Alternatives to WiFi Explorer
A Mac app that scans nearby Wi-Fi networks and shows channels, signal and configuration. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
WiFi Explorer
A Mac app that scans nearby Wi-Fi networks and shows channels, signal and configuration.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as WiFi Explorer.
NetSpot
Wi-Fi site survey tool that produces coverage heat maps.
NetSpot runs on Windows and macOS with a freemium model and adds coverage heat maps over a floor plan, though the free version limits zones and visualisation types.
inSSIDer
Wi-Fi scanner showing channels, signal strength and connected clients.
inSSIDer runs on Windows and macOS, needs a free account to use at all, and shows connected clients per access point, with advanced features in a paid subscription.
WiFiAnalyzer
Compare nearby Wi-Fi networks with an Android analyzer.
WiFiAnalyzer is a free, GPL-3.0 open-source app for Android rather than macOS, graphing signal strength and channel use over time on the phone itself.
Acrylic Wi-Fi
Windows Wi-Fi scanner, analyser and site survey tool.
Acrylic Wi-Fi is Windows only and freemium, adding monitor-mode packet capture and heat mapping, but the free version is limited and professional editions are paid.
Homedale
A Windows Wi-Fi monitor that shows the signal strength of nearby access points.
Homedale is a free, small Windows utility that monitors signal strength of several nearby access points, with fewer configuration details than a full Mac analyser.
Vistumbler
An open-source Windows Wi-Fi scanner that maps and logs nearby access points using GPS data.
Vistumbler is free, open-source and Windows only, focusing on logging and mapping access points with GPS and KML export rather than detailed configuration decoding.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
WiGLE
Crowdsourced database and app for mapping Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
Impala
Manage Linux Wi-Fi connections through a terminal interface.
Fing
Network scanner that identifies the devices on your network.
LanScan
A Mac network scanner that lists active devices on the local network with their addresses and vendors.
IP Scanner
A network scanner for Mac and iPhone that identifies every device on the local network.
Cloudflare Speed Test
A browser-based internet speed test that measures throughput, latency, jitter and packet loss.
