Scapy vs tcpdump

Scapy9.0Visit tcpdump8.8Visit

Higher score Scapy #3 in Network Protocol Analyzers 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Scapy

vs

tcpdump #5 in Network Protocol Analyzers 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit tcpdump

• Scapy fits best

  Programmable packet crafting and analysis

• tcpdump fits best

  Lightweight command-line capture

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Side by side

Feature	Scapy 9.0/10 Visit ↗	tcpdump 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.8
Ranking	#3 in Network Protocol Analyzers	#5 in Network Protocol Analyzers
Best for	Programmable packet crafting and analysis	Lightweight command-line capture
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Scapy 5/5 · tcpdump 4/5
PCAP support	✓	✓
Traffic decryption	✓	✓
CLI tools	✓	✓
Remote capture	✓	✓
Flow analysis	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Both	Both
Capture sources	Both	Both
Our review
Pros	Build and send custom packets with Python or the interactive shell. Decode protocols and import or export PCAP files. Analyze flows and support remote capture through Wireshark extcap.	Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux BPF filtering, protocol decoding, and timestamped output PCAP/pcapng handling, rotation, decryption, and remote capture
Cons	Its workflow centers on Python and an interactive shell. TLS decryption requires available session secrets. It is a toolkit, not a hosted SaaS service.	Command-line workflow may require technical network knowledge No AI-assisted features Limited confirmed flow analysis and deep inspection
Our verdict	Scapy is an open-source Python program and library for sending, sniffing, dissecting, forging, and analyzing network packets. It is aimed at users who need programmable control over packet construction and inspection rather than a fixed… Read the review →	tcpdump is a free, open-source command-line network protocol analyzer for capturing and inspecting traffic. It is suited to network troubleshooting, monitoring, traffic analysis, and security diagnostics across Windows, macOS, and Linux.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Scapy — where it wins

  • Build and send custom packets with Python or the interactive shell.
  • Decode protocols and import or export PCAP files.
  • Analyze flows and support remote capture through Wireshark extcap.

  Where it doesn't

  • Its workflow centers on Python and an interactive shell.
  • TLS decryption requires available session secrets.
  • It is a toolkit, not a hosted SaaS service.

• tcpdump — where it wins

  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • BPF filtering, protocol decoding, and timestamped output
  • PCAP/pcapng handling, rotation, decryption, and remote capture

  Where it doesn't

  • Command-line workflow may require technical network knowledge
  • No AI-assisted features
  • Limited confirmed flow analysis and deep inspection

• Scapy9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, programmable toolkit for crafting, capturing, decoding, and analyzing packets.

  Visit ScapyFull verdict →
• tcpdump8.8/10 · Free plan

  Free, open-source capture with strong filtering and PCAP support, but limited analysis depth.

  Visit tcpdumpFull verdict →