Software firewall solutions can be downloaded and installed for free as a trialware, freeware, or an added feature within another security software or hardware device.
In this review, we give you the top five free standalone software firewall solutions that can be downloaded as freeware. Each of these software comes with advanced features that can block threats emerging daily. Whether it is for personal device security, business, or enterprise, you can have state-of-the-art protection at no cost with these free firewall solutions.
However, if you prefer software solutions that come with a more comprehensive set of security features, see our dedicated review and buyers guide for subscription-based software firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-Trojan, and Internet security suites.
The 5 Best Free Firewall Software In 2020
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
Powerful First Line Of Defense
ZoneAlarm free firewall comes with a powerful array of advanced features that prevent intruders from entering the network. It safeguards you from any suspicious behaviors that might harm your computer. ZoneAlarm also comes in subscription-based versions that offer more security features.
Comodo Free Firewall
World’s #1 Free Firewall
Comodo’s award-winning free firewall with antivirus blocks existing Internet threats, secures your connection, and monitors incoming and outgoing traffic. It comes with an array of advanced features that you wouldn’t find in most firewalls available for free. Like ZoneAlarm, Comodo also offers subscription-based versions for a fee.
GlassWire Free Firewall
Detect And Block Threats Your Antivirus Missed
GlassWire’s free firewall presents a very pleasing, interactive user interface. Graph charts let you see reports on various parameters like traffic, bandwidth, unknown users, etc. With GlassWire, you can create multiple profiles based on different scenarios and lets you know unknown users on your network.
Evorim Free Firewall
Identiy Threats. Protect Privacy.
Evorim free firewall works hard to shield you against both internal and external threats, whether they are already existing or just emerging. Equipped with powerful features, Evorim prevents attackers and existing threats from gaining access so they can no longer cause harm to your system and personal data.
AVS Free Firewall
Secure Your PC Against Malware
Best suited for computers and devices running on Microsoft Windows, AVS free firewall works to protect your network and devices against hackers and Internet threats. Sporting an intuitive user interface, it allows you to protect your devices from cybersecurity attacks while you are hooked up to the Internet.
1. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
ZoneAlarm free firewall comes with a powerful array of advanced features that prevent intruders from entering the network. It safeguards you from any suspicious behaviors that might harm your computer. ZoneAlarm also comes in subscription-based versions that offer more security features.
Key Features
Wi-Fi PC Protection
When you hook up to an unsecured network like public Wi-Fi hotspots in cafes, restaurants, or airports, you become prone to all kinds of threats. Without protection, you become vulnerable to cybercriminals. ZoneAlarm free firewall gives you full anonymity in public networks through a VPN.
Firewall Traffic Monitoring
ZoneAlarm’s traffic monitoring feature lets you know the individuals and devices that send traffic to your network. It also enables you to learn what causes it from getting clogged and if unsafe traffic comes in.
Identity Protection
This free firewall shields you from identity thieves by notifying you about any changes in your credit report. Any transaction that you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft that you need to pay attention and action to.
Anti-Phishing
ZoneAlarm’s firewall free for download has an anti-phishing feature that scans the websites you visit, especially the ones that require your personal details. It also ensures that content you download from the Internet doesn’t have malware attached to it.
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2. Comodo Free Firewall
Comodo’s award-winning free firewall with antivirus blocks existing Internet threats, secures your connection, and monitors incoming and outgoing traffic. It comes with an array of advanced features that you wouldn’t find in most firewalls available for free. Like ZoneAlarm, Comodo also offers subscription-based versions for a fee.
Key Features
Default Deny Protection
Comodo can determine which applications are safe to run and which are not considered safe. Working with auto-sandbox technology, this smart feature of Comodo analyzes unknown apps until they are considered safe to run.
Auto-Sandbox Technology
The free firewall’s auto-sandbox technology serves as a quarantined environment that puts unknown applications to the test. The firewall studies their behavior to make sure that they cannot cause harm to your system.
Personalized Alerts
Comodo free firewall studies user behavior and remembers the applications the user frequently runs and considers safe. Should an unknown or malicious application or activity appears in the system, the user gets notifications instantly.
Game Mode
With this Comodo software, you can mute notifications while in gaming mode. This mode prompts the software to delay from sending notifications, alerts, updates, and scans until you turn them back on after playing your game.
3. GlassWire Free Firewall
GlassWire’s free firewall presents a very pleasing, interactive user interface. Graph charts let you see reports on various parameters like traffic, bandwidth, unknown users, etc. With GlassWire, you can create multiple profiles based on different scenarios and lets you know unknown users on your network.
