Google Chrome needs no introduction. For many of us, Google Chrome was our first browser. Credit to its simplicity and exceptionally high uptime, Chrome remains the #1 browser in searches, user base, integrations, and more.
As per its last report, Google's average uptime is 99.9%, which is around 8.77 hours of downtime per year. Ask yourself: how often have you seen Chrome down?
If you’re looking for an all-in-one browser that’s fast, secure, and easy to use, Chrome could be the best web browser for you. Read on for more details.
Google Chrome: Features
Google Chrome offers a built-in password manager that automatically asks if you want to save your passwords and then later offers to autofill when you log back in. While you might need to pay a third party for this service with other browsers, Google does it for free.
Its dark mode is perfect for night owls. If you don't want the pertinent blue light to hurt your eyes, this feature is for you. Google also lets you experiment with many other artistic themes along with the default and dark themes.
The Chrome browser is automatically integrated with other Google products such as Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Docs. If you look up something on the browser, all your files containing that keyword will pop up in the suggestions.
Tab management is a cakewalk with Google Chrome. To increase your productivity, Google lets you open and manage multiple tabs at once. You can also group tabs with similar topics so that you keep track of all of them in the crowd.
The best feature of Google’s tab management is that it lets you pin tabs that you use frequently. This way, the pinned tab or website will open automatically, saving you the hassle of starting the process from the beginning.
Managing your other Google accounts is also quite easy. All you have to do is click on your profile picture in the top-right corner, and it’ll roll down a list of your other Google accounts. Having separate accounts is a great way to keep your professional and personal life apart.
Google analyzes your searches to see what exactly you’re interested in. This data is then used to create a personalized news feed for you on your mobile.
For example, you might have noticed that if you research a new college course, all details regarding the best colleges and upcoming exam dates will pop up in your news feed — that’s Google Chrome’s doing.
Adding extensions like Google Translate or Google Keep (a tool that lets you save things in a click) further adds to its functionality.
Google Chrome: Privacy
Google Chrome has a built-in security system that protects you from malware and viruses even before they reach your device. It also uses high-level encryption to keep your data safe, especially during transit through emails.
However, despite all these claims of security and privacy, Chrome has often been accused of selling personal user data. Sure, almost every other browser does it, but Chrome does it more than anyone else. In fact, Google had many long-running consumer privacy lawsuits filed against it. One was settled just last year for a whopping $85 million.
So if you’re looking for a truly secure and private browser, you're much better off with Tor, Firefox, or Bravo.
Google Chrome: Ease of use
Google Chrome is undoubtedly an easy-to-use browser, at least on a basic level. Your first and most basic interaction with Chrome would be to look up things on the internet. Just open the app and type in your query in the search box located right in the center — it's impossible to miss it.
Next, you can access other Google apps via Chrome. Pretty straightforward again, Click on the dotted square next to your profile picture. All Google apps, such as YouTube, Drive, Contacts, Photos, Google Meet, etc., will pop right up. It won't take you long to learn your way around the app.
Google Chrome: Competitors
Google Chrome remains the number one choice of many users due to its wide availability. Unlike Opera or Firefox, a majority of devices and operating systems have Chrome as their default browser.
Google’s number one competitor these days is Microsoft Edge. Sure, Edge's market share is far below Chrome, but it has a few points over Chrome with its tab management feature that lets you stack them vertically. Chrome, on the other hand, has only one option, and that’s to line them up horizontally.
Another benefit of using Edge is its unique feature for readers called “Immersive Reader.” Here, Edge transforms the page you’re reading into an ebook format for a better experience. Unfortunately, Chrome has no similar feature.
However, on the flip side, Chrome is faster at pushing out updates and fixing vulnerabilities with security patches. Edge does it, too, but it's certainly not as fast as Chrome.
Also, Chrome’s extension store is much better than Edge, or any other browser. You have 150,000+ options that are easy to add and will drastically improve your experience.
Google Chrome: Final verdict
Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world. Of the billion online searches happening every month, Google Chrome claims more than 93% of it. So it's needless to say that Chrome is certainly a reliable and worthy browser that should surely win you over.
Also, you won't have to go through too much trouble to get started with Chrome. The interface is quite simple, and while it offers enough options to maximize your experience, it doesn’t demand technical adeptness.
