SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager

Overview

SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager is network traffic control software for administrators who need to set usage policies across a shared network. Its address-level rules and centralized configuration are a strong fit for managed Windows networks; the Windows console and bridged-connection restriction are material caveats.

Rules can match IP or MAC addresses, ports, protocols and network interfaces, then apply prioritized limits to traffic in both directions. Central configuration from one network location means end users usually do not need client software. This makes the product more useful for enforcing policies than for traffic observation alone.

Key features

Quotas, scheduling, email notifications, usage reports and a live monitor bring enforcement and oversight together. The Lite plan provides reports and live monitoring, while the paid tiers add increasing rule capacity and selected controls. Enterprise adds deep packet inspection for identifying IM, P2P file sharing, gaming and media streaming, which is useful when policies need to distinguish those traffic categories.

Remote management requires a Windows GUI console connecting to the service over TCP port 8701; there is no web-based management interface. Administrators can set a password for the service and a separate password for limited access. An XML-based API and standard SQLite 3 database provide other ways to access the service, although the API has no official documentation. The vendor also describes compatibility with Microsoft ISA Server and Internet Connection Sharing.

The FAQ says Windows bridged connections are unsupported and recommends the product’s internal bridging instead. That limitation may rule it out for networks dependent on Windows bridging. Version 3.3.0 added Windows ARM64 support and made Windows 10 the minimum required version.

Pricing

Lite is free and limited to 5 rules/streams. It includes usage reports, a live usage monitor and penalties for heavy downloads and uploads, making it a reasonable starting point for a small rule set. Standard — single device costs $49, paid once for a perpetual licence with one year of free updates; it raises capacity to 500 rules/streams and adds batch rule creation, download/upload quotas and web access to usage reports.

Professional — single device costs $99, paid once, also perpetual with one year of free updates. Its 2,000 rules/streams suit larger policies, and it adds scheduled rules, port mappings, HTTP redirect and email quota notifications. Enterprise — single device costs $149, paid once and offers unlimited rules/streams plus DPI detection. The step up is worthwhile when capacity or traffic identification matters; smaller deployments can avoid paying for those capabilities.

Site and worldwide licences extend device coverage while retaining the tier’s rule limit, except Enterprise, which has unlimited rules/streams. Standard — site licence is $499 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices at one organisation site and 500 rules/streams; Professional — site licence is $1,000 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices at one site and 2,000 rules/streams. Standard — worldwide licence is $1,500 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices across unlimited organisation locations and 500 rules/streams. Enterprise — site licence is $1,500 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices at one site and unlimited rules/streams. Professional — worldwide licence is $3,000 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices across unlimited locations and 2,000 rules/streams; Enterprise — worldwide licence is $4,500 as a one-time purchase for unlimited devices across unlimited locations and unlimited rules/streams. These are perpetual licences with one year of free updates. Choose by both deployment footprint and rule demand: wider coverage alone does not increase Standard or Professional capacity.

Platforms

The service is a Windows tool, with Windows 10 or later required and Windows ARM64 supported from version 3.3.0. Management is through a Windows GUI, so macOS and Linux platform labels do not remove the Windows administration requirement.

Who it's for

Bandwidth Manager suits businesses or individuals administering a network that needs centrally applied usage limits, quotas and reporting. It is especially compelling where users need not install client software and administrators can work from a Windows console. It is a weaker fit for teams that require browser-based administration, Windows bridged connections or a management environment not centered on Windows.

Pros and cons

Pros: Traffic rules can target addresses, ports, protocols and interfaces, enabling policy controls more precise than a single shared cap.

Pros: Central configuration usually avoids installing client software on end-user machines.

Pros: Perpetual licences include one year of free updates, with device and rule-capacity options for single-device, site and worldwide deployments.

Cons: Administration depends on a Windows GUI console, with no web-based management interface.

Cons: Windows bridged connections are unsupported, which can conflict with an existing network setup.

Cons: The free tier stops at 5 rules/streams; larger policies require a paid licence.

Alternatives

For a different approach, consider ntopng, GlassWire, Nagios XI, sFlowTrend, ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer, ElastiFlow, Intermapper or SparrowIQ.

ntopng has a free Community edition aimed at small networks, with a suggested maximum of 256 live local hosts; it is a better fit when that scope and its platform range suit your monitoring needs. GlassWire offers a free tier with one day of bandwidth usage and 24 hours of network history, so it may suit readers who want a Windows or Android option with short-term history. Nagios XI has a free tier capped at 7 nodes or 100 services, whichever comes first, with self-support; choose it when that monitoring scope is adequate.

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer’s free edition is limited to 2 interfaces, while its Standard Edition starts at $172 a month for 10 interfaces; it may fit readers choosing interface-based analysis. ElastiFlow’s free Basic plan covers up to 4,000 records per second and 25 SNMP devices, with dashboards and ML detections, making it a candidate for those limits and capabilities. sFlowTrend, Intermapper and SparrowIQ are other options to compare.

Verdict

Choose SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager if you need centrally managed, granular traffic limits and a licence scaled to your rule count and network footprint. Its strongest case is combining enforcement, quotas and reports without usually requiring client installs. Look elsewhere if browser-based or non-Windows administration is essential, or if your network depends on Windows bridged connections.