The definitive outbound firewall for macOS — see every connection your apps make, and decide what is allowed to leave your machine.
Little Snitch monitors outgoing network traffic and lets you allow or deny it per app, per server, per port. The moment an application tries to phone home, a connection alert asks what you want to do — once, until quit, or forever.
Why it makes the list
It has been the reference outbound firewall on the Mac for two decades, and the Network Monitor is a piece of software design worth studying: a live world map of every connection, with traffic rates, DNS names, and history. Little Snitch turns the vague sense that your apps are chatty into something you can actually see and control.
Standout features
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Connection alerts with sensible, scoped rule suggestions
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Network Monitor — a real-time map and traffic log of all activity
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Rule groups and subscriptions for blocking ads, trackers, and telemetry
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Alert Mode for a guided pass over everything a new app does
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DNS encryption (DoH / DoT) built in
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macOS-native, notarized, and privacy-respecting by design
Pricing
A one-time license (around $59) with a free demo that runs in three-hour sessions. Upgrades between major versions are discounted.