WhatRoute
WhatRoute is a free macOS utility for testing, inspecting, and monitoring networks.
What WhatRoute is
WhatRoute is a free macOS utility for testing, inspecting, and monitoring networks. It includes traceroute and ping, flow and bandwidth monitoring, Whois, DNS lookup, ASN information, port and network scans, interface details, and Netstat. Route mapping displays network nodes and data paths, with circles showing estimated location accuracy. Geographic information comes from the ip-api.com IP geolocation engine, and locations can be sent to Apple Maps or Google Maps. Flow Monitor can show traffic on a selected interface or collect NetFlow versions 5, 8, 9, and 10 (IPFIX) records. DNS Server Performance measures resolution times across multiple DNS providers and exports CSV results. WiFi Monitor shows detected wireless-network attributes and can display tcpdump output in monitor mode. Some operations use a privileged helper and administrator access. Version 2.8.1 requires macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later. WhatRoute is freeware originally created for the Macintosh user community.
Good
- Free plan with optional donations
- Traceroute, ping, scans, and Netstat
- Maps routes and estimated locations
- Exports DNS performance results as CSV
- Supports NetFlow 5, 8, 9, and 10
Watch out
- macOS Sonoma 14.6 minimum for version 2.8.1
- Some operations require administrator access
- Mac-only platform
Who it suits
It suits Mac users who need route visualization, DNS diagnostics, wireless inspection, and network monitoring in one desktop utility. It is also relevant to users working with NetFlow records.
Verdict
WhatRoute combines route analysis, DNS testing, Wi-Fi inspection, and flow monitoring in a single macOS tool. Its newer release has a stated Sonoma requirement, and privileged access is needed for some network operations.
Plans and prices
From WhatRoute's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| WhatRoute | Free | macOS network utility · optional donations |
| WhatRoute 2.8.1 | Free | macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later · Intel and Apple Silicon |
| WhatRoute donationware | Free | macOS desktop utility · optional donations |
The facts
Each one read from WhatRoute's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Apple notarization
- A 2.1.8 release note states that WhatRoute became notarized by Apple.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Geographic mapping
- The application plots network nodes and data paths on a world map with circles representing estimated location accuracy.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: macOS-only
- Independent listings describe WhatRoute as a Mac application and do not list Windows, Linux, Android or iOS versions.checked 15 Oct 2026
What it does
- Bandwidth monitoring
- Bandwidth Monitor provides a menubar display and a graph of input and output rates for a selected interface.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CPU support
- The current build is universal and runs natively on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Current helper hardening
- Version 2.8.1 verifies helper clients with code-signing requirements instead of process-ID checks.checked 15 Oct 2026
- DNS performance
- The DNS Server Performance tool measures resolution times from multiple DNS servers.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Editor rating on Softpedia
- 4.0 out of 5 from the Softpedia editor.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Elevated access
- WhatRoute uses a privileged helper for network operations that require elevated privileges; the FAQ says administrator access is used to open a privileged raw-socket interface.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Flow export
- Flow-monitor records can be saved as CSV files for use in a text editor or spreadsheet.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Flow monitoring
- Flow Monitor records traffic flows on a selected interface and can show transferred data and the local process involved.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Geolocation
- WhatRoute uses the IP geolocation engine at ip-api.com to associate geographic data with IP addresses.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Geolocation provider
- WhatRoute uses the ip-api.com IP-geolocation service to associate geographic information with addresses.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Helper security
- The maker says the app and helper are code-signed and communicate using Apple-secured mechanisms so unrelated software cannot send helper messages.checked 15 Oct 2026
- History
- WhatRoute was first developed in 1996 for MacOS 7.5.3 and was included with MacOS 9 in 2001.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Independent archive description
- The University of Wisconsin Scout Archives describes WhatRoute as showing the geographic route of packets and viewing results in Google Earth.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Intended audience
- The maker describes WhatRoute as freeware originally written to provide services for the Macintosh user community.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Limit: administrator rights
- The program will not run without installing its privileged helper, according to the helper documentation.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: map accuracy
- The FAQ says IP-geolocation results can be inaccurate because the underlying free data is supplied as-is.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: map reliability
- A MacUpdate reviewer praised the application but said the map did not always appear reliably.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: network access
- Successful tests depend on firewalls and required ports; ICMP, UDP traceroute, Whois and DNS traffic may need to be allowed.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Map integrations
- Geographic results can be passed to Apple Maps or Google Maps for higher-resolution viewing.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 1996checked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker biography
- Bryan Christianson says he has been a software developer since 1981 and previously worked for a New Zealand ISP on satellite-network software.checked 15 Oct 2026
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