Once you settle in, have all your documents saved in the drive, upload your passwords to the password manager, and get your Gmail account — Chrome will offer an integrated experience and ecosystem that you’ll never want to leave.
Finance software may not be the most existing type you could install on your computer, but it's certainly one of the most useful. Money Manager Ex aims to be simple enough for just about anyone to use, while being powerful enough to keep demanding users happy.
If you’ve been using a spreadsheet or other financial program to manage your money until now, Money Manager Ex's import feature will get you up and running fairly quickly, but otherwise you have a lengthier manual task ahead of you.
Despite Money Manager Ex allowing for fairly in-depth analysis of your finances, the interface is approachable, and the program rarely feel intimidating – although at times you may feel as though you're building a database from scratch.
Everything in Money Manager Ex is stored in an SQLite database with AES encryption, meaning it's nice and secure, and the support for a range of currencies is useful for anyone with overseas investments.
It's a shame that Money Manager Ex is an entirely offline application. It would be nice if bank statements could be pulled in automatically, or online payment could be made through the program, but sadly this isn't possible.
As it stands, Money Manager Ex is a wonderful halfway house between managing your money in a simple spreadsheet and going all-out with a fully-fledged finance app.
User experience
To get the most out of Money Manager Ex, it's important to stick with it. Getting the initial database set up, while not particularly difficult, can be time consuming, as is the process of creating all of the categories you need to keep things organised.
Once you have this somewhat arduous task out of the way, it's really just a matter of simple maintenance, and the program provides you with a raft of tool to analyze your spending, make predictions for the future. The reporting on offer is impressive, and the ability to run the program from a USB drive means it's easy to take with you and update your finances from another computer if necessary.
Latest updates
The latest version of Money Manager Ex makes a few minor bug fixes, including resolving an issue that caused the search box to stop working in some circumstances. For a full list of changes, see the Money Manger Ex release notes.
When some people describe the internet, they say it’s a jungle out there. And that’s true - if it’s a jungle where every single creature is lined up and tooled up, ready to attack you the second you arrive. The internet is so full of malicious software that it’s not a matter of whether an unprotected PC will get infected with something serious; it’s a matter of how quickly it’ll happen.
Enter Comodo, whose free firewall is designed to make sure your PC doesn’t become a statistic. It blocks malicious software from getting onto your PC, and if there’s already malware on your PC it stops it from communicating with villains over the hills and far away.
Comodo Firewall offers safe web browsing and it works on the basis of what’s called Default Deny Protection with Default Allow Usability. In plain English, that means it assumes unknown software is guilty until proven innocent.
The firewall knows the details of over two million safe apps, so the likelihood of a false positive flagging a reputable app is very low.
For even more power, Comodo will often gently push you towards upgrading to its Internet Security package, which promises to deliver a complete antivirus suite for all your protection needs, plus some special features.
The basics include its Defense+ tech (a Host Intrusion Prevention System - HIPS) that protects critical system files and blocks malware before it installs, the automatic sandbox, which runs unknown files in an isolated environment where they can cause no damage, cloud-based antivirus, spyware scanning, online banking and shopping security and, of course, its firewall.
In terms of extras, this package throws in a $500 virus-free warranty, 50GB of cloud storage, on-the-go Wi-Fi protection, and unlimited live expert virus removal - all that for just $29.99 per year if you need coverage for one device or $39.99 per year for three devices (no increases upon renewals).
Supported devices include Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and any FireTV device running Android 5 or above.
Accepted payment methods include credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal.
(Image credit: Comodo )
User experience
Like with many free (and sometimes even paid) apps, it’s a good idea to pay attention when you’re installing Comodo Free Firewall; if you don’t, you may discover a new browser or an extra service that you didn’t ask for. While this might be okay with some, others might not appreciate the sneaky installations so readily.
That said, the setup was quick and painless - just download the installation file from the website, run it, and follow the prompts. Before you begin, however, make sure to uncheck the option to download and install the COMODO Dragon Web Browser and/or Internet Security Essentials if you don’t want them. They can be found in the ‘Components’ tab at the top of the installation window.
Again, at the end of the installation process, you’ll again be asked to keep some extra options enabled, including changing your DNS provider to COMODO Secure DNS (improved security online, faster resolution of web pages), turning on the cloud-based behavior analysis of untrusted files, sending anonymous usage statistics to the company, and setting Yahoo! as your homepage, new tab, and default search engine on all supported browsers.
