Mellow for Mac

Product summary

Mellow is a free macOS utility that acts as a rules-driven, system-wide proxy. It redirects network traffic according to user-defined criteria so you can control how applications and websites connect to the internet. The tool is geared toward users who want finer control over connection routing or who need to bolster privacy and security by directing traffic through specific servers.

Principal functions

• A clean, approachable interface that reduces setup friction for beginners while still offering depth for advanced users.
• Tools to change between proxy endpoints quickly and live traffic inspection to watch connection behavior as it happens.
• Fine-grained rule creation that targets individual apps or hostnames, allowing precise routing for different kinds of traffic.

Who should consider it

Mellow fits users who:

• Need to enforce routing policies across all apps on a Mac without configuring each app individually.
• Want to route certain domains or programs through alternate servers for privacy, testing, or geolocation purposes.
• Prefer a visual, easy-to-navigate client rather than editing complex system networking files.

Suggested alternative

If you want another option with a similar focus on transparent proxying and ease of use, consider Outline. It provides a straightforward way to set up and switch proxy servers and is often recommended for users seeking a simple, cross-platform solution.

Quick setup tips

1. Define a small set of rules first (for example: one rule for web browsers, one for a streaming app) and test them before expanding.
2. Use the live traffic view to verify that each application follows the intended rule and to troubleshoot mismatches.
3. Keep a short list of preferred proxy endpoints so you can toggle between them quickly without having to re-enter credentials.