GlassWire vs LibreNMS
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
GlassWire is a network monitoring and personal firewall application for Windows and Android that visualizes current and past network activity to help users spot malware, bandwidth hogs, and unfamiliar devices on their network. Its firewall includes an ask-to-connect mode that lets users approve or deny individual apps' network access, alongside a network time machine for reviewing historical connections. GlassWire also tracks data usage across devices and can alert users before they exceed set data limits, while its network scanner flags new or unknown devices joining a WiFi network. Over 53 million downloads have been recorded for the Windows and Android apps combined.
LibreNMS is a free, open-source network monitoring system that automatically discovers devices across a network using protocols like CDP, LLDP, OSPF, BGP, SNMP, and ARP, then continuously polls them for health and performance data. It's built to scale horizontally through distributed polling, which lets it handle networks ranging from a handful of switches to large, geographically distributed infrastructure. Alerting is highly configurable and can notify via email, IRC, Slack, and other channels, and the platform ships a full API for pulling monitoring data into other systems or dashboards. It integrates with tools like NfSen, collectd, SmokePing, RANCID, and Oxidized for flow analysis and configuration backup, and includes optional bandwidth billing based on port usage, making it a common choice for ISPs and network administrators who want a self-hosted alternative to commercial NMS products.
- Combines network monitoring and firewall in one lightweight app
- Very affordable premium pricing at $2.99/month
- Visual, easy-to-understand traffic graphs
- Available on both Windows and Android
- Completely free and open source with an active community and GitHub repo
- Automatic discovery reduces the manual setup burden common in NMS tools
- Highly extensible via API and third-party integrations
- Distributed polling makes it viable for large networks, not just small labs
- Free tier limits network history to just 24 hours
- Windows and Android only, no Mac or Linux support
- Advanced threat detection features require Premium
- Self-hosted, so you own the server maintenance and scaling, unlike a SaaS monitoring product
- Initial setup and SNMP configuration has a learning curve for newcomers
- No official commercial support plan, relying on community and Discord
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataLibreNMS is a free, self‑hosted, enterprise‑grade network monitor; GlassWire is a freemium desktop app aimed at home/small‑business users with built‑in firewall.
Key differences
- •LibreNMS auto‑discovers devices via SNMP, CDP, LLDP, OSPF, BGP and scales horizontally; GlassWire focuses on visual traffic graphs and personal firewall for a single workstation.
- •LibreNMS runs on a self‑hosted server and requires setup/maintenance; GlassWire is a ready‑to‑run desktop application.
- •LibreNMS offers a full REST API and many third‑party integrations; GlassWire has no API and limited integrations.
- •LibreNMS is free and open source; GlassWire’s premium features cost $2.99 / month.
- •LibreNMS targets network admins managing large infrastructures; GlassWire targets home users or small businesses needing simple monitoring and firewall.
Pricing & value
LibreNMS is completely free and open source; GlassWire’s premium tier costs $2.99 per month.
Ease of use / learning curve
GlassWire is a ready‑to‑run desktop app; LibreNMS requires self‑hosting, SNMP configuration, and learning curve.
Features & depth
LibreNMS provides automatic discovery, distributed polling, bandwidth billing, and extensive alerts; GlassWire offers basic visual graphs and personal firewall.
Integrations & ecosystem
LibreNMS has a REST API and integrates with Slack, RANCID, Oxidized, etc.; GlassWire has no API or listed integrations.
Collaboration
LibreNMS supports multi‑user access, LDAP/Radius auth; GlassWire is a single‑user desktop tool.
Scalability
LibreNMS uses distributed polling for large, geographically dispersed networks; GlassWire is limited to a single device.
Support
GlassWire offers dedicated premium support; LibreNMS relies on community and Discord only.
Choose GlassWire if…
Home users or small businesses wanting an easy visual monitor and built‑in firewall on Windows/Android.
Choose LibreNMS if…
Network admins needing enterprise‑scale, self‑hosted monitoring with discovery and API access.
Common questions
Is there any cost to use LibreNMS?
LibreNMS is free; there are no licensing fees.
Can GlassWire monitor multiple network devices centrally?
No, GlassWire runs as a desktop app and monitors only the host it is installed on.
Does either product provide an API for custom dashboards?
LibreNMS offers a full REST API; GlassWire does not provide an API.