At a glance
| Drippy | LuLu | |
|---|---|---|
| Block apps from connecting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alerts for new connections | Optional Ask mode | By default, or passive mode |
| Blocklists | Ad, tracker and malware lists, or any hosts file | Your own list of hosts or IPs |
| Rules by network, plan or daily usage | ✓ | — |
| Temporary rules | For an hour, until tomorrow | — |
| Usage history by app and network | ✓ | — |
| Data cap alerts | ✓ | — |
| Price | Paid, see pricing | Free, open source |
| Runs on | macOS 11 or later, blocking on 13 or later | macOS 10.15 or later |
Choose LuLu if you want a free firewall
LuLu does the core job well: it asks when an app connects somewhere new and remembers your answer as a rule. It's free, the source is on GitHub, and Objective-See is known for Mac security tools. If blocking is all you need, start there.
Choose Drippy if data usage matters
Drippy starts from usage. It shows live speeds in the menu bar, keeps totals by day, app and network, and warns you before you hit your cap. The firewall uses that: block an app only on your hotspot, after 1 GB a day, outside free hours, or once the plan is 90% used.
It's quieter by default. Instead of a prompt for every new connection, Drippy notifies you about real changes, like a new app or an upload spike, and Ask mode is there if you want it.
Questions
Is LuLu really free?
Yes. LuLu is free and open source.
Can I run Drippy and LuLu together?
Yes, but two firewalls make it hard to tell which one blocked a connection. If you use both, turn off blocking in one.