Little Snitch vs Radio Silence
Which is the better firewall for Mac in 2026?
Little Snitch
Host-based application firewall
Radio Silence
Network monitor and firewall
Our verdict
How we compare appsLittle Snitch 6.5 is the tool whose own page documents the map, the twelve-month chart, Silent Mode, and a rule for a server, domain, port, or protocol, at 59 € for a single licence. Radio Silence 3.4 is the tool whose own page documents a $9 whole-app block, no pop-ups, and a live connection list. Neither score is a measured test.
Read the quick answer
Which is better: Little Snitch or Radio Silence?
Little Snitch and Radio Silence are both firewall on a Mac, so the pick depends on workflow. Pay for Little Snitch when the monitor and the narrow rule are the job. Pay $9 for Radio Silence when the job is a quiet list of apps that must stay offline. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask little-snitch and brew install --cask radio-silence.
TL;DR
Little Snitch vs Radio Silence: Little Snitch 6.5 is the tool whose own page documents the map, the twelve-month chart, Silent Mode, and a rule for a server, domain, port, or protocol, at 59 € for a single licence. Radio Silence 3.4 is the tool whose own page documents a $9 whole-app block, no pop-ups, and a live connection list. Neither score is a measured test.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Little Snitch | Radio Silence |
|---|---|---|
| Price | See developer pricing | Free |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Replaces | — | — |
| Best for | firewall, network, privacy | radio silence |
| Install | brew install --cask little-snitch | brew install --cask radio-silence |
| Category | Security & Privacy | System Utilities |
Quick Install
brew install --cask little-snitchbrew install --cask radio-silenceLearn More
In-Depth Overview
Little Snitch: alerts, history and narrow rules
Little Snitch 6.5 runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate and is also compatible with macOS Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma. Release notes date 6.5 (build 7303) to 8 September 2026, and say previous versions are not compatible with macOS 27 Golden Gate. It offers a connection alert, Silent Mode, Network Monitor with a map, a chart for up to twelve months, blocklists with daily updates, profiles that can switch automatically, a command line utility, and DNS encryption with DoH, DoT, or DoQ. You can limit access to specific servers, domains, ports, or protocols. Prices, in euros, are single 59 € (LS6-1), family 115 € (LS6-HF), multi 5× 239 € (LS6-5), and multi 10× 419 € (LS6-10). The bundle is 61.25 €, with 63.49 € shown as the original price. Demo mode runs for three hours and can be restarted. Network Monitor expires after 30 days. Objective Development says Little Snitch has done this job for more than 20 years.
Radio Silence: quiet whole-app blocking
Radio Silence blocks apps from phoning home, shows connections in real time, exposes helpers, daemons and XPC services, and automatically blocks child processes of blocked apps. There are no annoying pop-ups. The price is $9. There is a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It requires macOS 10.15 or newer and names Apple Silicon, Intel and macOS Golden Gate. The download page lists Version 3.4 for macOS 10.15 and newer. The 3.4 notes mention installation guidance for macOS Tahoe and do not print a calendar date for the build.
Detailed Feature Comparison
Price
High importanceLittle Snitch
DocumentedSingle buy button 59 €. Family 115 €. Multi 5× 239 €. Multi 10× 419 €. Bundle buy button 61.25 €, original price shown as 63.49 €. Demo: three hours, restartable. Network Monitor expires after 30 days.
Radio Silence
Documented$9, free trial, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Verdict: Radio Silence is the smaller listed price. Little Snitch's order page is in euros and lists several licences, not a dollar equivalent.
Rule scope
High importanceLittle Snitch
DocumentedYou can limit access to specific servers, domains, ports, or protocols, and rules can cover outgoing and incoming connections.
Radio Silence
DocumentedBlock the app. Child processes of blocked apps are blocked too. Radio Silence does not describe a per-host rule.
Verdict: Little Snitch documents a narrow target. Radio Silence documents the whole app.
Prompts
High importanceLittle Snitch
DocumentedConnection alerts ask you to allow or deny. Silent Mode allows new connections first so you can decide later.
Radio Silence
DocumentedNo annoying pop-ups and no menu-bar clutter.
Verdict: Little Snitch asks, with Silent Mode as the quiet option. Radio Silence does not ask.
Monitor depth
High importanceLittle Snitch
DocumentedNetwork Monitor, map, search by app or hostname, and a chart for up to twelve months.
Radio Silence
DocumentedReal-time list of connections, including helpers, daemons and XPC services. No twelve-month chart is described.
Verdict: Little Snitch's page states the long chart and the map. Radio Silence's page states a live list.
