At a glance
| Drippy | Little Snitch | |
|---|---|---|
| Block apps and domains | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alerts for new connections | Optional Ask mode | By default, or silent mode |
| Rules by server, port and protocol | By app and domain | ✓ |
| Rules by network | ✓ | Profiles |
| Rules by daily usage or plan | After N MB a day, outside free hours, near the cap | — |
| Temporary rules | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blocklists | Ad, tracker and malware lists, or any hosts file | ✓ |
| Usage totals by app, day and network | ✓ | Traffic chart by connection |
| Data cap alerts | ✓ | — |
| Outage, IP change alerts and speed tests | ✓ | — |
| Encrypted DNS, inbound rules, world map | — | ✓ |
Choose Little Snitch for full control
Little Snitch asks before an app connects somewhere new, and its rules can go down to server, port and protocol, with profiles and groups. It also covers incoming connections, encrypts DNS and shows a world map of every server your Mac talks to. If you want the most detailed firewall on the Mac, it's this one.
Choose Drippy for data plans
Drippy is organised around your plan: how much you used today and this month, on which network, and how close you are to the cap. Its rules use that. Block an app only on your hotspot, after 1 GB a day, outside free hours, or once the plan is 90% used.
There are no prompts by default. Drippy notifies you about a new app or an upload spike, with Block buttons in the notification, and Ask mode is there if you want it. It also catches outages, runs scheduled speed tests and tells you when your public IP changes.
Questions
Is Drippy a Little Snitch alternative?
For blocking apps and domains, yes, with rules Little Snitch doesn't have for data plans. It doesn't filter incoming connections, encrypt DNS or write rules by port.
Can Little Snitch track data usage?
It shows data volumes per connection and a traffic history, but it has no data cap, no per-network monthly totals and no warning before you go over.
Can I run both?
Yes, but two firewalls make it hard to tell which one blocked something. If you keep Little Snitch for blocking, leave Drippy's blocking off and use it for usage.