# Best Mac firewalls in 2026, picked by the job

Published October 14, 2026 · Bundl team

Which Mac firewall fits your job: prompts for every new connection, quiet whole-app blocking, deep traffic history, metered hotspots, managed Macs or a developer machine. Outbound is our top pick; LuLu is the best free one.

The firewall built into macOS only guards incoming connections. This guide helps you pick an app that controls what your Mac sends out, matched to the job you have: a free prompt firewall, a quiet app blocker, a deep traffic monitor, a hotspot saver, or a tool for managed or developer Macs. Our top pick is Outbound for Mac.

Disclosure: Bundl is run by the team that makes Outbound, our top pick.

## Our top pick: Outbound

[Outbound for Mac](https://outboundfirewall.com/features/) is an outbound firewall and network monitor. It shows which apps reach the internet, where each connection goes, how much it sent and why it was allowed, and you can change any of it in one click.

**Price:** $39 once for a personal licence on 2 Macs with all 1.x and 2.x updates ($29 for the first 50 licences), or $59 for a 5-Mac family licence. No subscription, no account.

### After you install it

macOS asks you to approve a network filter in System Settings. Outbound shows exactly where the switch is, opens that page for you, and moves on once macOS confirms it. It uses Apple's Network Extension framework, with no kernel extension. It needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon or Intel.

A new install starts in Learn mode, so nothing breaks on day one. macOS services, iCloud and Apple's own apps are trusted from the start. After a few days, Outbound suggests reviewing what it saw and switching to Ask, and **Allow Verified Developers** allows everything from verified developers in one step.

### The three modes

- **Learn** allows connections that have no rule and records them in Review. It never re-trusts a program whose code changed: that program is asked about like a new one.
- **Ask** asks you first. An unanswered alert is allowed after 8 seconds for UDP or 60 seconds for TCP by default, then added to Review. You can set the TCP wait from 15 to 120 seconds, or block unanswered connections instead.
- **Strict** blocks any connection that has no matching rule, without asking.

Your own rules apply in every mode. The current mode sits at the top of the window, for example "Protected · Ask mode".

### How an alert asks you to decide

Each alert names the app and its developer from its Developer ID certificate ("Signed by Google LLC", "From the Mac App Store"), plus the port and protocol. You see the hostname when the app connected by name, and the address otherwise. Outbound tells you when a server belongs to the app's own developer, and says "Outbound doesn't recognise this server" when it doesn't. If the app ships an Internet Access Policy, the alert quotes the developer's stated purpose.

You answer Allow or Deny, then pick how long: Once, Until Quit, Until Logout, Until Restart, For 1 Hour or Forever. You also pick the scope: only this port, any port, or any port and protocol.

### Two rule examples

The inspector explains why Safari reached www.apple.com and offers three one-click rules.

- **One app, one host.** Select Safari's connection to www.apple.com in the Network Monitor. The inspector says "No rule covers this. Ask mode allowed it and recorded it for review." Under **Change it** you get **Allow www.apple.com for Safari** or **Block www.apple.com for Safari**.
- **A domain for every app.** The third action, **Block \*.apple.com for every app**, writes one domain rule. A domain rule also covers its subdomains: for api.example.co.uk the domain is example.co.uk, found with the Mozilla Public Suffix List.

Rules match a signed app by team and signing ID, or an exact file path (wildcard paths are not supported). You can combine the app with a host, domain, IP address, CIDR range or local network, then set ports, protocol, direction and lifetime. A priority rule wins over the others. For trackers and ads, subscribe to hosts, domain or CIDR blocklists over HTTPS.

### The network monitor and map

The 3D globe view, with each app's Sent, Received and Last Seen figures below it.

The Network Monitor groups connections under the app that made them, with Sent, Received and Last Seen columns and live traffic bars. When a connection closes, Outbound records exactly how many bytes it sent and received. The map sits beside the list (above it in a narrow window) and switches between a flat 2D map and a 3D globe.

Search takes scoped words such as `app:`, `host:`, `port:`, `country:` and `rule:`, for example `app:"Google Chrome"`. Smart filters find AI apps, ad and tracking hosts, new apps, unsigned apps and heavy users. You can set a daily data limit per app: Outbound warns at 80 % and at the limit, or blocks the app until midnight.

