Side by side
portwave vs ScanSearch
Both stand on port scanner software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Portwave if you want a free CLI scanner with HTTP and SSL enrichment, file exports, and support for mixed target types. Look elsewhere if you need SYN scanning, detailed service-version fingerprinting, IDS evasion, or ICMP host discovery.
Visit portwave
Free plan APILinuxWeb
ScanSearch combines live exposure scans with search and monitoring tools. Use it only for targets you are authorized to scan, and note the free scanner's result and export limits.
Visit ScanSearchThe facts
| portwave | ScanSearch | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | API, Linux, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | See the plans |
| Plans published | None | 9 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | scansearch.net |
| On port scanner software | #19 of 26 | #15 of 26 |
portwave: what it does well
- Accepts IPs, CIDRs, ranges, domains, and ASNs together.
- Scans IPv4 and IPv6 targets on three desktop platforms.
- Adds HTTP, TLS, certificate, and nuclei findings.
- Exports results as JSONL, JSON, or TXT.
- Can record summaries and port differences between runs.
What to know first
- A bare scan uses a curated port list.
- Service identification stops at protocol classification.
- No SYN scans, IDS evasion, or ICMP discovery preflight.
- Large IPv6 scopes need an override or smart sampling.
ScanSearch: what it does well
- Detects services using more than 12,000 signatures.
- Exports results as TXT, JSON, or CSV.
- REST API supports webhooks, batch operations, Python SDK, and CLI.
- Monitoring offers scheduled scans and change tracking.
What to know first
- Scanning targets requires permission.
- Free accounts retain scan data for seven days.
- Free scanner limits scans to 1,000 results and 100 exported rows.
Alternatives to portwave Alternatives to ScanSearch The whole list