Compare software

Argus vs SiLK: catalog facts
Argus	SiLK
Free Free and open source under the GPLv2 license.	Free Free under the GNU General Public License version 2.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Processes live network traffic and packet captures Generates detailed flow records for analysis	Collects IPFIX and multiple NetFlow versions Stores flow records in compact files
Building from source requires libpcap, flex, bison, a C compiler, and zlib development libraries.	Designed for large network traffic datasets Requires a separate flow data collection setup
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0-only	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.