IronWiFi vs daloRADIUS
daloRADIUS is free and open-source. But free software still costs you a Linux server, a database, and every hour your team spends keeping it running.
IronWiFi is a managed cloud RADIUS platform, while daloRADIUS is a free open-source web interface for FreeRADIUS that requires self-hosted Linux servers, MySQL, and ongoing maintenance. daloRADIUS has no license fee but demands significant sysadmin time and infrastructure investment with no SLA or support. IronWiFi replaces that entire stack with a managed service starting at $5/device/month (billed annually), offering a 99.9% uptime SLA, built-in captive portals, and 24/7 support.
Self-Hosted Open Source vs Managed Cloud
daloRADIUS is a popular open-source web management interface for FreeRADIUS. It provides user management, accounting, graphical reports, and basic hotspot billing - all for free. The catch? You need to provision and maintain a Linux server, install and configure FreeRADIUS, set up MariaDB/MySQL, deploy a web server with PHP, and handle security patches, backups, and monitoring yourself. IronWiFi gives you all of that as a managed service with a RADIUS infrastructure spread across 6 global regions - plus step-by-step setup guides for 45+ hardware vendors.
The True Cost of "Free"
daloRADIUS has no license fee, but it requires: a Linux server ($20-100+/mo), sysadmin time for setup, patching, and troubleshooting ($50-100+/hr), and your own redundancy and backup strategy. There's no SLA, no support team, and no one to call at 2 AM when FreeRADIUS stops responding. IronWiFi starts at $5/device/month (billed annually) with a 99.9% uptime SLA, 24/7 managed infrastructure, and zero servers to maintain.
What Are You Actually Paying?
| Cost Component | IronWiFi | daloRADIUS |
|---|---|---|
| Software License | Subscription | Free (GPL) |
| Server Cost | $0 (cloud-managed) | $20-100+/mo (your server) |
| Setup Time | 30 minutes | Hours to days |
| Ongoing Maintenance | $0 (fully managed) | Sysadmin time required |
| Uptime SLA | 99.9% | None |
| Support | Professional support | Community forums only |
| Security Patches | Automatic | Manual (your responsibility) |
| Backups | Automatic | Manual (your responsibility) |
| Global Regions | 6 regions | Wherever your server is |
| Free Trial | 14 days | N/A (self-hosted) |
How Do the Features Compare?
| Feature | IronWiFi | daloRADIUS |
|---|---|---|
| 802.1X WiFi Authentication | ✓ | ✓ (via FreeRADIUS) |
| EAP-TLS / PEAP / TTLS | ✓ | ✓ (manual config) |
| Azure AD / Entra ID | ✓ Native | ✗ |
| Okta / Google Workspace | ✓ Native | ✗ |
| Captive Portal | ✓ Built-in | ✗ |
| Guest WiFi Management | ✓ | Basic |
| OpenRoaming | ✓ WBA Partner | ✗ |
| Passpoint | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud PKI | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| SCEP | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| SAML Authentication | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| BYOD Self-Enrollment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Compliance Certifications | SOC 2, GDPR | None |
| User Management GUI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accounting & Reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| NAS Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| GIS / Hotspot Mapping | ✗ | ✓ |
| Transparent Pricing | ✓ | Free (but hidden costs) |
| AI-Powered Intelligence | ✓ AI Center | ✗ |
When Does daloRADIUS Make Sense?
- You have a dedicated sysadmin who enjoys managing Linux servers and FreeRADIUS
- Budget is extremely tight and you truly have zero dollars for a RADIUS service
- You need the GIS/hotspot mapping features for ISP-style deployments
- You want full control over the RADIUS configuration and source code
- You're running a lab or proof-of-concept and uptime doesn't matter
When Is IronWiFi the Better Fit?
- You don't want to manage Linux servers, databases, or FreeRADIUS configs
- A 99.9% uptime SLA matters for your production WiFi network
- You need captive portals, Cloud PKI, SCEP, or SAML - not just basic RADIUS
- Identity provider integration (Azure AD, Okta, Google) is a requirement
- You want to be live in 30 minutes with step-by-step guides for 45+ hardware vendors
- Security patches and backups should happen automatically, not manually
- Professional support matters more than community forum answers
So, What's the Bottom Line?
daloRADIUS is a solid open-source tool for managing FreeRADIUS, and it's genuinely free. But "free" means you're trading dollars for time - your time setting it up, patching it, backing it up, and troubleshooting it at inconvenient hours. If you want RADIUS that just works - with captive portals, Cloud PKI, identity provider integrations, and a 99.9% SLA - IronWiFi delivers all of that as a managed service starting at $5/device/month (billed annually). Sometimes the best investment is buying back your team's time.
Ready to Stop Managing Servers?
Take IronWiFi for a spin with a 14-day free trial. Zero servers to provision, zero databases to maintain.