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

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses to Expand to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday February 5, 2025 6:27 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...

Top Rated Comments

sashavegas Avatar
56 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
56 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
56 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
56 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
56 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
56 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)