Coming from TrackerControl
NetCage can’t be installed today. It has no store listing and no public download, so this page ends without an install step. It covers how the two apps differ and which pages here to read first.
How does TrackerControl differ from NetCage?
TrackerControl looks inside an app’s traffic to show which companies it contacts, and blocks those while the app stays online. NetCage can’t show you any of that. It takes the whole app offline or leaves it alone, and it doesn’t resolve a hostname or keep a record of what an app tried to reach.
Both use a local VPN, and Android allows one at a time, so the two can’t run together.
Choose TrackerControl if you want to see which companies an app talks to and block the trackers while the app stays online.
Choose NetCage if you want the whole app offline rather than a list of trackers; NetCage does not filter inside an app you leave online.
What should I read first?
NetCage imports nothing from TrackerControl, so there’s no settings file to bring across. You’d choose your apps again.
- How it works: what the tunnel reads, which is much less than you may be used to.
- Caging apps: choosing an app and closing its gate.
- Limitations: why a caged app can still show content it fetched earlier.
What does each one state?
Checked 7 November 2026. The TrackerControl column comes from the linked pages, and NetCage’s from its code.
| Feature | TrackerControl | NetCage |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks one chosen app’s internet | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| Keeps blocking while the app is in the background | Not stated on the pages we checked | Yes |
| Needs no root | Yes (trackercontrol.org (opens in a new tab)) | Yes |
| Open source | Yes (f-droid.org (opens in a new tab)) | No |
| Shows ads | No (play.google.com (opens in a new tab)) | Partly. Promotions for the developer’s own apps only, no ad network |
| In-app purchases | No (play.google.com (opens in a new tab)) | No |
What does TrackerControl cost?
| Plan | Price | As stated | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Free | F-Droid says it will always be free and open source; the Google Play edition is TrackerControl Slim, free install with no ads or in-app purchase label | f-droid.org (opens in a new tab) | 7 November 2026 |
NetCage publishes no price.