Arkime vs NETCAP

Arkime8.7Visit NETCAP7.4Visit

Higher score Arkime #6 in Network Protocol Analyzers 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Arkime

vs

NETCAP #18 in Network Protocol Analyzers 7.4/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 5 features Visit NETCAP

• Arkime fits best

  Searchable, server-based packet investigations

• NETCAP fits best

  Distributed analysis with reporting and AI assistance

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Arkime 8.7/10 Visit ↗	NETCAP 7.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	7.4
Ranking	#6 in Network Protocol Analyzers	#18 in Network Protocol Analyzers
Best for	Searchable, server-based packet investigations	Distributed analysis with reporting and AI assistance
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Self-hosted	Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux, Web
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	2 integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Enterprise
Features Arkime 4/5 · NETCAP 4/5
PCAP support	✓	✓
Traffic decryption	—	Not checked yet
CLI tools	✓	✓
Remote capture	✓	✓
Flow analysis	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment	Server	Both
Capture sources	Both	Both
Our review
Pros	Combines live capture with offline PCAP import and processing Searches session metadata and protocol fields through a web interface Supports PCAP retention, export, flow views, and remote capture	Live capture, PCAP processing, and distributed sensor collection Structured exports include Protocol Buffers, CSV, JSON, and Prometheus Pro adds graph, timeline, and AI-assisted anomaly analysis
Cons	Requires server deployment and self-hosted operation Encrypted TLS traffic is indexed as ciphertext without decryption support OpenSearch or Elasticsearch is required for indexed session data	Pro costs €49 per month Core is centered on command-line workflows Advanced investigation features are tied to Pro
Our verdict	Arkime is a self-hosted, open-source network analysis and session search system for security teams and network operators. It runs on Linux with web, API, and server deployment options. The system can capture traffic from live network… Read the review →	NETCAP is a network traffic analysis framework for security research, forensics, intrusion monitoring, and machine-learning workflows. Its open-source Core edition captures traffic from network interfaces, processes PCAP files, decodes… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Arkime — where it wins

  • Combines live capture with offline PCAP import and processing
  • Searches session metadata and protocol fields through a web interface
  • Supports PCAP retention, export, flow views, and remote capture

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires server deployment and self-hosted operation
  • Encrypted TLS traffic is indexed as ciphertext without decryption support
  • OpenSearch or Elasticsearch is required for indexed session data

• NETCAP — where it wins

  • Live capture, PCAP processing, and distributed sensor collection
  • Structured exports include Protocol Buffers, CSV, JSON, and Prometheus
  • Pro adds graph, timeline, and AI-assisted anomaly analysis

  Where it doesn't

  • Pro costs €49 per month
  • Core is centered on command-line workflows
  • Advanced investigation features are tied to Pro

• Arkime8.7/10 · Free plan

  A server-based Arkime system for searchable packet investigations and session analysis.

  Visit ArkimeFull verdict →
• NETCAP7.4/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  NETCAP combines live capture, PCAP analysis, distributed collection, and AI-assisted investigation.

  Visit NETCAPFull verdict →