SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager

Overview

SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager applies traffic limits and quality-of-service rules to network use, with quotas, monitoring and reports for administrators. It is best suited to people managing shared bandwidth who want centralized enforcement rather than observation alone. Its perpetual licence options scale from a small rule set to unlimited devices and rules, but management depends on a Windows console.

Key features

Rules can match IP and MAC addresses, ports, protocols or network interfaces, then apply prioritized limits to traffic in both directions. This gives administrators more targeted control than a single network-wide cap. Configuration is centralized, and end users usually do not need client software installed. That is useful for managed networks, though it does not make the product platform-neutral: the management console is a Windows GUI, and there is no web-based interface.

Quotas, scheduling, email notifications, usage reports and a live monitor combine enforcement with oversight. The free Lite plan includes reports and live monitoring, but its five-rule ceiling makes it a narrow fit. Paid tiers raise that ceiling and add controls such as quotas, scheduled rules and notifications. Enterprise adds deep packet inspection to identify IM, P2P file sharing, gaming and media streaming.

The console connects remotely to the service over TCP port 8701. Administrators can set a service logon password and a separate limited-access password. The product is compatible with Microsoft ISA Server and Internet Connection Sharing, but does not support Windows bridged connections; the vendor recommends using its internal bridging instead. An XML-based API and standard SQLite 3 database offer other access routes, although the API has no official documentation.

Pricing

Lite is free and allows five rules or streams, with usage reports, a live monitor and penalties for heavy downloads or uploads. It is a sensible starting point for a small policy set, but not for administrators who need more rules or the paid tiers' specific quota and scheduling controls.

All paid licences are perpetual for the version purchased and include one year of free updates. Single-device plans suit one managed device: Standard costs $49, paid once and includes 500 rules or streams, batch rule creation, download and upload quotas, and web access to usage reports. Professional costs $99, paid once, raises the limit to 2,000, and adds scheduled rules, port mappings, HTTP redirect and email quota notifications. Enterprise costs $149, paid once, removes the rule limit and adds DPI detection.

Site licences cover unlimited devices at one organisation site: Standard costs $499, paid once for 500 rules or streams; Professional costs $1,000, paid once for 2,000; and Enterprise costs $1,500, paid once for unlimited rules or streams and DPI. Worldwide licences cover unlimited devices at unlimited organisation locations: Standard costs $1,500, paid once for 500 rules or streams, Professional costs $3,000, paid once for 2,000, and Enterprise costs $4,500, paid once for unlimited rules or streams and DPI. The licence scope matters as much as the rule allowance: a site plan does not cover multiple locations, while a worldwide licence does.

Platforms

The product is described as a Windows tool. Version 3.3.0 added Windows ARM64 support and set Windows 10 as the minimum. Although Windows, macOS and Linux appear among supported platforms, administration is through a Windows GUI console, so those platform labels do not remove the Windows management requirement.

Who it's for

Choose it when you need to enforce prioritized traffic limits and usage quotas centrally, especially across a shared network where per-user or per-device rules matter. The free tier can suit a modest setup; larger deployments can select a licence by rule capacity and organisation footprint. Look elsewhere if you require browser-based administration or rely on Windows bridged connections.

Pros and cons

• Granular, bidirectional controls: Rules can target addresses, ports, protocols and interfaces, making traffic policy more specific than a blanket cap.
• Centralized enforcement without routine client installs: End users usually need no client software, which reduces per-machine deployment work.
• Licence range for different footprints: Single-device, site and worldwide options pair distinct device scopes with 500, 2,000 or unlimited rules.
• Windows console only: Remote management requires a Windows GUI, with no web interface for administrators who prefer browser access.
• Bridging constraint: Windows bridged connections are unsupported, so affected networks must use the product's internal bridging approach.
• Limited free rule count: Lite's five-rule cap is restrictive once policies need to cover more users, devices or traffic categories.

Alternatives

ntopng is a freemium option with a free Community plan designed for home and network practitioners and a suggested maximum of 256 live local hosts; consider it when that scale and audience fit better than Bandwidth Manager's rule-based enforcement. sFlowTrend is another alternative for readers considering traffic monitoring solutions for high-speed switched networks.

Cacti is free, open-source network monitoring and graphing software, but requires MySQL, PHP, RRDTool, Net-SNMP and a PHP-capable web server; choose it when graphing and an open-source stack matter more than Bandwidth Manager's traffic controls. GlassWire offers a free plan with one day of bandwidth usage, 24 hours of network history and current-day alert logs, making it worth considering for that bounded monitoring need.

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer has a free edition limited to two interfaces, a fit for readers whose interface count is within that cap. Sniffnet is a free, open-source option for readers seeking software under the MIT or Apache-2.0 licence. bmon is a free Linux and macOS bandwidth monitoring and rate estimation tool. bwmon is a free, self-hosted option for a single Linux host.

Browse Bandwidth Monitoring Software, Network Performance Monitoring Software, Network Diagnostic Software or Network Monitoring for more options.

Verdict

SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager is a strong fit for administrators who need centralized, rule-based bandwidth enforcement, quotas and reporting, with licence choices that accommodate single devices through worldwide deployments. Its main reason to choose it is the combination of targeted bidirectional controls and policy enforcement without routine client installs. Look elsewhere if browser-based administration or Windows bridged connections are requirements.