8 Best Bandwidth Control Software for Any Network

NetLimiter is a Windows tool that monitors and controls internet traffic per application. You can set upload and download limits for each program, give priority to calls and games, and block an application from connecting at all. The Pro edition adds a connection blocker, long-term statistics, a scheduler for rules, remote control, and a custom filter editor for traffic by IP and port.

• A 28-day trial lets you test the full feature set before buying, and one license covers one computer.
• The main drawback is pricing transparency.
• The buy page loads purchase options through checkout, so the current price is not visible on the product page itself, and the older one-time license m
• NetLimiter is also Windows only, so Mac and Linux users need another tool.

Visit NetLimiter →

GlassWire is a network monitor and firewall for Windows that shows, in clear graphs, which applications use your bandwidth and where they connect. The free plan costs $0 and covers basic monitoring with one day of history. Premium Personal costs $2.99 per month billed annually and adds unlimited history, remote connections, lockdown mode, ask-to-connect prompts, firewall profiles, and alerts for new devices, suspicious hosts, and ARP spoofing.

• The interface is visual and friendly, with a world map of connections and per-app usage over time.
• The limits sit in the free tier.
• History is limited to 24 hours, and several monitors, including the system file monitor and device list monitor, need Premium.
• GlassWire is a monitor first and a limiter second: it can block an app entirely, but it does not shape speeds per application the way NetLimiter does.

Visit GlassWire →

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer collects flow data from routers, switches, and firewalls and turns it into reports on who uses bandwidth, which applications dominate the link, and where congestion starts. It supports NetFlow, sFlow, J-Flow, IPFIX, and NetStream, and its bandwidth management features let you shape traffic by application, user, or conversation. The pricing page lists NetFlow Traffic Analyzer starting at $1,873, with a fully functional 30-day trial.

• The related Network Performance Monitor starts at $2,829 for teams that also need device health and uptime monitoring.
• The price and the setup effort put it firmly in enterprise territory.
• Flow export must be configured on your network devices, and the interface assumes an IT team rather than a home user.
• Note that the older Bandwidth Analyzer Pack no longer has a dedicated product or pricing page on the SolarWinds site, so this article covers NetFlow T

Visit SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer →

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer monitors bandwidth usage and traffic patterns using flow data from network devices, with reports by application, user, conversation, and interface. The Standard edition starts at $172 for 10 interfaces, Professional at $595, and Enterprise at $1,045, all for 10 interfaces, with higher interface counts priced above those figures. A free 30-day trial is available for all three editions, and a free edition monitors up to 2 interfaces forever without a license, which suits a very small network or a test setup.

• The pricing model is transparent about the starting point but scales with interface count, so a large network can cost far more than the entry figure
• The tool covers the essentials well: real-time traffic graphs, top talkers, application breakdowns, and alerts when usage crosses a threshold.
• It does not include the device monitoring of a full network management suite.
• For small IT teams that need flow visibility without an enterprise budget, it is the most accessible server option in this list.

Visit ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer →

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor watches networks, servers, and devices through sensors, and bandwidth sensors track traffic on interfaces, ports, and applications. PRTG 500 starts at $200 per month billed annually and covers up to 500 sensors for about 50 devices, with larger licenses rising to PRTG 10000 at $1,642 per month. The freeware edition includes up to 100 sensors for about 10 devices at no cost, and a 30-day trial edition removes the sensor limit.

• Support and updates are included in every subscription.
• PRTG is a full monitoring platform, not a dedicated bandwidth limiter, so it shows you where bandwidth goes and alerts you when usage spikes, but shap
• The sensor model also needs planning: every interface, service, or metric you watch consumes a sensor.
• For IT teams that already need monitoring across the network, PRTG gives bandwidth visibility as part of a much wider picture.

Visit Paessler PRTG →

SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager is a traffic shaping and management tool for Windows that monitors network traffic and limits bandwidth however you specify. Rules can cap speed by IP or MAC address, protocol, port, or network interface, in either direction, and quotas can cut off a user or device after a set amount of data. A scheduler turns rules on and off by time, email notifications flag quota events, and reports show usage across the network.

• The software is provided as a free 30-day trial for evaluation, and a license then covers use indefinitely with a year of updates.
• The main gap is pricing transparency.
• The product page points buyers to the store for licensing and pricing, and no price is shown on the product page itself.
• Bandwidth Manager is also Windows only, and it needs to run on a machine that sees the traffic it controls, which usually means a gateway or server.

Visit SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager →

cFosSpeed is a traffic shaping driver for Windows that attaches to your network connection and prioritizes traffic by application. It keeps ping low for games, calls, and streaming by holding back bulk downloads and uploads when interactive traffic needs the link, and it includes a firewall, real-time monitoring, and usage statistics. The software is sold as a one-time purchase with free updates and support, and a 30-day trial version is available for testing.

• The price is not published on the vendor page, so this article lists it as quote only rather than repeating a third-party figure.
• cFosSpeed is also Windows only, and because it installs a network driver, it can be harder to remove cleanly than a normal application.
• For a home PC where games or video calls suffer whenever a download starts, it is a focused fix that runs quietly in the background once configured.

Visit cFosSpeed →

NetBalancer is a Windows application for local traffic control and monitoring that lets you set priorities and speed limits per application, block traffic, and watch detailed statistics in real time. The license costs $49.95, includes updates for one year, and adds a sync service for one computer. A 14-day trial opens all features, and the unregistered version keeps working with limits of 3 process priorities and 3 rules at a time.

• It also offers remote control and automation rules for advanced setups.
• The free version is genuinely useful for monitoring, but the 3-rule cap pushes most users toward the license once they start shaping traffic.
• NetBalancer is Windows only, and it controls traffic on one PC rather than across a network.
• For a single computer where a backup tool or a game launcher keeps stealing bandwidth, the one-time price is easy to justify, and the tool stays out o

Visit NetBalancer →