Arkime vs EtherApe
Arkime
arkime.comEtherApe
etherape.sourceforge.ioSide by side
| Figure | Arkime | EtherApe |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Network Packet Analyzer Software | 9.0 (#3) | 7.7 (#20) |
| Spec score · Network Protocol Analyzers | 9.0 (#3) | 7.8 (#17) |
| Purpose | Arkime is an open-source network analysis and session search tool that passively watches network traffic and creates searchable session records. | EtherApe is a graphical network monitor modeled after etherman that displays network activity visually. |
| Support | The project offers a Slack workspace and office hours for questions, and GitHub Issues for bugs and feature requests. | The project directs users to SourceForge bug reporting and provides mailing lists and discussion forums. |
Plans
In their own words
Arkime
Arkime is a free, open-source network analysis and session search tool that passively observes traffic and creates searchable session records. It parses layers 3–7 and indexes fields including protocols, DNS names, HTTP headers, TLS/JA4 fingerprints, file hashes, and GeoIP in OpenSearch or Elasticsearch. Operators can store full packets in standard PCAP format or use metadata-only capture, with rules to select traffic for saving. Users can search sessions, inspect packet data, and export results as PCAP or CSV. Cont3xt enriches supported indicators using commercial and OSINT sources, including VirusTotal, Censys, and Shodan; phone enrichment is limited to the U.S. Parliament groups clusters and displays cluster issues and Elasticsearch health. Capture can scale by adding machines or increasing CPU and disk. Arkime has no license fees or paid-only features. Installation guidance covers Linux, recommends Debian or Ubuntu LTS, and links to a container guide. OpenSearch or Elasticsearch is required for session metadata. Authentication options include basic, form, digest, header, and OIDC, while the project advises against anonymous authentication.
EtherApe
EtherApe has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.