Best Network Diagnostic Software in 2026
Updated
In short: PingPlotter is ranked #1 of 39 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of DNSViz and Globalping. The best-ranked option with a free plan is DNSViz. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Globalping at $10/mo.
When troubleshooting a network, the right diagnostic depends on whether you need to investigate DNS, packet loss or a route between systems. Compared on DNS diagnostics, packet-loss analysis and path visualization, these tools offer different areas of focus. PingPlotter, DNSViz and Globalping are among the entries to consider. You can also compare deployment, command-line interface, supported platforms and target limit against your environment and workflow. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Start with the network question you need to answer, then weigh the listed capabilities and platform fit.
39 network diagnostic software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
14 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PingPlotterWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $29/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | DNSVizWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | GlobalpingWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | NetSpotWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | NmapWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $9,980/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | SoftPerfect Bandwidth ManagerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | Angry IP ScannerWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | BuddiWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Open Visual TracerouteWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | RIPE AtlasWeb · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 11 | inSSIDerWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $16.67/mo | 6.4 | |
| 12 | iperf3Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | NETworkManagerWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | SystemTrayMenuWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 15 | nPerfWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 6 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 16 | iperf2Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | WhatInStartupWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 18 | DNSViz ToolkitWeb · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | EthrWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | HiPerConTracerLinux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 21 | Advanced Port ScannerWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | HttpWatchWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | netcatLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | Network AssistantNo platforms listed | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 25 | PingTesterWeb · Windows | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment | Path visualization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PingPlotter | 6.7 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | hybrid | Yes |
| 2 | DNSViz | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 3 | Globalping | 6.6 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | — |
| 4 | NetSpot | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Nmap | 6.6 | Free plan | $9,980/mo | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 6 | SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | No | — | desktop | Yes |
| 7 | Angry IP Scanner | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 8 | Buddi | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 9 | Open Visual Traceroute | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 10 | RIPE Atlas | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | — | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 11 | inSSIDer | 6.4 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | iperf3 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | No |
| 13 | NETworkManager | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 14 | SystemTrayMenu | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 15 | nPerf | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | — |
| 16 | iperf2 | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 17 | WhatInStartup | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | No |
| 18 | DNSViz Toolkit | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 19 | Ethr | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | desktop | — |
| 20 | HiPerConTracer | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | desktop | — |
| 21 | Advanced Port Scanner | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 22 | HttpWatch | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 23 | netcat | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 24 | Network Assistant | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 25 | PingTester | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which network diagnostic software is ranked first on Freedom251?
PingPlotter is ranked #1 of 39 with a score of 6.7. DNSViz is second and Globalping third.
How many of these have a free plan?
14 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Globalping has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.