Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026
- 1Runs onLinux
- 2CostsFree plan
- 3Application monitoringNo
3 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: ex-parrot.com, sources.debian.org
Overview
iftop is ranked #20 of 31 in bandwidth monitoring software on Specifiction. It runs on Linux. There is a free plan.
iftop plans and pricing
All plansiftop Free GPL-licensed software; requires sufficient permissions to monitor network traffic on the interface sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
Compared on bandwidth monitoring software
- Free plan
- Yesex-parrot.com
- Application monitoring
- Noex-parrot.com
Facts
- Purpose
- iftop displays current bandwidth usage by pairs of hosts on a network interface.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Traffic capture
- iftop listens on a named interface or, if none is specified, the first interface it finds that looks like an external interface.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Permissions
- iftop must be run with sufficient permissions to monitor all network traffic on the interface.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Filtering
- It supports packet filter code and display filters, with display filters affecting what is shown rather than what is captured.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Traffic views
- The display can show host names, port numbers, bandwidth bars, totals, and traffic rates averaged over 2, 10, and 40 seconds.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Configuration
- iftop can read settings from a configuration file, defaulting to ~/.iftoprc when no alternate file is specified.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Terminal output
- A text interface without ncurses is available, with options to print a single output after a specified number of seconds and limit the number of lines.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Network support
- Configuration options include an IPv4 network boundary and display of link-local IPv6 traffic.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Promiscuous mode
- iftop can put the interface into promiscuous mode to capture traffic between other hosts on the same network segment.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Integration
- The manual lists tcpdump, pcap, and driftnet as related tools; it does not state integrations with external services.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Security and license
- The manual identifies iftop as free software under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or any later version, and provides it without warranty.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- After changing the capture filter, existing display entries may remain for up to 40 seconds because the display reflects a recent capture window.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
- Maker
- The manual names Paul Warren as the author.sources.debian.org · 4 Oct 2026
Best iftop alternatives
See all 20 All accessCh 01 SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager Free planFree trialLinux Free to start7.8 All accessCh 02 ntopng Free planAPILinux Free to start7.4 All accessCh 03 GlassWire Free planAndroidWeb from $2.99/mo7.3 All accessCh 04 Nagios XI Free planFree trialAPI Free to start7.3 All accessCh 05 sFlowTrend Free planLinuxMac Free to start7.3 All accessCh 06 ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer Free planAndroidiOS from $172/mo7.2
Where it ranks on Specifiction
Is iftop yours?
Claim it for free: prove the domain, then correct facts, plans and screenshots. An editor reviews every change.
Sources
- sources.debian.org/src/iftop/1.0~pre4-7/iftop.cat· checked 4 Oct 2026