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tcpdump vs ngrep: catalog facts
tcpdump	ngrep
Free Free and open source under the BSD licence.	Free Free open-source software.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, Linux, Command line
Available on practically every Unix system, including embedded ones Writes standard pcap files that every other tool can read	Grep-style matching on packet payloads Accepts tcpdump-style BPF filters
Needs elevated privileges to capture Output is dense and takes practice to read	Text output only, with no protocol decoding like Wireshark Capturing traffic usually needs root or administrator rights
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	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.