Side by side
A-Packets vs Arkime
Both stand on network protocol analyzers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
A-Packets provides packet capture analysis with public and private options, plus an OnPrem deployment for customer-controlled infrastructure. Check the public result visibility and OnPrem limits against your workflow before choosing a plan.
Visit A-Packets
Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
Arkime offers session search, packet inspection, and flexible packet retention without license fees. It requires an OpenSearch or Elasticsearch deployment, so teams should account for that dependency and its operation.
Visit ArkimeThe facts
| A-Packets | Arkime | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Starter Workspace: $99 a year | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 16 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | apackets.com | arkime.com |
| On network protocol analyzers | #5 of 30 | #1 of 30 |
A-Packets: what it does well
- Analyzes PCAP and PCAPNG captures.
- Reconstructs HTTP sessions and maps hosts and services.
- Public analysis is available without signup.
- Workspace plans include a REST API key.
- OnPrem supports air-gapped deployment.
What to know first
- Public analysis result pages are public.
- Public uploads are limited to 25 MB.
- OnPrem does not decrypt TLS payloads.
- OnPrem does not capture continuously or alert.
Arkime: what it does well
- Stores full packets in standard PCAP format.
- Supports metadata-only capture with traffic selection rules.
- Exports search results as PCAP or CSV.
- Capture can scale with more machines, CPU, or disk.
- Authentication options include OIDC.
What to know first
- Requires OpenSearch or Elasticsearch for session metadata.
- Phone indicator enrichment is limited to the U.S.
- Anonymous authentication is not recommended.
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