Once installed, Comodo Free Firewall is simple enough to use, if a little vocal - it tells you when files are okay as well as when they aren’t, but there’s a silent mode to turn off notifications - and the secure browsers are easy to access and use. The threats database lives in the cloud so you’re always using the most up-to-date version. That’s very important because new threats emerge daily.
The interface is pleasant and intuitive enough, considering it’s packed with plenty of features and options. Its simultaneous simplicity and exceptional configurability make it suitable for beginners who don’t want to bother themselves with deeper settings and advanced users who would appreciate them.
In this line, you can choose whether the app will show in the basic (beginner-friendly) or advanced (expert-supported) view. The former will only display your system’s security status and the options to manage networks, unlock applications, update the program, and run a virtual container. You’ll also see a Live Support button at the top.
Meanwhile, the latter will give you a whole host of deeper actions, such as access to advanced firewall settings, inbound/outbound connections, auto-containment, HIPS, VirusScope, and website filtering, as well as a view of network intrusions, blocked apps, contained apps, and unrecognized files. The basic view’s Live Support button is replaced by the Logs button, providing an in-depth view of all the security events related to the device.
The platform itself can also be pushy at times, especially if you were shrewd enough to stop the undercover installation of its browser and try to get you to install it later as you’re using its current (free) capabilities. There’s also the constantly present ‘Upgrade’ button at the bottom left of the interface taking you to the page where you can purchase the full Comodo Internet Security service.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Protection
Comodo Firewall keeps vigil over your system’s security in real time and allows you to scan your device on demand. Mind you, there’s only one type of scan, and it seems to be the quick kind that other cybersecurity suites have in addition to full and customized scan options. But considering this is ‘only’ a firewall solution, it’s more than enough.
(Image credit: Comodo)
The first scan took about five minutes to finish, and each subsequent scanning action was completed in an even shorter time - usually in less than a minute.
In terms of third-party antivirus testing labs, SE-Labs analyzed Comodo Antivirus in its April-June 2024 Home Endpoint Protection report, assigning it an AA score, as it reached 90% total accuracy and 2% score in terms of false positives.
(Image credit: SE Labs)
AV-Test last tested Comodo Internet Security Premium in August 2019, when it scored 6/6 in protection, 5.5/6 in performance, and 5.5/6 in usability, earning a ‘certified’ award, which is nothing to write home about as there were others among the competition that did much better.
Meanwhile, MRG Effitas tested Comodo’s VPN service in its Q4 2023 Android 360 Assessment Programme, in which it did poorly, but perhaps the fact that antivirus wasn’t its primary function was a part of the problem. However, the results weren’t much better when it came to Comodo Mobile Security Antivirus.
Its industry peer, AV-Comparatives hasn’t been interested in testing Comodo at all.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Features
Comodo Firewall offers plenty of features, even for free users. The app’s operations are divided into four main categories - general, firewall, containment, and advanced tasks. The general tasks involve scanning your device for viruses and spyware, checking for program updates, unblocking apps previously blocked by Comodo, and getting live support.
In terms of firewall tasks, there’s the option to choose the apps you want to allow to connect to the internet through a file picker, as well as the same option for blocking apps, a controller for the device’s network visibility, a network manager, a quick switch to stop/restore all network activity to and from the device, and a viewer of all apps connected to the internet.
The containment tasks are a bit upper-level, such as the virtual container for running apps, an option to create the storage space shared between virtual and real applications, an active processes viewer, and a Comodo killswitch and virtual desktop. The latter two weren’t installed with the Firewall app but were one click away.
Finally, advanced tasks are intended for expert users in the cybersecurity field, as they include a task manager, a viewer of security events, activity, and alerts, an option to create a bootable CD or USB flash drive to clean up heavily infected PCs, an endpoint cleaner in the form of Comodo Cleaning Essentials to deal with persistent infections, a quarantine viewer, and a feature that allows you to submit files for analysis to Comodo’s team.
Digging deeper into the app’s advanced settings, accessible from the gear icon at the top left corner of the window, you can get the full Comodo Firewall experience, starting from its appearance, which you can control by selecting one of the four themes in the app’s settings.
Furthermore, there’s a list of supported languages you can choose, alongside other options to fully customize your experience, such as allowing notifications, sounds, messages from the Comodo Message Center, information messages when tasks are minimized/sent to the background, a welcome screen, a desktop widget, as well as setting up a password.
