simplewall: Your Windows. Your rules.
Meet the open-source simplewall firewall that flips Windows networking on its head: nothing connects until you say so. Per-app rules, prompted decisions, built-in telemetry blocking, packet logging and network statistics — in a package measured in megabytes.
For Windows users who want to see and shape every connection their PC makes, simplewall turns the Windows Filtering Platform into a control panel you actually enjoy using.
One small app. Every connection accounted for.
simplewall is a lightweight, open-source tool by developer Henry++ (henrypp) that configures the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP) — the filtering engine built into Windows itself. Instead of wrestling with Windows Firewall’s rules-and-exceptions interface, you get an application-first view: every program that wants the internet asks you first, and you decide, once, with a click.
Per-app network control
Allow or block network access application by application — your browser goes online, your word processor stays silent, and a surprise “phone home” gets shown the door.
Prompted decisions
When an unrecognised app tries to connect, simplewall asks: allow once, allow always, or block. You build your own allowlist naturally, prompt by prompt.
Built-in blocklist
An internal blocklist targets known telemetry and tracking domains, so Windows’ background chatter gets filtered before it ever leaves the machine.
Rules that go deeper
Go beyond the app: build rules around addresses, ports and protocols for fine-grained control over exactly what each program may reach.
Logs and statistics
Packets get logged, and recent releases (v3.9.x, July 2026) added network statistics — a live view of what your machine is actually doing online.
Portable or installed
Run it from an installer or carry the portable build on a USB stick — your firewall, your rules, on any machine you sit down at.
How it works: WFP, demystified
Windows has shipped its own filtering engine — the Windows Filtering Platform — for years. It is powerful, kernel-level and thorough. Its weakness has never been capability; it is usability. simplewall doesn’t replace that engine: it drives it, translating your per-app choices into WFP rules and giving you a human interface on top.
Front-end, not replacement
Because simplewall configures WFP rather than installing its own network driver, you are using the same machinery Windows Defender Firewall uses — just pointed by your rules instead of hidden ones. Uninstall it, and the stock firewall resumes normal duties.
Deny-first philosophy
When enabled, apps are blocked until you explicitly allow them. That is the opposite of most default setups, where everything connects freely and blocking is the exception. With simplewall, silence is the default state of your PC.
Features worth knowing before you install
The beauty of simplewall is that the everyday surface is simple — prompts and a clean app list — while a deeper rules engine waits underneath for the day you want it.
The app list
Every program appears with its icon and network status. Tick to allow, untick to block, and right-click for per-app rules and details.
AllowBlockPer-app rules
Timers for temporary freedom
Need to pause filtering for a few seconds to let an installer breathe? Built-in timers let you suspend the wall briefly instead of dismantling it.
Temporary disableOne-click resume
Blocklist & allowlist
Use the built-in blocklist, add your own domains and addresses, or set user rules with fine-grained matching — the internal list is maintained to target known telemetry destinations.
Internal listCustom entriesUser rules
Direction and protocol control
Rules can distinguish inbound from outbound traffic and work across the protocols your apps actually use — the building blocks of a genuinely intentional network policy.
InboundOutboundPortsAddresses
Loopback awareness
Local connections between apps on your own machine are handled sensibly, so local development and internal tooling keep working while internet-facing rules stay strict.
Import, export, portability
Back up your configuration, move your ruleset between machines, and run the portable build without touching the registry of a host PC.
Config exportPortable mode
simplewall firewall vs the stock Windows firewall
No tool is a magic upgrade in every dimension. Here is the ITC trade-off assessment, straight:
| Dimension | Windows Firewall (default) | simplewall |
|---|---|---|
| Default behaviour | Outbound connections are generally permitted | Blocked until you allow — deny by default |
| Interface | Rules-first; app-centric view needs workarounds | App-first list with prompted decisions |
| Telemetry blocking | Manual rule construction required | Built-in blocklist plus your own entries |
| Visibility | Limited feedback on what connected | Notifications, logs and network statistics |
| Engine | WFP (kernel-level) | Also WFP — simplewall configures the same engine |
| Cost & licensing | Built into Windows | Free, GPL-3.0 open source |
Build a great setup in five steps
The goal of your first hour is simple: a working internet, a quiet machine, and a ruleset you understand because you approved every line of it.
Download from the official source only
Use the official GitHub releases page (henrypp/simplewall). Third-party “download” sites exist that are not affiliated with the developer — when a piece of software exists to police your network, get it from its maker. Choose the installer or the portable build to match how you work.
Launch, review and enable
Run simplewall with administrator rights, look over the settings, and enable filtering. Your system tray now carries the wall’s icon — your command centre lives there.
Allow your essentials first
Approve your browser, your messenger and your update channels when prompted. Approve deliberately: an app you trust for browsing does not need to be trusted for everything forever — allow-always is a promise, so make it carefully.
Turn on the built-in blocklist
Enable the internal blocklist so known telemetry destinations are filtered by default, then watch the log: everything blocked without asking you is the list doing quiet work in the background.
Live with it for a week, then prune
After a week of prompts, revisit the app list. Revoke anything you approved hastily, check the statistics view added in the v3.9.x releases, and export your configuration so your ruleset is backed up and portable.
The Windows counterpart to your Android firewall
If you have followed the ITC Digital Toolkit series, simplewall will feel familiar: where our Android feature covered DNS filtering and per-app firewall rules on a phone, simplewall brings the same philosophy to the PC — visibility first, permission second, telemetry blocked by default. Run both and your phone and your PC speak the same language: ask first.
Layer 5 thinking on Windows
simplewall is not an antivirus and not a VPN — it is the network gatekeeper layer. Pair it with the security tools you already run rather than expecting it to police files or encrypt traffic.
Verification habit
The project publishes its source and signed releases. If you are the auditing type, clone the repo and build it yourself — GPL-3.0 means the code is yours to inspect, today, not on trust.
simplewall FAQ
Is simplewall really free?
Yes — it is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence, with no paid tiers, no “pro” upsells and no advertising. The official download is on the project’s GitHub releases page.
Does it replace Windows Firewall?
Not in the way you might think. simplewall configures the Windows Filtering Platform — the same underlying engine Windows Firewall uses. Your rules simply become the policy the engine enforces, with a friendlier interface on top.
Can it break my internet connection?
Any firewall with deny-by-default behaviour can block something you needed — that is what it is for. The fix is always the same: check the log, identify the blocked event, and add or adjust the rule. You stay in control at every step.
What Windows versions does it support?
It runs on modern Windows desktop systems. Because requirements can evolve between releases, check the official README on the GitHub repository for the supported-versions list for your target machine before installing.
Should I trust third-party download sites offering it?
Download from the official GitHub releases page only. Third-party download sites exist that are not affiliated with the developer — for a security tool especially, provenance matters. The project’s signed releases give you a verifiable, clean copy every time.
What is the current version?
As we verified in October 2026, the current release line is v3.9.1 (published 22 July 2026), a maintenance release that added network statistics. The project has maintained a steady release cadence across 2024–2026.
Go deeper into the toolkit
Feature guide prepared by Irish Tech Connect, verified against the official project in October 2026. simplewall’s interface and options evolve between releases; the official README and changelog provide the current detail for your installed version.