Best netcat Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from network diagnostic software ranked against netcat on the same published basis.
- 1netcat vs DNSViz
- 2netcat vs Globalping
- 3netcat vs iperf3
- 4netcat vs RIPE Atlas
- 5netcat vs SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager
- 6netcat vs Buddi
- 7netcat vs NetSpot
- 8netcat vs Nmap
- 9netcat vs PingPlotter
- 10netcat vs Angry IP Scanner
- 11netcat vs inSSIDer
- 12netcat vs NETworkManager
- 13netcat vs SystemTrayMenu
- 14netcat vs WhatInStartup
- 15netcat vs Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps
- 16netcat vs GRC DNS Benchmark
- 17netcat vs SolarWinds Free SFTP/SCP Server
- 18netcat vs WifiInfoView
- 19netcat vs WinMTR
- 20netcat vs Advanced Port Scanner
netcat alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DNSViz | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web |
| 2 | Globalping | 7.2 | Free plan | $10/mo | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 3 | iperf3 | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted |
| 4 | RIPE Atlas | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, Web |
| 5 | SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Buddi | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | NetSpot | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 8 | Nmap | 5.9 | Free plan | $9,980/mo | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 9 | PingPlotter | 5.9 | Free plan | $29/mo | iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 10 | Angry IP Scanner | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | inSSIDer | 5.8 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 12 | NETworkManager | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 13 | SystemTrayMenu | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 14 | WhatInStartup | 5.4 | No | — | Windows |
| 15 | Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps | 5.3 | No | — | Windows |
| 16 | GRC DNS Benchmark | 5.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | SolarWinds Free SFTP/SCP Server | 5.2 | No | — | Windows |
| 18 | WifiInfoView | 5.2 | No | — | Windows |
| 19 | WinMTR | 5.2 | No | — | Windows |
| 20 | Advanced Port Scanner | 5.1 | No | — | Windows |
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Questions about netcat alternatives
What is the best alternative to netcat?
DNSViz, number 1 in network diagnostic software with a score of 7.3 out of 10. The others here: Globalping, iperf3, RIPE Atlas and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to netcat?
DNSViz is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 13 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives 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.