Mac firewall comparison
Outbound vs TripMode
Pick TripMode if your problem is data use on hotspots or expensive networks, with data limits and usage reports. Pick Outbound if you need to decide which hosts each app may reach, on any network.
Updated
Published by Outbound, one of the products compared. This is a feature and workflow comparison, not an independent ranking or performance benchmark.
At a glance
| Criterion | Outbound | TripMode |
|---|---|---|
| Price and licence | Closed source. Personal $39 USD one time ($29 for the first 50 licences) with all 1.x and 2.x updates; family $59 USD for 5 Macs; Teams per seat, billed yearly | Mac App Store with free and premium versions, or Setapp at $9.99/mo; website licence sales ended. Store price and source availability: Not stated by the vendor |
| Primary purpose | Per-app, per-host connection policy | Data saving and usage control |
| Per-app rules | Signed app by team and signing ID, or an exact path | Choose which apps get internet access while TripMode is on; new apps are blocked by default, or always allowed if you prefer |
| Host, domain and port rules | Rules by host, domain, IP and CIDR, plus ports and protocol | Destination reporting in the Domains view. Blocking by destination: Not stated by the vendor |
| Alert behaviour | Ask mode alert names the app, its developer from the signing certificate, port and protocol, and quotes an app’s Internet Access Policy when one is shipped (apps signed by a developer team or Apple). The rule can cover only this port, any port, or any port and protocol. Unanswered: allowed after 8 s (UDP) or 60 s (TCP) by default; TCP wait adjustable from 15 to 120 s, or block instead | Not stated by the vendor |
| Silent modes and activation | Learn allows unmatched connections and adds them to Review; Strict blocks them. Your rules apply in every mode | Turns itself on for remembered networks and iPhone hotspots, or on a schedule |
| Metered networks | No data-budget or hotspot automation claim | Hotspot activation and data limits that warn, then block all transfers |
| Network monitor | Network Monitor grouped by app, with Sent, Received and Last Seen columns, exact bytes per destination once a connection closes, a traffic chart where you can select a time window, search scoped by app, host, port, protocol, country, direction or rule, and a map of server locations | Live Monitor, speedometer and usage reports by day, week or month |
| Blocklists | Hosts, domain or CIDR lists over HTTPS, up to 200,000 entries per list | Not stated by the vendor |
| Profiles | Profiles, switched with outboundctl; no SSID-based switching in v1 | Profiles for work, calls, streaming or gaming, with a scheduler |
| Command line and MDM | outboundctl; MDM profiles, managed feed, audit export | AppleScript and Shortcuts support. Command line and MDM tools: Not stated by the vendor |
| macOS and release status | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. Version 1.0, public download | TripMode 3 needs macOS Big Sur or later and is compatible with macOS 27; Mac App Store and Setapp |
Competitor details: TripMode official product documentation, retrieved October 4, 2026.
Price and licence
The vendor directs purchases to the Mac App Store, with free and premium versions, and lists Setapp at $9.99/mo for TripMode plus more than 240 other apps. Licence sales from its own site have ended. Check your regional store for current purchase options; no regional price is asserted here. Seller’s page.
Outbound personal is $39 USD one time ($29 for the first 50 licences) with all 1.x and 2.x updates. Family is $59 USD for 5 Macs. Personal covers 2 Macs; there is no trial. Outbound is closed source.
Where TripMode is the better choice
If the immediate problem is background transfers consuming a mobile data plan, TripMode’s data limits and network-aware activation are directly relevant. It turns itself on when you tether an iPhone, shows usage reports per app, has a free version and is available now. The Mac App Store version supports Family Sharing.
Is TripMode a firewall?
It blocks apps from the internet while it is on, so it does some of a firewall’s work, but its makers present it as a data-saving tool. Its Domains view shows which servers your apps contact; blocking by destination is not stated by the vendor. If you want a per-destination policy that applies on every network, that is a different job.
When to evaluate Outbound
If you want the same app to reach one host and be denied another, evaluate destination-specific rules. Outbound exposes process identity, ports, protocols and six rule lifetimes. It does not promise to replace TripMode’s data budgeting.
Two filters need testing
TripMode also uses a Network Extension filter. Do not assume that installing both tools preserves their individual behaviour. Test the exact macOS build and networking setup. Outbound has no results for this combination yet. Outbound’s Help › Network Not Working? lists the other network filters and VPNs macOS reports.
Review the licence separately
Outbound personal is $39 USD one time ($29 for the first 50 licences), including 1.x and 2.x updates. Family is $59 USD for 5 Macs. Personal covers 2 Macs; there is no trial. TripMode’s regional purchase options belong to its own store listing, and its older website licence version gets bug fix updates only.
Migration notes
There is little to convert: TripMode’s allowed apps are a data plan decision, not a host policy. If you keep TripMode for data limits, add Outbound rules one app at a time and test both together. To remove TripMode, move it to the Trash; the vendor warns against third-party uninstallers because its network extension can stay behind.
A note on fairness
Outbound wrote this page and is one of the two products compared. TripMode solves the metered-network problem directly, and Outbound does not.
Before you switch
- Export your existing policy for reference.
- Choose a small set of essential app connections and re-create them in the new product.
- Test on your macOS build, with your VPN and required management software.
- Keep the old policy and removal instructions available until you have tested the new setup.