NetsCLI vs Port Authority

NetsCLI is an open-source network scanner for discovering LAN devices, scanning TCP and UDP ports, querying DNS, and inspecting hosts. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with a desktop app, terminal UI, command-line interface, and MCP server built on one Rust core. The desktop app supports multiple investigation tabs, sortable and filterable results, exports, and scan history. Discovery can add reverse DNS, ARP cache details, MAC addresses, and device makers when the operating system has that information. Network operations in the CLI support JSON and YAML output; list commands also support CSV and Markdown. The MCP server runs over stdio and exposes structured network tools to compatible AI clients, including Claude Code and Cursor. NetsCLI is MIT-licensed and free for personal, open-source, and commercial use. Its binaries and installers are said to be checksummed and signed with Sigstore cosign. Packet capture requires separate downloads and libpcap on Linux or macOS, or Npcap on Windows. It does not provide remote administration and lacks advanced service detection, NSE scripts, and OS fingerprinting.

Port Authority is a free Android port scanner for discovering network hosts and viewing network information. It discovers LAN hosts and public IP addresses, then scans TCP ports on LAN and WAN hosts with custom ranges. Network tools include MAC-address vendor detection, DNS record lookups, and Wake-on-LAN for local hosts. Lightweight SSH and HTTP(S) fingerprinting identifies server type and version. The maker describes host discovery as typically taking less than five seconds and scans as heavily threaded. The app says it has no ads or analytics trackers and does not track, collect, or share data. It requires limited permissions for network interaction. Public IP detection uses the maker’s open-source stateless service. The free app is GPL-3.0 licensed; a 4.99 USD once donation plan has the same features.