This Is the Best Firewall App for Mac I Have Ever Used and It’s Free.
Most people haven’t actively managed their firewalls in at least a decade, if ever. But monitoring which apps are using the internet—and how much data they consume—is still useful, as is blocking apps from accessing the network altogether.
For example, when traveling, internet access may be limited, so it’s a good idea to disable apps that constantly consume data. But even at home, it’s a good idea to check which apps are accessing the internet. While macOS has a firewall, it’s not the most useful tool for this purpose .
That’s why I like FireWally . This completely free app, developed by the Ukrainian independent studio Nektony , isn’t designed for advanced users—it’s streamlined and easy to use. Click the icon in the menu bar, and you’ll see a list of apps using the internet. You can view a summary of all traffic for today, the last hour, or monitor incoming traffic in real time.
Data usage information is displayed next to each app. You can see a breakdown of incoming and outgoing data for any app by hovering over it. You can block any app’s internet access by toggling the corresponding toggle switch.
What if you don’t recognize an app? I usually just copy the app name and paste it into a search engine. FireWally, however, tries to save you time by providing AI-generated short descriptions of each app using Apple Intelligence (provided your Mac supports this feature). This is a useful way to quickly remember what an app is or identify one you don’t recognize.
This is a very easy-to-use app, perfect for anyone who wants to better understand how much data different apps are using on their Mac. Give it a try if you’re looking for a simple firewall app.