HiPerConTracer vs NetSpot
HiPerConTracer
nntb.no
NetSpot
netspotapp.comSide by side
| Figure | HiPerConTracer | NetSpot |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 9 |
| Spec score · Network Diagnostic Software | 8.5 (#7) | 8.4 (#8) |
| Integrations | The importer supports MariaDB/MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB backends. | The features page describes Iperf 3 or custom speed-test servers for active survey throughput testing. |
| Purpose | HiPerConTracer is a Ping/Traceroute measurement framework for running regular measurements among sites. | NetSpot is a Wi-Fi app for network planning, wireless site surveys, analysis, and troubleshooting. |
| Security | The documentation recommends separate database users with limited roles and strongly recommends configuring TLS for database access. | Etwok says it uses access controls and encryption in transit to protect the limited personal data it holds. |
| Support | The project directs users to its GitHub issue tracker for bug reports, issues, and questions. | NetSpot provides email support at [email protected]. |
Plans
NetSpot
- NetSpot FreeFree
- NetSpot Pro$199, paid once
- NetSpot ProPriced on request
- NetSpot EnterprisePriced on request
- NetSpot FreeFree
- NetSpot Enterprise Annual SubscriptionPrice not published
- NetSpot Enterprise Lifetime LicensePrice not published
- NetSpot PRO Annual SubscriptionPrice not published
- NetSpot PRO Lifetime LicensePrice not published
In their own words
HiPerConTracer
HiPerConTracer is a free, GPL-licensed framework for Ping and Traceroute measurements on Linux and self-hosted systems. It supports ICMP and UDP, multi-homing, parallel measurements, network load balancing, and nanosecond-precision timing through Linux software and hardware timestamping. A shared and static libhipercontracer library lets other software integrate its measurement functions. Framework tools can view, merge, convert, sync, collect, import, query, and manage results; conversion includes CSV output. The Importer supports MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB. The Sync Tool transfers result files to a remote Collector using Rsync and SSH, while a Reverse Tunnel Tool maintains an SSH reverse tunnel for nodes without publicly reachable addresses. Documentation recommends TLS for database connections and separate database users. The current stable release is version 2.2.12, announced October 6, 2026. Ready-made packages are listed for Linux and FreeBSD; other named systems require source builds.
NetSpot
NetSpot is a Wi-Fi app for network planning, wireless surveys, analysis, and troubleshooting. Inspector mode shows nearby networks and details including channels, vendors, security type, bands, signal, and noise. Survey mode creates interactive, color-coded heatmaps with more than 20 visualizations and customizable reports. Planning mode supports predictive surveys and network design, including multi-floor planning. Survey data can be exported as PDF or CSV, and heatmaps saved as PNG. Active survey throughput testing can use Iperf 3 or custom speed-test servers. NetSpot says survey, scan, heatmap, network, and location data are processed locally rather than automatically sent to Etwok. Desktop editions support offline activation and can run entirely offline afterward. Optional anonymized, aggregated usage statistics can be disabled in Preferences. The free edition is for personal and evaluation use on macOS and Windows. Paid plans are listed from $199. The seven-day full-featured PRO trial requires a valid corporate email and an explanation for the request.