Key Features
Visual Network Monitoring
GlassWire free firewall provides you with a bigger picture of your cybersecurity environment. It looks at your past and current network activity by using a graph, tracks inbound and outbound bandwidth, and detects the sources.
Network Time Machine
With functions similar to that of Visual Network Monitoring, you can jump to specific dates and track when exactly a program started making changes on your computer. This feature reminds us of the built-in Event Viewer feature on Windows.
Bandwidth Usage Monitor
In the same graph, you can also check your bandwidth usage based on the number of days, weeks, or months. If you will be away from your computer for a while, you can temporarily block network connectivity for enhanced security.
Firewall Profiles
This free firewall allows you to create multiple profiles according to different scenarios like if when you are at home or in a public area. At home, GlassWire lets you know if there are intruders or unknown users present in your wireless network.
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4. Evorim Free Firewall
Evorim free firewall works hard to shield you against both internal and external threats, whether they are already existing or just emerging. Equipped with powerful features, Evorim prevents attackers and existing threats from gaining access so they can no longer cause harm to your system and personal data.
Key Features
Telemetry Prevention
Some free firewall software vendors employ telemetry transmission to collect useful data needed to improve their products. Evorim’s free firewall prevents users’ telemetry data from being transmitted to the vendor.
Web Tracking Protection
Spyware infiltrates the Internet to track your browsing activity to customize their ads and promotions based on your browsing behavior. Evorim’s web tracking protection feature blocks spyware to prevent it from prying into your online activity.
Botnet Blocking
Cybercriminals employ botnets to infect computers. Once infected, these computers become part of a network of zombie computers. These zombies are used in cybercriminal activities. Evorim free firewall blocks botnet-causing malware.
Zone Rules
Zones refer to groups of programs that are granted permission to execute. With this free firewall from Evorim, you can create zones for specific Internet browsing purposes. You can create a zone dedicated to content consumption and content downloads.
5. AVS Free Firewall
Best suited for computers and devices running on Microsoft Windows, AVS free firewall works to protect your network and devices against hackers and Internet threats. Sporting an intuitive user interface, it allows you to protect your devices from cybersecurity attacks while you are hooked up to the Internet.
Key Features
Ad Blocker
AVS free firewall prevents annoying ads and popups from appearing on your Internet browser. As these ads and popups may carry malware as well, it means that AVS also shields you against these malicious programs that can study your Internet behavior.
Registry Cleaner
Equipped with a register cleaner, AVS firewall utility cleans up junk by removing duplicate and unwanted entries on the operating system so your computer can optimally perform, minus the background processes that hog your system resources.
Internet Traffic Control
AVS free firewall takes charge of managing, reducing, and controlling the network including bandwidth allocations. It intelligently assigns the required bandwidth based on your activity whether it’s just mild browsing or intense gaming.
Parental Control
Network administrators like parents can regulate the kind of websites their households, especially kids, access on the Internet. With the unsafe sites blocked, AVS helps in preventing downloads of malicious programs that can infect devices and the network.
Things To Consider When Choosing Freeware Firewall Software
Free firewall software solutions are amazing and seemingly enough when it comes to protecting your devices and network. But because they are free, it means that they may lack the features present among subscription-based security solutions.
If you’re more comfortable with these types of solutions, see our dedicated review and buyers guide for fee-based software firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-Trojan, and Internet security suites.
So before you make a decision, what are the factors that you should consider when choosing a free firewall? Here’s a quick glimpse.
Real-Time Protection
A free firewall software solution that performs scheduled scans to look for potentially malicious apps on your devices might not be enough. What you should look for is the one that notifies you as instantly as possible.
Device Compatibility
Some free firewall software solutions might not be compatible with every operating system. Make sure that the free software you got goes well with the operating system running on your computer and other devices.
Hassle-free & User-friendly
With fewer features, free firewall software solutions should have a small digital footprint on your device. Even if they come with several embedded features and functions, they should not cause your system to slow down or hog resources.
Anti-Phishing
Anti-phishing should be included in free firewall software solutions so that they can identify phishing content in emails, websites, and other digital content. This feature warns you when you are about to give information to a fake website or email. Learn more about Phishing here.
Automatic Updates
Free firewall software solutions must be capable of updating its malware definition. With updated malware signatures, free firewall solutions can detect both existing and emerging threats even before they penetrate your system, keeping them at bay.