You can also set the program update schedule and rules, and define logging options to manage the recording of critical events like caught malware, firewall actions, and the like. There’s also a section that lets you import, export, and switch configurations for the program.
Naturally, the app’s firewall options are the most detailed, facilitating the selection of the type of firewall (safe mode, training mode, block everything, and custom ruleset) for inbound and outbound traffic, Trustconnect alerts, and traffic animation effects.
You can also set rules for safe applications, alert frequency and timeout, and additional capabilities, including filtering IPv6 traffic and loopback traffic, blocking fragmented IP traffic, performing protocol analysis, and enabling anti-ARP spoofing.
Application Rules and Global Rules allow you to add, remove, and manage firewall application rules and global rules active on your computer, and add/remove/edit rulesets defined on the device. Network Zones can automatically detect private networks and let you manage network zones on your PC. Also, you can manage the defined portsets (HTTP, POP3/SMTP, privileged).
Users can also manage the Host Intrusion Protection System (HIPS), the component monitoring critical operating system activities to protect the PC against malware actions, its alerts and rules, protected objects, HIPS groups of objects, adaptive mode, and so on.
When it comes to containment settings, they cover shared spaces between contained and other applications, automatic startup for services installed in the container, detecting programs that require elevated privileges, like installers and updaters, the Virtual Desktop options, and auto-containment management.
You can also enable/disable file ratings via Cloud Lookup and control related settings (such as alerts, automated detections, and others), manage file groups (like executables, important files, temporary files, etc.) and file lists, see submitted files, and add/remove trusted vendors.
Further down the list of advanced settings is the Advanced Protection section, with additional options that include the VirusScope subsystem which dynamically analyzes the behavior of running processes and keeps a record of their activities, scan exclusions for skipping defined files and folders while performing the scan.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Then there’s Device Control which blocks devices of a client computer from accessing, such as USB drives, Bluetooth devices, printers, serial, and parallel ports, Script Analysis where you can manage the list of apps for which you would like to perform script analysis based on containment rules, and Miscellaneous options, including automatic shellcode injections, alerts for software trying to modify browser settings, and more.
Lastly, you can opt in or out of the Website Filtering feature to filter websites according to the user-defined rules and profiles (allowed vs. blocked sites, adding/removing/editing/moving rules, and the like).
Final verdict
All things considered, Comodo Firewall is a capable device protection system that, for the most part, is free to use, exceptionally easy to navigate but complex enough so those who wish to tinker with the more detailed settings and configurations can freely do so. Still, it doesn’t entirely replace a full antivirus suite, so combining it with Microsoft Defender or a similar solution might be the best course of action.
When some people describe the internet, they say it’s a jungle out there. And that’s true - if it’s a jungle where every single creature is lined up and tooled up, ready to attack you the second you arrive. The internet is so full of malicious software that it’s not a matter of whether an unprotected PC will get infected with something serious; it’s a matter of how quickly it’ll happen.
Enter Comodo, whose free firewall is designed to make sure your PC doesn’t become a statistic. It blocks malicious software from getting onto your PC, and if there’s already malware on your PC it stops it from communicating with villains over the hills and far away.
Comodo Firewall offers safe web browsing and it works on the basis of what’s called Default Deny Protection with Default Allow Usability. In plain English, that means it assumes unknown software is guilty until proven innocent.
The firewall knows the details of over two million safe apps, so the likelihood of a false positive flagging a reputable app is very low.
For even more power, Comodo will often gently push you towards upgrading to its Internet Security package, which promises to deliver a complete antivirus suite for all your protection needs, plus some special features.
The basics include its Defense+ tech (a Host Intrusion Prevention System - HIPS) that protects critical system files and blocks malware before it installs, the automatic sandbox, which runs unknown files in an isolated environment where they can cause no damage, cloud-based antivirus, spyware scanning, online banking and shopping security and, of course, its firewall.
In terms of extras, this package throws in a $500 virus-free warranty, 50GB of cloud storage, on-the-go Wi-Fi protection, and unlimited live expert virus removal - all that for just $29.99 per year if you need coverage for one device or $39.99 per year for three devices (no increases upon renewals).
Supported devices include Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and any FireTV device running Android 5 or above.
Accepted payment methods include credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal.
