Arkime vs X-Ways Imager
Arkime
arkime.comX-Ways Imager
x-ways.netSide by side
| Figure | Arkime | X-Ways Imager |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | 6.17 CHF/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Digital Forensics Software | 9.0 (#1) | 7.0 (#27) |
| Purpose | Arkime is an open-source network analysis and session search tool that passively watches network traffic and creates searchable session records. | X-Ways Imager is a forensic disk imaging tool and a stripped-down version of X-Ways Forensics focused on imaging functionality. |
| Support | The project offers a Slack workspace and office hours for questions, and GitHub Issues for bugs and feature requests. | The maker lists general or technical inquiries by email and says to check the program help or user manual first. |
Plans
X-Ways Imager
- X-Ways Imager non-perpetual license74 CHF a year
- X-Ways Imager perpetual license157 CHF, paid once
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.
X-Ways Imager
X-Ways Imager has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.