Compare software

socat vs websocat: catalog facts
socat	websocat
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Command line
Connects almost any pair of endpoints, including TLS and serial devices Handles forking servers and complex options netcat cannot	Quick interactive testing of WebSocket endpoints Works in pipes and shell scripts
The address syntax is dense and unforgiving The project site is served over plain HTTP only, so the repository is linked here instead	Command line only Advanced options take time to learn
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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