(Image credit: Comodo )
User experience
Like with many free (and sometimes even paid) apps, it’s a good idea to pay attention when you’re installing Comodo Free Firewall; if you don’t, you may discover a new browser or an extra service that you didn’t ask for. While this might be okay with some, others might not appreciate the sneaky installations so readily.
That said, the setup was quick and painless - just download the installation file from the website, run it, and follow the prompts. Before you begin, however, make sure to uncheck the option to download and install the COMODO Dragon Web Browser and/or Internet Security Essentials if you don’t want them. They can be found in the ‘Components’ tab at the top of the installation window.
Again, at the end of the installation process, you’ll again be asked to keep some extra options enabled, including changing your DNS provider to COMODO Secure DNS (improved security online, faster resolution of web pages), turning on the cloud-based behavior analysis of untrusted files, sending anonymous usage statistics to the company, and setting Yahoo! as your homepage, new tab, and default search engine on all supported browsers.
Once installed, Comodo Free Firewall is simple enough to use, if a little vocal - it tells you when files are okay as well as when they aren’t, but there’s a silent mode to turn off notifications - and the secure browsers are easy to access and use. The threats database lives in the cloud so you’re always using the most up-to-date version. That’s very important because new threats emerge daily.
The interface is pleasant and intuitive enough, considering it’s packed with plenty of features and options. Its simultaneous simplicity and exceptional configurability make it suitable for beginners who don’t want to bother themselves with deeper settings and advanced users who would appreciate them.
In this line, you can choose whether the app will show in the basic (beginner-friendly) or advanced (expert-supported) view. The former will only display your system’s security status and the options to manage networks, unlock applications, update the program, and run a virtual container. You’ll also see a Live Support button at the top.
Meanwhile, the latter will give you a whole host of deeper actions, such as access to advanced firewall settings, inbound/outbound connections, auto-containment, HIPS, VirusScope, and website filtering, as well as a view of network intrusions, blocked apps, contained apps, and unrecognized files. The basic view’s Live Support button is replaced by the Logs button, providing an in-depth view of all the security events related to the device.
The platform itself can also be pushy at times, especially if you were shrewd enough to stop the undercover installation of its browser and try to get you to install it later as you’re using its current (free) capabilities. There’s also the constantly present ‘Upgrade’ button at the bottom left of the interface taking you to the page where you can purchase the full Comodo Internet Security service.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Protection
Comodo Firewall keeps vigil over your system’s security in real time and allows you to scan your device on demand. Mind you, there’s only one type of scan, and it seems to be the quick kind that other cybersecurity suites have in addition to full and customized scan options. But considering this is ‘only’ a firewall solution, it’s more than enough.
(Image credit: Comodo)
The first scan took about five minutes to finish, and each subsequent scanning action was completed in an even shorter time - usually in less than a minute.
In terms of third-party antivirus testing labs, SE-Labs analyzed Comodo Antivirus in its April-June 2024 Home Endpoint Protection report, assigning it an AA score, as it reached 90% total accuracy and 2% score in terms of false positives.
(Image credit: SE Labs)
AV-Test last tested Comodo Internet Security Premium in August 2019, when it scored 6/6 in protection, 5.5/6 in performance, and 5.5/6 in usability, earning a ‘certified’ award, which is nothing to write home about as there were others among the competition that did much better.
Meanwhile, MRG Effitas tested Comodo’s VPN service in its Q4 2023 Android 360 Assessment Programme, in which it did poorly, but perhaps the fact that antivirus wasn’t its primary function was a part of the problem. However, the results weren’t much better when it came to Comodo Mobile Security Antivirus.
Its industry peer, AV-Comparatives hasn’t been interested in testing Comodo at all.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Features
Comodo Firewall offers plenty of features, even for free users. The app’s operations are divided into four main categories - general, firewall, containment, and advanced tasks. The general tasks involve scanning your device for viruses and spyware, checking for program updates, unblocking apps previously blocked by Comodo, and getting live support.
In terms of firewall tasks, there’s the option to choose the apps you want to allow to connect to the internet through a file picker, as well as the same option for blocking apps, a controller for the device’s network visibility, a network manager, a quick switch to stop/restore all network activity to and from the device, and a viewer of all apps connected to the internet.
The containment tasks are a bit upper-level, such as the virtual container for running apps, an option to create the storage space shared between virtual and real applications, an active processes viewer, and a Comodo killswitch and virtual desktop. The latter two weren’t installed with the Firewall app but were one click away.
