Netperf vs PingPlotter
Netperf
github.com
PingPlotter
pingplotter.comSide by side
| Figure | Netperf | PingPlotter |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $6.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Network Testing Software | 7.7 (#21) | 8.8 (#2) |
| Intended users | The manual assumes users have at least a passing familiarity with the networking protocols and interfaces involved. | The maker presents Standard for home network troubleshooting, Professional for small office networks, and Cloud for remote teams. |
| Support | The README directs people with severe difficulties to contact Rick Jones by email and mentions the netperf-talk mailing list. | PingPlotter directs users to its support team for help with downloads, licenses, and product questions. |
Plans
PingPlotter
- FreeFree
- Standard$6.99 a month
- Professional$29 a month
- Professional Edition$29 a month
- PingPlotter Cloud$90 a month
- Standard EditionPrice not published
In their own words
Netperf
Netperf is an open-source, self-hosted utility for measuring network performance. It reports unidirectional throughput and end-to-end latency through a client-server arrangement: netperf runs tests and netserver supplies the server side. Netserver can run as an inetd child or standalone daemon. The manual describes TCP and UDP transfer and request/response tests over IPv4 and IPv6 sockets, plus XTI, DLPI, Unix domain socket, and SCTP tests. Where the platform and build support it, results can include CPU utilization and service demand. Optional configuration enables STREAM pacing, timing histograms, and interim results. The primary distribution is source code, intended for systems without readily available binaries. Reported Windows builds use Cygwin, the Windows DDK, or Microsoft Visual Studio 2003; the README discusses an OSX naming workaround. Hewlett Packard Enterprise released this version under the MIT license. The project warns that its manual may be outdated, and several test families require explicit configuration.
PingPlotter
PingPlotter monitors network performance and maps network paths to help locate connection problems. It tracks latency, jitter and packet loss, with desktop editions monitoring connections from one Windows or macOS computer. PingPlotter Cloud adds an online dashboard for remote connections, while Insights analyzes network data for incidents, possible causes and fixes. Cloud alert actions can make REST calls to services including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat and JIRA. Webhooks can report agent status or connection-quality changes and link to compatible apps through services such as Zapier and Power Automate. Desktop editions have a 14-day trial; afterward, the free version allows one connection, no remote collection and 10 minutes of monitoring history. Cloud trials last seven days. The free plan is free. Standard Edition starts at $6.99/mo.; Professional Edition is $29 a month, and PingPlotter Cloud is $90 a month. Platforms listed include Windows, macOS, Linux, web and iOS.