GlassWire vs IPFire
GlassWire
glasswire.com
IPFire
ipfire.orgSide by side
| Figure | GlassWire | IPFire |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $2.99/mo | $91.58/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 7 | 6 |
| Spec score · Firewall Software | 9.0 (#5) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Documentation | Official documentation includes Windows and Android guides, quick-start instructions, FAQ pages, a forum and a version changelog. | Official documentation covers installation, WebGUI administration, firewalling, IPS, networking, VPNs, add-ons, hardware and development. |
| Firewall | Its bidirectional firewall supports separate inbound and outbound rules for each application. | Its Linux Netfilter-based firewall supports network zones, port forwarding, NAT, and stateful packet inspection. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Limit: learning curve | G2 and Capterra reviewers mention that deeper information can require a learning curve and is not always easy to interpret. | A SourceForge reviewer says the unusual zone model creates a learning curve for new users. |
| Praise: usability | G2 reviewers repeatedly praise the intuitive interface, easy setup and clear network and data-use views. | TechRadar selected IPFire as its best overall free Linux firewall and highlighted simple setup, multiple deployment options and Pakfire package management. |
| 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. | IPFire is an open-source firewall and security platform for networks ranging from home offices to global enterprises. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.6 out of 5 from 50 reviews | 5.0 out of 5 from 1 review. |
| Support | GlassWire lists email support addresses for activation, help, bugs and business inquiries and maintains a community forum. | Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support, and the project points users to documentation, community forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker. |
| 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. | The project recommends at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage and two network adapters. |
| What it does | GlassWire visualizes current and historical network traffic, logs destination IPs and traffic quantities, and can block traffic. | IPFire is a hardened Linux operating system functioning as a stateful firewall, VPN gateway, intrusion-prevention platform and extensible network appliance. |
Plans
GlassWire
- FreeFree
- Personal Plan$2.99 a month
- FreeFree
- Personal Plan$2.99 a month
- Personal$35.88 a year
- Duo$50.16 a year
- Family$89.76 a year
IPFire
- IPFireFree
- IPFire softwareFree
- IPFire Nano Appliance$749, paid once
- IPFire Mini Appliance (US)$979, paid once
- IPFire Standard Support$1,099 a year
- IPFire Enterprise Appliance (US)$4,299, paid once
In their own words
GlassWire
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.
IPFire
IPFire is a free, open-source firewall and security platform for networks from home offices to global enterprises. Its Linux Netfilter-based firewall supports network zones, port forwarding, NAT, and stateful packet inspection. VPN options include IPsec, WireGuard, and OpenVPN for site-to-site or remote access. A Suricata-powered intrusion prevention system detects and blocks malicious traffic using updated rule sets. IPFire includes a Squid web proxy with optional URL filtering through URLFilter or SquidGuard, and uses Red, Green, Blue, and Orange zones for roles such as trusted networks, DMZs, and Wi-Fi. Its web interface monitors bandwidth, connections, and intrusion attempts. Proxy authentication can use Microsoft Windows Active Directory, LDAP, or RADIUS. The download page offers x86_64 and aarch64 images for bare metal, virtual machines, embedded hardware, USB sticks, and SD cards; cloud images are available for AWS, Exoscale, and other providers. The project says it releases frequent security updates. Documentation, forums, mailing lists, and a bug tracker are available, and Lightning Wire Labs offers professional support.