Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Zenmap VS ZMap

Compare Zenmap VS ZMap and see what are their differences

Zenmap logo Zenmap

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

ZMap logo ZMap

ZMap is a fast single packet network scanner designed for Internet-wide network surveys.
  • Zenmap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-01
  • ZMap Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-30

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.

ZMap features and specs

  • High-Speed Scanning
    ZMap is designed to scan the entire IPv4 address space quickly, often in less than an hour, making it ideal for large-scale scanning projects.
  • Open Source
    ZMap is an open-source project, allowing users to inspect, modify, and enhance the code according to their needs, fostering a collaborative environment.
  • Scalable
    ZMap is highly efficient in resource usage, enabling it to be used on a wide range of hardware from powerful servers to modest personal computers.
  • Wide Range of Applications
    The tool can be used for various tasks such as network measurement, security research, and data collection among others.
  • Extensive Community Support
    Being popular in the network research community, it enjoys substantial documentation, tutorials, and community-driven support.

Possible disadvantages of ZMap

  • Potential for Abuse
    The high-speed capabilities of ZMap can be misused for malicious activities like unauthorized network scanning or cyber-attacks.
  • Network Load
    ZMap can generate significant network traffic, which could disrupt normal operations or attract attention from network administrators and intrusion detection systems.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and fine-tuning ZMap for specific tasks requires a good understanding of both the tool and the network being scanned, which may be challenging for beginners.
  • Legal and Ethical Concerns
    Running wide-scale scans can raise legal and ethical questions, particularly if done without explicit permission, potentially leading to legal repercussions.
  • Limited to IPv4
    ZMap primarily targets the IPv4 address space and may not be as effective or optimized for IPv6, which is increasingly being adopted.

Zenmap videos

Scan for Open Ports w/ Zenmap - Review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Zenmap Tutorial - Network Scanning Tool

ZMap videos

zMap App Demo.mov

More videos:

  • Review - H109 - Network discovery scans with Zmap
  • Review - zmap

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Zenmap and ZMap)
Security
80 80%
20% 20
Monitoring Tools
82 82%
18% 18
Network Scanning
68 68%
32% 32
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 ZMap

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.

ZMap Reviews

9 Best Angry IP Scanner Alternatives Reviewed 2021 (Free & Paid)
ZMap, just like Nmap and other network scanners can search for connected devices, probe ports, and discover services both in local and external networks. One of the biggest distinctions between the two tools is how they scan. Nmap was built to be a flexible multi-tool that can probe a large number of ports on a smaller number of devices. Where ZMap is optimized to probe an...
15 Best Nmap Alternatives Network Security Scanner
We also have the ZAnnotate on the ZMap project. This adds more metadata to IP addresses such as routing data and location.
Alternatives to Nmap: from simple to advanced network scanning
The headliner is the single-packet scanner ZMap. ZGrab is an application-state scanner that works alongside ZMap. ZTag annotates data outputted by ZMap with metadata, such as device information and any vulnerabilities found. ZBlacklist helps you quickly filter out IP addresses by organizations that have requested not to be scanned. ZAnnotate adds metadata to IPs such as...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zenmap should be more popular than ZMap. It has been mentiond 11 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 (11)

  • 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: about 2 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 2 years ago
  • SSL / TLS scanning utility (internal) ?
    There's also the GUI version if you want. https://nmap.org/zenmap/. Source: almost 3 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 / almost 3 years ago
  • Share your greatest free tools
    I'll have to give Advanced IP Scanner a look to compare, but I like Zenmap so there's another option if you need one! Source: about 3 years ago
View more

ZMap mentions (7)

  • My cousin leaked my public ip address to someone
    They already had your IP. The whole internet (IPv4 adress space) can be scanned in less than one hour (see: https://zmap.io. Source: over 2 years ago
  • The internet is a global village, not a metropolis
    The numbers above demonstrate that it is theoretically possible to mass scan the entire internet. Effective free-to-use tools can be used to perform mass scans, converting this academic opportunity into practice. ZMap, Masscan, and others promise to scan the entire public IPv4 address space in some ten minutes or so on a typical desktop computer with a gigabit Ethernet connection. Researchers proved that the time... - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • My First 5 Minutes On A Server; Or, Essential Security for Linux Servers
    Seconds, not minutes or days. https://zmap.io. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Python Port Scanner: Faster than Nmap.
    Zmap (zmap.io) is probably the fastest port scanner. But afaik it's main usage is to scan 1 port on the whole internet instead of all ports on one IP (but you can, too). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Awesome Penetration Testing
    Zmap - Open source network scanner that enables researchers to easily perform Internet-wide network studies. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Zenmap and ZMap, 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.

MASSCAN - This is the fastest Internet port scanner.

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

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

Advanced IP Scanner - Advanced IP Scanner shows all network devices, gives you access to shared folders, and can even remotely switch computers off. Download it Free.

MiTec Network Scanner - A free multi-threaded ICMP, Port, IP, NetBIOS, ActiveDirectory and SNMP scanner with many advanced features.