Finally, advanced tasks are intended for expert users in the cybersecurity field, as they include a task manager, a viewer of security events, activity, and alerts, an option to create a bootable CD or USB flash drive to clean up heavily infected PCs, an endpoint cleaner in the form of Comodo Cleaning Essentials to deal with persistent infections, a quarantine viewer, and a feature that allows you to submit files for analysis to Comodo’s team.
Digging deeper into the app’s advanced settings, accessible from the gear icon at the top left corner of the window, you can get the full Comodo Firewall experience, starting from its appearance, which you can control by selecting one of the four themes in the app’s settings.
Furthermore, there’s a list of supported languages you can choose, alongside other options to fully customize your experience, such as allowing notifications, sounds, messages from the Comodo Message Center, information messages when tasks are minimized/sent to the background, a welcome screen, a desktop widget, as well as setting up a password.
You can also set the program update schedule and rules, and define logging options to manage the recording of critical events like caught malware, firewall actions, and the like. There’s also a section that lets you import, export, and switch configurations for the program.
Naturally, the app’s firewall options are the most detailed, facilitating the selection of the type of firewall (safe mode, training mode, block everything, and custom ruleset) for inbound and outbound traffic, Trustconnect alerts, and traffic animation effects.
You can also set rules for safe applications, alert frequency and timeout, and additional capabilities, including filtering IPv6 traffic and loopback traffic, blocking fragmented IP traffic, performing protocol analysis, and enabling anti-ARP spoofing.
Application Rules and Global Rules allow you to add, remove, and manage firewall application rules and global rules active on your computer, and add/remove/edit rulesets defined on the device. Network Zones can automatically detect private networks and let you manage network zones on your PC. Also, you can manage the defined portsets (HTTP, POP3/SMTP, privileged).
Users can also manage the Host Intrusion Protection System (HIPS), the component monitoring critical operating system activities to protect the PC against malware actions, its alerts and rules, protected objects, HIPS groups of objects, adaptive mode, and so on.
When it comes to containment settings, they cover shared spaces between contained and other applications, automatic startup for services installed in the container, detecting programs that require elevated privileges, like installers and updaters, the Virtual Desktop options, and auto-containment management.
You can also enable/disable file ratings via Cloud Lookup and control related settings (such as alerts, automated detections, and others), manage file groups (like executables, important files, temporary files, etc.) and file lists, see submitted files, and add/remove trusted vendors.
Further down the list of advanced settings is the Advanced Protection section, with additional options that include the VirusScope subsystem which dynamically analyzes the behavior of running processes and keeps a record of their activities, scan exclusions for skipping defined files and folders while performing the scan.
(Image credit: Comodo)
Then there’s Device Control which blocks devices of a client computer from accessing, such as USB drives, Bluetooth devices, printers, serial, and parallel ports, Script Analysis where you can manage the list of apps for which you would like to perform script analysis based on containment rules, and Miscellaneous options, including automatic shellcode injections, alerts for software trying to modify browser settings, and more.
Lastly, you can opt in or out of the Website Filtering feature to filter websites according to the user-defined rules and profiles (allowed vs. blocked sites, adding/removing/editing/moving rules, and the like).
Final verdict
All things considered, Comodo Firewall is a capable device protection system that, for the most part, is free to use, exceptionally easy to navigate but complex enough so those who wish to tinker with the more detailed settings and configurations can freely do so. Still, it doesn’t entirely replace a full antivirus suite, so combining it with Microsoft Defender or a similar solution might be the best course of action.
Windows has had its own firewall, which is now known as part of the built-in Windows Security offering, since Windows XP, but while early versions were a bit wonky, it’s actually been very good since the days of Windows Vista. Unfortunately, it’s not very easy to configure, and some malware knows how to turn it off altogether.
This is where TinyWall comes in. The brainchild of Hungarian developer and computer scientist Károly Pados, TinyWall is designed to address those shortcomings and many others. It starts off with a much more secure default configuration, and gives the firewall a sane, albeit slightly obsolete-looking user interface that makes it easier to decide what to allow and what to block.
On top of that, TinyWall introduces a rather straightforward way of adding new apps to the approved list without blasting you with pop-ups all the time - although it blocks everything by default. It also makes sure unknown apps can’t simply creep into your system, turn off the firewall, and start doing bad things to your PC.