### Coding agents and AI assistants

Claude Code, Codex, Grok CLI and other coding agents show under their own names, even when they run from a versioned folder or a bundled Node. Use the **AI Agents and Coding Tools** filter to list them. A rule can block one agent from one host while the rest keep working; start with a temporary lifetime and undo it if the task you need stops.

AI apps get the same gate. Through the built-in MCP server (`outboundctl mcp`), Claude, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI and VS Code can ask about your apps and rules, and can ask to add or change a rule. Outbound shows exactly what would change and applies it only if you allow it. You can switch rule changes off so AI apps can only read.

### For IT

Managed Macs get sample MDM profiles, managed preferences, an HTTPS rule feed with optional SHA-256 pinning, and JSON Lines audit export.

### Who it is for, and when to skip it

Outbound is best for anyone who wants to approve each new destination, write narrow app-and-host rules, and see where traffic goes, especially on a Mac that runs coding agents.

Skip it if you need open source, want a free trial before paying (there is none; you get a full refund within 14 days instead), or prefer an app with years of history: Outbound is new in 2026. Version 1 also has no encrypted DNS.

Get Outbound

## Best free

**Pick:** LuLu. If you will pay once: Outbound.

[LuLu](/apps/lulu) is Objective-See's [free, open-source firewall](https://objective-see.org/products/lulu.html) that blocks unknown outgoing connections. Version 4.5.1 (released 5 August 2026) runs on macOS 10.15 or later.

- An alert fires when a new unauthorized outgoing connection is created. A decision can become a general rule for that process.
- You can add a rule with a remote address or domain and a remote port.
- Profiles arrived with v4.0. Passive mode applies existing rules without the prompts.
- The Network Monitor menu opens Netiquette, which is packaged into LuLu. The alert has a VirusTotal button.

LuLu is the stronger free pick when you want the source, the prompts, and a rule you can aim at a host. It is not Little Snitch's monitor: there is no world map and no twelve-month history.

[Murus](/apps/murus) Lite is a different free tool. It is free for non-commercial use, and it is not a tryout or demo. Lite has inbound filtering and logging. Pick it when the job is the packet filter's inbound side, not "which app just called out."

[Netiquette](/apps/netiquette) is a monitor, not a firewall. Version 2.3.0 runs on macOS 10.15 or later, with an interactive UI or the command line, and its source code is linked from the product page. Version 2.3.0 came out on 5 October 2024. No price is listed. Use it when you want the connection list and you will block traffic somewhere else.

The firewall built into macOS is the free incoming control. Apple describes it as protection from unwanted contact initiated by other computers. You find it under Apple menu › System Settings › Network › Firewall, with options including "Block all incoming connections," "Automatically allow built-in software to receive incoming connections," and "Enable stealth mode." It is the right control for inbound access and the wrong tool if you want an outbound prompt.

```sh
brew install --cask lulu
brew install --cask murus
brew install --cask netiquette
```

## Quiet whole-app blocking

**Pick:** Outbound for app-plus-host rules. For a $9 silent switch: Radio Silence.

Outbound blocks a whole app with one rule, and can also scope a rule to a host, domain, IP, range or port. It is new in 2026, closed source, and sold with no free trial.

[Radio Silence](https://radiosilenceapp.com/) ([catalog page](/apps/radio-silence)) is the quiet option on this list. There are no annoying pop-ups, and it costs $9, with a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It requires macOS 10.15 or newer, works on Apple Silicon and Intel, and supports macOS Golden Gate. The current version is 3.4, whose notes include installation guidance for macOS Tahoe.

You block an app, and that app loses the network. Child processes of blocked apps are blocked too. The network monitor shows connections in real time and exposes helpers, daemons and XPC services. Its controls are a list of blocked apps, so you do not get a prompt on every new host.

