M-Lab NDT vs Netpicker
M-Lab NDT
measurementlab.net
Netpicker
netpicker.ioSide by side
| Figure | M-Lab NDT | Netpicker |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $625/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 3 |
| Spec score · Network Testing Software | 7.7 (#20) | 8.2 (#8) |
| Audience | M-Lab says its free, open Internet measurement data is intended to help researchers, regulators, advocacy groups, and the public understand Internet performance. | Netpicker is designed for network and NetDevOps engineers and includes a graphical interface for configuration checks and real-time show commands. |
| Integrations | M-Lab publishes NDT data through BigQuery and archives raw measurement data in Google Cloud Storage. | Netpicker provides API-based connections to source-of-truth systems, Git, ITSM tools and other existing tools. |
| Privacy | M-Lab says its tests do not collect information about other Internet traffic or personally identifiable information, while collected test data, including connecting IP addresses, is made public indefinitely and cannot be deleted per individual test. | Flock9 says it uses organisational and technical security measures but does not guarantee that internet transmission or storage can be completely secure. |
| Purpose | NDT measures a connection’s capacity for bulk transport and reports upload speed, download speed, and latency metrics. | Netpicker continuously validates network state, configurations, compliance, security and network behavior, and can automate remediation. |
| Support | M-Lab directs NDT users to contact [email protected] for support. | Foundation includes a knowledge base, YouTube training courses, best-effort tickets and best-effort Discord; Professional adds 24-hour ticket response and a private Discord channel. |
Plans
Netpicker
- Netpicker - FoundationFree
- Netpicker - Professional$7,500 a year
- Netpicker - Enterprise$33,500 a year
In their own words
M-Lab NDT
M-Lab NDT has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Netpicker
Netpicker validates network state, device configurations, compliance, security and behavior, and can automate remediation. It runs automated Python tests in pytest format against device configurations, show-command output and API data. The free version includes unlimited configuration backups, Git history, diffs, search and drift detection. Netpicker supports devices from more than 180 vendors and can be deployed as a Docker container or OVA virtual appliance, on-premises or in air-gapped environments. API-based connections link it to source-of-truth systems, Git, ITSM tools and other existing tools. Its REST API manages devices, backups and tests, runs show commands and tests, and restores backups; documentation is provided through Swagger/OpenAPI. Security validation covers CVEs, security configurations, compliance and pen-test findings without sending network data outside the customer's environment. Potential CVEs are matched by OS version, while verified CVEs also check whether vulnerable features are enabled and mitigations are present. AI can draft tests, remediation jobs and troubleshooting queries from plain English, subject to engineer review and approval. The free Foundation plan is available; Professional starts at $7,500 a year.