Connection alerts
An app tries to go online and a prompt appears with its name, the server and the port. Nothing gets sent until you answer.
Free download v6.5 for macOS
Little Snitch Shows WhoYour Mac Talks To
A network monitor and app firewall for macOS. When any app tries to reach the internet, Little Snitch asks first. You pick Allow or Deny before data leaves your Mac.
Download Little Snitch Free 20+ Years Guarding Macs
Or install with Homebrew: brew install --cask little-snitch
$0Full-featured demo mode
6.5Released Sep 8, 2026
20+Years on the Mac
14+macOS Sonoma or newer
What Little Snitch for Mac does
Your apps open network connections all day without asking. Little Snitch on Mac makes that traffic visible and puts every decision in your hands, from a single alert to a full rule set.
Rules you control
Limit any app to specific servers, domains, ports or protocols. Group rules, add notes and see how often each one fires.
Network Monitor map
Watch live traffic land on a world map. Sort by app, domain or country and scroll back through up to twelve months of history.
Profiles that switch
Strict rules for café Wi-Fi and relaxed ones at home. Pick a profile once per network and the switch happens on its own.
Menu bar Control Center
See current traffic, recently blocked connections and the active profile from the menu bar. Silent Mode sits one click away.
Safe by design
Rules follow an app's code signature, so renaming a file can't dodge them. DNS lookups travel encrypted over DoH, DoT or DoQ.
Terminal installation
Advanced users can install Little Snitch with a single Homebrew command.
zsh
$brew install --cask little-snitch
How to open Terminal on Mac
- Press ⌘ + Space to bring up Spotlight.
- Type Terminal into the search field.
- Hit Return and a fresh shell window opens.
Installation via Terminal command
- Click Copy above, then paste the command into Terminal.
- Press Return. Homebrew downloads Little Snitch into Applications.
- Launch it and allow the network extension under System Settings, General, Login Items & Extensions.
How Little Snitch works day to day
Three moments make up most of your time with the app.
01
An app reaches out
A connection alert shows which app wants which server. Too many prompts on day one? Turn on Silent Mode and decide later.
02
You decide once
Choose Allow or Deny and Little Snitch saves it as a rule. That app never asks about that server again.
03
Review and tidy up
Open Network Monitor to spot odd traffic. The rules window flags redundant entries and suggests new ones.
The alert that started it all
For more than 20 years this one dialog has defined littlesnitch. Try it on the right: answer a few requests the way you would on your own Mac.
Before you open the installer, run this check. An empty result means Objective Development signed the DMG and nobody touched it.
Verify your download
codesign --verify -R="anchor apple generic and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = MLZF7K7B5R" ~/Downloads/LittleSnitch*.dmg
PhotoEditor wants to connect to telemetry.photoeditor.io
TCP port 443 (https)
Applies toOnly this server
DurationForever
Waiting for your call…
Little Snitch vs Linux build vs Micro Snitch
Objective Development ships three Snitch tools. Here is which one covers what.
| Feature | Little Snitch (Mac) | Little Snitch for Linux | Micro Snitch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watches | Incoming and outgoing network connections | Network connections per program | Camera and microphone |
| Runs on | macOS 14 Sonoma and newer | Linux kernel 6.12+ with BTF | macOS |
| Pop-up alerts | Yes, per connection | No, list view with rules | Yes, when a device turns on |
| Interface | Native app plus menu bar | Web UI at localhost:3031 | Menu bar |
| Price | $59 single license, free demo mode | Free | Paid, 50% off in the Snitch Bundle |
| Remove it | Drag to Trash in Finder | sudo apt remove littlesnitch | Drag to Trash in Finder |
What Mac users say about Little Snitch
Notes from people who run it every day.
First thing I install on every new Mac. Little Snitch caught a PDF reader calling home four times a minute. One click on Deny and it went quiet for good.
Marco T.
The world map in Network Monitor is weirdly addictive. I watched my Mac talk to servers in nine countries during a single coffee. Now I block most of them.
Hannah W.
I run Little Snitch on Mac and the free littlesnitch build on my Fedora box. Same idea on both, and the Linux web UI works fine for a home server.
Daniel R.
The first week throws a lot of alerts at you. Silent Mode fixed that for me. Once my rules settled, Little Snitch faded into the background and just works.
Priya S.
Profiles that switch by Wi-Fi network are the hidden gem. Strict rules at the café and relaxed ones at home. I never touch a setting.
Jonas K.
Bought the Snitch Bundle. Micro Snitch flags my webcam light before I even notice it, and Little Snitch mac handles everything on the network side.
Elena V.
Tried the Linux version on an old laptop, then wanted it gone before a kernel upgrade. Removing littlesnitch on Linux took one apt command. Zero leftovers.
Tom B.
DNS encryption is the quiet win in version 6. I set Quad9 once and stopped thinking about who reads my lookups on hotel Wi-Fi.
Sofia L.
The curated blocklists save me hours. Ads, trackers and malware lists turn on in a few clicks and update daily without me lifting a finger.
Ahmed N.
Straight answers on price, setup and removal.
Is Little Snitch free?
The download costs nothing. Without a license key it runs in demo mode with the same protection as the full version.
Each demo session lasts three hours and restarts as often as you like. Network Monitor expires after 30 days, and a single license costs $59.
Which macOS versions does Little Snitch 6.5 support?
Version 6.5 runs on macOS 27 Golden Gate plus Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma. On Ventura or older, grab a matching build from the official legacy page.
Upgrade to 6.5 before you move to macOS 27. Older releases break the internet connection there.
How do I install Little Snitch with Homebrew?
Run brew install --cask little-snitch in Terminal. Then open the app and allow its network extension in System Settings under General, Login Items & Extensions.
How do I uninstall Little Snitch on Mac?
Drag the app from Applications to the Trash in Finder, or pick Help, Uninstall Little Snitch from the menu. Skip Terminal and third-party cleaners here.
Only a Finder removal lets macOS delete the system extension. Your rules stay behind in case you reinstall later.
How do I remove Little Snitch on Linux?
On Debian or Ubuntu run sudo apt remove littlesnitch. Fedora and Arch users swap in dnf or pacman.
Want to keep it installed but idle? Use sudo systemctl stop littlesnitch followed by sudo systemctl disable littlesnitch.
Is there a Little Snitch for Linux?
Yes, and it's free. It needs kernel 6.12 or newer with BTF, runs on eBPF and serves its interface at http://localhost:3031/.
The eBPF program and web UI are open source under GPL v2. The background daemon stays proprietary but free to use.
What is the difference between Little Snitch and Micro Snitch?
Little Snitch guards network traffic. Micro Snitch tells you when your camera or microphone switches on.
Both come from Objective Development, and the Snitch Bundle knocks 50% off Micro Snitch.
How can I check that my Little Snitch download is genuine?
Run the codesign --verify command from the section above on the DMG in Downloads. An empty result means the file carries a valid Objective Development signature.
Take back control of your Mac's network
Download Little Snitch, run the full demo and see what your apps have been sending all along.
v6.5 released Sep 8, 2026 / macOS 14+ / Rated 4.8 by 347 users