Portmaster v2 announcement

General News
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A New Chapter for Portmaster

As you may have seen in our recent announcement, Safing has joined forces with IVPN. This marks a significant step forward for Portmaster and its community. The transition brings together a shared vision for privacy and security, and more resources to ensure Portmaster’s continued growth. The groundwork for v2 was laid by the original Safing team, with the IVPN team now focused on ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, and new developments.

Why v2 Matters

Portmaster v2 doesn’t introduce flashy new features, but it brings major foundational improvements that pave the way for future innovation and stability. These core changes require a fresh install, as they couldn’t be delivered via auto-update.

Key improvements:

  • Offline Installers
    Set up Portmaster without needing an internet connection — perfect for secure or air-gapped environments.
  • Streamlined Updates
    Updates now download and install faster and use less storage, making the whole process more efficient.
  • Better Linux Support
    Improved compatibility with immutable Linux distributions such as Fedora Silverblue and NixOS.
  • Smarter DNS Monitoring
    Enhanced VPN compatibility and privacy, with more robust DNS monitoring.
  • Modern Database Engine
    A switch to an SQLite backend increases stability and keeps the database lean.

“Working with IVPN on Portmaster v2 was a fantastic experience! We collaborated closely on finalizing the release, and the IVPN team did a great job testing and squashing bugs in the final stages. Portmaster v2 is a high-quality, well-tested product thanks to IVPN’s dedication.”
— Daniel, Co-Founder of Safing

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I for one do want a proper Little Snitch competitor for macOS. And yet, there is no mention of that in this announcement. Disappointing. But Safing is one of the few companies with a product focus on Linux so that’s something.

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Really cool to see IVPN expanding and join forces with other companies.

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LuLu and Tiny Shield (proprietary) are alternatives. But I agree, been waiting for years for a macOS release of Portmaster and hoped the acquisition by IVPN would speed things up. I guess we’ll have to wait further.