GlassWire

Overview

GlassWire is a network traffic monitor and personal firewall that helps people see which apps and devices are active on their network. It suits individuals who want app-level visibility and controls, especially on Windows, with a separate Android app for mobile data use. Its strongest case is pairing detailed traffic views with alerts; the free plan’s short history is a real constraint for anyone who needs to investigate past activity.

Key features

The desktop product sorts network usage by app, IP or host, traffic type, and other categories. That makes it more useful for finding the source of bandwidth use than a simple overall traffic total. Alerts flag unusual network or app changes that could indicate malware and warn when an unknown device joins Wi-Fi. These are useful signals to check, though GlassWire is a monitor and personal firewall rather than a broader security suite.

Premium adds bidirectional firewall control, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, and Lockdown Mode. These options give users more direct ways to manage app connections; the free plan provides monitoring without those premium firewall controls. History is the other dividing line: Free retains 24 hours of network history, one day of bandwidth usage history, and alert logs for the current day. Premium makes all three unlimited, which is a meaningful upgrade for troubleshooting problems that are noticed after the fact.

On Android, GlassWire graphs data use by app, 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 that the app itself uses no data. That makes the mobile app relevant for people monitoring app-level use, although the desktop traffic breakdowns and premium firewall controls are a different part of the product.

Pricing

GlassWire uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing, billed Free Forever, and includes one day of bandwidth usage, 24 hours of network history, and current-day alert logs. It is a sensible starting point for checking current activity, but the short retention limits its value for reviewing trends or returning to an old alert.

The Personal Plan costs $2.99 a month, billed Paid annually, and includes up to 20 licenses, unlimited bandwidth usage history, unlimited network history, and unlimited alert logs. Premium also includes the bidirectional firewall controls, custom profiles, Ask to Connect, and Lockdown Mode. The annual billing term and 20-license ceiling matter: it is suited to individuals or small groups that need longer records and extra connection controls, not users seeking a month-to-month commitment.

Both Free and Premium include community support; Premium also includes dedicated support. For someone who only needs a short-term view of traffic, the free plan avoids a recurring commitment. For anyone who needs historical context or the additional firewall controls, the paid plan addresses the central limits of Free.

Platforms

GlassWire is available on Android, web, and Windows. The desktop download requires Windows 10 or later and supports x64 and ARM64 architectures. The Android app centers on app data use and connections, while desktop provides the broader traffic breakdowns. GlassWire also publishes recent download hash values on its changelog page so users can verify a downloaded file has not been corrupted or tampered with.

Who it's for

GlassWire is a good fit for individuals who want to identify which apps use bandwidth, receive alerts about unusual network changes, and manage app connections without relying only on router-level totals. Windows users who need detailed desktop monitoring and longer history have the clearest reason to pay. Android users may value the app-specific data graphs and connection blocking, particularly alongside GlassWire’s stated on-device handling of app and data usage information.

It is less suitable for people who need extensive retained records without paying, or who are choosing a network-monitoring platform for broader infrastructure needs. Its focus is personal traffic visibility and firewall control, and the free plan’s history caps can quickly become limiting for retrospective analysis.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Desktop traffic is broken down by app, IP or host, and traffic type, helping users trace bandwidth use to its source.
• Pro: Alerts cover unusual app or network changes and unknown devices joining Wi-Fi, giving users concrete activity to investigate.
• Pro: Premium combines unlimited histories and logs with additional firewall controls, rather than charging only to remove retention limits.
• Con: Free history is limited to 24 hours for network activity, one day for bandwidth usage, and the current day for alert logs, which restricts later troubleshooting.
• Con: The desktop download requires Windows 10 or later, so the desktop product does not serve users on older Windows versions.
• Con: Premium is billed annually, which is less flexible for people who want a short-term paid option.

Alternatives

For a different network-monitoring approach, ntopng has a free Community (Open Source) plan designed for home and network practitioners, with a suggested maximum of 256 live local hosts. sFlowTrend is another option for readers comparing traffic-monitoring software. If rule-based bandwidth management is the priority, SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager offers a free Lite plan with five rules or streams, usage reports, a live usage monitor, and penalties for heavy downloads or uploads.

Cacti is a free, open-source network monitoring and graphing option that requires MySQL, PHP, RRDTool, Net-SNMP, and a PHP-capable web server. For interface-focused NetFlow analysis, ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer has a free edition limited to two interfaces. Sniffnet is a fully free, open-source option for Linux, macOS, and Windows, while bmon is a free open-source bandwidth monitoring and rate estimation tool for Linux and macOS. bwmon is a free, self-hosted option for monitoring a single Linux host.

Browse more options in Bandwidth Monitoring Software and Network Monitoring.

Verdict

Choose GlassWire if you want app-level network visibility, useful change alerts, and personal firewall controls, with an Android app for monitoring mobile data use. The free plan is enough for a current snapshot, but anyone who needs lasting history or the extra firewall tools should weigh the Personal Plan’s annual billing and 20-license limit. Look elsewhere if your priority is broad network monitoring rather than personal traffic tracking.