Alternatives to Nmap
The network mapper: find out which hosts are up, which ports are open and what is listening on them. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Nmap
The network mapper: find out which hosts are up, which ports are open and what is listening on them.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Nmap.
masscan
Scan large sets of IP addresses for open ports.
masscan scans very large IP ranges for open ports at high rates under AGPL-3.0, but it lacks service detection, OS fingerprinting and Windows support.
RustScan
Discover open ports with a configurable scanner written in Rust.
RustScan is a GPL-3.0 port scanner written in Rust that finds open ports quickly and can hand results to other tools for deeper detection.
Naabu
Discover listening network ports with a command-line scanner.
Naabu is an MIT-licensed command-line port scanner with several scan methods and optional Nmap integration, but without built-in version detection or a scripting engine.
Angry IP Scanner
A fast, friendly IP and port scanner that needs no installation and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Angry IP Scanner is an open-source portable GUI scanner that finds hosts and open ports on Windows, macOS and Linux, without service versions or OS fingerprints.
Advanced IP Scanner
Scans a home or office network and lists every device with its name, MAC address and shared folders.
Advanced IP Scanner is a free Windows-only closed-source tool that lists devices, MAC addresses and shares quickly, with nothing like Nmap's service and version detection.
Fing
Network scanner that identifies the devices on your network.
Fing is a freemium consumer scanner with accurate device identification from a cloud database and new-device alerts, including Android and iOS apps, but it is closed source.
Zenmap
The official cross-platform graphical interface for the Nmap network scanner.
Zenmap is Nmap's official graphical front end, adding saved profiles and scan comparison, but it still needs Nmap installed underneath.
ZMap
A fast single-packet network scanner designed for surveys across very large address ranges.
ZMap is a Linux single-packet scanner for surveying very large address ranges, finding open ports rather than detailed service information.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Nmap as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Advanced Port Scanner
A free Windows port scanner that finds open ports and identifies the programs running on them.
Nmap adds OS fingerprinting and a scripting engine, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and uses a custom non-OSI licence instead of closed freeware.
arp-scan
Command-line tool that discovers and fingerprints hosts on a local network using ARP.
Nmap scans beyond the local segment with port scanning, service detection and OS fingerprinting on Windows, macOS and Linux, under a custom licence that is not OSI-approved.
hping3
Packet crafting tool for TCP/IP testing and probing.
Nmap covers host discovery, port probing and OS fingerprinting on all major platforms under a custom non-OSI licence, rather than hand-crafted packet testing.
IP Scanner
A network scanner for Mac and iPhone that identifies every device on the local network.
Nmap runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with service detection and OS fingerprinting, but is a command-line tool unless paired with Zenmap.
LAN Orangutan
Lightweight network scanner with persistent device labels.
Nmap adds service and version detection, OS fingerprinting and scripting on all major platforms, but it is a heavier tool under a custom licence that is not OSI-approved.
MyLanViewer Network/IP Scanner
A Windows IP scanner that lists computers, MAC addresses and shared folders on a local network.
Nmap is free and cross-platform with deep port, service and OS detection, but works from the command line unless paired with Zenmap.
netdiscover
An ARP scanner that finds hosts on a local network by active or passive discovery.
Nmap goes beyond local ARP discovery with port scanning, service detection and OS fingerprinting across any network, under a custom non-OSI licence.
SoftPerfect Network Scanner
A multi-threaded IPv4 and IPv6 scanner that finds network devices, open ports and shared folders.
Nmap is free and adds service and version detection, OS fingerprinting and scripting, but it is mainly a command-line tool under a custom licence.
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.
Npcap
Windows packet capture driver used by Wireshark, Nmap and similar tools.
Shodan
A search engine that indexes internet-connected devices and the services they expose.
Censys
An internet intelligence platform for searching hosts, services and TLS certificates across the internet.
Qualys Community Edition
Free, cloud-based edition of the Qualys security platform for asset discovery and vulnerability assessment.
