LuLu Firewall for Mac
Setup, Review & Alternatives
Key Takeaways
LuLu is a free, open-source outbound firewall for macOS by Objective-See
It alerts on every new outbound connection — powerful but noisy
For simple per-app blocking without connection prompts, consider alternatives
What Is LuLu?
LuLu is a free, open-source macOS firewall created by Patrick Wardle at Objective-See. It monitors outbound network connections and alerts you when an app tries to connect to the internet for the first time.
It fills the gap left by Apple's built-in firewall, which only handles incoming connections.
Setting Up LuLu
Download LuLu from objective-see.org
Run the installer and grant the required system permissions
LuLu starts monitoring immediately — you'll see alerts for every new outbound connection
Choose "Allow" or "Block" for each connection prompt
Rules accumulate as you use your Mac
The First-Day Experience
When you first install LuLu, expect a flood of alerts. Every app, background process, and system service that reaches out to the internet triggers a prompt. This settles down after a day or two as you build your ruleset.
The initial setup phase is the biggest pain point. macOS has dozens of background services that make outbound connections. You'll need to decide on each one individually.
LuLu Strengths
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Completely free and open source
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Created by a respected macOS security researcher
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Granular per-connection visibility
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Lightweight and well-maintained
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Good for users who want to see every outbound connection
LuLu Limitations
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Per-connection prompts can be overwhelming, especially during setup
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No bulk app blocking — you handle connections one at a time
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No VPN routing capabilities
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Rule management grows complex over time
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Requires you to understand what each process does to make good decisions
LuLu vs. SplitTunnel: Different Approaches
LuLu and SplitTunnel solve the same core problem — controlling which apps access the internet — but with different philosophies.
LuLu gives you per-connection visibility and prompts. SplitTunnel gives you per-app control with one-click blocking and no prompts. SplitTunnel also adds per-app VPN routing, which LuLu doesn't offer.
Which Should You Choose?
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Choose LuLu if you want free, open-source software and don't mind per-connection prompts
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Choose LuLu if you want to monitor every outbound connection in detail
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Choose SplitTunnel if you want simple per-app blocking without prompts
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Choose SplitTunnel if you also need per-app VPN routing
Frequently Asked Questions
Per-App Firewall Without the Prompts
Block any app's internet access with one click. No per-connection alerts.
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