Side by side
A-Packets vs HOMER
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.
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
Choose HOMER if you need an open-source platform for SIP, VoIP or RTC packet capture and monitoring, with storage, search and API components. Its modular options support additional telemetry and integrations. Check the deployment requirements if you need OTLP, VQRTCP or SIPREC, since those capabilities depend on the writer module.
Visit HOMERThe facts
| A-Packets | HOMER | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Starter Workspace: $99 a year | Not published |
| Plans published | 16 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | apackets.com | sipcapture.github.io |
| On network protocol analyzers | #5 of 30 | #9 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.
HOMER: what it does well
- Captures HEP packets over UDP, TCP, TLS, HTTP and HTTPS.
- Stores data in DuckLake with Parquet and a SQLite catalog.
- Supports local disk, S3 and Azure Blob Storage for Parquet data.
- Offers command-line search and a REST API.
- Available under GNU AGPL version 3 or later.
What to know first
- The OTLP receiver requires the writer module to be enabled.
- Optional VQRTCP and SIPREC features also require the writer module.
- MCP search is disabled by default and restricted to SELECT or WITH queries.
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