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Wireshark vs tcpdump: catalog facts
Wireshark	tcpdump
Free Free and open source. The foundation is funded by sponsors, training and certification.	Free Free and open source under the BSD licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, 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	Available on practically every Unix system, including embedded ones Writes standard pcap files that every other tool can read
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	Needs elevated privileges to capture Output is dense and takes practice to read
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: BSD-3-Clause
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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