Compare software

websocat vs socat: catalog facts
websocat	socat
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Quick interactive testing of WebSocket endpoints Works in pipes and shell scripts	Connects almost any pair of endpoints, including TLS and serial devices Handles forking servers and complex options netcat cannot
Command line only Advanced options take time to learn	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 not stated	License: GPL-2.0
No account 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 September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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