Side by side
PingPlotter vs Wireshark
Both stand on network troubleshooting software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIiPhoneLinux+3
PingPlotter provides desktop monitoring and a centralized Cloud option, with alerts and analysis for troubleshooting. Consider the free edition's connection and history limits, or compare them with the listed paid plans.
Visit PingPlotter 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
| PingPlotter | Wireshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs on | API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Standard: $6.99 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | pingplotter.com | wireshark.org |
| On network troubleshooting software | #5 of 18 | #1 of 18 |
PingPlotter: what it does well
- Tracks latency, jitter, and packet loss continuously.
- Visualizes network paths to help locate connection problems.
- Cloud alerts can call collaboration and issue-tracking services.
- Insights identifies incidents, potential causes, and possible fixes.
What to know first
- Free desktop use is limited to one connection.
- Free desktop use has no remote collection.
- Free monitoring history is limited to 10 minutes.
- Cloud trials last seven days.
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 PingPlotter Alternatives to Wireshark The whole list