Alternatives to iPerf3
Measures how fast a network link really is between two machines you control, which a speed test cannot. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
iPerf3
Measures how fast a network link really is between two machines you control, which a speed test cannot.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as iPerf3.
nuttcp
Command-line tool for measuring TCP and UDP network throughput.
nuttcp is another command-line TCP and UDP throughput tester that runs on both ends, with Windows listed among its platforms and results not comparable to iPerf3's.
OpenSpeedTest
HTML5 speed test that can be self-hosted from a Docker image.
OpenSpeedTest runs in any browser from a self-hosted Docker image, so no client install is needed, but browser measurement caps out below dedicated tools.
LibreSpeed
Self-hostable speed test with no Flash, Java or Websocket.
LibreSpeed is a self-hosted browser speed test in plain JavaScript, easier for non-technical users but less tunable than iPerf3's streams and packet sizes.
Flent
Network benchmarking tool that runs repeatable tests with netperf and iperf and plots the results.
Flent wraps netperf and iperf in repeatable tests with plotting and a GUI, Linux only, and still needs a test server at the other end.
Also worth comparing
These listings name iPerf3 as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
NTttcp
A Microsoft command-line tool for benchmarking network throughput on Windows.
iPerf3 is the standard cross-tool benchmark with TCP, UDP and SCTP and JSON output, officially supported on Linux, FreeBSD and macOS with third-party Windows builds.
Speedtest CLI
Official Ookla speed test for the command line.
iPerf3 is open source and measures throughput between two machines you control, rather than to a public Ookla server.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Wireshark
The network protocol analyser: capture traffic and read it packet by packet, with dissectors for hundreds of protocols.
Sniffnet
Shows what your machine is actually talking to, with charts instead of a wall of packets.
Angry IP Scanner
A fast, friendly IP and port scanner that needs no installation and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Cloudflare Speed Test
A browser-based internet speed test that measures throughput, latency, jitter and packet loss.
FAST.com
A minimal browser speed test that estimates your download speed in a few seconds.
