Best Network Protocol Analyzers in 2026
Updated
In short: Scapy is ranked #1 of 29 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Kismet and Arkime. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Kismet. The lowest first paid tier on this page is VoIPmonitor at $21.58/mo.
Inspecting network traffic calls for tools that fit both the data sources you can capture and the analysis you need to perform. Compare capture sources, PCAP support, and remote capture, then look at flow analysis, traffic decryption, and CLI tools. Deployment, free-plan availability, and paid starting prices offer additional points of comparison. The ranking begins with Scapy, Kismet, and Arkime, followed by VoIPmonitor and Wireshark among the early entries. Consider how these capabilities align with your environment and investigation workflow, from collecting traffic to examining protocols and deciding whether command-line access is important.
29 network protocol analyzers 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 | Deployment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scapy | 8.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 2 | Kismet | 8.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 3 | Arkime | 8.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | server | View |
| 4 |  VoIPmonitor | 7.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $21.58/mo | No | 22 /mo | — | View |
| 5 |  Wireshark | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | desktop | View |
| 6 |  TShark | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 7 |  tcpdump | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 8 | Zui | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | both | View |
| 9 | NETCAP | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $548/mo | Yes | — | both | View |
| 10 | NetworkMiner | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | desktop | View |
| 11 |  My Network Consultant | 6.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | server | View |
| 12 | Trisul Network Analytics | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | server | View |
| 13 | GL PacketScan | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | both | View |
| 14 | A-Packets | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | server | View |
| 15 | Ettercap | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | desktop | View |
| 16 |  Colasoft Capsa | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | desktop | View |
| 17 | CloudShark | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | server | View |
| 18 | PacketSense | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | desktop | View |
| 19 |  termshark | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | both | View |
| 20 |  EtherApe | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | desktop | View |
| 21 | CommView | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | both | View |
| 22 |  netsniff-ng | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 23 | Glean Packets | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | server | View |
| 24 | HOMER | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | server | View |
| 25 |  Omnipeek | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | both | 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 protocol analyzer is ranked first on Inferse?
Scapy is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 8.9. Kismet is second and Arkime third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, VoIPmonitor has the lowest first paid tier we found: $21.58/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.