compare
Portmaster vs Rethink DNS + Firewall
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | Portmaster | Rethink DNS + Firewall |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Kotlin |
| Licence | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 14k | 5.5k |
| Latest | v2.2.3 | v0.5.7 |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-09-28 |
| Release cadence | about 29 days between releases | about 34 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 4 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 28+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace GlassWire. Alternatives to GlassWire →
Full replacementPortmasterPer-application network monitor and firewall on Windows and Linux, with tracker blocking.
PartialRethink DNS + FirewallPer-app firewall and DNS-level blocking on Android.
Portmaster
- v2.2.42026-10-06v2.2.4 (Staging)pre-release
- v2.2.32026-08-14fix: Oversized DNS packets could kill the internal DNS listener
- v2.2.12026-06-16Split Tunneling: Route specific apps through a different network interface - #2182 / documentation
- v2.1.192026-05-18fix: (Windows) Mitigate CWE-428 unquoted service path for PortmasterCore
- v2.1.182026-05-04Packet injection fixes -
Rethink DNS + Firewall
- v0.5.72026-09-21
- v0.5.62026-08-09
- v0.5.5z2026-08-02_New:_ RPN (starting $1.75/mo) is back on Play Store, Website, and GitHub flavours.pre-release
- v0.5.5y2026-07-07New: Notifications for unsuspecting users on Rethink's own traffic being blocked when in Loopback mode.
- v0.5.5x2026-06-19_Improvement_: Global / user-preferred DNS (set in Configure -> DNS -> Type) works alongside Simple-mode WireGuard, reg…
Portmaster
unsigned The latest release, v2.2.3, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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Rethink DNS + Firewall
✓ signed The latest release, v0.5.7, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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