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Wireshark vs Termshark: catalog facts
Wireshark	Termshark
Free Free and open source. The foundation is funded by sponsors, training and certification.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux	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	Wireshark-style analysis over an SSH session with no X forwarding Uses tshark, so dissection matches Wireshark exactly
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	Requires tshark installed Fewer features than the Wireshark graphical application
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: MIT
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.