If you want to allow a browser but deny one analytics domain, Radio Silence is the weaker pick. LuLu and Little Snitch document host or domain rules; Radio Silence describes whole-app blocking.

```sh
brew install --cask radio-silence
```

The side-by-side pages are [LuLu vs Radio Silence](/compare/lulu-vs-radio-silence) and [Little Snitch vs Radio Silence](/compare/little-snitch-vs-radio-silence).

## Deepest monitoring

**Pick:** Outbound. For a twelve-month traffic history: Little Snitch.

Outbound shows which apps reach the internet, where each connection goes, how much it sent and why it was allowed, with a 2D map or 3D globe and connection alerts. It is new in 2026, closed source, and has no free trial.

[Little Snitch](/apps/little-snitch) is the most established commercial monitor here; Objective Development says it has been doing this job for more than 20 years. [Release notes](https://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/releasenotes.html) dated 8 September 2026 publish Little Snitch 6.5 (build 7303). It runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate and is also compatible with macOS Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma. Upgrade to 6.5 before a macOS 27 Golden Gate upgrade: previous versions are not compatible and would break the internet connection after that upgrade. Version 6.4.1 (build 7212, 22 June 2026) is the earlier release.

- A connection alert asks you to allow or deny. Silent Mode allows new connections first so you can decide later.
- Network Monitor includes a map and an interactive chart for a period of up to twelve months.
- Curated blocklists with daily updates, rules that limit access to specific servers, domains, ports or protocols, profiles that can switch automatically, a command line utility, and DNS encryption using DoH, DoT or DoQ.

That combination is why Little Snitch is the pick when the job is "show me the host, keep a history, and let me write a narrow rule."

[Prices](https://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/order.html) are in euros: single licence 59 € (LS6-1, valid for Little Snitch 6 and 5), family 115 € (LS6-HF), multi 5× 239 € (LS6-5), multi 10× 419 € (LS6-10). The family licence covers one household, up to 5 computers, non-commercial use. The single licence covers one user on multiple computers, or multiple users on one computer, not both. The Snitch Bundle single licence is 61.25 €, down from 63.49 €. Without a licence, demo mode runs for three hours and can be restarted, and the Network Monitor expires after 30 days.

Little Snitch Mini is the smaller app from the same company. Its network view is free; connection blocking, extended traffic history, and advanced display and filtering are an in-app purchase. The US App Store lists Version 1.9 (2026-01-19), requires macOS 12.0 or later, and sells a Monthly Subscription at $1.49 and a Yearly Subscription at $13.49. Mini is not a Homebrew cask in this catalog, so there is no `brew` line for it. Pick it when you want Objective Development's map in a smaller app and may never pay for blocking, not when you need the full Little Snitch rule editor.

```sh
brew install --cask little-snitch
```

The existing comparison is [Little Snitch vs LuLu](/compare/little-snitch-vs-lulu).

## Metered networks

**Pick:** TripMode.

[TripMode](/apps/tripmode) is the hotspot tool. It lists apps that are requesting internet access and blocks them by default, you choose which apps get access, and it turns itself on when you connect to a hotspot. It has a live monitor, data-usage reports, and a view of the domains apps have contacted. It is compatible with macOS 27 Golden Gate and offers a free download.

The US App Store lists version 3.2.6 (10/06/2025), requiring macOS 11.0 or later. A feature-limited free mode remains; full use needs a subscription or a Lifetime in-app purchase, after a 7-day trial billed at $14.99/year or the equivalent in your country. The in-app purchase list shows two amounts for each plan (Yearly $17.99 and $14.99, Monthly $5.99 and $4.99, Lifetime $49.99 and $39.99), so we do not quote one TripMode price.

TripMode wins on a metered link because of default-deny per app and automatic activation on a hotspot. It is a weak Little Snitch alternative if you want a prompt that names the host: its domain view is for visibility, not a per-host block rule.

```sh
brew install --cask tripmode
```

## Managed Macs and MDM

**Pick:** Outbound. Already on Little Snitch: its Enterprise Deployment works with Jamf and Hexnode.

Outbound supports managed Macs with sample MDM profiles, managed preferences, an HTTPS rule feed with optional SHA-256 pinning, and JSON Lines audit export. Teams licensing is per seat, billed yearly, priced on request. Rules, modes and the `outboundctl` command-line tool are the same as on a personal Mac. It requires macOS 14 or later and is new in 2026, closed source, and has no free trial.

