Safing

What Safing does

Safing ICS Technologies GmbH is an Austria-based privacy technology company founded around 2016-2017, operating from Brunn am Gebirge near Vienna. The company develops Portmaster, a free and open-source (GNU GPL v3) application firewall that integrates into the operating system network stack (kernel driver on Windows; iptables/packet marks on Linux) to monitor every outbound connection on a per-application basis, enforce encrypted DNS via DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS, and block ads and trackers at the DNS layer using community-maintained filter lists. Portmaster is offered free of charge and distributed via direct download for Windows, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux.

The company's premium product is the Safing Privacy Network (SPN), a subscription service (Portmaster Pro at €8/month or €80/year) that uses onion-routing-style layered encryption with each connection routed independently through separate exit nodes — providing a distinct IP address per connection, in contrast to traditional VPNs that route all traffic through a single server. The SPN uses cryptographically blinded authentication tokens so no server knows the user's identity, and is integrated into Portmaster to prevent leaks at the kernel level rather than relying on an external kill switch. Safing accepts anonymous payments including cash, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero for transactions up to €400.

Safing targets privacy-conscious individual consumers, power users with higher threat models, and home network administrators — a horizontal, consumer-only segmentation with no enterprise or B2B channel. The company pursues a product-led and community-led go-to-market, relying on Discord, Reddit, GitHub, YouTube, and earned media (Heise Online, Techlore, Ghacks, It's FOSS) for distribution. In December 2024, Safing announced a strategic partnership with IVPN. The company operates with 1-10 employees and has not disclosed institutional venture funding.

Name

Safing

Legal name

Safing ICS Technologies GmbH

Website

https://safing.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Safing is an Austria-based developer of Portmaster, a free open-source application firewall, and the Safing Privacy Network (SPN), a paid subscription privacy network using per-connection onion routing. It serves privacy-conscious individual consumers globally via direct download.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Network Security Software (Application Firewall / Privacy Software)

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

akta.pro primary industry

VPN & Remote Access Gateways (HDADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decentralized Bandwidth & Connectivity (bandwidth marketplaces, VPN, ISP/last-mile DePIN) (FSAPALAD), Network Security Services (Firewall/VPN/ZTNA/SASE Integration) (BPAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Application firewall
• Privacy network
• DNS-level blocking
• Encrypted DNS resolver
• Open-source firewall

Headquarters

HQ city

Baden

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Portmaster Free (Open Source): Portmaster application firewall is completely free and open source under GNU GPL v3. No revenue is generated directly from this product; it drives awareness and conversion to the paid SPN subscription.
2. SPN Subscription (Portmaster Pro): The Safing Privacy Network (SPN) is a paid subscription service. Portmaster Pro includes Privacy, Investigative Features, Safing Support, and SPN access at €8/month or €80/year (with built-in 15% account administration fee). Automatic renewal unless cancelled 72 hours before expiration.
3. Portmaster Plus: Portmaster Plus is available at €40/year. This is a tier without SPN access, providing the core application firewall features with support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Safing develops and distributes Portmaster, a free and open-source (GNU GPL v3) application firewall that monitors every network connection on a user's computer at the OS kernel level, enforces encrypted DNS (DoT/DoH), and blocks ads and trackers system-wide at the DNS layer with per-application rules. The company additionally sells the Safing Privacy Network (SPN) as a paid subscription add-on — a privacy network that routes each connection independently through separate exit nodes using onion-routing-style layered encryption, providing a different IP address per connection.

Product overview

Safing offers a privacy-focused product suite centered on the Portmaster application firewall (free and open-source) with optional premium add-ons. The core Portmaster provides network monitoring, per-app firewall rules, and DNS-based ad/tracker blocking. Portmaster Pro adds access to the Safing Privacy Network (SPN), an advanced multi-hop privacy network with onion routing that provides per-connection IP isolation. Portmaster Plus offers a lower-tier subscription with support but without SPN. The SPN routes each connection independently through separate exit nodes with layered encryption, distinctly different from traditional VPNs that route all traffic through a single server. All products are built from scratch with a focus on ease of use for everyday users while maintaining strong privacy defaults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Portmaster: A free and open-source application firewall that monitors network connections and allows per-application rules for blocking.
• SPN (Safing Privacy Network)

Products and services

• Portmaster Free and open-source (GNU GPL v3) application firewall for Windows, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux (via AUR) that monitors every network connection on the computer, lets users set per-application rules to block unwanted connections, enforces encrypted DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS, blocks ads and trackers at the DNS level across all applications, and provides a full-device network monitor with graphs. Targets privacy-conscious individual consumers who want network visibility and control without deep technical expertise.
• Safing Privacy Network (SPN) Premium privacy network add-on integrated into Portmaster that routes each connection independently through separate exit nodes using onion-routing-style layered encryption, providing a different IP address per connection simultaneously. Uses cryptographically blinded authentication tokens so no server in the network knows the user's account identity, automatically selects exit nodes near the destination for speed and geo-unblocking, supports both TCP and UDP traffic, and operates under a strict no-logs policy. Sold as a subscription at €8/month or €80/year (Portmaster Pro tier). Targets individual privacy-conscious users seeking per-connection IP isolation beyond what traditional VPNs offer.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each SPN connection is routed independently with a separate exit node, providing a different IP address per connection simultaneously — unlike VPNs which use one exit node for all connections
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered security audit, infrastructure (hosting), infrastructure (code hosting), payment processing, banking, email, email marketing and strategic alignment.

