GlassWire vs Technitium DNS Server

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.

Technitium DNS Server is a free and open-source DNS server that anyone can self-host to take control of their own DNS resolution, whether for a home network or an organization. It combines recursive and authoritative DNS with support for encrypted protocols like DNS-over-HTTPS, DNS-over-TLS, and DNS-over-QUIC. It also includes network-wide ad and malware blocking through configurable blocklists, a built-in DHCP server, DNSSEC support, and a web console with API access, making it a full DNS and DHCP toolkit rather than a simple resolver.

• 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
• Combines DNS and DHCP in one server
• Strong encrypted-DNS protocol support
• Active development and community

• Free tier limits network history to just 24 hours
• Windows and Android only, no Mac or Linux support
• Advanced threat detection features require Premium

• Requires self-hosting and basic networking knowledge
• No official managed/cloud-hosted option
• Documentation assumes some DNS familiarity