Best Network Packet Capture Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Malcolm is ranked #1 of 20 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Arkime and EndaceProbe. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Arkime.
Capturing network packets can support live traffic inspection as well as analysis of traces saved for later. Compare live capture and offline trace analysis, together with capture file formats, display filters, and protocol decryption. Command-line capture and supported platforms can affect how a tool fits with your environment, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer cost context. Malcolm, Arkime, and EndaceProbe are among the options shown. Consider whether your work centers on gathering traffic, examining existing captures, or both, then assess the listed features against that workflow.
20 network packet capture software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Network Packet Capture Software, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 3 of the 20 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Malcolm API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 02 Arkime API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 03 EndaceProbe API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9
- 04 Termshark API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0Free
- 05 NetworkMiner API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 06 PCAPdroid API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 07 Sniffnet API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 08 tcpdump API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 09 TShark API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 10 Wireshark API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 11 VIAVI Observer Analyzer API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 12 netsniff-ng API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.2
- 13 EndaceVision API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 14 nChronos API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 15 SentryWire API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.1
- 16 Airtool Pi API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 17 PacketWatch API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.0
- 18 GL PacketScan API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.9
- 19 Colasoft Capsa API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.8
- 20 Omnipeek API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 4.7
Compare all 20 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Live capture | Offline trace analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malcolm | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Arkime | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | EndaceProbe | 6.9 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Termshark | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | NetworkMiner | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | PCAPdroid | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Sniffnet | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | tcpdump | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | TShark | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Wireshark | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | VIAVI Observer Analyzer | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | netsniff-ng | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | EndaceVision | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | nChronos | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | SentryWire | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Airtool Pi | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | No |
| 17 | PacketWatch | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | GL PacketScan | 4.9 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Colasoft Capsa | 4.8 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | Omnipeek | 4.7 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which network packet capture software is ranked first on Inferse?
Malcolm is ranked #1 of 20 with a score of 7.3. Arkime is second and EndaceProbe third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 20 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
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.