GlassWire vs LuLu (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LuLu grades higher than GlassWire: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
GlassWire grades higher on ease of use and platforms. LuLu grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GlassWire
Windows network monitor and firewall with a traffic time machine
Which one is for you
Pick GlassWire if
- Fits if you want to see which apps connect out from a Windows PC
- Works for people who want an alert when a new device joins the network
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to block apps on the free edition, as the firewall needs Premium
- Tight if you want a week of history, since free keeps 24 hours
- Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux machine, as the PC edition is Windows 10 or later
- Watch out: discounts there use codes, and multi-license prices load by script
Pick LuLu if
- Fits if you want to see which Mac apps connect to the internet
- Works for people who want a free firewall for outgoing traffic
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want protection for incoming traffic, as it watches outgoing connections only
- Watch out: the maker says some traffic can't be blocked because it bypasses Network Extensions
- Tight if you dislike setup, as install needs several manual approvals in System Settings
- Watch out: macOS 15.3 or later is recommended because of network problems in early macOS 15
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGlassWireFair | 2.6GPALuLuGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $2.99 a month for one license, billed annually, which lands in the middle of this category. Multi-license prices were not readable. | AFree and open source, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free edition with 24 hours of history, 1 day of bandwidth data and 1 remote connection. You will hit these caps. | AFree outright with no cap and no locked features. |
| Features | CActivity graph, time machine, firewall, alerts, data limits and remote monitoring. The gap the listing shows: click-to-block, Ask to Connect and lockdown mode are Premium only. | CBlocks and allows outgoing connections with rules, passive mode and block mode. It covers outgoing traffic only, and some traffic is out of its reach. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and the graph starts filling in with nothing to set up. | CNo rating on record. You approve several things in System Settings, then decide on each new connection. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA Windows PC program plus an Android app, for the remote and alert side. Nothing for Mac. | DMac only, and the maker recommends macOS 15.3 or later. No other platforms or integrations. |
| Best for | seeing which Windows apps talk to the internet | seeing and blocking outgoing connections on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GlassWire and LuLu. How we grade
Price against what you get
GlassWire starts at $2.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LuLu has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
GlassWire scores higher, and starts $2.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than GlassWire for less, and none scores higher than LuLu for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- LuLu is open source, according to its own site.
- GlassWire also covers site & app blocker, reports and system monitor.
At a glance
| GlassWire | LuLu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month, paid annually (Personal) | Free |
| Free plan | Free edition: traffic monitoring and network time machine limited to 24 hours of history, 1 day of bandwidth data and 1 remote connection. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | GlassWire | Objective-See |
| Price read from | glasswire.com | objective-see.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GlassWire
- Firewall features such as click-to-block, Ask to Connect and lockdown mode need Premium.
- The vendor lists Windows 10 or later as the requirement for the PC edition; no Mac or Linux version is shown.
- Multi-license prices on the pricing page load by script and were not readable; discounts there use codes.
LuLu
- The maker says some traffic does not pass through Network Extensions, so LuLu cannot block it.
- It recommends macOS 15.3 or later because of networking problems in early macOS 15 releases.
- Installation needs several manual approvals in System Settings.
Key features
GlassWire
- Network activity graph
- Shows which apps and hosts your PC connects to, with usage broken down by app, IP or host and traffic type.
- Network time machine
- Lets you go back in time to see what a PC was doing while you were away; the free edition keeps 24 hours, Premium keeps unlimited history.
- Firewall controls
- Ask to Connect, click-to-block, lockdown mode and firewall profiles let you allow or deny each app's connections.
- Alerts on changes
- Warns when a new app accesses the network, when an unknown device joins your WiFi or when an app changes in a way that could suggest malware.
- Data usage limits
- Tracks data use on a PC or phone and alerts you before you reach a limit.
- Remote monitoring
- Monitors other PCs through remote GlassWire connections: 1 on the free edition, unlimited on Premium.
LuLu
- Outbound blocking
- Alerts on and blocks outgoing connections from apps that have no rule yet.
- Rules
- Create allow or block rules, with options to auto-allow Apple programs and installed apps.
- Passive mode
- Runs without alerts, applying existing rules and allowing or denying new connections automatically.
- Block mode
- Blocks all traffic routed through LuLu, except destinations on an allow list.
- Lists
- Allow and block lists in the settings window, alongside rule and update options.
- Network Extension
- Uses Apple's Network Extension framework, which needs manual approval in System Settings.
Plans
GlassWire
Free$0
Basic network monitoring: 24 hours of network history, current-day alert logs and 1 remote connection.
Premium (Personal)$2.99
per month for 1 license, paid annually
Adds the click-to-block firewall, Ask to Connect, unlimited history and more; the page also sells 2, 5, 10 and 20 licenses.
LuLu
LuLu$0
Free and open source; the source is linked from the product page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GlassWire or LuLu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LuLu is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.99 a month for GlassWire. GlassWire starts at $2.99 per month, paid annually (Personal), and LuLu is free.
Which has a free plan, GlassWire or LuLu?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both GlassWire and LuLu have a free plan.
Which platforms do GlassWire and LuLu run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only GlassWire lists Windows and Android apps and only LuLu lists a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.