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UXG Enterprise vs EFG vs UDM-Beast: Choosing a Rack-Mount UniFi Gateway

Why the UXG Enterprise and EFG are the same published platform, how the UDM-Beast differs, and a two-step framework for choosing.

Short answer: the UXG Enterprise and the EFG (Enterprise Fortress Gateway) are, on Ubiquiti's published specifications, the same hardware platform — identical 12.5 Gbps IDS/IPS, identical 95,000+ signature CyberSecure Enterprise tier, identical one-million-session capacity, identical port layout, identical 18-core processor, identical dual hot-swappable power supplies. The UDM-Beast is the genuinely different one: twice the inspection throughput at 25 Gbps, eight built-in 10 GbE ports and a UniFi Protect recorder for up to 40 4K cameras — but on the lower 55,000-signature tier and without hot-swappable power. So the real decision is a two-step one: first choose the platform (Enterprise vs Beast), then compare current price and availability between the two Enterprise-badged models.

UXG Enterprise ≡ EFG: same published platform
Beast: 25 Gbps + NVR + 10 GbE ports
Enterprise pair: hot-swap PSUs + 95,000 signatures

The three rack-mount options

Above the Dream Machine range, Ubiquiti sells three 1U rack-mount gateways in Australia. All three run the UniFi application suite with no licensing fees, all three are 442.4 × 43.7 × 325 mm, and all three support Shadow Mode (VRRP) failover. Beyond that they diverge in ways that are not obvious from the product names.

UXG Enterprise

Marketed as "Gateway Enterprise". A dedicated enterprise routing and security gateway: 12.5 Gbps IDS/IPS, 25G SFP28, dual hot-swap PSUs, 18-core processor, 16 GB memory.

EFG

"Enterprise Fortress Gateway". Published specifications match the UXG Enterprise across the board, with Ubiquiti additionally rating it for 5,000+ users and 500+ managed UniFi devices.

UDM-Beast

"Dream Machine Beast". The hyperscale all-in-one: 25 Gbps IDS/IPS, eight 10 GbE RJ45 ports, two NVR bays for up to 40 4K cameras, 7,500+ users, 16 GB memory.

The UXG Enterprise and EFG question

This is the question buyers ask most often and the one hardest to get a straight answer to, so here it is plainly: on every specification Ubiquiti publishes for both models, the UXG Enterprise and the EFG are identical.

SpecificationUXG EnterpriseEFGSame?
IDS/IPS throughput12.5 Gbps12.5 GbpsIdentical
Threat signatures95,000+ (CyberSecure Enterprise)95,000+ (CyberSecure Enterprise)Identical
Concurrent sessions1,000,0001,000,000Identical
New sessions / second71,00071,000Identical
SSL/TLS inspection10,000 sessions10,000 sessionsIdentical
Default WAN(1) 25G SFP28 + (1) 2.5 GbE(1) 25G SFP28 + (1) 2.5 GbEIdentical
Max. WAN ports55Identical
Ports(2) 25G SFP28, (2) 10G SFP+, (2) 2.5 GbE(2) 25G SFP28, (2) 10G SFP+, (2) 2.5 GbEIdentical
Processor18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHz18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHzIdentical
Power supplies(2) hot-swappable 150 W CRPS(2) hot-swappable 150 W CRPSIdentical
Max. power / heat82 W / 280 BTU/hr82 W / 280 BTU/hrIdentical
VPN throughputsWireGuard 980 Mbps, IPsec 580 Mbps, Site Magic 1.1 Gbps…Same figuresIdentical
Dimensions / weight442.4 × 43.7 × 325 mm / 6.5 kgSameIdentical
System memory16 GBNot publishedData gap
Rated users / devicesNot published5,000+ / 500+Data gap
Read the last two rows carefully. Ubiquiti publishes a memory figure for the UXG Enterprise but not the EFG, and a user/device rating for the EFG but not the UXG Enterprise. Those are gaps in published documentation rather than evidence of a hardware difference — every figure that is published for both is the same.

The practical consequence: if you have settled on this platform, the sensible thing is to compare current price and availability between the two product pages and buy whichever suits your project. Both deliver the same throughput, the same security tier, the same session capacity and the same redundancy.