Blocklists and profiles
Medium importanceLittle Snitch
DocumentedCurated blocklists with daily updates. Profiles can switch automatically. Rule groups can be local or subscribed.
Radio Silence
Not statedRadio Silence does not describe curated blocklists or automatic profiles.
Verdict: Those two features are on the Little Snitch product page.
Current build and Mac support
Medium importanceLittle Snitch
Documented6.5 (7303) on 8 September 2026. Runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate, Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma.
Radio Silence
DocumentedVersion 3.4 for macOS 10.15 and newer. Runs on Apple Silicon and Intel, and on macOS Golden Gate. Tahoe is named in the 3.4 install notes.
Verdict: Both vendors name a current build and a recent macOS line. The version numbers are not comparable as a quality score.
Who Should Choose Which?
1Wants a year of traffic history and a map
The product page documents Network Monitor, a map, and a chart for up to twelve months. Radio Silence documents a real-time list.
2Wants one app offline and no prompts
Version 3.4 blocks the app and its child processes. There are no pop-ups. The price is $9.
3Wants to allow a browser but deny one domain
Little Snitch can limit access to specific servers, domains, ports, or protocols. Radio Silence does not describe that rule.
4Wants to try before paying
Little Snitch's demo runs for three hours and can be restarted, and Network Monitor expires after 30 days. Radio Silence offers a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The trial shapes differ, so neither is scored as longer.
Migration Guide
Little Snitch → Radio Silence
Neither vendor documents an import of Little Snitch rules into Radio Silence. Little Snitch rules can name a server, domain, port, or protocol. Radio Silence blocks the app. Write down the apps you want fully offline, remove one filter, then build that short list in Radio Silence.
Radio Silence → Little Snitch
Neither vendor documents a Radio Silence import into Little Snitch. After Little Snitch is installed, Silent Mode can allow connections first so you can decide later. Expect to recreate any app block as an explicit deny.
Pro Tips
Keep one content filter active. A Little Snitch domain rule is not the same object as a Radio Silence app block.
Final Verdict
Depends on the job
Score
Little Snitch
Score
Radio Silence
Scores are Bundl.run editorial ratings out of 10 across 6 criteria (the feature comparison above), last reviewed August 2026.
Little Snitch 6.5 is the tool whose own page documents the map, the twelve-month chart, Silent Mode, and a rule for a server, domain, port, or protocol, at 59 € for a single licence. Radio Silence 3.4 is the tool whose own page documents a $9 whole-app block, no pop-ups, and a live connection list. Neither score is a measured test.
Bottom Line: Pay for Little Snitch when the monitor and the narrow rule are the job. Pay $9 for Radio Silence when the job is a quiet list of apps that must stay offline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Little Snitch cost, and in which currency?
What does Radio Silence cost?
Which versions were current on 2026-10-14?
Does Radio Silence show a map and a year of history?
Can I run both at once?
About the Author
Explore More on Bundl
Browse firewall apps, read our complete guide, or discover curated bundles.
Sources & References
Last verified: Oct 14, 2026
Key Verified Facts
- Little Snitch 6.5 (build 7303, 8 September 2026) runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate and also on Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma.[2][3]
- Little Snitch single, family, and multi buy buttons are 59 €, 115 €, 239 €, and 419 €. The bundle is 61.25 €.[4]
- Little Snitch can limit access to specific servers, domains, ports, or protocols, and its monitor chart covers up to twelve months.[1]
- Radio Silence 3.4 is listed for macOS 10.15 and newer, and costs $9, with no pop-ups.[5][6]
- 1obdev.atLittle Snitch product page
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
Connection alert, Silent Mode, Network Monitor, chart up to twelve months, limit access to servers, domains, ports, or protocols.
- 2obdev.atLittle Snitch download
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
Little Snitch 6.5 runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate. Also compatible with Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma. Demo runs three hours. Network Monitor expires after 30 days.
- 3obdev.atLittle Snitch release notes
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
8 September 2026, Little Snitch 6.5 (7303). Previous versions are not compatible with macOS 27 Golden Gate.
- 4obdev.atLittle Snitch order page
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
Buy buttons: 59 € LS6-1, 115 € LS6-HF, 239 € LS6-5, 419 € LS6-10, bundle 61.25 € LS6-BDL1, original price 63.49 €.
- 5radiosilenceapp.comRadio Silence homepage
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
Buy now for only $9. No annoying pop-ups. Child processes of blocked apps are automatically blocked. Real-time network monitor.
- 6radiosilenceapp.comRadio Silence download
Accessed Oct 14, 2026
Source excerpt
Version 3.4, requires macOS 10.15+. Installation guidance for macOS Tahoe.
Research queries: little snitch vs radio silence