Best Network Packet Analyzer Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Malcolm is ranked #1 of 33 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of PacketSafari and Scapy. The best-ranked option with a free plan is PacketSafari. The lowest first paid tier on this page is NETCAP at $548/mo.
Network packet analyzers help you inspect traffic as it moves across a network or review it from a capture file. Compared on capture file formats, live capture, protocol dissectors, and traffic decryption, the entries offer several ways to assess how each tool fits your analysis workflow. Operating-system support and command-line availability may also shape the fit; free-plan status and paid-from pricing add cost context. Malcolm and Arkime lead the ranking, with PacketSafari and Wireshark among the early entries. Compare those capabilities against how you capture, inspect, and work with network data.
33 network packet analyzer software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Live capture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malcolm | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | PacketSafari | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | No | View |
| 3 | Scapy | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 | Arkime | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 5 |  BruteShark | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 6 | NETCAP | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $548/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 7 | NetworkMiner | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 8 |  PCAPdroid | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 9 |  Sniffnet | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 |  WhatInStartup | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 11 |  Xplico | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 |  tcpdump | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 |  TShark | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 14 |  Wireshark | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 | SmartSniff | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 16 |  PAL (Pcap Analysis Library) | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 17 |  PcapAI | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 18 |  CapAnalysis | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 | netsniff-ng | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 20 |  Colasoft Capsa | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 21 | Zui | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | A-Packets | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 |  EtherApe | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 |  VIAVI Observer Analyzer | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 25 | CloudShark | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | No | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which network packet analyzer software is ranked first on Inferse?
Malcolm is ranked #1 of 33 with a score of 7.4. PacketSafari is second and Scapy third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, NETCAP has the lowest first paid tier we found: $548/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.