VPNonly

VPNonly is a macOS menu bar utility for per-app VPN routing. Instead of sending your entire Mac through a VPN, it lets you choose which applications use a WireGuard tunnel while everything else keeps its normal internet connection. It works with an existing VPN provider; it does not supply VPN servers or a subscription.

Route only the apps you choose

• Per-app switches: Search installed apps and turn VPN routing on for individual apps, including Chrome, Firefox, Slack, and CapCut. Other apps stay on your regular connection.
• VPN provider setup: Connect NordVPN with an access token, or import WireGuard configuration files from providers such as Mullvad, Proton VPN, IVPN, and your own server. Select servers or countries from the menu.
• Connection checks and kill switch: Compare each routed app's exit IP with your Mac's normal IP. If the tunnel drops, routed apps are blocked instead of silently falling back to the regular connection.
• Local network access: Optionally let routed apps reach devices such as printers and NAS drives on your local network; this is enabled by default.

Compatibility and important limitations

VPNonly's paid Mac app supports Apple Silicon only. Safari and other WebKit-based browsers cannot be routed. Apps that hand networking to separate background services may also bypass per-app routing, and system proxies or certain traffic-filtering apps can interfere. DNS lookups still use the Mac's normal resolver, so VPNonly does not hide DNS requests from the local network or ISP.

An app may need to relaunch when first added to the tunnel, interrupting open connections. Setup requires administrator approval for network and firewall rules. The app is not yet Apple-signed, so macOS also requires a one-time manual approval in Privacy & Security.

The Mac app costs $19 once for two Macs, with future updates and a 14-day refund policy. Its privileged networking engine is MIT-licensed and publicly auditable, but the graphical app itself is proprietary. A separate free command-line version is available, currently focused on NordVPN.