What is this?
LuLu is a free, open-source firewall for macOS: it watches the network connections apps on your Mac try to make and lets you allow or block them.
Is it a ready-to-run app or a developer library?
It is a ready-to-run desktop application for end users, not a developer library: the repository is a native Objective-C codebase for macOS.
Do I need Homebrew or anything else to run it?
No — it is a standalone native Mac application; the repository shows no runtime dependencies, so there is no Python, Node, or Docker setup to do first.
Does it work on Windows or Linux too?
No — LuLu is built for the Mac only; there is no Windows or Linux version. The README does not state minimum macOS version requirements.
Does LuLu itself send any of my traffic data home?
The README makes no privacy claims, but LuLu is open-source: anyone can audit the public code to see exactly what the app does with your network data.
Is it really free, or is there a paid version?
It is genuinely free: the README headline calls it the free open-source macOS firewall, and GitHub lists the code under the GPL-3.0 license.
Can I view or modify the source code?
Yes — the full source is public in the objective-see/LuLu GitHub repository under the GPL-3.0 license, so you can read, audit, and build it yourself.
What are similar projects?
opensnitch, portmaster, sniffnet, smartdns, algo, 3X-UI_KIT, personal-security-checklist, OhMyKeymint
Which topics is it in?
free-software, network-monitoring, firewall, network, gpl, network-security, objective-c, privacy-tools, apple, app, security-tools, monitoring
