Side by side
CapAnalysis vs Wireshark
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 LinuxWeb
Choose CapAnalysis if you need a free tool for indexing and filtering PCAP traffic, with protocol inspection and geographic views. The demo has a 20 MB file limit and removes dataset data the next day, so that route suits only short-lived analysis within those constraints.
Visit CapAnalysis Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2
Wireshark provides broad protocol inspection and analysis tools at no license fee, with both graphical and terminal interfaces. Capture visibility depends on the system and network setup, so it may not show every packet on a switched network.
Visit WiresharkThe facts
| CapAnalysis | Wireshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Linux, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | capanalysis.net | wireshark.org |
| On network packet analyzer software | #9 of 32 | #5 of 32 |
CapAnalysis: what it does well
- Indexes PCAP datasets and displays TCP, UDP, and ESP flows.
- Handles individual PCAP files and sets of files.
- Recognizes more than 140 protocols for filtering.
- Reports TCP byte loss and exchange totals without retransmissions.
- Includes geographic views and IPv4 and IPv6 destination country identification.
What to know first
- The demo accepts files only up to 20 MB.
- Demo dataset data is automatically deleted the following day at 00:00 UTC.
- Listed installation packages are for Debian and Ubuntu.
Wireshark: what it does well
- Free full version under GNU General Public License version 2.
- Supports live capture and offline analysis.
- Inspects hundreds of protocols.
- Reads and writes pcap and pcapng formats.
- Includes both graphical and terminal tools.
What to know first
- Windows live capture requires Npcap.
- Visible traffic depends on network and capture configuration.
- Switched networks may hide unicast traffic between other ports.
- Display-filter syntax differs from capture-filter syntax.
Alternatives to CapAnalysis Alternatives to Wireshark The whole list