Comparison

Firewalla vs knock(1)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Firewalla

Secure your home or small business network and IoT devices from cyber threats. Detect vulnerable devices, scan for infections, and block suspicious activity. Manage your network security with this powerful tool.

Highlights
  • Network security
  • IoT device management
  • Vulnerability detection
  • Mirai virus scanning
  • Port scanning
  • Network control
Features
Read full description

Firewalla is a vital security addition to every home and small business with network and IoT devices. Imagine yourself settling in for a nice, quiet evening. You go to check on the sleeping baby and out of the corner of your eye you catch the baby camera turn towards you...somebody else is watching. Hackers are like a burglar constantly checking all your doors and windows looking for a way to sneak in. Firewalla can help you to secure and manage your personal network, discover vulnerable IoT devices. Firewalla has the ability to discover devices that are open and can be infected (or already) by the Mirai virus. Security Scanning 1. Inside scan, find all the devices that may be infected with Mirai virus or can be infected with it. 2. Outside scan, search for ports that are open from the Internet side. This app will also control the Firewalla Box.

About

knock(1)

This utility app allows you to remotely open firewall ports on your server using a saved sequence of connection attempts from your iPhone. It supports TCP or UDP for each port and provides live feedback on the connection status.

Highlights
  • Save and reuse multiple host configurations
  • Per-port TCP or UDP selection
  • Configurable inter-packet delay
  • Live per-port result display
  • Native SwiftUI interface
  • No tracking or analytics
Features
Read full description

Knock is a minimal, native port-knocking client for iOS. Open ports in your firewall - SSH, VPN, admin panels - by sending a saved sequence from your iPhone. Save named configurations with a host, a list of ports, a delay, and a timeout. Each port can be independently TCP or UDP. Run the sequence with a single tap and watch each knock's result stream in live. FEATURES • Save and reuse multiple host configurations • Per-port TCP or UDP selection • Configurable inter-packet delay and socket timeout • Live per-port result display • Clean SwiftUI interface, native look and feel • No tracking, no analytics, no accounts HOW IT WORKS Port knocking is a technique for opening firewall ports on demand: your server watches for a specific sequence of connection attempts (for example, TCP/7000, UDP/8000, TCP/9000), and only opens a protected service like SSH after seeing the right pattern. knock(1) lets you send those sequences from your phone, allowing you to connect to your servers on the go. COMPATIBLE knock(1)'s behavior matches the reference jvinet/knock client - if your server runs knockd, knock(1) works out of the box. PRIVACY knock(1) connects only to the hosts you configure. It does not send telemetry, does not use analytics SDKs, and does not require an account. Your saved configurations stay on your device.

Screenshots

Firewalla4 screens
knock(1)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: knock(1) at 5.0 against Firewalla's 4.5. Firewalla's advantage is ratings volume (736 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

knock(1) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firewalla has 736 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Firewalla ships an update every 6 weeks, knock(1) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Firewalla versus knock(1): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirewallaknock(1)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (736 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings736 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRottiesoft LLCJeffrey Cousens

Bugs and requests

Firewalla

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes after updates
  • Connectivity issues with certain routers
  • Inconsistent device detection
  • Firmware update problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • Web-based management interface
  • Improved setup process
  • Faster response times
  • More detailed network monitoring

knock(1)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Firewalla

No in-app purchases

None

knock(1)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Firewalla free?
Firewalla is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is knock(1) free?
knock(1) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Firewalla or knock(1)?
knock(1) is rated higher. Firewalla averages 4.5 out of 5 from 736 ratings, while knock(1) averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Firewalla or knock(1) have ads?
Neither Firewalla nor knock(1) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Firewalla or knock(1)?
Firewalla ships an update every 6 weeks, and knock(1) every 2 months. Most recently, Firewalla was updated on October 15, 2026 and knock(1) on October 12, 2026.

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