GlassWire vs OpenNMS Horizon
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.
OpenNMS Horizon is an open-source network management platform that provides fault, performance, and availability monitoring for large, heterogeneous networks. It offers a flexible, modular architecture that can be customized to fit the needs of service providers, enterprises, and research institutions. The platform includes a powerful event engine, customizable dashboards, and extensive reporting capabilities, all backed by a robust API for integration with third‑party tools. Horizon is community‑driven and can be deployed on‑premises or in private clouds, giving organizations full control over their monitoring data.
- 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
- Highly extensible via plugins and APIs
- Scales to monitor tens of thousands of devices
- Strong community support and documentation
- Free tier limits network history to just 24 hours
- Windows and Android only, no Mac or Linux support
- Advanced threat detection features require Premium
- Steeper learning curve for initial setup
- Limited commercial support options
- User interface can feel dated compared to newer SaaS tools
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to GlassWire
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Alternatives to OpenNMS Horizon
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataOpenNMS Horizon is a free, enterprise‑grade, highly scalable monitoring platform with a steep setup curve, while GlassWire is a low‑cost, user‑friendly desktop app focused on personal firewall and bandwidth tracking.
Key differences
- •Deployment model: OpenNMS is self‑hosted server software; GlassWire is a desktop app for Windows/Android.
- •Target audience: OpenNMS serves enterprises/service providers; GlassWire targets home users and small businesses.
- •Scalability: OpenNMS can monitor tens of thousands of devices; GlassWire is limited to a single PC’s traffic.
- •Extensibility: OpenNMS offers APIs, plugins, and integrations (Jira, ServiceNow, Grafana); GlassWire has no API or third‑party integrations.
- •Pricing structure: OpenNMS is completely free; GlassWire uses a freemium model with premium features at $2.99/month.
Pricing & value
OpenNMS Horizon is free; GlassWire requires paid premium for full features.
Ease of use / learning curve
GlassWire offers a lightweight UI; OpenNMS has a steeper learning curve and dated UI.
Features & depth
OpenNMS provides SNMP/JMX/HTTP polling, distributed pollers, statistical thresholds, and extensive reporting; GlassWire focuses on local traffic visualization and basic firewall.
Integrations & ecosystem
OpenNMS exposes a REST API and integrates with Jira, ServiceNow, Grafana, Prometheus; GlassWire has no API or integrations.
Scalability
OpenNMS scales to tens of thousands of devices via distributed pollers; GlassWire monitors only one host.
Support
GlassWire offers dedicated premium support; OpenNMS relies mainly on community forums with optional commercial support.
Security & privacy
GlassWire includes built‑in firewall, malware detection, and Wi‑Fi threat alerts; OpenNMS focuses on monitoring, not endpoint protection.
Choose GlassWire if…
Home users or small businesses wanting simple visual traffic monitoring with built‑in firewall on Windows/Android.
Choose OpenNMS Horizon if…
Enterprises needing large‑scale, customizable network monitoring and willing to manage self‑hosted infrastructure.
Common questions
Can I use OpenNMS Horizon for free?
Yes, OpenNMS Horizon is free and open‑source.
Does GlassWire work on Linux or macOS?
No, GlassWire is only available for Windows and Android.
Which tool can monitor thousands of network devices?
OpenNMS Horizon can scale to monitor tens of thousands of devices; GlassWire is limited to a single PC.