Comparison of packet analyzers

The following tables compare general and technical information for several packet analyzer software utilities, also known as network analyzers or packet sniffers. Please see the individual products' articles for further information.

General information

Basic general information about the software—creator/company, license/price, etc.

class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
style="background: #ececec" ! style="width:12em" \| ! Creator ! data-sort-type="number"\|Latest release ! User interface ! Software license ! data-sort-type="currency"\|Cost
Allegro Network Multimeter \|Allegro Packets \|July 20, 2023 / v4.0.4 \| web GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \|Non-free, price on request, depending on device and extensions
Cain and Abel \| Massimiliano Montoro \| {{dts\|2014\|04\|07}} / 4.9.56 \| GUI \| {{Proprietary\|Freeware}} \|\| {{free}}
Capsa \| Colasoft \| {{dts\|2018\|04\|24}} / 11.1{{cite press release\|url=https://www.colasoft.com/company/news_2018.php\|title=Colasoft Announces Release of Capsa Network Analyzer v11.1 with Enhanced Usability\|date=April 25, 2018}} \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{Partial\|$0–$995, depending on version}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.colasoft.com/capsa/editions.php\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120010119/http://www.colasoft.com/capsa/editions.php\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=January 20, 2013\|title=Capsa Enterprise Edition & Standard Edition & Free Edition – Colasoft}}
Carnivore \| Federal Bureau of Investigation \| {{dunno}} \| {{dunno}} \| N/A \|\| {{dunno}}
Charles Web Debugging Proxy \| Karl van Randow \| {{dts\|2017\|07\|10}} / 4.1.4 \| GUI \| {{dunno}} \| $30–$50 (Free Trial)
Clarified Analyzer \| Clarified Networks \| \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \|\| {{Nonfree}}
Clusterpoint Network Traffic Surveillance System \| Clusterpoint \| \| web GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \|\| {{dunno}}
CommView \| TamoSoft \| {{dts\|2017\|11\|30}} / 6.5 Build 770 \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{Nonfree\|$299–$599, $149 1 year subscription}}
dSniff \| Dug Song \| {{dts\|2000\|12\|17}} / 2.3{{cite web\|url = https://www.monkey.org/~dugsong/dsniff/CHANGES\|title = CHANGES\|date = \|accessdate = \|website = monkey.org}} \| CLI \| {{free\|BSD License}} \| {{free}}
EtherApe \| Juan Toledo \| {{dts\|2018\|06\|03}} / 0.9.18{{cite web\|title = EtherApe, a graphical network monitor\|url = https://etherape.sourceforge.net/\|website = etherape.sourceforge.net\|accessdate = March 22, 2020}} \| GUI \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
Ettercap \| ALoR and NaGA \| {{dts\|2020\|08\|01}} / 0.8.3.1-Bertillon{{cite web\|title = Releases · Ettercap\|url = https://github.com/Ettercap/ettercap/releases\|website = ettercap-project.org\|accessdate = March 22, 2020}} \| Both \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
Fiddler \| Eric Lawrence / Telerik \| {{dts\|2019\|10\|03}} / 5.0.20194{{cite web \|title=Fiddler Release History \|url=https://www.telerik.com/support/whats-new/fiddler/release-history/ \|publisher=Telerik \|date=October 3, 2019 }} \| GUI \| {{Proprietary\|Freeware}} \| {{free}}
justniffer \| The Justniffer team \| {{dts\|2016\|03\|21}} / 0.5.15{{cite web\|title = justniffer - Browse Files at SourceForge.net\|url = https://sourceforge.net/projects/justniffer/files/\|website = SourceForge\|access-date = September 8, 2022}} \| CLI \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
Kismet \| Mike Kershaw (dragorn) \| {{dts\|2020\|05\|02}} / 2020-04-R3{{cite web\|title = Kismet\|url = https://www.kismetwireless.net/\|website = kismetwireless.net\|accessdate = May 28, 2020}} \| CLI \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
Microsoft Message Analyzer \| Microsoft \| {{dts\|2016\|10\|28}} / 1.4{{cite web\|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44226\|title=Download Microsoft Message Analyzer from Official Microsoft Download Center\|website=Microsoft \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803035049/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44226\|archive-date=August 3, 2019 \|url-status=dead}} \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{free}}
Microsoft Network Monitor \| Microsoft \| {{dts\|2010\|06\|24}} / 3.4 \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{free}}
netsniff-ng \| Daniel Borkmann \| {{dts\|2016\|11\|07}} / 0.6.2 \| CLI \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
ngrep \| Jordan Ritter \| {{dts\|2017\|09\|07}} / 1.47 \| CLI \| {{free\|BSD-style}} \| {{free}}
Observer \| Viavi Solutions (formerly Network Instruments) \| \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{Nonfree\|Price on request}}
OmniPeek (formerly AiroPeek, EtherPeek) \| LiveAction (formerly Savvius, WildPackets) \| {{dts\|2017\|11}} / 11.1 \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{Nonfree\|$1194–$5994, depending on version}}{{cite web\|url=https://store.savvius.com/index.php\|title=store.savvius.com\|access-date=June 3, 2016\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813115749/https://store.savvius.com/index.php\|archive-date=August 13, 2016\|url-status=dead}}
Sniffer \|Netscout (formerly Network General) \|2013{{Cite book\|last=Netscout\|url=https://archive.org/details/2013-netscout-sniffer\|title=2013 Netscout Sniffer Portable\|date=2013}} \|GUI \|Proprietary \|Non-free
SteelCentral Transaction Analyzer \| OPNET Technologies/Riverbed Technology \| {{dts\|2014\|06\|09}} / 17.0.T-PL1{{cite web\|url=https://support.riverbed.com/content/support/software/steelcentral-npm/transaction-analyzer.html\|title=SteelCentral Transaction Analyzer}} \| GUI \| {{Proprietary}} \| {{Nonfree}}
snoop \| Sun Microsystems \| {{dts\|2006\|12\|11}} / Solaris 10 \| CLI \| {{free\|CDDL}} \| {{free}}
tcpdump \| The Tcpdump team \| {{dts\|2023\|04\|07}} / 4.99.4{{cite web\|title = Tcpdump/Libpcap public repository\|url = http://www.tcpdump.org/#latest-release\|website = tcpdump.org\|access-date = June 12, 2023}} \| CLI \| {{free\|BSD License}} \| {{free}}
Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) \| The Wireshark team \| {{dts\|2021\|11\|22}} / 4.0.6{{cite web\|url=https://www.wireshark.org/news/20230524.html\|title=Wireshark 4.0.6 Released\|date=May 24, 2023\|access-date=June 12, 2023}} \| Both \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}
Xplico \| The Xplico team \| {{dts\|2019\|05\|02}} / 1.2.2{{cite web\|url=https://www.xplico.org/archives/1562\|title=Xplico – Xplico 1.2.2}} \| Both \| {{free\|GNU General Public License}} \| {{free}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"

