No. 13 of 33 ·Network Packet Analyzer Software

PCAPdroid

Android

Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.4

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

PCAPdroid is ranked #13 of 33 in network packet analyzer software on Freedom251. It runs on Android. There is a free plan.

PCAPdroid plans and pricing

All plans

Free app Free Network capture, monitoring, PCAP export, TLS decryption, HTTP inspection · Android app github.com · 3 Oct 2026

Paid features Not published Firewall · malware detection · PCAPng format · Purchase through Google Play; price not stated on the pages opened emanuele-f.github.io · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on network packet analyzer software

Free plan: Yes
Live capture: Yes
Traffic decryption: Yes
Operating systems: Android
Capture file formats: PCAP, PCAPNG
Protocol dissectors: Yes

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The record

Purpose: PCAPdroid tracks, analyzes, and can block connections made by other apps on an Android device.
Capture method: It uses Android VpnService to capture traffic without root and processes the traffic locally without creating an external VPN.
Connection analysis: It logs connections from user and system apps and reports details such as protocol, remote host or IP, status, and traffic volume.
Traffic export: It can save traffic to PCAP files or serve captures through an HTTP server, and supports PCAP-over-IP for real-time analysis such as with Wireshark.
TLS and HTTP: It can decrypt HTTPS/TLS traffic for a specific app, inspect HTTP requests and replies, and export them to HAR.
Integrations: For third-party apps, PCAPdroid exposes an API to control capture and send captured packets over UDP; rooted devices can integrate the pcapd daemon into an APK.
Open source components: The project lists nDPI for connection metadata, mitmproxy for TLS decryption, and zdtun for non-root capture among its open source technologies.
Privacy: The privacy policy says PCAPdroid collects no information and processes captured traffic locally; optional features such as malware detection may contact third-party servers.
Malware detection limit: Malware detection uses third-party blacklists, is active only while capture is running, and is explicitly not described as a comprehensive device security solution.
Firewall limit: The firewall feature is unavailable with root capture, and blocking an app does not prevent it from performing name resolution through Android netd.
Packet analysis caveat: The guide says non-root capture alters L3 and L4 packet headers and packet sizes, and recommends root capture for low-level packet analysis.
Platform requirement: The F-Droid listing says the app requires Android 6.0 or newer.
Support and community: The project lists a support email and invites users to join its Telegram or Matrix community.
Maker: The app is authored and maintained by Emanuele Faranda; the opened pages did not state a founding date or headquarters.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Network Packet Analyzer Software in 2026#13 of 33

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Sources

github.com/emanuele-f/PCAPdroid· checked 3 Oct 2026
emanuele-f.github.io/PCAPdroid/quick_start· checked 3 Oct 2026
emanuele-f.github.io/PCAPdroid/privacy· checked 3 Oct 2026
emanuele-f.github.io/PCAPdroid/paid_features· checked 3 Oct 2026
f-droid.org/packages/com.emanuelef.remote_capture/· checked 3 Oct 2026
play.google.com/store/apps/details· checked 3 Oct 2026
pcapdroid.org· checked 28 Sept 2026