TShark vs Zui

TShark9.2Visit Zui7.8Visit

Higher score TShark #2 in Network Protocol Analyzers 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Wireshark

vs

Zui #14 in Network Protocol Analyzers 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Zui

• TShark fits best

  Scriptable packet analysis

• Zui fits best

  PCAP investigations with Zeek and Suricata

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Side by side

Feature	TShark 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Zui 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	7.8
Ranking	#2 in Network Protocol Analyzers	#14 in Network Protocol Analyzers
Best for	Scriptable packet analysis	PCAP investigations with Zeek and Suricata
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop	Desktop, Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features TShark 5/5 · Zui 3/5
PCAP support	✓	✓
Traffic decryption	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
CLI tools	✓	✓
Remote capture	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Flow analysis	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment	Both	Both
Capture sources	Both	Local
Our review
Pros	Live and offline analysis with PCAP and PCAPNG support Structured JSON, PDML, and fields output for automation Remote capture, filtering, flow analysis, and TLS decryption support	Correlates Zeek events with Suricata alerts Includes flow diagrams, pivots, queries, and PCAP export Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux at no cost
Cons	Command-line interface lacks Wireshark's graphical workflow TLS decryption requires appropriate configured secrets or keys No AI features for assisted analysis	Network capture is limited to local data The release is described as legacy Remote Zed access is not remote interface capture
Our verdict	TShark is the command-line network protocol analyzer included in the Wireshark distribution. It captures traffic from live network interfaces, reads saved PCAP and PCAPNG files, decodes protocols, applies capture and display filters, and… Read the review →	Zui is a free desktop application for exploring, querying, and analyzing Zed lakes and packet-capture data. It is aimed at analysts investigating PCAP files with Zeek and Suricata, as well as teams working with local or remote Zed lake… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• TShark — where it wins

  • Live and offline analysis with PCAP and PCAPNG support
  • Structured JSON, PDML, and fields output for automation
  • Remote capture, filtering, flow analysis, and TLS decryption support

  Where it doesn't

  • Command-line interface lacks Wireshark's graphical workflow
  • TLS decryption requires appropriate configured secrets or keys
  • No AI features for assisted analysis

• Zui — where it wins

  • Correlates Zeek events with Suricata alerts
  • Includes flow diagrams, pivots, queries, and PCAP export
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux at no cost

  Where it doesn't

  • Network capture is limited to local data
  • The release is described as legacy
  • Remote Zed access is not remote interface capture

• TShark9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, scriptable Wireshark-based analyzer for live captures, PCAP files, and protocol workflows.

  Visit WiresharkFull verdict →
• Zui7.8/10 · Free plan

  A free, cross-platform desktop analyzer for PCAP, Zeek, Suricata, and Zed lakes.

  Visit ZuiFull verdict →