Compare software

rinetd vs socat: catalog facts
rinetd	socat
Best for: Administrators who need a lightweight port redirector	Best for: Multipurpose relay that connects almost any two data channels
Free Free and open source under GPL-2.0-or-later.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Windows, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Forwards TCP and UDP connections between addresses and ports Includes configuration files and a manual page All 3 strengths for rinetd Forwards TCP and UDP connections between addresses and ports Includes configuration files and a manual page Can be built from source	Connects almost any pair of endpoints, including TLS and serial devices Handles forking servers and complex options netcat cannot
Configured and operated from the command line	The address syntax is dense and unforgiving The project site is served over plain HTTP only, so the repository is linked here instead
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0-or-later	License: GPL-2.0
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 Sources for rinetd github.com/samhocevar/rinetd Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for socat repo.or.cz/socat.git Catalog checked September 22, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.