Compare software

iptables vs nftables: catalog facts
iptables	nftables
Free Free and open source, maintained by the netfilter project.	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
Ships with or is packaged for nearly every Linux distribution Very large body of existing guides and rule sets	One tool and rule syntax for IPv4, IPv6, ARP and bridge filtering Part of the mainline Linux kernel
Linux only Rule syntax is terse and easy to get wrong	Linux only Command-line rule language has a learning curve
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.