tcpdump vs Termshark

Struggling to choose between tcpdump and Termshark? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

tcpdump is a Network & Admin solution with tags like packet-capture, network-traffic, commandline.

It boasts features such as Packet capture and network traffic monitoring, Capture filters for selective packet capture, Reading packets from files for offline analysis, Output to console, files, or other programs, Decoding of various network protocols and pros including Free and open source, Available for multiple platforms, Powerful command line interface, Wide protocol support, Allows inspection of raw network traffic, Lightweight and fast.

On the other hand, Termshark is a Network & Admin product tagged with terminal, network, protocol, analyzer, packets, cli.

Its standout features include Captures live packet data from network interfaces, Displays packets in a terminal user interface, Filters packets using display filters, Analyzes protocols including TCP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, and more, Supports common capture file formats like PCAP and PCAPNG, Runs natively in Linux terminal without a GUI, Built on top of TShark and Wireshark libraries, and it shines with pros like Lightweight terminal-based interface, No GUI overhead or dependencies, Works over SSH connections, Fast and responsive for analyzing live captures, Powerful display filters, Leverages Wireshark protocol analysis.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

tcpdump

tcpdump

tcpdump is a command-line network monitoring and data acquisition tool used to capture packet data flowing over a network. It can intercept and log traffic passing over a digital network or part of a network.

Categories:
packet-capture network-traffic commandline

Tcpdump Features

  1. Packet capture and network traffic monitoring
  2. Capture filters for selective packet capture
  3. Reading packets from files for offline analysis
  4. Output to console, files, or other programs
  5. Decoding of various network protocols

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Available for multiple platforms

Powerful command line interface

Wide protocol support

Allows inspection of raw network traffic

Lightweight and fast

Cons

Command line only, no GUI

Steep learning curve

Manual analysis of captures required

Does not do automated intrusion detection

Requires root/admin rights on most OSes


Termshark

Termshark

Termshark is a terminal based network protocol analyzer. It allows you to inspect network traffic and analyze packets, similar to Wireshark, but runs in a terminal instead of a graphical interface.

Categories:
terminal network protocol analyzer packets cli

Termshark Features

  1. Captures live packet data from network interfaces
  2. Displays packets in a terminal user interface
  3. Filters packets using display filters
  4. Analyzes protocols including TCP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, and more
  5. Supports common capture file formats like PCAP and PCAPNG
  6. Runs natively in Linux terminal without a GUI
  7. Built on top of TShark and Wireshark libraries

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Lightweight terminal-based interface

No GUI overhead or dependencies

Works over SSH connections

Fast and responsive for analyzing live captures

Powerful display filters

Leverages Wireshark protocol analysis

Cons

Less intuitive than GUI-based Wireshark

Steeper learning curve for terminal usage

Limited to keyboard-based interaction

Harder to visualize packet flows

No built-in statistical summaries