Tech riderRev. 29 Sept 2026

Wireshark

Ch 127.0of 33 Network Packet Analyzer Software

1Runs onLinux, Mac, Windows
2CostsFree plan
3Traffic decryptionYes

3 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: wireshark.org

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Overview

Wireshark is ranked #12 of 33 in network packet analyzer software on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

Wireshark plans and pricing

All plans

Wireshark Free Full version · no license fee wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026

Compared on network packet analyzer software

Free plan: Yeswireshark.org
Traffic decryption: Yeswireshark.org

Facts

Purpose: Wireshark captures and interactively browses network traffic as a network protocol analyzer.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Users: Network professionals, security experts, developers, and educators use Wireshark.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Protocol inspection: It supports deep inspection of hundreds of protocols.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Capture and analysis: It supports live capture and offline analysis, with a graphical interface and the TShark terminal utility.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Filtering: Wireshark provides display filters, whose syntax differs from capture filters.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
File formats: It reads and writes many capture formats, including pcap and pcapng, and can decompress gzip-compressed capture files on the fly.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Analysis features: Features include VoIP analysis, packet coloring rules, and export to XML, PostScript, CSV, or plain text.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Decryption: It supports decryption for protocols including IPsec, Kerberos, SSL/TLS, WEP, and WPA/WPA2.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
License: Wireshark is open-source software released under the GNU General Public License version 2, and the downloaded version is the full version without a license fee.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Capture dependency: The Windows packages include Npcap, which is required for live packet capture.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Capture limitation: The traffic visible to Wireshark depends on the operating system, capture library, network interface, and network configuration; switched networks may not expose unicast traffic between other ports.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Support: Community support is available through the Q&A site and Wireshark users mailing list.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Security updates: The download page links release security advisories, including notices for dissector crashes and other vulnerabilities.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026
Project history: The project began in 1998 and is developed with contributions from networking experts around the world.wireshark.org · 29 Sept 2026