Free Firewall Software

R

E

E

Free Firewall Software: The best firewall protection can be free!

                            We now feature 13 free firewall software products! (updated 1-3-10)

The links for the free firewall software products below will take you to a detailed information and download link page for that specific free firewall software item. In addition to being able to protect your desktop some of the products are suitable for use as network firewalls.

VISTA NOTE: There seems to be agreement that the built in Windows Vista Firewall fails to provide any real outbound security. This is a surprise since it has been long accepted that the XP Firewall was quite worthless for the same reason and they have had years to improve this aspect. One article from PC World related to this issue can be found here. This may be resolved at some point in the future but in the meantime you need a firewall that can protect from inbound and outbound vulnerability. A number of free choices that work with Vista are noted below and more will be added as we test them and they prove to be Vista compatible.

Comodo Firewall  (Comodo Group)
This amazing free firewall is available as part of the Free Comodo Internet Security Suite (below) or by itself as a firewall only. This highly rated firewall is both simple to use for a novice and also highly configurable for those that wants to adjust the settings.This firewall uses Default Deny Protection (DDP) to protect your system. DDP references a list of over two million known PC-friendly applications. If a file that is not on this safe-list knocks on your PC's door, the Firewall immediately alerts you to the possibility of attacking malware. Windows XP, Vista and Windows7 compatible.

Comodo Internet Security Suite  (Comodo Group)
Firewall plus antivirus and anti malware protection all at no charge! This is not a reduced function firewall product, in fact their newest features have resulted in some of the most sophisticated protection capabilities available in any solution - paid or free. They use this product to promote the other security products that they do sell. A valid email is required. Review Test results show it to be the best firewall available free or paid! Also eliminates Viruses, Worms and Trojans from desktops and networks. Constantly protects with real-time on-access scanning. Proactive Heuristic analysis intercepts unknown threats. Daily, automatic updates of virus definitions. Isolates suspicious files in quarantine preventing infection. Simple program to install and use. Windows XP, Vista and Windows7 compatible.

Sunbelt (Kerio) Personal Firewall  (Sunbelt)
Multi award winning! (Formerly known as Kerio.) This great firewall downloads initially as full version then after 30 days advanced features will stop working but the core firewall will continue to run with reduced functionality for free. A valid email is required. This firewall is Vista compatible.

GhostWall  (Ghost Security)
GhostWall is a firewall which allows you to restrict the communications between your computer and others. Unlike other firewalls which have forgotten their main role, GhostWall is simply a firewall, mainly designed to replace the standard Microsoft firewall with better features and performance.

PC Tools Firewall Plus  (PC Tools)
PC Tools Firewall Plus is a powerful personal firewall for Windows® that protects your computer by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the Internet or a network. By monitoring applications that connect to the network Firewall Plus can stop Trojans, backdoors, keyloggers and other malware from damaging your computer and stealing your private information. This firewall is Vista compatible.

Outpost Firewall  (Agnitum)
The free version of Outpost Firewall offers a basic protection solution for casual web surfers including connections monitoring and surfing protection. A valid email is required. This firewall is Vista compatible.

Safety.Net (NetVeda)
Internet security, content security, advanced firewall protection and trust controls. Will block unwanted or harmful applications from accessing your network. You can define granular user or computer specific access controls based on site, content, PICS ratings and time of day.

Filseclab (Filseclab)  This firewall allows you to control which programs can access the internet and when. It offers an automated rules wizard that will prompt you for action whenever it detects an incoming or outgoing connection that does not match any of the existing rule sets. You can then choose to grant or deny access, and automatically establish a rule for it.

SoftPerfect Personal Firewall (SoftPerfect Research)  
This firewall is designed to protect your PC against attacks from the Internet or via a local area network. It offers customizable security using user-defined rules for packet filtering. Note: The SoftPerfect Personal Firewall is not designed for novices (requires some networking knowledge to configure properly). This firewall is Vista compatible.

ZoneAlarm  (Zone Labs)
Basic PC protection for the home user. Guards your perimeter from inbound and outbound threats  but with only the basic network and program protection capabilities of the more advanced products in their #1 rated product line. This firewall is Vista compatible.

Core Force (Core Security)
CORE FORCE (Beta) provides inbound and outbound stateful packet filtering for TCP/IP protocols using a Windows port of OpenBSD's PF firewall, granular file system and registry access control and programs' integrity validation. These capabilities can be configured and enforced system-wide or on a per-application basis for specific programs such as email readers, Web browsers, media players, messaging software, etc.

R-Firewall  (r-tools technology)
R-Firewall is an effective and easy-to-use solution to secure your on-line activity. It protects a computer connected to a local network and/or to the Internet against any intrusions, attacks, trojans, spyware, and other external and internal threats.

Ashampoo  (Ashampoo)
The Ashampoo FireWall makes it easy for anyone to set up an effective, free firewall. Its Configuration Assistant guides you through every step of the setup process. Easy Mode makes using it a breeze. You don't need any special technical knowledge, and everything is explained clearly. Even with its additional security tools, Ashampoo Firewall is a tiny program that uses very little memory and computer resources.

Always be cautious when using an unknown firewall product to protect sensitive or mission critical data or if using the product as network firewall software. There are dozens of freeware firewalls that we have not listed because they have never been evaluated by anyone or in any other way proven themselves as reliable.

WIndows operating system compatibility as noted above are just guidelines and may not be correct or current. Check the download site of the product before assuming it will work with your system. (Vista and Windows7 notations will be added to products as soon as we find that they are compatible.)

If you like our website spread the word by sharing it with others through social bookmarking!

FREE!!