Angry IP Scanner vs Port Authority

Angry IP Scanner is a free, open-source desktop tool for scanning IP addresses and ports. It accepts address ranges, random addresses, or files in any format as scan input. The scanner checks whether hosts respond to pings and can optionally resolve hostnames, identify MAC addresses, and scan ports. It also supports NetBIOS information, favorite IP ranges, web server detection, and customizable openers. Java plugins can extend scanning and data gathering with fetchers, pingers, exporters, and feeders. Results can be saved as CSV, TXT, XML, or IP-Port list files, and a command-line interface is available. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows under GPLv2. The maker says installation is unnecessary and that the software can be copied and used anywhere. It is described as particularly useful to network administrators monitoring and managing networks. The FAQ notes that some antivirus vendors have flagged the older ipscan.exe, while saying version 3.x is not detected.

Port Authority is a free Android port scanner for discovering network hosts and viewing network information. It discovers LAN hosts and public IP addresses, then scans TCP ports on LAN and WAN hosts with custom ranges. Network tools include MAC-address vendor detection, DNS record lookups, and Wake-on-LAN for local hosts. Lightweight SSH and HTTP(S) fingerprinting identifies server type and version. The maker describes host discovery as typically taking less than five seconds and scans as heavily threaded. The app says it has no ads or analytics trackers and does not track, collect, or share data. It requires limited permissions for network interaction. Public IP detection uses the maker’s open-source stateless service. The free app is GPL-3.0 licensed; a 4.99 USD once donation plan has the same features.