Best Network Testing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: OpenSpeedTest is ranked #1 of 31 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of LibreSpeed and PingPlotter. The best-ranked option with a free plan is LibreSpeed. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Ostinato at $12/mo.
Network testing tools help you examine connectivity and network behavior using different testing approaches. Compared on test methods and protocol support, these entries can be assessed for the kinds of checks you need to carry out. Deployment choices, scheduled tests, distributed agents, and API access provide more ways to compare how a tool could fit into your environment. LibreSpeed, PingPlotter, and TRex are among the options shown. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing are also listed, giving you cost context alongside the technical criteria as you consider which capabilities align with your testing work.
31 network testing 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 | OpenSpeedTestWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.8 | |
| 2 | LibreSpeedWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | PingPlotterWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $29/mo | 6.7 | |
| 4 | TRexWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 5 | EVE-NGWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 6 | GNS3Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 7 | MininetWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 8 | NetperfWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | NetpickerWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $625/mo | 6.5 | |
| 10 | Cisco pyATSMac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | FlentMac · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | InvariantWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | iperf3Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 14 | perfSONARLinux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 15 | BatfishWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 16 | iPerf2Windows · Mac · Linux · Android | One bar | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | M-Lab NDTWeb · Android | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | PacketForgeWeb · Windows | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | TestgroundSelf-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | MoonGenLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | OstinatoWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $12/mo | 5.2 |
| 22 | PacketCheckWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | Pktgen-DPDKLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | NetBeezWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | NTTTCPWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment | Test methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OpenSpeedTest | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | active |
| 2 | LibreSpeed | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | active |
| 3 | PingPlotter | 6.7 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | hybrid | — |
| 4 | TRex | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 5 | EVE-NG | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | GNS3 | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Mininet | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Netperf | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | — | — | self_hosted | active |
| 9 | Netpicker | 6.5 | Free plan | $625/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Cisco pyATS | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | self_hosted | — |
| 11 | Flent | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | desktop | active |
| 12 | Invariant | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | — |
| 13 | iperf3 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | — |
| 14 | perfSONAR | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | No | — | — | — |
| 15 | Batfish | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | self_hosted | — |
| 16 | iPerf2 | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | active |
| 17 | M-Lab NDT | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | active |
| 18 | PacketForge | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | desktop | active |
| 19 | Testground | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | active |
| 20 | MoonGen | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | both |
| 21 | Ostinato | 5.2 | No | $12/mo | No | 12 /mo | hybrid | active |
| 22 | PacketCheck | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | desktop | both |
| 23 | Pktgen-DPDK | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | self_hosted | active |
| 24 | NetBeez | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | cloud | — |
| 25 | NTTTCP | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | desktop | — |
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 testing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
OpenSpeedTest is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.8. LibreSpeed is second and PingPlotter 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, Ostinato has the lowest first paid tier we found: $12/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.