Best Network Testing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: LibreSpeed is ranked #1 of 31 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of PingPlotter and TRex. The best-ranked option with a free plan is PingPlotter. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Ostinato at $12/mo.
Network testing tools help you examine connectivity, protocols, and behavior under different test methods. The ranking opens with PingPlotter and Cisco pyATS, with EVE-NG also among the first entries. Compare protocol support and test methods with the kinds of checks you need to run, then weigh deployment and whether scheduled tests or distributed agents suit your setup. API access can matter when you want to connect testing with other workflows. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing provide additional cost points for comparison. The entries are ordered, so these criteria give you a consistent way to consider each option against your network and testing requirements.
31 network testing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 LibreSpeed Top pick · 7.4 Free plan · Free
#2 PingPlotter Runner-up · 7.4 Free plan · $29/mo
#3 TRex Also great · 7.4 Free plan · Free- Free plan AndroidLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- HTTP, HTTPS, ICMP
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial iOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 6.99 /mo
- Deployment
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$29/mofirst paid tier About PingPlotterVisit site - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- both
- Protocol support
- TCP, UDP, ARP, ICMP, IPv6/ND, DHCPv4/v6, IGMP, DNS, DOT1X, LLDP, mDNS, NetFlow/IPFIX, OSPF, RIP, and GTP-U
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About TRexVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About GNS3Visit site - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$625/mofirst paid tier About NetpickerVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxmacOSself-hosted
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- desktop
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, HTTP/3
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 12 /mo
- Deployment
- hybrid
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- Ethernet II, 802.3, LLC, SNAP, 802.1Q VLAN, QinQ, IPv4, IPv6, UDP, stateless TCP, ICMP, ARP, NDP, IGMP, MLD, GRE
- Distributed agents
- 1
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$12/mofirst paid tier About OstinatoVisit site - Free trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- TCP, UDP, UDP L4S, IPv4, IPv6, multicast
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- hybrid
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- ndt7, ndt5, web100; WebSocket/TLS over TCP
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebWindows
- Deployment
- desktop
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- Ethernet, IPv4, TCP, UDP, RTP, VoIP, HTTP, FTP, DNS, video, 5G, BERT
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinuxiOS
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- TCP, UDP, IPv4, IPv6
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- TCP, UDP, SCTP, XTI, DLPI, Unix domain sockets; IPv4 and IPv6 where documented
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- IPv4, IPv6, TCP, UDP, VLAN, GRE, GTP-U
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - AndroidmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment
- hybrid
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- hybrid
- Protocol support
- BGP, OSPF, IPSec, NAT, policy-based routing, VPN, ACL, VLAN
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Deployment
- desktop
- Test methods
- both
- Protocol support
- Ethernet, IPv4, UDP, TCP, ICMP, VLAN, MPLS, GTP
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOS
- Deployment
- desktop
- Test methods
- active
- Protocol support
- TCP, UDP, ICMP
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- self_hosted
- Test methods
- both
- Protocol support
- Ethernet, IPv4, IPv6, UDP, TCP, ARP, ICMP, PTP
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Deployment
- self_hosted
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which network testing software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
LibreSpeed is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.4. PingPlotter is second and TRex third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Ostinato has the lowest first paid tier we found: $12/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.