Little Snitch 5 Released for macOS Big Sur With New Design, Improved Network Traffic Monitoring, and More

Austrian developer Objective Development today announced the release of Little Snitch 5, a major new version of its popular network monitoring utility on the Mac. Whenever an app attempts to connect to a server on the internet, Little Snitch shows a connection alert, allowing you to decide whether to allow or deny the connection.

little snitch 5
The headline new feature of Little Snitch 5 is integration of new network filter technologies introduced in macOS Big Sur. Objective Development says the app's underlying engine was rebuilt to replace the previous kernel extension-based approach, which is no longer supported by macOS. The app has also been redesigned for macOS Big Sur.

Little Snitch 5 now captures connection information in the background. The app no longer requires the Network Monitor application to be running in order to collect this information, resulting in reduced memory and CPU consumption. The new monitoring system is now capable of holding traffic information from up to one year ago, versus one hour previously.

System administrators now have the ability to configure settings via a command line interface, making Little Snitch scriptable for the first time. This interface provides both historical and real-time log data of all network connections.

The app has also moved to drag-and-drop installation, meaning that restarting is no longer necessary for installation or updates.

Little Snitch 5 is available now on Objective Development's website for $45 per individual license. Existing customers who purchased Little Snitch 4 after November 1, 2019 can upgrade to Little Snitch 5 for free. Customers who purchased Little Snitch 4 prior to November 1, 2019 are able to purchase Little Snitch 5 for a reduced price of $25.

Little Snitch 5 requires macOS Big Sur. Users still running macOS Catalina or older can still purchase and run Little Snitch 4, which includes a free update to Little Snitch 5, giving users the freedom to choose when to upgrade.

Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

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Top Rated Comments

sashavegas Avatar
61 months ago
Little Snitch can't control Apple's apps - so much for the privacy mantra.
https://tidbits.com/2020/10/22/apple-hides-traffic-of-some-its-own-apps-in-big-sur/
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2020/10/22/apple-apps-exempt-from-network-filters-and-vpns/

[MEDIA=twitter]1318465421796782082[/MEDIA]
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Serban55 Avatar
61 months ago
Its nice to see that dev already releasing final ver for the upcoming Big Sur...thats why arm apps will be on the horizon soon
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madmin Avatar
61 months ago
I ❤️ LittleSnitch

By releasing this early they have you covered the moment you upgrade to Big Sur.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spindel Avatar
61 months ago

Try this exercise: Install Little Snitch. After you have finished allowing or disallowing all of the connections it will find install, or try to install, Spotify. You will be shocked and amazed at all of the connections your computer is making behind your back. I never joined Spotify thanks to Little Snitch. I think it was up to a dozen or more connections that just the installer, or first run of the app, wanted to make before I said enough is enough. It was nuts...just to play music?
Thats because spotify use a torrent like protocol so when you connect to spotify you become a node that helps the network.

Worrying about spotifys connections is a non issue.

*disclaimer* I do not use spotify (or any other music streaming service), but it’s not because of all of its connections but for other reasons.


on topic:
I don’t see the point of this software, but I run diversion on my router and have my own VPN server set up through my home network so I get the blocking and tracking of connections from all my devices.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Charles50 Avatar
61 months ago
Yay, I got the $25 upgrade price, since I only bought it a few months ago.

NOTE: Watch for discounts offered through the developer's twitter account. Occasionally they run offers of 50% off.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shawzborne Avatar
61 months ago

Little Snitch can't control Apple's apps - so much for the privacy mantra.
https://tidbits.com/2020/10/22/apple-hides-traffic-of-some-its-own-apps-in-big-sur/
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2020/10/22/apple-apps-exempt-from-network-filters-and-vpns/

[MEDIA=twitter]1318465421796782082[/MEDIA]
I use radio silence, he has an upcoming version 4 for Big Sur which is in beta.

(Stable) https://radiosilenceapp.com/

(Beta) (Big Sur) https://radiosilenceapp.com/downloads/Radio_Silence_3.0_beta_1.pkg
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)