Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tcpdump VS tcpflow

Compare tcpdump VS tcpflow and see what are their differences

tcpdump logo tcpdump

tcpdump is a common packet analyzer that runs under the command line.

tcpflow logo tcpflow

tcpflow, a TCP Flow Recorder, is a program that captures data transmitted as part of TCP...
  • tcpdump Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-27
  • tcpflow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-29

tcpdump features and specs

  • Powerful packet capturing
    tcpdump offers comprehensive capabilities for capturing network packets, providing detailed insights into network traffic, which makes it a powerful tool for network diagnostics and analysis.
  • Wide compatibility
    Being a widely used tool, tcpdump is compatible with numerous operating systems, including Linux, Unix, and macOS, ensuring accessibility across different platforms.
  • Filter flexibility
    tcpdump supports a wide range of filtering options that allow users to capture specific types of traffic, ensuring efficient and targeted packet capture.
  • Command-line interface
    tcpdump is a command-line tool, which provides advanced users the ability to script and automate tasks, making it highly efficient for those familiar with command-line operations.
  • Free and open-source
    tcpdump is open-source software, which means it is freely available for use and can be modified and distributed by anyone, fostering a community of users and contributors.

Possible disadvantages of tcpdump

  • Steep learning curve
    For users unfamiliar with command-line interfaces and packet-level networking, tcpdump can be difficult to learn due to its complex commands and options.
  • Minimal graphical interface
    tcpdump lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), which can make it less accessible for users who prefer visual tools over text-based interfaces.
  • Limited analysis capability
    While tcpdump is excellent for capturing packets, it offers limited built-in analysis features, requiring additional tools for comprehensive analysis of captured data.
  • High resource usage
    Running tcpdump with extensive capture options or on high-traffic networks can result in significant CPU and memory usage, potentially impacting system performance.
  • Security risks
    tcpdump requires root or elevated privileges to capture packets, which could pose security risks if not managed correctly, especially on sensitive systems.

tcpflow features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

tcpdump videos

Tcpdump - Protocol Review 5 (TCP)

More videos:

  • Review - Tcpdump - Protocol Review 3 (UDP)
  • Review - Tcpdump - Protocol Review 4 (DNS) - Draft

tcpflow videos

tcpflow User Interface

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to tcpdump and tcpflow)
Monitoring Tools
83 83%
17% 17
Log Management
82 82%
18% 18
Productivity
76 76%
24% 24
Security
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare tcpdump and tcpflow

tcpdump Reviews

6 Best Wireshark Alternatives for Windows and macOS
The quickness that you can have with tcpdump over Wireshark is awesome. It is one of those tools that many network administrators prefer whenever they need to take a look at the actual network packets that are being transmitted. The Tcpdump is not as feature rich as Wireshark but the output of its packet dump can be used as input by other programs. Moreover, It can be used...
Source: techwiser.com

tcpflow Reviews

We have no reviews of tcpflow yet.
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing tcpdump and tcpflow, you can also consider the following products

Wireshark - Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer for Unix and Windows. It lets you capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network.

Ettercap - Ettercap is a suite for man in the middle attacks on LAN.

netcat - Netcat is a featured networking utility which reads and writes data across network connections...

Packet Peeper - Packet Peeper is a free network protocol analyzer (packet sniffer) for Mac OS X.

SmartSniff - SmartSniff is a packet sniffer that capture TCP/IP packets and display them as sequence of conversations between clients and servers.

NetworkMiner - NetworkMiner is a Network Forensic Analysis Tool (NFAT) for Windows.