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[Software] Best firewall of 2020 : free and paid software and services


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The need for computer firewalls developed as internet technology spread and the development of malware increased. 

Trojans could open up ports on user PCs to secretly send data, and sniffers could look for vulnerabilities in your network connection that would allow it to be exploited.

Even though developments in anti-virus and malware technology have improved significantly over that time, firewalls still remain a recommended requirement for all PC users because the risks have evolved rather than stopped. 

While any good anti-virus program can prevent obviously malicious activity on your PC, sometimes software and apps can abuse their permissions to create unauthorized network connections, which could be exploited to collect user data from your computer.

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This is where firewalls really come into their own, insisting that the software on your PC has your express permission to connect online, while also keeping remote attacks blocked.

While some firewalls are provided as standalone products, others come as part of an internet security suite from antivirus companies which can offer a wide range of additional protections. Business users can also enjoy the protection of cloud firewalls.

For Linux users, we've featured the best free Linux firewalls and the best Linux firewall distro.

In the meantime, here we'll showcase the best in firewall protection for your computer, covering first the best paid firewall protection platforms, followed by the best free ones.

Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.
Just straight to:

Best paid firewall
Best free firewall
Best paid firewall
Bitdefender Total Security
Avast Premium Security
Norton 360 Deluxe
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
Panda Dome Essential
Bitdefender Total Security(Image credit: Bitdefender)
1. Bitdefender Total Security
Total security with firewall protection

TECHRADAR 60% OFF
Bitdefender Total Security
$34.99/year
VISIT SITE
at Bitdefender
Firewall protectionAnti-ransomwareMicrophone protectionUp to 5 devices
Bitdefender Total Security is a powerful internet security suite that offers a firewall among a range of featured security protections. There's also anti-virus protection, but its multi-layered malware protection also protects against ransomware.

Other features include anti-phishing, anti-fraud, and anti-theft options, as well as a performance optimizer. A wide range of privacy protection options include anti-tracking, file encryption and shredder, parental controls, as well as protection for microphones to prevent them being used by a third-party., 

Bitdefender Total Security isn't just for protecting Windows users either, but can also be used to protect against attacks for Android, macOS, and iOS as well. Even better, a single product licence allows you to use the software on up to 5 different devices, so you can use Bitdefender Total Security for your home PC as well as smartphone.

Overall, Bitdefender Total Security pretty much does what it names suggests, offering a very wide range of security protections that goes beyond just a firewall. However, pricing is very reasonable, making it cheap and easy to get peace of mind.

You can sign up for Bitdefender Total Security here.
Avast Premium Security(Image credit: Avast)
2. Avast Premium Security
Powerful multi-device firewall and more

Avast Premium Security
$59.99/year
VISIT SITE
at AVAST Software
Firewall protectionAnti-ransomwareWindows, Mac, iOS, AndroidUp to 10 devicesAnnoying ads
Avast Premium Security is another paid-for full-feature internet security suite which comes in two main forms: single PC use, or up to 10 devices including macOS, iOS, and Android.

As with Bitdefender, this means that you can protect both a home PC as well as mobile devices. However, because there's an option to protect up to 10 devices it means you can use a single license to protect the family as well.

As well as a firewall for all devices, Avast Premium Security also protects anti-ransomware protection, file encryption and file shredder options. There are also anti-phishing and anti-fraud protections for safer online banking, and there's also protection against your webcam being hacked by a third-party.

Overall, Avast Premium Security is another solid and reliable internet security suite, but one thing that does let it down is the constant pop-up ads pushing on cross-sell for PC tune-up and other other software.

You can sign up for Avast Premium Security here.
Norton 360 Deluxe(Image credit: Norton)
3. Norton 360 Deluxe
Multi-feature firewall protection and more

Norton 360 Deluxe
$49.99/year
VISIT SITE
at Norton
Smart firewallSecure VPNDark Web monitoringPassword managerOnline backup
Norton 360 Deluxe offers an even richer and more feature-packed internet security suite than just providing a firewall. While it provides for antivirus and standard anti-malware protections like the above internet security suites it dares to go further.

Additional features in the Norton 360 Deluxe edition includes a secure VPN, parently controls, a password manager, and online cloud backup. There's also a feature for dark web monitoring so you can be alerted if any of your details appear for sale on the Dark Web.

This all comes at a more expensive price than the other internet security suites featured here, but the additional features and peace of mind are likely to be worth it for some people.

Although the deluxe edition comes in at $7.99 a month, for an extra $2 a month you can upgrade to the Lifelock Select version which provides additional identity protection and credit rating monitoring as well as insurance provision in the event that your personal information is mis-used.

You can sign up for Norton 360 Deluxe here.
Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus(Image credit: Webroot)
4. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus
Lightweight internet security with firewall

Webroot AntiVirus
$19.99/year
VISIT SITE
at Webroot Inc.
Extremely light on system resourcesLightning fastNo testing data from the top labs
Just about every antivirus tool claims to be ‘lightweight’, but Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is really the only one to deliver on this front. Installation takes seconds, the program files barely use 2MB of your hard drive, RAM footprint is tiny, and ther

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