move an existing Plus installation to replacement hardware without purchasing a subscription?
I’m not opposed to paying for software when it makes sense, but I want to understand the intended path forward for long-time homelab users who originally deployed Plus when it was available for that use case.

Thanks for any clarification.

SteveITS

@TAC57 this keeps losing my reply

feature list: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/general/plus.html#benefits-of-pfsense-plus-software

Re NDI yes it changes with hardware particularly NICs. From posts here Netgate may move it once? If you plan to change hardware I suggest doing so first. I’ve read Netgate may change how licenses are handled.

tinfoilmatt

@TAC57 said in pfSense Plus vs CE when migrating to new hardware:

Plus is now free only on Netgate appliances

I don't believe this is true. The so-called "Netgate Installer" is available for download here, costs nothing (although a store 'checkout' must be performed), and you would use the "AMD64 Memstick USB" version for "All other Intel/AMD 64-bit" hardware.

SteveITS

@tinfoilmatt plus can be installed but needs a license.

tinfoilmatt

@SteveITS At what point do you have to pony up any money if the Netgate Installer is $0.00 at checkout?

SteveITS

@tinfoilmatt https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/install/install-walkthrough.html#ineligible-device-prompt

Edit: I think you are confusing access to the installer with a paid license. The installer is needed to install CE.

tinfoilmatt

@SteveITS said in pfSense Plus vs CE when migrating to new hardware:

I think you are confusing access to the installer with a paid license.

Did not realize Plus installation can only proceed with a paid, valid license at this point. Thanks for the link.

stephenw10

Yup the installer will only offer Plus versions if the device is licensed for it. Otherwise it will show CE versions.