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GlassWire

glasswire.com

From $2.99/mo Free plan WebWindowsAndroid
Visit glasswire.com
Spec score 9.0 #1 of 33 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software

What it is

GlassWire is a network traffic monitor and personal firewall for viewing network activity and controlling app connections. Its desktop traffic analysis breaks usage down by IP or host, app, traffic type, and other categories. Alerts flag unusual network or app changes that could indicate malware and unknown devices joining Wi-Fi. The Android app graphs app data use, alerts when apps access the network, and can block connections over mobile or Wi-Fi. GlassWire says Android app and data usage information stays on the phone and the app itself uses no data. The free tier limits network history to 24 hours, bandwidth usage history to one day, and alert logs to the current day. Premium provides unlimited network history, bandwidth history, and alert logs, along with bidirectional firewall controls, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, and Lockdown Mode. The Personal Plan costs $2.99 per month when billed annually. The desktop download requires Windows 10 or later and supports x64 and ARM64 architectures.

Spec sheet

What it does
GlassWire visualizes current and historical network traffic, logs destination IPs and traffic quantities, and can block traffic.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Product
GlassWire is a network traffic monitor and personal firewall that shows current and past network activity and can block suspicious or badly behaving apps.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Free plan
YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Paid from
2.99Read 21 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Support
GlassWire lists email support addresses for activation, help, bugs and business inquiries and maintains a community forum.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Headquarters
Draper, Utah, USARead 28 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Android app
The Android app graphs app data use, alerts when apps access the network, and can block app connections over mobile or Wi-Fi.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Android permissions
The Android app requires phone and usage permissions to calculate per-app mobile-data usage and states that it has no network connectivity itself.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Android privacy
GlassWire states that Android app and data usage information never leaves the phone and that the app itself uses no data.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Android privacy claim
Google Play lists no data shared with third parties and no data collected, while the app description says usage information stays on the phone.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Antivirus limitation
GlassWire says its security layer is not comprehensive malware detection and should be used with a separate primary antivirus.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
API and SDKs
The published documentation describes the VirusTotal API connection but provides no public GlassWire product API or SDK.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Ask to Connect
Ask to Connect pauses new network connections until the user approves or denies them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Bandwidth export
Traffic usage can be exported as CSV from the Usage Table.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Company history
GlassWire says its team spent over a year building the product before Jon Hundley posted it to Hacker News, after which the team chose to work on it full time.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Company legal provider
GlassWire services are provided by Domotz Inc., a Delaware company headquartered at 120 East 13065 South, Suite 102, Draper, Utah.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Company ownership
GlassWire's website privacy policy describes GlassWire as a brand owned by Domotz Inc.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Company profile
LinkedIn lists GlassWire as privately held, founded in 2014, headquartered in Austin, Texas, with 2–10 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Documentation
Official documentation includes Windows and Android guides, quick-start instructions, FAQ pages, a forum and a version changelog.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Download verification
GlassWire says a hash can be used to verify that a downloaded file is not corrupted or tampered with, and publishes recent hash values on its changelog page.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Firewall
Its bidirectional firewall supports separate inbound and outbound rules for each application.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Firewall controls
Premium includes bidirectional firewall control, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, and Lockdown Mode.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Firewall profiles
Users can create and switch among profiles for contexts such as home, work and public Wi-Fi.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Latest release
Version 3.11.1164 was listed at 118.4 MB with bulk firewall actions and improved GPU and memory statistics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
License model
GlassWire software is proprietary, with a temporary, non-transferable subscription license; open-source component terms may apply separately.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Limit: firewall granularity
A G2 reviewer says GlassWire cannot block programs by specific IP address or subscribe to IP lists and offers limited visibility into packet contents.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: free-tier history
Reviewers complain that the free version limits historical connection data to roughly 24 hours.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Limit: learning curve
G2 and Capterra reviewers mention that deeper information can require a learning curve and is not always easy to interpret.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: pricing
Independent reviews describe the professional edition as expensive and say important capabilities require payment.Read 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Limit: support complaints
