At a glance
| Drippy | TripMode | |
|---|---|---|
| Block apps on chosen networks | By rule, per app | Everything blocked until allowed |
| Block single domains | ✓ | — |
| Blocklists | ✓ | — |
| Rules by daily usage or plan | After N MB a day, outside free hours, near the cap | Limits that warn, then block |
| Usage by app | Day, week, month | Session, day, week, month |
| Usage by network | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live speeds in the menu bar | ✓ | Per-app speedometer in its window |
| Outage and IP change alerts | ✓ | — |
| Scheduled speed tests | ✓ | — |
Choose TripMode if you want everything off by default
TripMode turns on when you join a hotspot and cuts every app off unless you've allowed it. It's the surest way to keep a 10 GB macOS update or a Photos sync off a phone plan, and it has profiles, a scheduler and a domains view.
Choose Drippy if you want rules and a record
Drippy lets apps through and blocks the ones you choose, with conditions: only on metered networks, after 1 GB a day, outside your plan's free hours, or once the plan is 90% used. It can also block single domains and whole ad and tracker blocklists.
It records usage all the time, by day, by app and by network, so you can see what used your home Wi-Fi last week as easily as the hotspot today. It also shows live speeds in the menu bar, catches outages, runs scheduled speed tests and tells you when your public IP changes.
If you want TripMode's behaviour in Drippy
Mark the hotspot as metered and add an On metered networks rule for each heavy app. Turn on Ask mode to have apps Drippy hasn't seen wait for your answer. See how to stop apps using your hotspot.
Questions
Is Drippy a TripMode alternative?
Yes. Drippy blocks apps per network and per plan, and adds usage history, domain blocking and connection alerts. It allows apps by default instead of blocking them by default.
Can I block apps on a Mac hotspot without an app?
Partly. Low Data Mode in the network's Details pauses background tasks for apps that respect it. The built-in firewall only filters incoming connections.