According to research, the market for firewall security software is expected to grow to $5.3 billion by 2023. The main reason for such growth is that many businesses become victims of hackers and their sensitive information gets stolen. Identity theft accounts for 65% of data breach cases. 17% of incidents are associated with attempts to access accounts, and in 13% of cases, hackers try to gain financial access.
Windows already has its own firewall. However, there are also many alternative solutions that are easy to use. Many of them offer more tools than the built-in solution from Microsoft. We prepared a list of the 12 best firewalls so that you can choose the one that meets your needs. “Just make sure to disable the Windows Firewall before installing this software because you cannot use them simultaneously,” notes Adam Brown, a security expert, and writer at Pick The Writer.
List of 12 Best Free Firewall Software
Comodo Free Firewall
This firewall has an ad blocker and custom DNS servers. It also supports virtual internet browsing and has a game mode. This firewall is easy to use and it has many advanced settings so that you can adjust it to your needs. A good feature of this program is Number Scan. It can scan all the working processes and determine whether or not they are reliable. Comodo KillSwitch also enables you to see all the running applications and block any of them.
GlassWire
The best thing about this firewall is that its interface is very simple. Nevertheless, the program also has good functionality. For instance, a tool called Graph allows you to monitor apps in real-time and see how much traffic they use. You can also check statistics on each of your apps on the Usage tab and check their activity for the whole month. Besides, you can get alerts every time programs use the network.
TinyWall
This is another free program that provides reliable protection without showing you tons of notifications like many other firewall solutions. TinyWall includes an application scanner. You can scan the running apps, and you can also add some apps to the safe list. This solution also has an Autolearn mode, which allows the firewall to learn which programs can access the network. You can also use this app to protect the configuration of the Windows Firewall and to block sources that are considered dangerous.
ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
When installing this firewall, you can choose two modes: Auto-Learn and Max Security. If you choose the first option, the program will analyze your behavior and make changes depending on it. The Max Security option allows you to control settings for all the applications manually. One of the advantages of ZoneAlarm is that it can block the hosts file to prevent dangerous changes. The interface is quite simple. For instance, you can quickly adjust the security mode of private and public networks with one slider, changing it from medium to high.OpenDNS
OpenDNS Free Firewall Software also allows users to set up their internet protection while browsing websites. With this app, you won’t need to install any other complex software. All you have to do is install OpenDNS on your device and then follow a few extra steps to adjust it.
Malwarebytes Windows Firewall
Tools present in BiniSoft Malwarebytes Firewall will help you extend the functionality of the Windows Firewall, adding more characteristics and making it more effective. It provides information about digitally contracted plans and outbound connections that have been blocked. BiniSoft has also developed a USB drive control tool, which is a great addition to your security system, as many security threats come from USB drives.
Netdefender
This is a complex solution that can check target and source IP addresses and numbers of ports. Thanks to this tool, you can allow or block any addresses to prevent FTP or other ports from being used on your network. You can also block certain applications. The program records the working plans of your applications and allows you to add them to the list of blocked programs.
Agnitum Outpost Firewall
Unfortunately, you cannot access this firewall from the initial developers anymore because the Outpost firewall was sold to a Russian search engine Yandex in 2017. However, this app is still accessible on various software-sharing platforms. The reason why we consider this firewall is that it’s one of the best solutions in this niche. Agnitum authorized this solution to many protection companies, including Sophos. Outpost Firewall includes automated whitelisting, ad and popup blockers, and various anti-leak tools.
AVS Firewall
This is a program with a simple interface so everyone will be able to quickly figure out what it is and how to use it. This firewall will protect your computer from any changes in the registry, flash banners, pop-ups, and most ads. You can also add URLs of banners and ads that you don’t want to see. When using this firewall, you can easily allow or deny any specific programs, ports, and IP addresses. AVS Firewall also includes the Parent Control feature.
PeerBlock
This firewall is different from many other solutions of this kind because it doesn’t just block programs but lists of IP addresses that fall into certain categories. It loads a list of IP addresses that are used to block your access to incoming and outgoing connections. Addresses from the list won’t be able to access your computer, and you also won’t be able to access their networks. You can also create your own lists of addresses or add lists available on the internet.
Privatefirewall
This solution is very flexible, as it enables you to switch between different firewall rules and settings. You can also easily change the list of allowed or blocked applications. You can also use advanced settings to define whether or not some processes are allowed to open threads, set hooks, initiate a shutdown, etc.
R-Firewall
This is a great solution but its interface might be a little complicated for some users. It includes a content blocker that can terminate browsing by keyword. It also includes an image blocker and a mail filter so that you can block javascript, cookies, or ActiveX.
Wrapping Up
Cyber-security is an important issue for any business. We hope that our list of the best firewalls will help you find a solution that meets your objectives. There are many good firewalls that can protect your identity and your sensitive data from cyber-criminals.
