NOTE: This topic was written for GlassWire version 1 and needs to be updated to reflect the changes for GlassWire version 2.
This is a simple guide to provide you with information about the GlassWire editions and the main differences between them. This is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of all the options you might have. That is why we only discuss four questions based on GlassWire version 1.2.
When deciding which GlassWire licence to buy you should consider the following questions:
- How many computers need the paid licence features? 1, 3, 10 or more
- How many computers do I want to monitor at the same time? 2, 4, 11 or more
- How much history do I want to keep? 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, or more
What are the differences between the editions?
The paid GlassWire editions are compared on the Buy GlassWire page.
A comparison with the free GlassWire edition is visible in this forum. Please note the following points:
- The main difference between the free edition and the paid editions is that only the activated installs have all the GlassWire features.
- The free edition can be installed on as many PCs as you like. The most significant limitations are likely to be the following:
- no more than one other PC can be monitored at a time
- no mini graph viewer
- no ask to connect or lock down modes for the firewall
- no mic or webcam alerts
- Paid licences are a one-time payment rather than a repeating or periodic payment like other monitoring products.
| Features by edition: | Glasswire Free | GlassWire Basic | GlassWire Pro | GlassWire Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activated PC installs per licence | na | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| GlassWire monitoring: | ||||
| + GlassWire monitors / clients | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| + Monitor multiple servers simultaneously | N | Y | Y | Y |
| + Servers monitored per client | 1 | 3 | 10 | ∞ unlimited |
| History of network activity: | ||||
| + Retention period (months) | 1 | 6 | 12 | ∞ unlimited |
| User interface features: | ||||
| + Mini graph viewer | N | Y | Y | Y |
| + Skins / Graph themes | 7 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Firewall features: | ||||
| + Ask to connect firewall | N | Y | Y | Y |
| + Lock down / Block all mode | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Device detection: | ||||
| + Who's on your WiFi or network | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Monitoring alerts: | ||||
| + Webcam enabled/disabled | N | Y | Y | Y |
| + Microphone enabled/disabled | N | Y | Y | Y |
| + Settings changed | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| + 12 other types of alert | Y | Y | Y | Y |
How many computers need the paid licence features?
Only the activated installs have all the GlassWire features. This means, for example, that the Elite licence only provides the full features for ten PCs but you can monitor as many free installs as you like.
If you need the full features for more than ten PCs then you can buy more licenses or contact GlassWire about a volume licence.
How many computers do I want to monitor at the same time?
This is a key criterion for deciding which version to buy.
The following table shows the number of PCs that can be monitored with each version. The potential price per monitored server drops dramatically.
In practice, the Elite version’s unlimited (∞) monitoring is probably limited by system resources. Anyway, I’ve chosen the arbitrary value of 50 remote servers per GlassWire client.
| Feature by edition: | Glasswire Free | GlassWire Basic | GlassWire Pro | GlassWire Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor/client PCs | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Monitored PCs per monitor (includes the monitor/client PC) | 2 | 4 | 11 | ∞ e.g. 50 |
| Total monitored PCs | 2 | 4 | 33 | ∞ e.g. 500 |
| Licence price | nil as free | $ 49 | $ 99 | $149 |
| Price per monitored PC | nil as free | $12.25 | $ 3.00 | e.g. $ 0.30 |
How much history do I want to keep?
The history retention period increases for the paid editions.
| History by edition: | Glasswire Free | GlassWire Basic | GlassWire Pro | GlassWire Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History retention period | 1 month | 6 months | 12 months | ∞ unlimited |
How to improve this topic
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