Little Snitch can be mass-deployed via Jamf, Hexnode or similar MDM solutions. Its rules and settings can be managed centrally, and permissions of non-admin users can be restricted. Mass deployment works only on the very first installation and is driven by a JSON configuration file that carries the licence key. See the [Little Snitch Enterprise Deployment help](https://help.obdev.at/littlesnitch6/adv-enterprise-deployment).

LuLu documents profiles but not MDM deployment. Radio Silence sells a $49 Team licence with no seat limit and does not describe MDM deployment either. Outbound is not a Homebrew cask, so get it from [outboundfirewall.com](https://outboundfirewall.com/).

## Developers

**Pick:** Outbound. Free: LuLu. Packet-filter control: Murus with Vallum.

Claude Code's hosts in one list; the inspector offers a rule for just that agent and host.

On a developer Mac, package managers, test runners and dev servers often share one `node` or `python3` binary. A path rule on that file covers every program that runs as it, so scope the rule by host: allow the registry the job needs (npm's default is `registry.npmjs.org`) rather than everything the binary can reach. Coding agents still show under their own names, so a rule for Claude Code is not a rule for a shared `node`. Give `ssh` and `git` their own rule for the host the monitor showed.

From Terminal, `outboundctl` exports, imports and adds rules. Export before you import, because import replaces user rules:

```sh
outboundctl rules export rules.json
outboundctl rules add --action deny --remote example.com --path /usr/bin/curl
```

Replace the path and host with the binary and host you saw in the monitor.

If you want domain, port and protocol rules plus a monitor you can search for a year, Little Snitch 6.5 is the mature commercial tool, at 59 € for a single licence with the demo limits above.

If you want the same general class of control in a free, open-source app, LuLu 4.5.1 is the one. You can write a remote address or domain and a remote port, keep profiles, and read the source. You give up the map and the long history.

[Vallum](/apps/vallum) sits in the developer column for its rule depth. It describes inbound and outbound rules, hostname or domain matching, port and protocol, popup notifications, a Flows Monitor, and rules matched by developer or signature. Vallum 5 requires macOS 11.2 or later and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel.

- **Versions:** release notes list Vallum 5.1 on 16 September 2025, with Tahoe compatibility, and the downloads include "Vallum 6.0 beta" and "Vallum 6.0 beta for macos 27." GitHub lists Vallum 6.0 (12 October 2026) and 6.0.1 (13 October 2026) as full releases, while the website still shows 5.1 notes, 5.1 prices and the 6.0 beta download.
- **Price:** $15 single licence, $20 five-licence family pack. An upgrade to Vallum 5 is $7.50, and free if Vallum or a Murus Pro Bundle was bought in 2024. Prices exclude VAT. There is a 15-day trial.

Murus is the packet-filter front end, not the per-app prompt. The Pro bundle includes Vallum as the application-layer firewall, and per-app blocking is Vallum's job.

- **Versions:** stable release notes list Murus 2.7 on 2 September 2025, with Tahoe compatibility; the 2.x line requires macOS 10.14.4 or later and runs on Apple Silicon and Intel. Murus 3.0 rc 2 requires macOS 13.5 or later, including macOS 27. GitHub lists Murus 3.0 as a full release on 12 October 2026, while the website download buttons still offer 2.7 and the release candidate.
- **Price:** Basic $10 single. Basic five-licence family pack $15, non-commercial: up to two computers per person, up to five people in the same household. Pro $25 single. Prices exclude VAT. Educational licensing is 50% off; ask Murus for a coupon.

```sh
brew install --cask vallum
```

## Comparison table

"Not stated" means the vendor does not document that cell. It is not a lab result.