As Pados says, the Windows firewall “possesses almost everything a man” - or woman - “could ask from a firewall engine.” What TinyWall offers is a better way to use that engine and access all of its power. If you want a simple but effective and powerful firewall for Windows versions from Vista onwards, this one does a decent job, though with a dash of overprotectiveness.
That said, TinyWall’s best feature is perhaps the fact that it’s 100% free of charge, and there aren’t any ads, artificial limitations, or upgrade limitations that other free-to-download security apps might impose instead of outright demanding payment. According to the website it also doesn’t collect any user data or telemetry behind your back, so you can rest easy knowing your sensitive information is for your eyes only.
Notably, it only checks for updates once in a while automatically, during which time the current version of TinyWall running on your computer is delivered. This automatic option is on by default, but you can choose to opt out of automatic updates in the app’s settings (right-click on the TinyWall icon on the right-hand side of your taskbar).
It is also open-source, and anyone interested in its code and other details can access the source repository on the platform’s GitHub page.
Nonetheless, if you’re really happy with the app and insist on paying at least something, there’s a Donate button in its settings, where you can choose to pay whatever amount of money you wish to cover the hosting, hardware, and software costs of running the software - through the developer’s Patreon account.
Furthermore, TinyWall was designed with single private users, small-office, home-office computers, and family PCs in mind, and Pados points out that it can’t really cope with headless machines, servers, and networks with more than five computers as it lacks support for a command-line interface, remote management, and domain-controller integration.
(Image credit: TinyWall)
Setup
Installing TinyWall on your device is as simple as it gets. Just head over to its official website, download the installer (its latest version as of the time of writing was released on April 6, 2025), and run it from your PC. The app has no drivers or kernel components installed, which keeps your system stable and clutter-free.
However, if you aren’t able to access the internet after the installation, there’s a reason for it. TinyWall has just blocked everything on your device from accessing the World Wide Web, and you’ll have to unblock it manually, app by app, process by process, until you get to what you need.
This isn’t particularly user-friendly, especially for a beginner who isn’t well-versed in the ways of firewalls of this kind. Nonetheless, we managed to unblock our WiFi and could continue using TinyWall as intended. This mechanism also had a positive side in making us feel super-protected, so there’s that.
According to Pados, the latest TinyWall release - 3.4.1 - has introduced some changes, including a quicker way to open the Connections window by middle-clicking on the tray icon, a Last Modified column to keep track of exceptions and allow you to easily spot auto-learned rules, as well as a much faster opening of UI windows in case of multi-second delays.
The developer has also fixed the tray icon not showing up after each device boot, something many users had complained about, as well as bringing other improvements, such as fixes for some rare crashes or a dependency update to a non-vulnerable version - in a what was the first update after three years of no significant news (March 14, 2022).
(Image credit: TinyWall)
User experience
If overly chatty firewall apps drive you crazy you’ll appreciate TinyWall’s approach: rather than bother you with every single thing it discovers, it automatically blocks known baddies and doesn’t use a single popup. Approving new apps goes manually, and it offers some advanced features such as time-based rules and blocklists.
We particularly liked the use of hotkeys: when you want to approve an app, simply press the hotkey combination (Ctrl + Shift + W) and then click on the app’s window. It’s a tiny app too, so it won’t have any negative effect on your PC’s performance.
Meanwhile, the interface (well, the app’s settings, as there’s no interface per se) was nothing to write home about, looking like it needed a little refresh and a coat of paint to go with the times, but for a completely free-of-charge app, we’re not complaining. Much.
Here, in the ‘General’ tab, you can access options such as language selection (automatic, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, and a handful of others), whether you want the app to automatically check for updates, prevent modifications to hosts file, prompt for exception details, block internet during display power-save, as well as enable/disable global hotkeys, blocklists (port-based or domain-based malware), and password protection.
The second tab pertains to ‘Application Exceptions,’ where you can choose to detect software automatically and edit the list of applications that you’d like to grant network access - thus allowing only those apps to communicate, add or remove them, or collectively remove all of the listed software.
Then, there are Special Exceptions, referring to special tasks or applications that you’d like to enable on your machine, including the recommended ones (Filtered ICMP Traffic, Windows DHCP Client, Windows DNS Client, Windows Network Discovery, Windows Store Update, Windows Time Sync, and Windows Update) and optional ones (File and Printer Sharing, Pingable local machine, VPN L2TP/IPSec, VPN PPTP, Windows Defender, Windows Remote Assistance, and Windows Remote Desktop).
