Side by side
Arkime vs NETCAP
Both stand on network packet analyzer software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
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 Arkime
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
NETCAP pairs packet capture and structured records in Core with added investigation tools in Pro. The free edition and trial offer distinct ways to assess the listed feature sets.
Visit NETCAPThe facts
| Arkime | NETCAP | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Pro: €49 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | arkime.com | netcap.io |
| On network packet analyzer software | #1 of 32 | #2 of 32 |
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.
NETCAP: what it does well
- Free Core edition includes more than 66 audit record types.
- Captures live traffic and processes PCAP files.
- Outputs four listed formats, including JSON streams.
- Pro includes more than 35 analysis modules.
- Pro trial lasts 14 days without a credit card.
What to know first
- Enterprise pricing is custom.
- Core lists community support; Pro lists email support.
- Pro's listed desktop builds require macOS 14 or later, Windows 10/11 64-bit, or Debian/Ubuntu amd64.
Alternatives to Arkime Alternatives to NETCAP The whole list