GlassWire

GlassWire is a network monitor with a built-in firewall for Windows that shows, per application, what is talking to the internet, how much data it uses and when something new starts connecting. It is aimed at power users and IT staff who need a quick visual answer to “what is using the network on this PC?” A GlassWire download installs one program with a free tier and Premium features; it is shareware (conditionally free), not a separate “GlassWire Free” product.

The free tier covers live monitoring, one day of usage data and alerts. Firewall control, long history and the extra monitors need Premium. Since version 3.9 (June 2026) GlassWire is 64-bit only and requires Windows 10 or later.

GlassWire at a glance

What it does

• Draws a live graph of incoming and outgoing traffic and lets you click a spike to see which application and which remote hosts caused it.
• Breaks down data usage by application, host and traffic type (one day of history in the free tier).
• Alerts when an application connects to the network for the first time, so new software on a machine does not go unnoticed.
• Controls outbound and inbound access per application with its firewall: click-to-block, Ask to Connect, Lockdown mode and firewall profiles (Premium).
• Scans the local network for devices and reports new ones (Premium).
• Watches DNS server settings, detects RDP connections and shows an interactive world map of connections (Premium).
• Monitors other PCs running GlassWire remotely; the free tier is limited here, Premium removes the limit.
• Exports usage data (Premium).

How sysadmins use it

Find the application eating a user’s bandwidth

1. Install GlassWire on the affected PC with administrator rights and let it collect data while the user works.
2. Open the graph view and look for sustained spikes; click one to see the application and remote hosts behind it.
3. Switch to the usage view to rank applications by data sent and received for the day.
4. Check the process path of the top talker before acting: cloud sync clients, update services and browsers are the usual suspects.

Investigate an unexpected outbound connection

1. Open the alerts list and filter for “first network activity” style alerts from today (the free tier keeps the current day only).
2. Note the executable path and the remote host, then check the host name and the file against your EDR or threat-intel tools.
3. With Premium, block the application in the firewall view; on the free tier, create a Windows Defender Firewall rule instead:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block suspicious app" -Direction Outbound `
  -Program "C:UsersPublicappunknown.exe" -Action Block

Lock down a kiosk or presentation PC (Premium)

1. Switch the firewall to Ask to Connect so new applications must be approved before they reach the network.
2. Allow the applications the device needs, then enable Lockdown mode to block anything new.
3. Save the configuration as a firewall profile so you can switch between “office” and “public Wi-Fi” rule sets.

Install and first run

• Requirements: Windows 10 or later on x64 or ARM64. Windows 7, 32-bit Windows and Windows Server editions are no longer supported since 3.9; 3.8.1061 was the last build for them.
• Admin rights: the installer adds a background service and a network driver, so it must be run as administrator.
• Coexistence: GlassWire’s firewall works on top of Windows Defender Firewall. On managed machines, agree with your security team before letting users change rules through a second tool.
• Upgrades: Premium is unlocked on the same installation, so you can start on the free tier and upgrade a machine later without reinstalling.
• Android: the mobile app is a separate data-usage monitor, not a client for the Windows version.

Limitations

• The free tier keeps only 24 hours of network history and the current day’s alerts, has no firewall control and no data export.
• Windows only on desktop: no macOS or Linux version.
• No Windows Server support in current versions, so it is not a server monitoring tool.
• It is a per-PC tool with no central management console for a fleet.
• It shows which application talks to which host, not packet contents; deep protocol analysis needs a packet capture tool.

GlassWire vs alternatives

For packet-level analysis, Wireshark goes much deeper but gives no per-app firewall. Free firewall front-ends such as simplewall or TinyWall give rule control over Windows Firewall without GlassWire’s usage graphs. If you need visibility across a whole network rather than one PC, Maltrail flags malicious traffic at the network level, and NetCrunch Tools covers ping, port and subnet checks from an admin workstation. To stop unwanted programs from running at all, OSArmor works on process behaviour rather than traffic.

FAQ

Is GlassWire free?

GlassWire is shareware (conditionally free). The free tier is not time-limited but has reduced history and no firewall control; Premium unlocks the full feature set.

GlassWire free vs Premium: what is the difference?

Free gives live monitoring, one day of usage and history, and today’s alerts. Premium adds unlimited history, the click-to-block firewall, Lockdown mode, Ask to Connect, profiles, the network scanner, RDP detection and data export.

Does GlassWire work on Windows 11?

Yes. Current versions require Windows 10 or later and run on x64 and ARM64 Windows 11.

Is there GlassWire for Mac or Linux?

No. GlassWire is available for Windows and as a separate Android app only.

Does GlassWire still support Windows 7?

No. Version 3.9 dropped Windows 7, Windows Server and 32-bit Windows; 3.8.1061 was the last version for those systems.

Is GlassWire safe?

It is a long-established commercial product that installs a network driver and service, as monitoring tools must. Install it only from the official website and keep it updated, since driver fixes ship in regular releases.

GlassWire vs Wireshark: which do I need?

GlassWire answers “which app is using the network and should it be allowed”. Wireshark answers “what exactly is inside these packets”. Many admins use both.

Last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026 (developer website: glasswire.com). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.