style="background: #ececec"

! style="width:12em" |

! Creator

! data-sort-type="number"|Latest release

! User interface

! Software license

! data-sort-type="currency"|Cost

Allegro Network Multimeter

|Allegro Packets

|July 20, 2023 / v4.0.4

| web GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

|Non-free, price on request, depending on device and extensions

Cain and Abel

| Massimiliano Montoro

| {{dts|2014|04|07}} / 4.9.56

| GUI

| {{Proprietary|Freeware}} || {{free}}

Capsa

| Colasoft

| {{dts|2018|04|24}} / 11.1{{cite press release|url=https://www.colasoft.com/company/news_2018.php|title=Colasoft Announces Release of Capsa Network Analyzer v11.1 with Enhanced Usability|date=April 25, 2018}}

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{Partial|$0–$995, depending on version}}{{cite web|url=http://www.colasoft.com/capsa/editions.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120010119/http://www.colasoft.com/capsa/editions.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 20, 2013|title=Capsa Enterprise Edition & Standard Edition & Free Edition – Colasoft}}

Carnivore

| Federal Bureau of Investigation

| {{dunno}}

| N/A || {{dunno}}

Charles Web Debugging Proxy

| Karl van Randow

| {{dts|2017|07|10}} / 4.1.4

| GUI

| {{dunno}}

| $30–$50 (Free Trial)

Clarified Analyzer

| Clarified Networks

|

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}} || {{Nonfree}}

Clusterpoint Network Traffic Surveillance System

| Clusterpoint

|

| web GUI

| {{Proprietary}} || {{dunno}}

CommView

| TamoSoft

| {{dts|2017|11|30}} / 6.5 Build 770

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{Nonfree|$299–$599, $149 1 year subscription}}

dSniff

| Dug Song

| {{dts|2000|12|17}} / 2.3{{cite web|url = https://www.monkey.org/~dugsong/dsniff/CHANGES|title = CHANGES|date = |accessdate = |website = monkey.org}}

| CLI

| {{free|BSD License}}

| {{free}}

EtherApe

| Juan Toledo

| {{dts|2018|06|03}} / 0.9.18{{cite web|title = EtherApe, a graphical network monitor|url = https://etherape.sourceforge.net/|website = etherape.sourceforge.net|accessdate = March 22, 2020}}

| GUI

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Ettercap

| ALoR and NaGA

| {{dts|2020|08|01}} / 0.8.3.1-Bertillon{{cite web|title = Releases · Ettercap|url = https://github.com/Ettercap/ettercap/releases|website = ettercap-project.org|accessdate = March 22, 2020}}