| App | Price | Licence | Open source | Per-host rules | Alerts | Monitor | MDM | Latest version / date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Outbound | $39 one-time personal (2 Macs, 1.x and 2.x updates). First 50 licences $29. Family $59 for 5 Macs. No subscription | One-time. No account. No free trial. Full refund within 14 days | No. Closed source | Per-app rules plus host, domain, IP, range and port rules | Connection alerts. Ask, Learn and Strict modes | Network monitor with a world map | Configuration profiles, managed rule feed, audit export | 1.0.19 (12 October 2026) |
| macOS firewall | Included with macOS | Part of the system | Not a separate app | Incoming app access, not outbound host rules | Incoming controls in System Settings | Not described in Apple's firewall guides | Not stated | Guide version picker includes macOS Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate |
| Little Snitch | 59 € single; family 115 €; 5× 239 €; 10× 419 € | One user, many Macs, or many users, one Mac. Family: 5 computers, one household, non-commercial | Not stated | Domains, ports, protocols | Connection alert. Silent Mode allows first | Map and chart, up to twelve months | Mass deployment via Jamf, Hexnode or similar MDM. Central rule and settings management | 6.5 (7303), 8 September 2026 |
| LuLu | Free | No paid tier | Yes | Remote address or domain, plus remote port | Alert on a new unauthorized outgoing connection. Passive mode is silent | Network Monitor menu opens Netiquette | Profiles. MDM not stated | 4.5.1 (5 Aug 2026) |
| Radio Silence | $9 personal; $49 team | One-time. Free trial. 30-day money back. Team licence has no seat limit | Not stated | Whole-app block. Per-host rules not described | No pop-ups | Real-time connection list | Not stated | 3.4. No release date printed |
| Vallum | $15 single; family $20. Prices exclude VAT | 15-day trial. Upgrade to 5 is $7.50, or free for a 2024 Vallum or Murus Pro Bundle purchase | Not stated | Hostname or domain, port, protocol | Popup notifications | Flows Monitor | Not stated | 6.0.1 on GitHub, 13 October 2026. Website still shows 5.1 and a 6.0 beta |
| Murus | Lite free (non-commercial). Basic $10. Family pack $15. Pro $25. Prices exclude VAT | Lite is not a trial. Family pack is non-commercial | Not stated | PF rules. Per-app blocking is Vallum in the Pro bundle | Logging. Connection prompts not stated | Inbound logging on Lite. Outbound logging listed for the paid editions | Not stated | 3.0 on GitHub, 12 October 2026. Website still offers 2.7 and 3.0 rc 2 |
| TripMode | Not quoted. US App Store lists two yearly amounts and two lifetime amounts | Feature-limited free mode. 7-day trial, then a subscription or Lifetime IAP | Not stated | Per-app default deny. Domains are a visibility feature | You choose which apps get access | Live monitor and data usage | Not stated | 3.2.6, 10/06/2025 on the US App Store |
| Little Snitch Mini | Monitor view free. US IAP: $1.49 monthly, $13.49 yearly | Blocking and extended history are an in-app purchase | Not stated | Blocklists. No per-host rule editor described | Blocking is part of the IAP set | Map view. Extended history is an IAP item | Not stated | 1.9, US App Store 2026-01-19 |
| Netiquette | No price listed | Monitor only | Source code linked from the product page | No allow or block rules described | No alert-to-allow flow described | UI, command line, JSON export | Not stated | 2.3.0 (5 Oct 2024) |

## Hands Off! is no longer sold

Metakine says it used to develop and sell Mac apps such as Hands Off!, and the old product page (`https://www.metakine.com/products/handsoff/`) is gone. This roundup does not list Hands Off! as a firewall you can buy, and gives no version or price for it.

## Where to go next

App pages in the catalog: [Little Snitch](/apps/little-snitch), [LuLu](/apps/lulu), [Radio Silence](/apps/radio-silence), [Vallum](/apps/vallum), [Murus](/apps/murus), [TripMode](/apps/tripmode), [Netiquette](/apps/netiquette).

Side-by-side comparisons: [LuLu vs Radio Silence](/compare/lulu-vs-radio-silence), [Little Snitch vs Radio Silence](/compare/little-snitch-vs-radio-silence), and [Little Snitch vs LuLu](/compare/little-snitch-vs-lulu).

Outbound stays off the cask list. Download it from [outboundfirewall.com](https://outboundfirewall.com/).

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