Compare
Repel vs NetGuard: Which No-Root Firewall for Android?
By the llcloud team 5 min read
The short answer
Pick NetGuard if you want a mature, open source firewall with detailed traffic logs, or you run an older phone. Pick Repel if you need the firewall to run alongside your own VPN, or want DNS tracker and malware filtering and Private DNS in the same app.
Both block chosen apps from the internet without root. NetGuard does it through Android's VPN service, so it cannot run at the same time as another VPN. Repel's firewall does not use the VPN slot, so your own VPN stays connected, and it adds a DNS tracker and malware filter and one-tap Private DNS. NetGuard is open source and supports far older Android versions.
Repel and NetGuard both answer the same question: how do I stop an app from going online without rooting my phone? They answer it in very different ways, and the difference decides whether you can keep using your VPN. This comparison is as of October 2026 and uses NetGuard's own Play listing and website for its facts.
Repel vs NetGuard at a glance
| Repel | NetGuard | |
|---|---|---|
| Block apps from the internet, no root | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works alongside another VPN | ✓ (firewall) | ✗ |
| Separate Wi-Fi and mobile data rules | ✓ (Pro) | ✓ |
| Block when roaming | ✓ (Pro) | ✓ |
| Allow only when the screen is on | Screen off rule (Pro) | ✓ |
| Tracker and malware DNS blocklists | ✓ | ✗ (not listed) |
| One-tap Private DNS | ✓ | ✗ |
| Per-app domain or address rules | ✓ (Pro) | ✓ (Pro) |
| Log of what each app contacts | ✓ (DNS lookups) | ✓ (Pro, all outgoing traffic, PCAP export) |
| Open source | Not stated | ✓ |
| No ads | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minimum Android version | 11 (firewall 13) | 5.1 |
| Android TV | ✓ | Not stated |
What is the biggest difference?
The VPN slot. Android lets one app at a time use its VpnService. NetGuard's listing is upfront about this: it routes traffic through Android's VPN service so it can filter on the device, and only one app can use that service at once. That design is clever and has served NetGuard well for years, but it means NetGuard and a privacy VPN cannot both be on.
Repel splits the job. Its app firewall does not use the VPN at all. It sets up a small helper once through Wireless debugging, on the phone, with no computer and no root, and then blocks chosen apps while your VPN stays connected. That needs Android 13 or newer.
Repel's DNS filter is a separate layer and does use the VPN slot. So if you run a VPN all day, the practical Repel setup is the firewall plus one-tap Private DNS, both of which leave the slot free. Our guide on blocking trackers without a VPN walks through that setup.
How do the firewalls compare?
NetGuard's firewall is detailed and mature. Per its listing, you can allow or deny each app on Wi-Fi and mobile data separately, allow an app only while the screen is on, block when roaming, block system apps, get a notification when an app accesses the internet, and record network usage per app per address. It supports tethering and both IPv4 and IPv6.
Repel's free firewall blocks any app with one switch. Pro adds smart rules: online only on Wi-Fi, only on mobile data, never while roaming, with the screen off or at bedtime. Profiles for Home, Work and Travel keep separate rule sets.
If fine-grained network control is all you need and you do not run a VPN, NetGuard offers more in that one area.
What about trackers and malware?
This is where Repel goes further. NetGuard's Play listing describes a firewall for apps and addresses. It does not list domain blocklists for trackers or malware.
Repel is a DNS filter first:
- Blocklists such as HaGeZi, OISD, 1Hosts and StevenBlack cover trackers, malware, phishing, scam shops and phone-maker telemetry, updated over Wi-Fi.
- The activity log shows which app looked up which domain and whether it was blocked. Tap an entry to block or allow it, or cut that app off.
- One-tap Private DNS switches Android's Private DNS to a filtering provider such as AdGuard DNS, NextDNS, Quad9 or Cloudflare, with no VPN. Our Private DNS guide explains how that setting works.
- Family mode (Pro) adds safe search, a restricted video mode and category blocks, protected by a PIN.
DNS filtering has limits. It cannot remove ads inside video streams, and anything served from the same domain as the content gets through.
What do you see in the logs?
NetGuard Pro can log all outgoing traffic, let you search and filter access attempts, and export PCAP files to analyse traffic in other tools. For someone who wants to inspect connections at the packet level, that is a strong feature.
Repel's activity log works at the DNS level. It shows which domains each app looked up and what happened, which is easier to act on day to day but does not show raw traffic. Pro keeps 30 days of stats and adds CSV export.
What do they have in common?
Quite a lot. Both work without root, both run on the phone rather than routing traffic to a remote server, neither shows ads, and both let you cut a chosen app off the internet with a single switch. Both also offer roaming and network type rules for people who travel or watch their mobile data. The choice comes down to the VPN slot, DNS filtering and how deep you want the logs to go.
How do price and trust compare?
Both have no ads. NetGuard is free with Pro features unlocked through an in-app purchase on Google Play, and its website explains a separate donation route for the GitHub version. Its full source code is public, which is a meaningful point for a security tool. NetGuard's listing also says it has no tracking or analytics.
Repel has no account and no ads. Its filter runs on the phone and sends nothing to its developer, and it collects only anonymous usage stats and crash reports, never the sites you visit. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Which should you choose?
Choose NetGuard if:
- You do not use a VPN, so the VPN slot does not matter.
- You want open source code you can audit.
- You want packet-level logs and PCAP export.
- Your phone runs an Android version older than 11.
Choose Repel if:
- You want to block apps while keeping your VPN connected.
- You want tracker and malware blocking, not only an app firewall.
- You want Private DNS set up in one tap.
- You also want the same filter on Android TV.
Whichever you pick, a firewall app running in the background can be closed by aggressive battery management on some phones. If yours stops filtering on its own, see why Android kills background apps and the fix for your phone, for example Samsung or Xiaomi. Repel's firewall and Private DNS do not depend on the app running.
Sources
Questions
Can NetGuard run at the same time as a VPN?
No. NetGuard's own Play listing explains that it uses Android's VpnService to route traffic to itself for filtering, and only one app can use that service at a time. So while NetGuard is on, another VPN app cannot be connected. Repel's firewall avoids the VPN service, which is why it can run next to your VPN.
Is NetGuard better because it is open source?
Open source is a real advantage for a firewall. NetGuard's full source is public, so anyone can check what it does. If that matters most to you, NetGuard is the safer pick. Repel states that its filter runs on the phone and sends nothing to its developer, and it has no account or ads, but that is a promise rather than code you can read.
Does Repel's firewall need root?
No. It needs Android 13 or newer and a one-time pairing through Wireless debugging, using the code Android shows on the phone. No computer and no root are needed. Rules stay in place with Repel closed. The DNS filter and one-tap Private DNS work on Android 11 and newer.
Which one blocks trackers?
Repel does, as a core feature. Its DNS filter checks lookups against lists such as HaGeZi, OISD, 1Hosts and StevenBlack, and its one-tap Private DNS can point the phone at a filtering provider with no VPN. NetGuard's Play listing describes it as a firewall for apps and addresses, and does not list domain blocklists.
Can I use both together?
Not well. NetGuard takes the VPN slot, and Repel's DNS filter needs it too. You could use NetGuard with Repel's one-tap Private DNS, since Private DNS uses no VPN, but running two firewalls only makes it harder to tell which one blocked something. Pick one firewall.
