Naabu vs portwave
Naabu
github.comportwave
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Naabu | portwave |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Port Scanner Software | 8.8 (#1) | 7.1 (#24) |
| Inputs | It accepts STDIN, hosts, IPs, CIDRs, and ASNs as scan inputs. | It accepts IPs, CIDRs, ranges, domains, and ASNs, including mixed target types. |
| Installation | The maker provides ready-to-run binaries, Docker installation, and Go installation. | The maker provides install instructions for Linux and macOS and for Windows, plus commands to update, check for updates, and uninstall. |
| Integrations | It integrates with Nmap for service discovery and can pipe discovered ports to ProjectDiscovery's httpx tool. | The README documents piping subfinder output into portwave and using ProjectDiscovery nuclei for vulnerability scanning when installed. |
| Outputs | It supports JSON, TXT, and standard-output formats. | It writes scan results, HTTP enrichment, SSL findings, summaries, and run-to-run port differences to files. |
| Purpose | Naabu is a Go port scanner that enumerates valid ports on hosts quickly and reliably. | Portwave is an IPv4/IPv6 port scanner with HTTP(S) enrichment, SSL reconnaissance, and a nuclei pipeline. |
| Scanning | It supports fast SYN, CONNECT, and UDP probe-based scanning. | It uses adaptive TCP connect scanning and can scan all 65,535 TCP ports when explicitly requested. |
| Support | The repository links to the ProjectDiscovery Discord community. | The maker directs users to GitHub Issues and pull requests for contact and support. |
Plans
In their own words
Naabu
Naabu is a free, open-source command-line port scanner for identifying valid ports on hosts, with SYN, CONNECT, and UDP probes. It accepts hosts, IP addresses, CIDR ranges, and ASNs directly, from a file, or through standard input. Results can be emitted as JSON, CSV, text, or standard output. It supports IPv4 and experimental IPv6 scanning, DNS port scans, passive enumeration through Shodan InternetDB, and experimental host discovery. Naabu can work with Nmap for service discovery and version detection, and discovered ports can be piped to ProjectDiscovery's httpx to identify running HTTP servers. The CLI can upload or display scan results in the ProjectDiscovery Cloud dashboard. Installation options include ready-to-run binaries, Docker, and Go. Packet capture requires libpcap on Linux or macOS, or Npcap on Windows. Service version detection needs a local Nmap service-probe database or a custom path. The README recommends running as root for best results and adjusting scan flags and rate on local systems.