Comparison

HE.NET Network Tools vs Firewalla

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

Head to head
About

HE.NET Network Tools

A comprehensive suite of network diagnostic tools for professionals. It offers features like ARP/NDP lookup, DNS queries, IP calculations, bandwidth testing, and port scanning. Securely manage two-factor authentication codes and view network routing tables.

Highlights
  • ARP/NDP lookup
  • DNS lookup
  • IP Calculator
  • iperf bandwidth test
  • Port Scan
  • SSL/TLS Information
  • Two-factor authentication code storage
Features
Read full description

This suite of networks tools implements most of the network diagnostics that you need as a Network Engineer or System Administrator. Please help us improve it by giving us feedback. + ARP / NDP: Lookup local devices found on your network using either ARP (IPv4) or NDP (IPv6). + Bonjour Browser: See what DNS-SD/Bonjour services are available on your network + DNS lookup: Search for a servers DNS zone records such as SOA, NS, A, AAAA, MX, PTR. + Interface Information: Get information regarding your device's current network state. + IP Calculator: Calculate the Netmask, Wildcard, Network, Host range, and Broadcast for a given subnet. + iperf: Check bandwidth against remote iperf services. + One Time Password: Securely store and view your TOTP and HOTP (two-factor authentication) codes. TOTP codes are available on the Apple Watch. + Ping: Send ICMP packets to a single IPv4/IPv6 address. + Ping Sweep: Send ICMP packets to an entire subnet range. + Traceroute: Find the route packets take to reach your destination. + Progressive Traceroute: Get detailed statistics for a given route. + Port Scan: Scan a list of TCP ports on any server. + Routing Table: See your local device's routing table. + SSL/TLS Information: Check available ciphers, protocols and what's being used when connecting to a remove service. + Whois: Get information regarding network resources. + NO ADS! Note: Recent iOS releases secure certain low-level network information, and as such will not be available in-app, such as MAC addresses for other network devices.

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.

Screenshots

HE.NET Network Tools4 screens
Firewalla4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Firewalla at 4.5 against HE.NET Network Tools's 4.0. Firewalla also leads on ratings volume (736 vs 70). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

Firewalla holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Firewalla has 736 ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of HE.NET Network Tools's written reviews are positive against 81% of Firewalla's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, Firewalla every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HE.NET Network Tools versus Firewalla: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHE.NET Network ToolsFirewalla
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (70 ratings)4.5 (736 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews80.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings70736 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHurricane Electric, LLCRottiesoft LLC

Customer experience

HE.NET Network Tools

All ratings70 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral10.1%
Negative12.1%

Firewalla

All ratings736 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews211 reviews
Positive80.6%
Neutral5.2%
Negative14.2%

User reviews

HE.NET Network Tools

From 70 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎯 Comprehensive network diagnostic tools in one app
  • 💰 Completely free with no ads or paywalls
  • 🔒 Privacy-friendly and no data collection
  • ⚡ Lightweight and efficient performance
  • 🛠️ Advanced features like SSL cert chain analysis

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes on Interface Information tool
  • 🐛 Dark mode text readability issues
  • 🐛 iperf3 tool unreliable and buggy
  • 🐛 DNS resolver doesn't show NXDOMAIN responses
  • 🐛 App crashes when scrolling tool menu

Firewalla

From 736 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful features
  • 🔒 Robust security
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Excellent performance
  • 👍 Intuitive app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited iPad support
  • 🔍 Lack of landscape mode
  • ⏱️ Slow response times
  • 🔍 Confusing setup process

Bugs and requests

HE.NET Network Tools

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Interface Information crashes app immediately
  • iperf3 fails with 'operation not permitted' error
  • iperf2 crashes on iOS 8+
  • DNS lookups not responding after updates
  • iperf3 only runs for 1 second despite longer duration settings
Show 7 more
  • iperf3 fails to start intermittently
  • App crashes when selecting tools from menu
  • Crashes on iOS 11 and later versions
  • Neighbor Discovery crashes on iPhone 6
  • Dark mode text hard to read on iPhone
  • App crashes on iPad for multiple functions
  • Ping and basic tools crash on iOS 11+

Requested features

12 requests
  • Vision Pro compatibility and controls
  • SRV record lookup in DNS tool
  • IPv6 subnet calculator
  • WOL (Wake-on-LAN) magic packet support
  • MTR (My Traceroute) tool
Show 7 more
  • Telnet command for port testing
  • Stop/pause button for running tests
  • Multiple iperf test execution
  • Configurable iperf parameters and bandwidth limits
  • LAN device scanning capability
  • Dark mode text color options
  • Apple Watch app with full functionality

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

In-app purchases

None

HE.NET Network Tools

No in-app purchases

None

Firewalla

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HE.NET Network Tools free?
HE.NET Network Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Firewalla free?
Firewalla is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HE.NET Network Tools or Firewalla?
Firewalla is rated higher. HE.NET Network Tools averages 4.0 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Firewalla averages 4.5 from 736 ratings.
Do HE.NET Network Tools or Firewalla have ads?
Neither HE.NET Network Tools nor Firewalla shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HE.NET Network Tools or Firewalla?
HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, and Firewalla every 6 weeks. Most recently, HE.NET Network Tools was updated on October 9, 2026 and Firewalla on October 11, 2026.

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