Common firewalls like Mac’s own PF, restrict and monitor the inbound and outbound network traffic based on attributes like IP address, ports, protocols etc. What makes it different from the existing inbuilt firewall? Well, here’s the catch. Murus brings the PF feature of a firewall in an intuitive, drag & drop based interface that lets you define your own rule set and control the network permissions on your mac. However, for some users, it may seem a little complex to use and this is where Murus comes in the picture. Mac’s own firewall comes with one of the best features available in network firewalls called the PF (packet filter).
Read: The Best WiFi Analyser For Mac Little Snitch Alternatives for Mac 1. So here are some alternatives to Little Snitch for Windows and macOS. This alone can be a reason to look for alternatives that cost nothing or at least relatively cheaper than Little Snitch. But, do we really need an alternative? Well, for starters, it costs you over $40 and upgrades are extra.
In short, Little Snitch is one of the best apps, to keep an eye on your Mac’s Internet connections. You can download it from the official website or take a look at the source code on GitHub. If you don’t want to spend a dime on a firewall app, this free little alternative is really worth trying. It’s been about a week now and I haven’t encountered a bug. Just like Little Snitch, it has a panel where you can remove existing rules and add new ones manually:Įver since I upgraded to macOS Mojave, I’ve been using the new system-wide dark theme which Lulu neatly blends in with.įor a free app, Lulu is incredibly well-built. It resets when you quit the app or restart your computer and the dialogue box will pop up again. Checking the temporarily box makes the rule temporary for that specific program ID.
Personally, I only allow Apple-signed programs to connect automatically, all third-party apps require manual confirmation to create rules.Ĭlicking the Block or Allow button determines whether the application will access the Internet or not. The choice you make here depends on how you wish to use the program. Lulu uses the same approach to application firewall as Little Snitch it alerts you of outgoing connections and asks you confirm every connection your apps are trying to make.Īfter installing it, you can choose to allow all default Apple apps and existing third-party apps to connect to the Internet without confirmation. If you’ve been using Little Snitch before now, you shouldn’t have a problem using Lulu. This means that it’s not just free, but also anyone can contribute to its development. Unlike Little Snitch, Lulu is an open source software with its source code already on GitHub. If you’ve been looking for a free Little Snitch alternative that works with macOS Mojave and previous macOS versions, Lulu is what you need.
To avoid this, you have to buy the full version. If you’re using the free version of Little Snitch, you have to deal with the fact that it automatically quits after every three hours.
I’ve been using it for quite a while but recently ditched it when I found a free alternative that equally works great. Little Snitch is probably the best host-based application firewall solution for macOS app.