Comparison · Network monitor and firewall
iKnowMyMac vs Little Snitch
Little Snitch is a firewall first: it asks about each new connection and has refined that for many years. iKnowMyMac is a Mac monitor whose Traffic Control blocks what you choose: off until you turn it on, asking only where it matters, and explaining connections on your Mac.
In short
Who each app is for
Little Snitch · Objective Development
People who want to decide about every connection themselves, with profiles that switch with the network, rule group subscriptions, and a version for Linux too.
iKnowMyMac
Developers who want to block what they choose and see who is behind each connection (the project, the install or the AI agent) without a wall of alerts, in the same app that watches CPU, memory, battery and dev servers.
Where Little Snitch is better
- An alert for every new connection, if you want to decide each one yourself. iKnowMyMac asks only through its guards, by design.
- Profiles that switch with the Wi-Fi network, and subscriptions to rule groups. iKnowMyMac has trusted networks and its own groups instead.
- DNS over QUIC (DoQ). iKnowMyMac turns on macOS's own encrypted DNS, which offers DoH and DoT.
- iKnowMyMac's Blocking works while iKnowMyMac is running: when it quits, connections are allowed again within seconds, and Blocking starts again when it opens.
- A Linux version, and older versions for older macOS releases. iKnowMyMac needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 15 or later.
Where iKnowMyMac differs
- It knows who is behind a connection: the process chain, the project, the install and the AI agent session. That is how Install Guard and Agent Guard ask only when an
npm installor an agent reaches somewhere unexpected. - Explain runs on your Mac with Apple's on-device model. No account, no server: nothing about a connection is sent, to us or anyone else.
- No wall of alerts. Everything is allowed until a rule, a blocklist you set to Block or a guard says otherwise, and a held connection is let go after its guard's time, so builds don't hang.
- Blocking is off until you turn it on. If the network filter stops responding, everything is allowed, and Allow everything for 10 minutes is one click.
- Traffic Control is part of the whole Mac monitor: one licence ($24.99 at the regular price, one-time) covers Traffic, Inspect, App Inspector and everything else in the app.
Our take
Different jobs
These apps start from different ends. Little Snitch is built around deciding about connections: by default it asks about each new one, unless Silent Mode is on. iKnowMyMac is built around seeing what your Mac does: Traffic lists every connection with what started it, and Blocking, added in version 1.7, is off until you turn it on.
The biggest difference is the questions. iKnowMyMac never asks about every connection. Its guards hold a connection and ask only when an install reaches outside its registries, or an AI agent contacts a domain no agent has used before; everything else goes through unless a rule or a blocklist says otherwise.
Both now explain connections with AI. Little Snitch 7's AI Assistant sends the connection's details to Objective Development's server in the EU, which passes them to Anthropic's model without saying who is asking. iKnowMyMac's Explain uses Apple's on-device model, so nothing leaves your Mac; without Apple Intelligence it answers from a built-in list and says so.
Switching is a file away: Little Snitch exports rules as an .lsrules file, LuLu has its own export, and iKnowMyMac imports both. See switching from Little Snitch or LuLu.
Pricing
Little Snitch is sold as a perpetual licence with paid upgrades for new major versions, as single, family (up to five computers, non-commercial use) and multi licences; Objective Development's order page lists the current prices. A licence bought on or after 1 April 2026 is valid for Little Snitch 7. iKnowMyMac's one licence covers everything in the app, Traffic Control included.
iKnowMyMac launches at $4.99 for the first 200, $9.99 for the next 150, $14.99 for the next 200 per Mac (1, 2 or 5 Macs), then $24.99. One-time purchase, every feature and free updates included, 14-day refund.
FAQ
Questions
Something else? support@iknowmymac.com
Can iKnowMyMac replace Little Snitch?
For many developers, yes: it blocks the apps, domains and addresses you choose, asks through Install Guard and Agent Guard, explains connections on your Mac and imports your Little Snitch rules. It has no alert for every connection, no profiles, no DoQ and no Linux version, and Blocking works while iKnowMyMac is running. If you rely on those, keep Little Snitch.
Does iKnowMyMac send connection details to an AI service?
No. Explain uses Apple's on-device model on your Mac, and nothing about a connection is sent to us or to anyone else. Without Apple Intelligence it answers from a list of domains built into the app.
Can I bring my Little Snitch rules?
Yes. In Little Snitch, select the rules and choose File › Export Selected Rules…; then in iKnowMyMac choose File › Import Rules…. The preview shows what is imported, what is already in your rules and what is skipped, with the reason. See switching from Little Snitch or LuLu.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-24. Prices are in US dollars before local taxes. Spotted something out of date? Email support@iknowmymac.com and we'll correct it.
- 1.Little Snitch features (Objective Development)
- 2.Little Snitch download and requirements
- 3.Little Snitch licences and order page
- 4.Little Snitch editions compared
- 5.Little Snitch 7 beta
- 6.Little Snitch 7 beta release notes
- 7.Little Snitch 7 help: the AI Assistant
- 8.Little Snitch 7 help: rule groups, export and import
- 9.Little Snitch 6 help: rules and their lifetime
- 10.Little Snitch 6 help: uninstalling
- 11.Little Snitch for Linux
Know why your Mac is slow.
macOS 15 Sequoia or later · Apple silicon. A 51.1 MB native app, notarized by Apple. No account, no analytics, no telemetry.
One-time purchase · every feature · 14-day refund