Best netcat Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from network diagnostic software ranked against netcat on the same published basis.
- 1netcat vs PingPlotter
- 2netcat vs SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager
- 3netcat vs NetSpot
- 4netcat vs Nmap
- 5netcat vs DNSViz
- 6netcat vs Globalping
- 7netcat vs inSSIDer
- 8netcat vs RIPE Atlas
- 9netcat vs Buddi
- 10netcat vs Open Visual Traceroute
- 11netcat vs Angry IP Scanner
- 12netcat vs iperf3
- 13netcat vs WinMTR
- 14netcat vs Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps
- 15netcat vs nPerf
- 16netcat vs GRC DNS Benchmark
- 17netcat vs NETworkManager
- 18netcat vs SystemTrayMenu
- 19netcat vs WhatInStartup
- 20netcat vs iperf2
netcat alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PingPlotter | 7.8 | Free plan | $29/mo | iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | NetSpot | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Nmap | 7.7 | Free plan | $9,980/mo | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 5 | DNSViz | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web |
| 6 | Globalping | 7.2 | Free plan | $10/mo | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 7 | inSSIDer | 7.2 | Free plan | $16.67/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 8 | RIPE Atlas | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, Web |
| 9 | Buddi | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Open Visual Traceroute | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Angry IP Scanner | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | iperf3 | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted |
| 13 | WinMTR | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 14 | Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps | 6.7 | No | — | Windows |
| 15 | nPerf | 6.7 | Free plan | $0.17/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | GRC DNS Benchmark | 6.6 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | NETworkManager | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 18 | SystemTrayMenu | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 19 | WhatInStartup | 6.3 | No | — | Windows |
| 20 | iperf2 | 6.2 | No | — | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
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Questions about netcat alternatives
What is the best alternative to netcat?
PingPlotter, number 1 in network diagnostic software with a score of 7.8 out of 10. The others here: SoftPerfect Bandwidth Manager, NetSpot, Nmap and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to netcat?
PingPlotter is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 16 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.