Wireshark vs Fiddler

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

Wireshark is a Network & Admin solution with tags like network, troubleshooting, analysis, packet-capture, protocol-analyzer.

It boasts features such as Network protocol analyzer, Real-time capturing and offline analysis, Rich VoIP analysis, Read/write many different capture file formats, Live data can be read from Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, PPP/HDLC, ATM, Bluetooth, USB, Token Ring, Frame Relay, FDDI, and others, Decryption support for many protocols and pros including Powerful feature set, Cross-platform, Open source, Large user community support.

On the other hand, Fiddler is a Development product tagged with proxy, http, https, traffic-inspection, breakpoints.

Its standout features include HTTP/HTTPS traffic interception and inspection, Session analysis and manipulation, Breakpoints and conditional breakpoints, HTTPS traffic decryption, Automatic request resending, Scripting support, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Powerful debugging features, Supports all major platforms, Large user community and documentation.

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.

Wireshark

Wireshark

Wireshark is an open-source packet analyzer software used for network troubleshooting, analysis, and communications protocol development. It allows users to see what's happening on their network at a microscopic level.

Categories:
network troubleshooting analysis packet-capture protocol-analyzer

Wireshark Features

  1. Network protocol analyzer
  2. Real-time capturing and offline analysis
  3. Rich VoIP analysis
  4. Read/write many different capture file formats
  5. Live data can be read from Ethernet, IEEE 802.11, PPP/HDLC, ATM, Bluetooth, USB, Token Ring, Frame Relay, FDDI, and others
  6. Decryption support for many protocols

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Powerful feature set

Cross-platform

Open source

Large user community support

Cons

Steep learning curve

Can be resource intensive

Capturing raw packets requires admin privileges


Fiddler

Fiddler

Fiddler is a free web debugging proxy which logs all HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the Internet. It allows developers to inspect traffic, set breakpoints, and fiddle with incoming or outgoing data. Fiddler can be used to debug traffic from virtually any application that supports a proxy like web browsers, mobile apps, IoT devices, and more.

Categories:
proxy http https traffic-inspection breakpoints

Fiddler Features

  1. HTTP/HTTPS traffic interception and inspection
  2. Session analysis and manipulation
  3. Breakpoints and conditional breakpoints
  4. HTTPS traffic decryption
  5. Automatic request resending
  6. Scripting support

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Powerful debugging features

Supports all major platforms

Large user community and documentation

Cons

Steep learning curve

Can slow down traffic

Potential privacy concerns with HTTPS decryption

Limited native mobile app support