• Cure53security auditOthers · 17 January 2020Cure53 conducted an independent code audit of the SPN cryptography module (the Jess crypto library). Cure53 is a well-known security audit firm that has also audited Bitwarden, Mullvad VPN, and OpenPGP. Nadim Kobeissi (creator of Verifpal formal verification software) was also involved.
• Hetznerinfrastructure (hosting)OthersHetzner is Safing's hosting provider. All data including PII and backups is stored on servers operated by Safing and hosted by Hetzner.
• GitHubinfrastructure (code hosting)Technology or IntegrationGitHub hosts Safing's websites via GitHub Pages (safing.io, wiki.safing.io) and the source code repositories (Portmaster, SPN, Jess crypto library). Safing's privacy policy references GitHub's privacy policy for data handled on those hosted pages.
• PayPalpayment processingOthersPayPal is one of the payment gateways used by Safing for processing SPN subscriptions. Transaction identifiers are used for linking payments to user accounts.
• Stripepayment processingOthersStripe is the primary payment gateway for credit card processing on Safing's account platform. Transaction identifiers are used for linking payments to user accounts. Stripe was added after reevaluating the payment service in November 2021.
• Sparkasse BadenbankingOthersSparkasse Baden is Safing's bank for payments and wire transfers.
• Mailbox.orgemailOthersMailbox.org is Safing's email provider for internal and customer communications.
• Rapidmail.deemail marketingOthersRapidmail.de handles newsletter distribution for Safing. It is a GDPR-compliant company based in Germany. Email addresses are stored by Rapidmail when users sign up for the newsletter.
• IVPNstrategic alignmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafing announced in December 2024 that Safing and IVPN joined forces, beginning a new chapter together. This represents a strategic partnership between two privacy-focused companies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mullvad VPN: Mullvad is a Sweden-based, privacy-focused VPN provider known for anonymous account creation (numbered accounts) and a Cure53-audited infrastructure. It is a direct competitor to SPN in the privacy-conscious consumer segment and is also a comparison target in Safing's blog.
• IVPN: IVPN is a Gibraltar-registered, privacy-focused VPN provider that explicitly joined forces with Safing in December 2024. It is a direct peer in the high-privacy consumer VPN category and now a strategic partner, with overlapping brand and customer positioning.
• Proton VPN: Proton VPN is a Swiss, privacy-focused VPN from the makers of ProtonMail, and is a direct peer for the same privacy-conscious consumer target audience. It is also referenced in Safing's integration matrix as a compatible partner in WireGuard mode.
• Tor Project: The Tor Project provides the Tor anonymity network, which is SPN's most direct architectural analogue (onion routing with multi-hop encryption). Safing explicitly compares SPN vs Tor and positions SPN's TCP/UDP support and exit-node-near-destination routing as improvements over Tor.
• Pi-hole: Pi-hole is a DNS-level ad/tracker blocker for entire networks, and is a direct peer to Portmaster's privacy-filter functionality. Safing publishes an explicit "Portmaster vs Pi-hole" comparison targeting users who want device-level DNS blocking without dedicated hardware.
• AdGuard: AdGuard offers DNS-level ad/tracker blocking and a privacy VPN, directly overlapping with both Portmaster's privacy filter and SPN's privacy network. It is listed as an integration partner in Safing's compatibility matrix.
• GlassWire: GlassWire is a commercial application firewall and network monitor with per-app visibility, directly comparable to Portmaster's core network-monitoring and per-app rules features. Safing publishes a direct "Portmaster vs GlassWire" comparison.
• Windscribe: Windscribe is a consumer VPN with ad/tracker blocking features built in, directly comparable to the combined Portmaster + SPN value proposition for privacy-conscious consumers. It is also a listed integration partner for Portmaster.

Emerging players

• Simplewall: Simplewall is an open-source Windows application firewall using WFP that overlaps with Portmaster's per-app blocking functionality. Safing publishes a direct comparison piece targeting users evaluating lightweight free firewalls.

Broad incumbents

• NordVPN: NordVPN is one of the largest global consumer VPN providers, with extensive marketing and integrated ad/tracker-blocking (Threat Protection). It is the dominant comparison target in the VPN market and a listed (but partially incompatible) integration partner for Portmaster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/safing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SafingIO
• Xx.com/SafingIO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safing