NetLimiter vs Radio Silence (2026): which should you pick?

Pick NetLimiter if

• Fits if one app keeps eating your connection and you want a hard cap on it
• Works for people who want quotas and history for each app

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux machine, as it runs only on Windows
• Skip it if you want a lifetime license: it runs for 1 or 2 years, then goes restricted
• Watch out: no list price could be confirmed because checkout prices load by script
• Watch out: a license covers one computer, virtual machines included

Pick Radio Silence if

• Fits if you want to stop specific Mac apps from phoning home
• Works for people who want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as only macOS is covered
• Tight if you want to evaluate it properly: the trial lasts 24 hours
• Too light for you if you want rules by port or address, as only per-app blocking is described
• Watch out: it isn't sold on the Mac App Store, since the vendor says firewalls can't be

NetLimiter

• Windows only; the vendor says it works on Windows 7, 10, 11 and later.
• A license covers one computer, including virtual machines, and runs for a set period of 1 or 2 years.
• When a license period ends the program switches to a restricted mode until the license is renewed.
• Checkout prices load by script and are localized by its payment provider, so no list price could be confirmed.

Radio Silence

• macOS only: version 3.4 needs macOS 10.15 or newer, and older systems use legacy versions.
• Not sold through the Mac App Store; the vendor says firewalls cannot be, because of the system access they need.
• The trial lasts 24 hours, though the vendor adds a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases.
• Blocking is per app; the vendor's pages describe no rules by port or address.

NetLimiter

Bandwidth limits

Set a maximum transfer speed for the machine, an application, a user or a single connection, or adjust an entity's bandwidth priority.

Real-time traffic monitoring

Shows how much data each application sends and receives, with a live traffic chart and a log of connections allowed or blocked.

Connection blocker

Rules block chosen applications from connecting to the internet; an interactive Ask prompt can create a rule as a connection is attempted.

Quotas and scheduling

Set data transfer quotas per application or filter that trigger a limit or blocker rule, and schedule when rules switch on and off.

Filters and long-term stats

Build filters from application paths, domains, IP ranges and users, and view detailed traffic history stored locally.

Remote administration

Control other machines running NetLimiter remotely, and set which users may control or monitor traffic on a machine.

Radio Silence

Outbound app blocking

Build a list of apps that may not reach the internet. The FAQ says the built-in macOS firewall does not stop outbound traffic, while this one does.

Live network monitor

Shows every network connection made by apps and processes as it happens, so a misbehaving app can be found and blocked from the list.

Helpers and background processes

Finds helper apps, invisible background processes, daemons and XPC services that make connections, and blocks child processes of a blocked app.

Runs without the window open

The firewall starts with the Mac and stays active after the window is closed; the interface is only used to change the block list.

Local traffic still allowed

A blocked app cannot reach the network but can still talk to local processes on the same Mac.

NetLimiter

Pricing could not be confirmed. See netlimiter.com.

Radio Silence

• Personal$9

  one-time, for a single user

  One license for one person; the FAQ says it can be installed on all of that person's Macs.

• Team$49

  one-time, for a whole team

  Covers an entire team with no seat limit. Not a subscription.