| Both

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Fiddler

| Eric Lawrence / Telerik

| {{dts|2019|10|03}} / 5.0.20194{{cite web

|title=Fiddler Release History

|url=https://www.telerik.com/support/whats-new/fiddler/release-history/

|publisher=Telerik

|date=October 3, 2019

}}

| GUI

| {{Proprietary|Freeware}}

| {{free}}

justniffer

| The Justniffer team

| {{dts|2016|03|21}} / 0.5.15{{cite web|title = justniffer - Browse Files at SourceForge.net|url = https://sourceforge.net/projects/justniffer/files/|website = SourceForge|access-date = September 8, 2022}}

| CLI

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Kismet

| Mike Kershaw (dragorn)

| {{dts|2020|05|02}} / 2020-04-R3{{cite web|title = Kismet|url = https://www.kismetwireless.net/|website = kismetwireless.net|accessdate = May 28, 2020}}

| CLI

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Microsoft Message Analyzer

| Microsoft

| {{dts|2016|10|28}} / 1.4{{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44226|title=Download Microsoft Message Analyzer from Official Microsoft Download Center|website=Microsoft |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803035049/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44226|archive-date=August 3, 2019 |url-status=dead}}

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{free}}

Microsoft Network Monitor

| Microsoft

| {{dts|2010|06|24}} / 3.4

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{free}}

netsniff-ng

| Daniel Borkmann

| {{dts|2016|11|07}} / 0.6.2

| CLI

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

ngrep

| Jordan Ritter

| {{dts|2017|09|07}} / 1.47

| CLI

| {{free|BSD-style}}

| {{free}}

Observer

| Viavi Solutions (formerly Network Instruments)

|

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{Nonfree|Price on request}}

OmniPeek (formerly AiroPeek, EtherPeek)

| LiveAction (formerly Savvius, WildPackets)

| {{dts|2017|11}} / 11.1

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{Nonfree|$1194–$5994, depending on version}}{{cite web|url=https://store.savvius.com/index.php|title=store.savvius.com|access-date=June 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813115749/https://store.savvius.com/index.php|archive-date=August 13, 2016|url-status=dead}}

Sniffer

|Netscout (formerly Network General)

|2013{{Cite book|last=Netscout|url=https://archive.org/details/2013-netscout-sniffer|title=2013 Netscout Sniffer Portable|date=2013}}

|GUI

|Proprietary

|Non-free

SteelCentral Transaction Analyzer

| OPNET Technologies/Riverbed Technology

| {{dts|2014|06|09}} / 17.0.T-PL1{{cite web|url=https://support.riverbed.com/content/support/software/steelcentral-npm/transaction-analyzer.html|title=SteelCentral Transaction Analyzer}}

| GUI

| {{Proprietary}}

| {{Nonfree}}

snoop

| Sun Microsystems

| {{dts|2006|12|11}} / Solaris 10

| CLI

| {{free|CDDL}}

| {{free}}

tcpdump

| The Tcpdump team

| {{dts|2023|04|07}} / 4.99.4{{cite web|title = Tcpdump/Libpcap public repository|url = http://www.tcpdump.org/#latest-release|website = tcpdump.org|access-date = June 12, 2023}}

| CLI

| {{free|BSD License}}

| {{free}}

Wireshark (formerly Ethereal)

| The Wireshark team

| {{dts|2021|11|22}} / 4.0.6{{cite web|url=https://www.wireshark.org/news/20230524.html|title=Wireshark 4.0.6 Released|date=May 24, 2023|access-date=June 12, 2023}}

| Both

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Xplico

| The Xplico team

| {{dts|2019|05|02}} / 1.2.2{{cite web|url=https://www.xplico.org/archives/1562|title=Xplico – Xplico 1.2.2}}

| Both

| {{free|GNU General Public License}}

| {{free}}

Operating system support

The utilities can run on these operating systems.

class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
style="background: #ececec" !\| Client ! Microsoft Windows ! macOS ! Linux ! BSDs ! Solaris ! Other
Cain and Abel \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
Capsa Free Edition \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
Carnivore \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
Charles Web Debugging Proxy \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}} \| {{dunno}} \| {{dunno}}
CommView \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
dSniff \| {{dunno}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}}
EtherApe \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}}
Ettercap \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}}
justniffer \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}}
Kismet \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{dunno}} \| {{dunno}}
Lanmeter \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| Fluke proprietary hardware
netsniff-ng \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
ngrep \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| AIX, BeOS, HP-UX, IRIX, Tru64 UNIX
Microsoft Network Monitor \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
OmniPeek (formerly AiroPeek, EtherPeek) \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}
snoop \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}
tcpdump \| {{yes}} (WinDump) \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| AIX, HP-UX, IRIX, Tru64 UNIX
Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| AIX, HP-UX, IRIX, Tru64 UNIX
Xplico \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}}

class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"

style="background: #ececec"

!| Client

! Microsoft Windows

! macOS

! Linux

! BSDs

! Solaris

! Other

Cain and Abel

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}