Side by side
CAINE vs NetworkMiner
Both stand on digital forensics 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 LinuxSelf-hostedWindows
CAINE offers a free forensic live distribution with read-only device handling and a broad set of investigation utilities. Before disabling Secure Boot, the project advises having the BitLocker recovery key available.
Visit CAINE
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
NetworkMiner offers a free starting point for traffic analysis, with Professional adding more inputs, exports and analysis features. Keep its TLS decryption limitation and PCAP malware warning in mind; the listed licenses also have different costs and terms.
Visit NetworkMinerThe facts
| CAINE | NetworkMiner | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Single User License: $1,300, paid once |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | caine-live.net | netresec.com |
| On digital forensics software | #2 of 30 | #6 of 30 |
CAINE: what it does well
- Free ISO image, approximately 4000 MB
- Block devices default to read-only in CAINE 14.0
- Includes Autopsy, FTK Imager, PhotoRec, and TestDisk
- Supports disk, memory, and mobile forensics
- Provides a hash link for ISO integrity checks
What to know first
- Secure Boot may need to be disabled
- Third-party software retains separate licenses
- Windows support is through forensic side tools
NetworkMiner: what it does well
- Free edition supports live sniffing and PCAP/ETL parsing.
- Professional supports PcapNG and additional capture inputs.
- Professional exports CSV, JSON-LD and XML.
- Extracted data remains on the end-user device.
- GPLv2 free and open-source code.
What to know first
- Free edition does not parse PcapNG.
- Does not decrypt HTTPS or other TLS sessions.
- Single User License costs $1,300, paid once.
- Opening PCAPs can automatically extract malware.
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