Finally, the Maintenance tab is where the Donate button is, alongside the information about the platform, its developer, and links for importing/exporting settings, updating, the app’s official website, and the GitHub page.
Clicking on the TinyWall icon in the taskbar will show you your download and upload activity in KiB/s, allow you to change the protection mode (Normal, Block all, Allow outgoing, Disable firewall, and Autolearn), enter the Manage interface (settings), list the active connections, elevate the protection, unblock LAN traffic, enable blocklists, whitelist by executable/process/window, and shut down the platform.
And the best part? TinyWall is compatible with other security software, including all antivirus file system protections and blocklisting software, although certain ‘web shields’ by specific security suites might prevent control of applications separately using TinyWall.
That said, the developer notes that no other firewall except Windows’ should be active alongside it. Furthermore, he also recommends making sure that any HIPS, anti-malware, or behavioral analysis programs are set not to restrict TinyWall, which often requires additional configuration in the other security software.
(Image credit: TinyWall)
Protection
TinyWall doesn’t operate the way other firewalls do. Specifically, most firewalls work on the same interaction principles in which, in essence, whenever an application is trying to access the internet, they display a popup asking the user what to do, which may sometimes be annoying but also less secure.
This is because, on an average computer, a lot of applications want to access the internet. Displaying a popup for each of them makes it possible for unneeded programs to gain access to the network, by way of the user ending up blindly granting unnecessary rights to many different apps without verifying, something that Pados refers to as ‘security fatigue.’
On the other hand, TinyWall takes a different approach, entirely forgoing popups that urge users to whitelist apps. In fact, it doesn’t even notify users of any blocked action in real-time, initiating whitelisting or unblocking manually from the list of running processes in the app or by using a hotkey and then clicking on a window they wish to allow.
According to Pados, this approach is better because it avoids popups, but “still keeps the firewall very easy to use,” and the user will only notice that a program has been denied internet access when they can’t use it anymore and users will only unblock applications that they actually need and none more, which he believes is “optimal from a security standpoint.”
Indeed, this does sound sensible, and in the end, it all comes down to weighing between user-friendliness and security.
The features that help TinyWall protect your device from malicious actors hiding on the internet include the platform’s automatic learning mode, firewall tampering protection, optional password lockdown of settings, Windows Store and UWP support, and support for both WSL and WSL 2.
But that’s not all - TinyWall also boasts various quick modes, support for temporary/timed firewall rules, boot-time filtering, filtering of promiscuous apps, port-scan prevention, the option to always allow communication within LAN, and another option to restrict an application to the LAN.
Add the recognition of safe software and impostors, full IPv6 support, active blocking of hundreds of trojans, viruses, and worms, hosts file protection, integrated port and domain blocklists, open port listing, and lists of established and blocked connections, and you’re getting quite a capable security app.
Being such a tiny platform, as in, without an antivirus, scanning, and other cybersecurity features present, TinyWall hasn’t been the subject of interest by any third-party antivirus testing labs like SE Labs, AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, or even MRG-Effitas that we usually consult with to get an independent opinion on the products we analyze.
If you’re concerned about the lack of independent tests or the missing security suite features, then it might be a good idea to use TinyWall with Windows’ built-in Microsoft Defender, and if you do - note that the performance impact on your device will be minimal.
Indeed, upon installing and running TinyWall, we haven’t noticed absolutely any effect on our testing machine. It was like there was nothing running on it at all - no RAM wasting, no CPU overload, just a plain and simple firewall running in the background at all times.
(Image credit: TinyWall)
Final verdict
TinyWall will actively block trojans, viruses, worms, and other forms of malware, and prevent the modification of Windows firewall’s settings by malicious programs. And it will do all of this without you needing to know about ports, protocols, or application details.
But probably its most appealing feature is its no-popup approach. Most firewalls will display a popup asking you what you want to do whenever an application is trying to access the Internet. Not only is this annoying, but eventually you’ll just start granting access to everything to get rid of the popups, which isn’t very secure.
TinyWall gets around this problem by expecting you to whitelist programs that you actually want to be able to access the Internet. When you find a program has been blocked, it’s easy to add it to the whitelist, and then you can continue with what you were doing.