View the UXG Enterprise →  |  View the EFG →

Full three-way specification comparison

SpecificationUXG EnterpriseEFGUDM-Beast
IDS/IPS throughput12.5 Gbps12.5 Gbps25 Gbps
Threat signatures95,000+95,000+55,000+
Security tierCyberSecure EnterpriseCyberSecure EnterpriseCyberSecure
Concurrent sessions1,000,0001,000,000Not published
New sessions / second71,00071,000Not published
SSL/TLS inspection10,000 sessions10,000 sessionsNot published
Simultaneous usersNot published5,000+7,500+
Managed UniFi devicesNot published500+750+
Camera recording100 HD / 60 2K / 40 4K
NVR drive bays(2) 3.5" + 128 GB SSD
RJ45 ports2× 2.5 GbE2× 2.5 GbE8× 10 GbE + 2× 1 GbE
SFP ports(2) 25G SFP28 + (2) 10G SFP+ on all three
Max. WAN ports558
Processor18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHz18-core ARM v8.2 @ 2 GHzOcta-core ARM v9 @ 2.1 GHz
Memory16 GBNot published16 GB
Power supplies(2) hot-swappable 150 W(2) hot-swappable 150 WInternal 150 W + USP-RPS input
Gateway failoverShadow Mode (VRRP) on all three
Max. power / heat82 W / 280 BTU/hr82 W / 280 BTU/hr100 W / 342 BTU/hr
Weight6.5 kg6.5 kg5.5 kg
Form factor1U, 442.4 × 43.7 × 325 mm, 1.3" touchscreen

Where the UDM-Beast genuinely differs

The Beast is not simply "the faster one". It is a different class of product with four real advantages and two real trade-offs.

What the Beast adds

  • Double the inspection throughput — 25 Gbps against 12.5 Gbps.
  • Eight 10 GbE RJ45 ports — effectively a small 10-gigabit switch built in, where the Enterprise pair offer only two 2.5 GbE copper ports.
  • A complete UniFi Protect recorder — two drive bays and a 128 GB SSD, recording up to 40 4K cameras with no separate NVR.
  • Higher user and device ceilings — 7,500+ users and 750+ managed devices, plus eight WAN ports against five.

What the Beast gives up

  • The security tier. 55,000+ signatures on CyberSecure, not 95,000+ on CyberSecure Enterprise — and Ubiquiti publishes no SSL/TLS inspection figure for it.
  • Hot-swappable power. A single internal supply with a USP-RPS DC input, rather than two field- replaceable modules.
The clean way to think about it: the Beast optimises for capacity and consolidation — more throughput, more ports, cameras included. The Enterprise pair optimise for inspection depth and uptime — more signatures, encrypted-traffic inspection, published session scale, and power you can replace without an outage.

A two-step decision framework

Step 1 — Enterprise platform or Beast?

Answer these five questions. Each "yes" pushes you toward the Enterprise platform (UXG Enterprise or EFG):

  1. Do you need SSL/TLS inspection of encrypted traffic, or the 95,000-signature tier, for policy or compliance reasons?
  2. Is your scaling problem users and sessions rather than raw bandwidth?
  3. Do you have an uptime obligation that makes hot-swappable power supplies necessary?
  4. Does your architecture already separate routing, switching and camera recording?
  5. Are you designing site-to-site VPN against published throughput figures?

And each "yes" here pushes you toward the Beast:

  1. Do you need more than 12.5 Gbps of inspected throughput?
  2. Would eight built-in 10 GbE ports remove the need for a separate switch or reduce its size?
  3. Do you want camera recording in the same chassis (up to 40× 4K)?
  4. Are you above 5,000 users or 500 UniFi devices?
  5. Do you need more than five WAN connections?

Step 2 — if you chose the Enterprise platform, UXG Enterprise or EFG?

Since the published specifications are the same, decide on availability, current pricing and the support arrangement offered with each. There is no performance argument to make between them — which is exactly why so few comparisons say so plainly.

Which gateway for which site

Site typeRecommendedWhy
School or campus, 1,000+ devicesUXG Enterprise / EFGSession bursts at bell times; content filtering needs TLS inspection; uptime during teaching hours
Hotel or accommodationUXG Enterprise / EFGHigh guest churn, VLAN separation, no acceptable outage window
Warehouse with heavy internal trafficUDM-BeastInter-VLAN throughput, 10 GbE ports for servers and WMS, cameras in the same box
Multi-site retail or MSPUXG Enterprise / EFGSite Magic SD-WAN at 1.1 Gbps, published VPN figures, per-site redundancy
Large office consolidating hardwareUDM-BeastOne box for routing, 10 GbE switching and camera recording
Hospital, clinic or aged careUXG Enterprise / EFGHot-swap power, encrypted-traffic inspection, compliance posture
Under 2,000 users, cost-sensitiveDream Machine rangeRack gateways are over-specified; a UDM-SE or Pro Max is a better fit

What each deployment actually needs

The gateway is one line on the bill of materials. Sizing the rest correctly is what makes the project work.

With a UXG Enterprise or EFG

Add access switching (the Pro XG 24 PoE or Enterprise 48 PoE), often a Pro XG Aggregation switch for the 25G uplinks, and a separate recorder such as the ENVR if you have cameras.

With a UDM-Beast

Its eight 10 GbE ports may cover servers and uplinks directly, and its NVR bays cover cameras — so you may only need PoE switching for access points and cameras, plus surveillance-rated drives.

Common to both

Access points sized to density (the E7 for high-density areas), cameras from the UniFi Protect range, and — for very large multi-site estates — a Cloud Key Enterprise as a dedicated management server.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the UXG Enterprise and the EFG?