Trustpilot reviewers repeatedly report delayed or missing support responses and billing or endpoint-downgrade difficulties.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Limit: upgrade prompts
A G2 reviewer reports frequent prompts to upgrade from the free version and limited onboarding guidance.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Lockdown mode
Lockdown Mode blocks all incoming and outgoing traffic with one action.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Mac and iOS status
The download page offers Windows and Android downloads and states that a Mac version is not currently in development; the FAQ says Mac and iOS work continues.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Management console
The web Management Console manages account details, billing, plans and endpoints remotely.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Network scanner
The scanner lists connected devices with manufacturer, IP and MAC information and can alert when unknown devices join.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Network Time Machine
Timeline controls let users inspect prior traffic, alerts, hosts and first network activity over day, week or month views.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Notable changelog
The September 2, 2026 release added cleanup of inactive apps, firewall-list filters and fixes for a rare network-driver BSOD and memory leak.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Praise: monitoring value
GetApp and Software Advice reviewers describe the graphs, alerts and bandwidth monitoring as useful for identifying unusual activity and controlling data consumption.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Praise: usability
G2 reviewers repeatedly praise the intuitive interface, easy setup and clear network and data-use views.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: visibility
Independent reviewers commonly value seeing which applications connect, how much data they use and which hostnames they contact.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Premium history
Premium provides unlimited network history, bandwidth usage history, and alert logs; the free tier limits these to 24 hours, one day, and the current day respectively.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Rating on Capterra
4.7 out of 5 from 69 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
4.6 out of 5 from 50 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on GetApp
4.7 out of 5 from 69 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Google Play
4.1 out of 5 from 30.3K reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Rating on Trustpilot
2.1 out of 5 from 41 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Security checks
Security monitoring includes system-file, device-list and application-information change detection, ARP-spoofing monitoring and known threat alerts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Security program
GlassWire links to a bug bounty program hosted on HackerOne.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Self-hosting
The service uses a GlassWire Web Console and Protect Agent/App supplied by GlassWire; the license reserves source-code rights and does not grant source access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Supported desktop OS
The desktop download requires Windows 10 or later and supports x64 and ARM64 architectures.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
System requirements
Current x64 releases require Windows 10 or 11 on 64-bit hardware; Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server and 32-bit Windows require the legacy 3.8.1061 release.Read 15 Oct 2026 · forum.glasswire.com
Threat alerts
GlassWire reports unusual network or app changes that could indicate malware and alerts when unknown devices join Wi-Fi.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Traffic analysis
The desktop product breaks network usage down by IP or host, app, traffic type, and other categories.Read 29 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
VirusTotal integration
Windows users can optionally connect their own VirusTotal API key to scan network-active files; the integration is off by default.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Visual monitoring
The product shows applications, processes, hosts, countries and bandwidth activity on an interactive graph.Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Free Forever 1 day bandwidth usage · 24 hours network history · Current day alerts logs Read 21 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Personal Plan $2.99 a month Paid annually Up to 20 licenses · Unlimited bandwidth usage · Unlimited network history · Unlimited alerts logs Read 21 Sep 2026 · glasswire.com
Free Free Free Forever Basic network monitoring · 1-day bandwidth history · 24-hour network history · current-day alert logs Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Personal Plan $2.99 a month Paid annually Up to 20 licenses available in Premium offering · unlimited history and alerts · Ask to Connect · Lockdown Mode · firewall profiles Read 15 Oct 2026 · glasswire.com
Personal $35.88 a year Per year All security features · Ask to Connect · Lock Down Mode · Mini Graph · themes · Wi-Fi device view · anomaly detection · live connections map Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Duo $50.16 a year Per year Contact vendor for more details Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Family $89.76 a year Per year Contact vendor for more details Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com

Every GlassWire plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Traffic analysis breaks usage down by app and host
  • Alerts flag unknown devices joining Wi-Fi
  • Android can block app connections over mobile or Wi-Fi
  • Premium includes unlimited network history and alert logs

Limits

  • Free network history is limited to 24 hours
  • Free bandwidth history is limited to one day
  • Desktop download requires Windows 10 or later
  • Personal Plan is $2.99 per month billed annually

Who it suits

GlassWire suits users who want to monitor network activity and manage app connections on Android or Windows. Windows desktop users need Windows 10 or later and a supported x64 or ARM64 system.

