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Colasoft Capsa

colasoft.com

Free plan Windows
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Spec score 8.9 #2 of 22 in Network Packet Capture Software

What it is

Colasoft Capsa is a Windows network analyzer for monitoring, analyzing and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks. The Enterprise edition captures packets in real time from local networks and can save transmitted data. It analyzes more than 1,800 protocols and sub-protocols, including VoIP, and displays packet details in Hex, ASCII and EBCDIC. Capsa can diagnose network problems and suggest solutions, monitor conversations, reconstruct packet streams and generate reports for selected items, the whole network or a particular network group. Its security analysis detects DoS and DDoS attacks, worm activity, ARP attacks, TCP port scans and suspicious conversations in real time. Users can set email or sound alerts and schedule capture once, daily or weekly. Capsa Free monitors up to 10 IP addresses, ends sessions after four hours and lacks WiFi connection monitoring. Professional is listed at $695, paid once for a single-seat perpetual license, one machine and one year of maintenance. Enterprise is $1,295, paid once and has a 30-day trial.

Spec sheet

What it does
Capsa is a Windows LAN and WLAN analyzer for real-time packet capture, traffic monitoring, protocol analysis and network troubleshooting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Purpose
Capsa is a portable network analyzer for monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting wired and wireless networks.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Intended users
Colasoft describes Capsa Enterprise as designed for small business and enterprise users, including network administrators and engineers.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Integrations
The pages opened describe protocol and application analysis, but do not identify named third-party integrations.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Support
Colasoft maintenance includes priority email support, free product updates, and access to prerelease products during the maintenance period.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Alerts and scheduling
Capsa can notify users by email or sound when an alarm triggers, and schedule packet capture to run once, daily, or weekly.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Behavior monitoring
Built-in monitoring covers HTTP, email, DNS, FTP, MSN and Yahoo Messenger traffic.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Built-in tools
The package includes packet creation and replay tools plus IP scanning and ping utilities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Command-line extensibility
Capsa supports command-line launching and allows customization with external Windows applications and tools.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Company facts
Gartner describes Colasoft as a private company founded in 2001, headquartered in Kowloon, China, with 501–1000 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Conversation analysis
Capsa monitors conversations and reconstructs packet streams.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Diagnosis
Automatic expert diagnosis identifies network problems and suggests solutions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Documentation
The vendor provides version 15.1 user guide, datasheet, technical specifications and whitepaper documents.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Hardware requirements
Minimum hardware is a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 and 4GB RAM; the recommended configuration is a 3.2GHz Core Duo and at least 8GB RAM.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Licence
The EULA describes copyrighted proprietary software with perpetual single-seat and five-seat licensing and prohibits reverse engineering or redistribution of full versions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Limit: complexity and cost
The G2 reviewer says the many features are difficult to learn, the price is high for small deployments and heavy traffic can slow the system.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: scalability and API
The TrustRadius reviewer reports a performance cutoff near 3Gb/s and requests 10Gb/s scaling, capture-trigger APIs and remote-capture agents.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Network diagnosis
Capsa automatically diagnoses network problems and suggests solutions.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Packet capture
Enterprise captures and saves packets from wired and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networks in real time.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Packet decoding
Captured packets can be inspected in Hex, ASCII and EBCDIC representations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Platform requirement
The Enterprise trial download lists Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2019 as requirements.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Praise: network troubleshooting
The G2 reviewer praises real-time capture, host and IP monitoring and the ability to pinpoint network problems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: robustness and value
A verified TrustRadius reviewer praises robust business-traffic handling, easy setup and filtering, and relatively low cost.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Praise: visualization
A Gartner reviewer praises rich performance indicators, strong visualization and effective identification of business performance problems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Protocol analysis
The product analyzes more than 1800 protocols and sub-protocols, including VoIP traffic.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Rating on Capterra
Capterra lists Capsa at 0.0 out of 5 from 0 user reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
Rating on G2
Colasoft Capsa is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 1 review.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
Capsa is rated 4.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, with 91% five-star and 9% four-star ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
Rating on GetApp
GetApp lists Capsa with a 0 rating from 0 user reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Software Advice
Software Advice reports that Colasoft Capsa has no reviews yet.Read 15 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Rating on TrustRadius
Capsa scores 9 out of 10 from 1 review.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustradius.com
Release news
The August 5, 2022 version 15.1 release added global filters, host behavior analysis, advanced filtering, TCP window prompts and sequence-diagram image export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Reports
Capsa generates reports for selected network items and can show reports for the global network or a specific network group.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Scheduling and alerts
Packet capture can run once, daily or weekly, with email or audio notifications when alarms trigger.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Security analysis
The feature page says Capsa detects DoS or DDoS attacks, worm activity, ARP attacks, TCP port scanning, and suspicious conversations in real time.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Security detection
Enterprise security analysis detects DoS or DDoS activity, worms, ARP attacks, TCP port scans and suspicious conversations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Support resources
Support includes FAQs, knowledge-base articles, how-to guides, videos, sample capture files, online help and a support form.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
System requirements
Supported systems include 64-bit Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10, 11 and Windows Server 2012 through 2019.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Traffic statistics
Capsa graphs network traffic and bandwidth and lists host traffic, IP and MAC details.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Trial and version
The Enterprise evaluation download is version 15.1, dated 08/05/2022, and is fully functional for 30 days.Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Trial download
Version 15.1 is a 387MB evaluation download for Windows 10, Windows 11 and Server 2019 that runs fully for 30 days.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Visualization
A matrix view presents network connections and traffic in an ellipse-style visualization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
VoIP analysis
Its VoIP module reports call statistics, control and media flows, jitter, packet loss and MOS-related diagnostics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com

