Portmaster

Shows every connection each application makes and lets you block any of them, with sensible defaults already set.

FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsLinux
Official websitesafing.ioDownload pagesafing.ioSource codegithub.comDocumentationdocs.safing.io

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About Portmaster

Portmaster is an application firewall that starts useful. Out of the box it blocks known trackers and malware domains and shows a live list of what every program on the machine is connecting to. Settings can be global or per application, and secure DNS over HTTPS or TLS is included.

It intercepts at the raw packet level using nfqueue on Linux and a kernel driver on Windows, and works out which process owns a connection using eBPF and /proc on Linux. That includes awkward cases such as Snap, AppImage and script-launched processes.

Recording and searching past network activity, per-application bandwidth figures and the SPN privacy network are paid features from Safing, the Austrian company behind it.

Strengths

  • Blocks known trackers and malware with no configuration
  • Live list of every connection, attributed to the program that made it
  • Per-application settings as well as global rules
  • Secure DNS over HTTPS and TLS built in

Limitations

  • Windows and Linux only
  • Network history search and bandwidth figures are paid features
  • A kernel driver on Windows, which is a lot of trust to extend
  • Can interfere with virtual private networks and other network software

Details

Pricing
FreemiumFree and open source under the GPL 3.0. Network history search, per-app bandwidth and the SPN privacy network are paid.
License
GPL-3.0
Developer
Safing
Platforms
Windows, Linux
How it runs
Downloadable app
Account
Not required
Works offline
Yes
Best suited for
Finding out what your applications actually talk to, and stopping the ones you do not like
Categories
Security tools
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Security); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 2 sources on file.

Alternatives to Portmaster

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Software that can replace Portmaster for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.

  • OpenSnitch

    An interactive application firewall for Linux that asks before letting any program make an outbound connection.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    OpenSnitch is a Linux-only GPL-3.0 application firewall that prompts on each new outbound connection and manages nftables, with multi-machine management.

  • simplewall

    Puts a plain list of programs in front of the Windows Filtering Platform, so you decide what is allowed online.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    simplewall is a free Windows tool using a plain allow and block list on the Windows Filtering Platform, without Portmaster's secure DNS or tracker lists.

  • GlassWire

    Network monitor and firewall with a visual traffic history.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsAndroid

    GlassWire is a closed-source Windows and Android monitor with a visual traffic history, putting longer history behind a paid licence.

  • Little Snitch

    macOS application firewall that prompts on outgoing connections.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    Little Snitch is a paid, closed-source macOS firewall that prompts on outbound connections and shows which process talks to where.

  • LuLu

    Control outbound application connections on macOS.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    LuLu is a free open-source outbound firewall for macOS, a platform Portmaster does not support.

  • NetGuard

    No-root Android firewall that blocks internet access per app.

    FreemiumOpen sourceAndroid

    NetGuard blocks internet access per app on Android without root, with a live traffic log, but occupies the VPN slot.

Similar software

Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.

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