GlassWire in depth

Read the full write-up

Overview

GlassWire pairs a network-traffic monitor with controls for blocking app connections. It is a practical fit for people who want to identify which programs use bandwidth and review suspicious activity without starting with a paid plan. Its central trade-off is that the free tier keeps only a short record, while longer-term review and expanded firewall controls require Premium.

Key features

The desktop product sorts traffic by app, IP or host, traffic type, and other categories, giving users a way to investigate what is behind a usage total. Alerts flag unusual network or app changes that could indicate malware and can warn when an unknown device joins Wi-Fi. These notices can bring activity to a user’s attention, while the product’s stated role is monitoring and personal firewall control.

Premium adds bidirectional firewall control, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, and Lockdown Mode. That makes the paid tier the better fit for users who want to do more than observe traffic and need to manage app connections. Free users get 24 hours of network history, one day of bandwidth usage history, and alert logs for the current day; those caps are a real constraint when a problem is noticed after the relevant activity has passed. Premium removes the history limits.

On Android, GlassWire graphs data use by app, alerts when apps access the network, and can block app connections over mobile or Wi-Fi. GlassWire says Android app and data-usage information never leaves the phone and that the app itself uses no data, a useful privacy assurance for people monitoring mobile use.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and is billed Free Forever. It includes one day of bandwidth usage, 24 hours of network history, and current-day alert logs. It is suited to checking recent activity, but not to keeping a useful record for later comparisons.

The Personal Plan costs $2.99 a month, billed Paid annually, and includes up to 20 licenses, unlimited bandwidth usage, unlimited network history, and unlimited alert logs. It is the relevant upgrade for households or users who need longer records and the Premium firewall tools. Both Free and Premium include community support; Premium also includes dedicated support.

Platforms

GlassWire supports Android, web, and Windows. The desktop download requires Windows 10 or later and supports x64 and ARM64 architectures. The Android app provides mobile data monitoring and connection blocking. GlassWire also publishes recent download hash values on its changelog page so users can check whether a downloaded file is corrupted or tampered with.

Who it's for

GlassWire suits individual users who want app-level visibility into network activity, alerts about unusual changes, and a way to block connections. Free is a sensible starting point for short-term checks; users who need ongoing records or more firewall controls should consider the Personal Plan. It is less suitable for someone whose primary need is a long history without an annual paid plan.

Pros and cons

Useful traffic breakdowns: Desktop views by app, host or IP, and traffic type help narrow down which activity is driving usage.

Monitoring without an upfront fee: Free includes traffic monitoring and alerts, making recent activity available without a subscription.

Meaningful free-tier history caps: Network history stops at 24 hours, bandwidth history at one day, and alert logs at the current day, limiting later investigation.

Firewall controls sit in Premium: Users who want bidirectional control, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, or Lockdown Mode need the paid tier.

Android privacy claim: GlassWire says usage information stays on the phone and the app itself uses no data.

Alternatives

For a free bandwidth tool with a live usage monitor, reports, and a five-rule limit, SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager is a simpler option; its Lite plan lacks GlassWire’s described app-connection controls and traffic alerts. ntopng is worth considering for home and network practitioners seeking an open-source network-monitoring option, with a suggested maximum of 256 live local hosts on its Community plan.

Nagios XI offers a free self-supported plan capped at seven nodes or 100 services, whichever comes first, making it an option when that monitored-resource cap fits. sFlowTrend is another alternative.

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer has a free edition limited to two interfaces, which may suit a small interface-count requirement. ElastiFlow offers a free Basic plan with throughput and device limits alongside dashboards and ML detections, for readers whose needs fit those stated caps.

Intermapper uses device-based licensing with custom quotes, while SparrowIQ is a paid option with quote-required plans.

For broader category browsing, see Bandwidth Monitoring Software and Network Monitoring.

Verdict

Choose GlassWire if you want clear app-level traffic visibility, alerts, and personal firewall controls, with Android monitoring as a bonus and the option to start free. The strongest reason to look elsewhere is the free plan’s short history; if you need to revisit activity over longer periods, the Personal Plan is necessary.

Verdict

GlassWire combines activity monitoring with app connection controls, with a free tier and expanded Premium history and firewall tools. Check the free history limits and Windows requirements against your needs.

Where Specifiction places it

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