Plans and prices

Capsa Free Free 10 IP addresses monitored · 4-hour session timeout · no WiFi connection monitoring Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Capsa Free Free 10 IP addresses · 4-hour session timeout · no WiFi monitoring · no commercial workplace use Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Capsa Standard $295, paid once perpetual license 50 IP addresses · unlimited session timeout · no WiFi monitoring Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Capsa Professional $695, paid once single-seat perpetual with 1 year maintenance single seat · maintenance renewal from $155 Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Capsa Enterprise $995, paid once perpetual license unlimited IP addresses · unlimited session timeout · WiFi monitoring · advanced security and reporting views Read 15 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com
Capsa Enterprise $1,295, paid once Perpetual license; the edition comparison lists $1,295. Unlimited IP addresses monitored · unlimited session timeout · 30-day trial Read 5 Oct 2026 · colasoft.com

Every Colasoft Capsa plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Analyzes more than 1,800 protocols and sub-protocols.
  • Diagnoses network problems and suggests solutions.
  • Detects several listed attack types in real time.
  • Packet capture can be scheduled once, daily or weekly.
  • Reports can cover network groups or the full network.

Limits

  • Free edition monitors only 10 IP addresses.
  • Free sessions time out after four hours.
  • Free edition does not monitor WiFi connections.
  • Remote capture is not supported.

Who it suits

Capsa is aimed at network administrators and engineers in small businesses and enterprises who need packet capture and network diagnosis. The free edition may suit limited monitoring, while paid editions have different license terms and limits.

Colasoft Capsa in depth

Read the full write-up

Colasoft Capsa is a Windows desktop network analyzer for administrators and engineers who need packet-level troubleshooting together with security monitoring. It is strongest when a local network investigation demands protocol depth, reconstructed conversations and actionable alerts in one workspace.

Overview

Capsa combines real-time packet capture, protocol inspection, decoding, flow analysis and conversation reconstruction. Enterprise can capture and save traffic from wired and wireless local networks, then follow a packet stream through a conversation rather than examining isolated frames. Automatic diagnosis suggests solutions for network problems, which gives an administrator a starting point when symptoms are not yet tied to a cause.

The security layer watches for denial-of-service and distributed denial-of-service attacks, worm activity, ARP attacks, TCP port scans and suspicious conversations in real time. Email or sound notifications can fire when an alarm is triggered. Scheduled capture can run once, daily or weekly, useful for recurring investigations or controlled collection windows.

Capsa is deployed on the desktop and captures from local sources. It supports PCAP, traffic decryption, flow analysis and command-line tools, but not remote capture. That makes it a practical workstation analyzer, not a solution for collecting packets directly from distant sites.