On every specification Ubiquiti publishes for both models they are identical: 12.5 Gbps IDS/IPS, 95,000+ threat signatures on CyberSecure Enterprise, one million concurrent sessions, 71,000 new sessions per second, 10,000 SSL/TLS inspection sessions, the same 25G SFP28 / 10G SFP+ / 2.5 GbE port layout, the same 18-core ARM v8.2 processor, the same two hot-swappable 150 W power supplies and the same chassis. Ubiquiti publishes a 16 GB memory figure for the UXG Enterprise that it does not publish for the EFG, and a 5,000-user / 500-device rating for the EFG that it does not publish for the UXG Enterprise - gaps in documentation rather than demonstrated hardware differences. In practice, compare current price and availability.

Is the UDM-Beast better than the EFG?

Neither is universally better. The UDM-Beast has double the inspection throughput (25 vs 12.5 Gbps), eight built-in 10 GbE ports, camera recording for up to 40 4K cameras, and higher user and device ceilings. The EFG has a deeper security tier (95,000+ signatures versus 55,000+), published SSL/TLS inspection and session capacity, and two hot-swappable power supplies. Choose the Beast for capacity and consolidation; choose the EFG for inspection depth and uptime.

Which UniFi gateway has redundant power supplies?

The UXG Enterprise and the EFG each include two hot-swappable 150 W CRPS modules, which can be replaced from the front of the rack while the gateway keeps running. The UDM-Beast has a single internal 150 W supply plus a USP-RPS DC input for external backup power.

Do any of these gateways record security cameras?

Only the UDM-Beast, which has two 3.5-inch drive bays and a 128 GB SSD, recording up to 100 HD, 60 2K or 40 4K UniFi Protect cameras. The UXG Enterprise and EFG have no built-in recording and pair with a separate recorder such as the UniFi Enterprise NVR.

How many users can each rack-mount gateway support?

Ubiquiti rates the EFG at 5,000+ simultaneous users and 500+ managed UniFi devices, and the UDM-Beast at 7,500+ users and 750+ devices. Equivalent user and device figures are not published for the UXG Enterprise, though its other specifications match the EFG exactly.

Which gateway is best for a school in Australia?

For most schools, the UXG Enterprise or EFG platform. Schools generate very large bursts of new connections at the start of the day and between periods - a session-handling problem rather than a bandwidth problem - and typically need content filtering that depends on inspecting encrypted traffic. Hot-swappable power also avoids taking the network down during teaching hours.

Do I need a switch with these gateways?

With the UXG Enterprise and EFG, almost always - they have only two 2.5 GbE copper ports and are designed to hand off to dedicated switching. The UDM-Beast's eight 10 GbE ports can serve servers and uplinks directly, though you will still want PoE switching for access points and cameras.

Can any of them be used with 25 Gbps internet?

All three have 25G SFP28 ports. Note that IDS/IPS inspection throughput is 12.5 Gbps on the UXG Enterprise and EFG and 25 Gbps on the UDM-Beast, so on a very fast service the inspection ceiling, not the port speed, is the practical limit.

Do these gateways need licences or subscriptions?

No. UniFi Network and the core security features run on the hardware with no licensing or per-device subscription fees.

What is Shadow Mode and do all three support it?

Shadow Mode is Ubiquiti's VRRP-based gateway failover: a second gateway runs synchronised in standby and automatically assumes the gateway role if the primary fails. All three rack-mount models support it.

Where can I buy the UXG Enterprise, EFG or UDM-Beast in Australia?

ARC IP Networks stocks all three in Australia as an authorised Ubiquiti reseller, with genuine Australian stock, full manufacturer warranty and fast Australia-wide shipping. View the UXG Enterprise, EFG and UDM-Beast, or call 1300 100 440.

Buying the UniFi rack-mount gateway range in Australia

ARC IP Networks is an authorised Ubiquiti reseller in Australia. We hold deep local stock across the UniFi range, so most orders ship the same or next business day from Australian warehouses — not on a four-week wait from an overseas grey-market seller.

  • Genuine Australian stock with full manufacturer warranty and local RMA support
  • Competitive pricing — our prices are monitored against the Australian market daily
  • Fast Australia-wide shipping, or free pickup from our Melbourne warehouse
  • GST tax invoice on every order, with trade accounts available
  • Volume and project pricing for integrators, schools, MSPs and enterprise rollouts

Not sure which platform fits? Send us your user count, camera count and internet service and we will size both options and quote them side by side. Talk to our team on 1300 100 440, email info@arcip.com.au, or read more about buying from an authorised Ubiquiti reseller in Australia.

Ubiquiti EFG Enterprise Fortress Gateway: Complete Australian Guide (2026)
Specifications, security architecture, session capacity, VPN throughput, redundancy and complete deployment design for Ubiquiti's enterprise UniFi gateway.