EmailBest Reviewed
Firewalls
- Best firewall Online Armor Personal Firewall *Est. $40
- Best free firewall Comodo Internet Security *Est. $0
- Best security-suite firewall Outpost Security Suite Pro 2009 *Est. $50
- Best Mac firewall Little Snitch *Est. $30
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Best free firewall
- Free
- Excellent firewall
- Minimal system drag
- Poor anti-spyware and antivirus components
- Obtrusive Defense+ system monitor
- Harder to use than some other firewalls
Comodo no longer offers its well-regarded firewall as a standalone product, integrating it instead into a Internet security suite that adds antivirus, anti-spyware and a system monitor to the mix. You can still choose to install the firewall only, however, and that's fortunate because experts say that the rest of the suite is simply sub-par and no match for top-performing security suites such as Norton Internet Security 2009 (*Est. $60). On the plus side, the Comodo Internet Security is free, and the firewall is among the best you can get at any price. In rigorous testing, it beats all paid and free programs save Online Armor Personal Firewall (*Est. $40 per year).
We found lots of expert and user opinions regarding Comodo Internet Security. The testing conducted by Matousec.com is unsurpassed in terms of testing the effectiveness of a firewall, though other issues -- such as user friendliness -- are not addressed. PCMag.com's Neil Rubenking does discuss usability in his extensive report. User reviews are also worth consulting. Download.com has a few short entries, and Gizmo's Freeware has a continuously-updated wiki-style article.
Our Sources
1. Matousec.com
Matousec.com keeps its firewall ratings up to date, retesting periodically as new versions become available. Comodo Internet Security finishes second in the site's latest round of testing -- ahead of all other free firewalls and most paid ones -- and is recommended. However, usability and the effectiveness of other components in the suite are not addressed.
Review: Proactive Security Challenge, David Matousek
Neil Rubenking writes in-depth and critical software reviews for PCMag.com. His review of Comodo Firewall Pro when it was a standalone product is enthusiastic, but he is less impressed with Comodo Internet Security, which includes that firewall. His beefs are more with the additional antivirus, anti-spyware and system monitor components than with the firewall itself, which he says "is still top-notch."
Review: Comodo Internet Security 3.5 Review, Neil J. Rubenking, Nov. 3, 2008
Scot Finnie's review of the best firewall program has become slightly outdated, but it still covers the strengths and weaknesses of front-runners Comodo and Online Armor. In Finnie's analysis, Comodo misses out on top spot because of Online Armor's superior ease of use.
Review: The Best Firewall Software of 2008: Online Armor, Scot Finnie, Mar. 2008
Though testing isn't well explained, discussion here is good. Comodo Internet Security isn't selected as the best free firewall here, but it is rated just as highly as the top finisher. The firewall itself is described as robust, but other parts of the suite raise concerns.
Review: Best Free Firewall, Ian "Gizmo" Richards, "Rizar," and contributors, May 11, 2009
5. Download.com
Download.com has user reviews for a wide range of programs, including Comodo Internet Security. Owner response is limited but positive so far: Users say it works well without bogging down the whole system. Some like all of the components in the suite, others say stick with just the firewall.
Review: Comodo Internet Security 3.8 Reviews, Contributors to Download.com
Firewalls Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
