Angry IP Scanner is a free program that scans a computer network to list the devices connected to it and some details about each one. It is made for anyone who wants to see what is on their home or office network.
Has 2 of 6
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
NetAlertX is a free program you run on your own server that scans your home or office network and keeps a list of every connected device. It is made for home lab owners, IT teams, and managed service providers who need to track what is connected to their networks.
Has 2 of 6 · No server needed ✗ +1
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
LibreNMS is a free tool that automatically finds network devices and watches how they are performing, showing the results in a web page. It is aimed at network administrators and IT staff who manage many devices.
Has 1 of 6 · No server needed ✗
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
mtr is a tool that combines traceroute and ping to show the path your internet traffic takes and how well each step performs. It is made for programmers and IT people who troubleshoot networks, and it runs from the command line.
Has 2 of 6 · Lists every device ✗ +2
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does part of the job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for PRTG. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- Angry IP Scanner: Angry IP Scanner is a free program that scans a computer network to list the devices connected to it and some details about each one. It is made for anyone who wants to see what is on their home or office network. [Easy setup; Windows · Linux; replaces partly; GPL-2.0; https://github.com/angryip/ipscan]
- NetAlertX: NetAlertX is a free program you run on your own server that scans your home or office network and keeps a list of every connected device. It is made for home lab owners, IT teams, and managed service providers who need to track what is connected to their networks. [Advanced setup; runs on a server you set up; replaces partly; GPL-3.0; https://github.com/jokob-sk/NetAlertX]
- LibreNMS: LibreNMS is a free tool that automatically finds network devices and watches how they are performing, showing the results in a web page. It is aimed at network administrators and IT staff who manage many devices. [Advanced setup; runs on a server you set up; replaces partly; GPL-3.0-or-later; https://github.com/librenms/librenms]
- mtr: mtr is a tool that combines traceroute and ping to show the path your internet traffic takes and how well each step performs. It is made for programmers and IT people who troubleshoot networks, and it runs from the command line. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces partly; GPL-2.0; https://github.com/traviscross/mtr]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/network-tools.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Want an open PRTG?
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/network-tools.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea: