Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Zenmap VS gping (CLI)

Compare Zenmap VS gping (CLI) and see what are their differences

Zenmap logo Zenmap

Zenmap is the official cross-platform GUI for the Nmap Security Scanner.

gping (CLI) logo gping (CLI)

Ping, but with a graph. Contribute to orf/gping development by creating an account on GitHub.
  • Zenmap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-01
  • gping (CLI) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-03-29

Zenmap features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Zenmap provides a graphical interface that makes it easier for users to conduct network scans without needing to memorize command-line options.
  • Visualization Tools
    It includes tools for visualizing scan results, such as network topology diagrams, which can help in understanding network structure and vulnerabilities.
  • Profile Management
    Supports saving scan configurations as profiles, enabling quick re-runs of common scans with predefined settings.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Zenmap is available for multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, making it versatile for different environments.
  • Integration with Nmap
    Leverages the powerful capabilities of Nmap, a well-known network scanning tool, providing advanced scanning options and performance.

Possible disadvantages of Zenmap

  • Performance Overhead
    The graphical interface can add additional performance overhead compared to the command-line version of Nmap, which may be noticeable during large scans.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its graphical interface, Zenmap still requires a certain level of understanding about network scanning concepts and Nmap parameters to effectively use it.
  • Limited Customization
    While it supports many Nmap features, some advanced customization options available in the command-line version may be less accessible or harder to implement in Zenmap.
  • Security Risks
    Running a graphical network scanning tool can attract unwanted attention on shared or monitored systems as it might appear in process lists or leave trace logs, potentially indicating a security tool is being used.
  • Complexity in Large Data Sets
    When dealing with very large data sets or complex networks, the visual output can become cluttered or difficult to interpret efficiently.

gping (CLI) features and specs

  • Visual real-time graphing
    gping provides a real-time, terminal-based graph of ping latency over time, making it easy to visually spot trends, spikes, and packet loss at a glance โ€” something the standard ping command cannot do.
  • Multi-host comparison
    You can ping multiple hosts simultaneously and see their latency graphs side by side in the same terminal window, which is extremely useful for comparing network paths or diagnosing routing issues.
  • Cross-platform support
    gping is available on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and can be installed via popular package managers like Homebrew, Chocolatey, Scoop, and various Linux package managers, making it accessible on virtually any platform.
  • Simple and intuitive CLI
    The tool is very easy to use with minimal configuration required. Just run 'gping <host>' and you immediately get a useful visual output. The command-line flags are straightforward and well-documented.
  • Supports arbitrary command graphing
    Beyond just pinging hosts, gping can graph the execution time of arbitrary commands using the --cmd flag, making it a versatile tool for monitoring the performance of any repeatable command over time.

Possible disadvantages of gping (CLI)

  • Requires installation of additional binary
    Unlike the standard ping command which is pre-installed on virtually every operating system, gping must be separately downloaded and installed, which may not be feasible in locked-down or minimal server environments.
  • Limited data export and logging
    gping is primarily a visual tool and lacks robust options for exporting ping data to files or structured formats (like CSV or JSON) for later analysis, making it less suitable for long-term monitoring or automated reporting.
  • Terminal size dependency
    The quality and usefulness of the graph depends heavily on terminal window size. In small terminal windows, the graph can become compressed and hard to read, losing much of the visual advantage over standard ping.
  • No alerting or threshold features
    gping does not support configuring alerts or notifications when latency exceeds a certain threshold or packet loss occurs, limiting its usefulness as a proactive monitoring tool compared to dedicated network monitoring solutions.
  • Resource overhead compared to standard ping
    As a graphical TUI application, gping consumes more CPU and memory than the standard ping utility. While generally negligible on modern systems, this can matter on resource-constrained embedded devices or when running many instances.

Analysis of Zenmap

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Zenmap is a good tool.

Why this product is good

  • Zenmap is the official graphical user interface (GUI) for the Nmap Security Scanner, which is highly regarded for its ability to discover hosts and services on a computer network. Zenmap simplifies Nmap's complex functionality, making it more accessible to users who may not be as comfortable with command-line operations. It provides features such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. Additionally, Zenmap is open-source and supports multiple operating systems, making it flexible and widely available.

Recommended for

  • Network administrators who need to map out or monitor their networks.
  • Security professionals performing security audits or vulnerability assessments.
  • IT personnel responsible for managing enterprise networks.
  • Enthusiasts interested in learning more about network security and scanning techniques.

Analysis of gping (CLI)

Overall verdict

  • gping is an excellent, lightweight open-source CLI tool that modernizes the classic ping command by adding a real-time graphical visualization of latency directly in your terminal, making it a favorite among developers and sysadmins.

Why this product is good

  • Displays ping latency as a live, scrolling graph right in the terminal for easy visual analysis
  • Supports pinging multiple hosts simultaneously and comparing their latency side by side
  • Cross-platform support for Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Written in Rust, making it fast, efficient, and reliable
  • Free and open-source with an active community and simple installation via common package managers
  • Can execute commands and graph their execution time, not just network pings

Recommended for

  • Network engineers and system administrators troubleshooting connectivity or latency issues
  • Developers who want a quick visual sense of network performance
  • Users who need to compare latency across multiple hosts at once
  • Anyone comfortable working in the command line who wants a more informative alternative to traditional ping

Zenmap videos

Scan for Open Ports w/ Zenmap - Review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Zenmap Tutorial - Network Scanning Tool

gping (CLI) videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Zenmap and gping (CLI))
Security
93 93%
7% 7
Monitoring Tools
90 90%
10% 10
OS & Utilities
0 0%
100% 100
Web Application 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 Zenmap and gping (CLI)

Zenmap Reviews

15 Best Nmap Alternatives Network Security Scanner
The aim of the Zenmap app is to learning the Nmap tool easy for newbies to use and at the same time giving the best-advanced features to Nmap professionals.
Top 5 Best Port Scanners
Zenmap is not a new port scanner, but the official NMAP Front End interface (GUI). For those who are not familiar with command line terminals, Nmap creators launched this GUI release that will allow you to scan remote hosts in a fancy and friendly way.

gping (CLI) Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zenmap seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 12 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Zenmap mentions (12)

  • Would you like to be a movie star by contributing to open source?
    It is a command line tool that also has an official GUI called Zenmap. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Upgrading my opnsense setup. Today I am trying to give names to all my devices checking what is connected to my network, need help.
    Another way would be to use nmap from a Linux machine or virtual machine using: $ sudo nmap 192.168.0.1/24 where the subnet address is replaced with yours. They have a graphic interface, that I haven't used, but you might want to test it. It's called zenmap https://nmap.org/zenmap/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • What is this eye icon on the taskbar? Never seen it before.
    I agree with this but the eye is not exactly the same. https://nmap.org/zenmap/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • SSL / TLS scanning utility (internal) ?
    There's also the GUI version if you want. https://nmap.org/zenmap/. Source: about 4 years ago
  • If OpenSSL Were a GUI
    I... Kind of like it? Not the fact that using such a GUI would be almost impossible, like the humorous example of an "engineer oriented UI" in the Silicon Valley series https://www.reddit.com/r/SiliconValleyHBO/comments/4nvvnl/pied_pipers_easytouse_tools/ which might be confusing for most people. But rather the fact that all of the complexity the software has is laid bare, so that nobody could mistakenly assume... - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
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gping (CLI) mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of gping (CLI) yet. Tracking of gping (CLI) recommendations started around Mar 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Zenmap and gping (CLI), you can also consider the following products

Nmap - Nmap Free Security Scanner, Port Scanner, & Network Exploration Tool. Download open source software for Linux, Windows, UNIX, FreeBSD, etc.

PingPlotter - PingPlotter is a troubleshooting tool that helps IT professionals and neophytes identify, diagnose, and resolve network issues.

Nessus - Nessus Professional is a security platform designed for businesses who want to protect the security of themselves, their clients, and their customers.

SmokePing - Smokeping is a tool for measuring latency.

Angry IP Scanner - Open-source and cross-platform network scanner designed to be fast and simple to use

PingInfoView - PingInfoView is a small utility that allows you to easily ping multiple host names and IP addresses, and watch the result in one table.