Best Free Network Traffic Analysis 2026
We checked every Network Traffic Analysis product in our catalog against its vendor's own pricing page in October 2026 and kept only products with a permanent free plan, not a free trial. 1 qualifies.
10 others we checked are listed below with why they were excluded.
The best Network Traffic Analysis tools in 2026 are ntopng (free plan; paid plans by quote). The best free Network Traffic Analysis in 2026 is ntopng. ntopng Community edition is free and open source (GPLv3), aimed at home/practitioners and small networks; Pro/Enterprise add LDAP, interface aggregation, extended behavioral checks. Shop page lists only paid licenses.. It is the only Network Traffic Analysis product in our catalog with a permanent free plan; the others offer trials or paid plans only.
The best free Network Traffic Analysis in 2026 is ntopng. ntopng Community edition is free and open source (GPLv3), aimed at home/practitioners and small networks; Pro/Enterprise add LDAP, interface aggregation, extended behavioral checks. Shop page lists only paid licenses.. It is the only Network Traffic Analysis product in our catalog with a permanent free plan; the others offer trials or paid plans only.
Our Rankings
ntopng
ntopng offers a genuinely useful free tier for Network Traffic Analysis, making it accessible for individuals and small teams. The free plan provides enough functionality to get real work done before needing to upgrade.- Free tier available to get started
- Flexible pricing with multiple tiers
- Higher-tier plans can get expensive
Also evaluated
These 10 providers were checked against the same criteria and did not qualify for the ranking. Each row states what the vendor actually offers.
No free tier (10)
Paid from the first token. Listed so this page answers the question both ways.
| Provider | What you actually get | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Catchpoint | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| Cisco Stealthwatch (Secure Network Analytics) | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| Corelight | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| ExtraHop Reveal(x) | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| Flowmon Networks | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| Kentik | No free plan; the vendor offers a 30-day free trial, then paid plans only. | 2026-10-20 |
| LiveAction LiveNX | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| Plixer Scrutinizer | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
| ThousandEyes | No free plan on the vendor’s pricing page; paid or quote-only plans. | 2026-10-20 |
Evaluation Criteria
- free tier
- features
- usage limits
- upgrade path
How We Picked These
We evaluated 11 products and ranked the top 1 (last researched 2026-10-20).
What you actually get at $0
Core functionality available on free plan
Users, storage, and usage caps on free tier
Pricing and value of paid plans when ready
Setup time and learning curve
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What is the best free Network Traffic Analysis?
ntopng has the best free plan among the Network Traffic Analysis tools we track.
02 Is a free trial the same as a free Network Traffic Analysis plan?
No. A free trial ends after a set number of days; a free plan stays free with limits. This page lists only permanent free plans, checked on each vendor’s own pricing page.
03 When should I upgrade from a free Network Traffic Analysis plan?
Upgrade when you hit the free plan’s user, volume or feature limits, or need support and admin controls that only paid tiers include.
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