NetBlocker vs LuLu: simplicity or more control?

If LuLu works for you, you may not need to switch

LuLu is a free, open-source outgoing firewall. NetBlocker is a paid app built around a simple drag-and-drop blocking list. Paying for NetBlocker is a workflow preference, not a requirement for outgoing protection.

This article is written by NetBlocker’s developer. LuLu details were checked against Objective-See’s official documentation on 10 September 2026. This is not an independent review or a head-to-head security test.

What are you choosing between?

Reasons to keep using LuLu

Choose LuLu if open source, zero cost, or more granular rules are important to you. If your current configuration already behaves exactly how you want, there is no demonstrated benefit in replacing it just to achieve the same block.

It would be unfair to describe LuLu as only a stream of pop-ups: it supports manual rules and quieter operation. Read its documentation to choose the mode that matches your needs.

Reasons to try NetBlocker

NetBlocker may suit you if the question you want to answer is simply, “Which apps should stay offline?” Its interface puts the app list, protection status, and associated processes together, without asking you to build endpoint rules.

That narrower scope is deliberate. NetBlocker is not presented as a replacement for a full connection-analysis tool or as stronger protection than LuLu. The useful test is whether it makes your own routine easier.

Check the requirements and offline allowance

NetBlocker costs €4.99 for a lifetime license, with a 7-day trial. It requires an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer) running macOS 13 Ventura or later. A paid license needs periodic online validation and has a 14-day offline allowance. After that allowance, or when the trial expires, protection turns off until access is restored through successful license validation or activation.

Check LuLu’s official documentation for its current system requirements. For either product, test the apps you depend on before making blocking part of your everyday workflow.

Start with one app

Try NetBlocker’s trial with a non-critical app, following our Mac app blocking guide. Reopen the selected app before testing new connections and confirm that protection is active. You do not need to change every rule in your existing setup to evaluate the interface.