Key features

Broad protocol analysis: Enterprise supports more than 1,800 protocols and sub-protocols, including VoIP. That breadth is valuable for mixed environments where application traffic does not fit a short, common-protocol list.

Packet decoding: Decoding is presented in Hex, ASCII and EBCDIC, giving technically oriented users several ways to inspect payload and header information.

Conversation analysis: Capsa monitors conversations and reconstructs packet streams, helping an investigator connect individual packets to an exchange between endpoints.

Diagnosis and reporting: Automatic diagnosis proposes remedies, while reports can cover the global network, a specific network group or selected network items. The reporting scope suits both broad status reviews and focused incident documentation.

Alerts and scheduling: Real-time alarm notifications plus recurring capture schedules support unattended monitoring, although the capture source remains local.

Pricing

Capsa Free — free. It monitors 10 IP addresses, ends each session after four hours and cannot monitor WiFi connections. This is a sensible way to learn the interface or inspect a small wired segment, but the address, session and WiFi limits make it unsuitable for sustained or wireless-heavy operations.

Capsa Professional — $695, paid once. The price is for a single-seat perpetual license on one machine and includes one year of maintenance. Maintenance provides priority email support, free product updates and access to prerelease products during the maintenance period. It removes the Free edition's stated monitoring caps, but the single-machine, single-seat terms constrain wider deployment.

Capsa Enterprise — $1,295, paid once. This perpetual license supports unlimited IP addresses monitored and unlimited session timeout. A 30-day trial is provided, and the Enterprise evaluation download is fully functional for that period. The price is substantial, but it is the plan that fits continuous, larger-scale analysis rather than occasional diagnostics.

Platforms

Capsa runs on Windows as desktop software. The Enterprise trial names Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2019 as requirements. Local capture is supported; remote capture is not.

Who it's for

Network administrators and engineers in small businesses or enterprises are the clearest audience, especially those responsible for both troubleshooting and security triage. Free fits a small, short-lived wired check. Professional suits one operator who needs a perpetual workstation license. Enterprise is the better match for broad address coverage, long-running sessions and a 30-day full-feature evaluation.

Pros and cons

Pros

More than 1,800 protocols, including VoIP, support detailed application-level investigation.

Capture, decoding, reconstructed conversations, diagnosis and security alerts are combined in one tool.

Email or sound alarms and scheduled captures support recurring monitoring workflows.

PCAP, decryption, flow analysis and command-line tools extend analysis beyond a basic visual sniffer.

Cons

The Free edition is limited to 10 IP addresses, four-hour sessions and no WiFi monitoring.

Paid licenses begin at $695 and are one-time purchases, a significant commitment for occasional users.

Professional is restricted to one seat and one machine.

No remote capture limits investigations to traffic available at the local capture point.

Windows is the only stated platform.

Alternatives

Choose Termshark instead when you want a free, cross-platform terminal interface and can provide tshark in PATH; some tshark features are not exposed.

Malcolm is a free, self-hosted option for teams that prefer web and API access across Windows, Linux and macOS.

NetworkMiner is worth considering for a free, open-source C#/.NET approach on Linux, macOS or Windows.

Sniffnet is a fully free, open-source choice under MIT or Apache-2.0 licensing.

Arkime fits users seeking free, open-source, self-hosted web analysis with no paid-only features.

PCAPdroid targets Android users; its free tier covers core monitoring and capture, while firewall, malware detection and PCAPng are paid features.

tcpdump is a free BSD-licensed command-line alternative whose capture permissions depend on the operating system and configuration.

TShark is a free GNU GPL v2 command-line option maintained by the Wireshark Foundation.

For broader category browsing, see Network Packet Capture Software, Network Packet Analyzer Software, Network Protocol Analyzers and Network Monitoring.

Verdict

Choose Capsa when a Windows-based administrator needs deep local packet analysis, reconstructed conversations, automatic diagnosis and real-time security alarms in one paid desktop product. Look elsewhere if you need remote capture, a non-Windows platform, a lightweight command-line workflow or licensing below the $695 Professional entry point.

Verdict

Capsa combines packet analysis, diagnostics and security alerts in a Windows desktop tool. The Free edition has clear monitoring limits, while Professional and Enterprise use one-time license pricing.

Where Specifiction places it

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