Best free FireWall?

Question

I had Zone Alarm, but now it doesn't seem to be free anymore so whats best now.

Answer 1

I use Online Armor myself which is my favourite.

I tried;

Kerio (not bad, but didn't like it)
ZoneAlarm (found this too heavy on resources and it is doing pretty poorly in recent firewall tests)
Outpost (loads of problems)
Comodo v2.4 (I liked this)
Comodo v3 (found this too buggy, but very secure, now includes HIPS)
Online Armor (LOVED this and still use it. Light on resources, includes HIPS, FREE and scored excellent in recent firewall tests).

Answer 2

That's odd because they just came out with the newest free version of ZoneAlarm (http://www.majorgeeks.com/ZoneAlarm_Free_d388.html), which was released on 12/14/2007. ZoneAlarm is a solid firewall and if you have used in the past then I recommend you keep it.

I've used various firewalls in the past. For users who don't like firewalls that constantly ask for your permission to allow a connection, I highly recommend Sunbelt-Kerio. The firewall makes most of the decision in the background. I have tested Sunbelt-Kerio using a port scan and it is a solid firewall. For those who like greater control over a firewall, I recommend Commodo Firewall Pro. It is probably the most powerful firewall available but expect the firewall to ask your permission for a connection constantly. However, over time, it learns what applications are allowed to start an Internet connecton and therefore less pop-ups asking for your permission. You can find all these firewalls at

http://www.filehippo.com/software/firewalls/

Answer 3

We use Zone Alarm for free - why do you say it doesn't seem to be free anymore?

Answer 4

http://www.matousec.com/projects/windows-personal-firewall-analysis/results.php

be aware that zonealarm and zonealarm pro are not synonymous for performance.

Answer 5

zone alarm is the easyest to use.

Answer 6

Ooooo, I know this one!
Iptables!

Answer 7

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/