Best Wireshark Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from network packet analyzer software ranked against Wireshark on the same published basis.
- 1Wireshark vs NETCAP
- 2Wireshark vs Colasoft Capsa
- 3Wireshark vs NetworkMiner
- 4Wireshark vs PacketSafari
- 5Wireshark vs Scapy
- 6Wireshark vs termshark
- 7Wireshark vs Xplico
- 8Wireshark vs Zui
- 9Wireshark vs Arkime
- 10Wireshark vs CapAnalysis
- 11Wireshark vs PCAPdroid
- 12Wireshark vs Sniffnet
- 13Wireshark vs BruteShark
- 14Wireshark vs Malcolm
- 15Wireshark vs PcapAI
- 16Wireshark vs tcpdump
- 17Wireshark vs TShark
- 19Wireshark vs EtherApe
- 20Wireshark vs netsniff-ng
- 21Wireshark vs PAL (Pcap Analysis Library)
Wireshark alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NETCAP | 7.8 | Free plan | $548/mo | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Colasoft Capsa | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 3 | NetworkMiner | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | PacketSafari | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 5 | Scapy | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 6 | termshark | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Xplico | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 8 | Zui | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | Arkime | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 10 | CapAnalysis | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Web |
| 11 | PCAPdroid | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Android |
| 12 | Sniffnet | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 13 | BruteShark | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Windows |
| 14 | Malcolm | 6.8 | No | — | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 15 | PcapAI | 6.8 | No | $9.50/mo | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 16 | tcpdump | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | TShark | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 19 | EtherApe | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 20 | netsniff-ng | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 21 | PAL (Pcap Analysis Library) | 6.4 | No | — | Linux |
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Questions about Wireshark alternatives
What is the best alternative to Wireshark?
NETCAP, number 1 in network packet analyzer software with a score of 7.8 out of 10. The others here: Colasoft Capsa, NetworkMiner, PacketSafari and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Wireshark?
NETCAP is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 17 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.