Compare software

Wireshark vs netsniff-ng: catalog facts
Wireshark	netsniff-ng
Free Free and open source. The foundation is funded by sponsors, training and certification.	Free Free to download and use.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux, Command line
Dissectors for hundreds of protocols, so the packet contents are readable rather than hex Display filters that cut a huge capture down to one conversation	Capture, analysis and traffic generation in one toolkit Built for high packet rates on Linux
Capturing on most systems needs elevated privileges or a driver such as Npcap The interface assumes you already know roughly what you are looking for	Linux only Command-line tools with no graphical interface
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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