AccuKnox 5G Security (5GNAPP) vs wireshark: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
AccuKnox 5G Security (5GNAPP) is a commercial intrusion detection and prevention systems tool by AccuKnox. wireshark is a free intrusion detection and prevention systems tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best intrusion detection and prevention systems fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, integrations, company size fit, here is our conclusion:
Enterprise operators building O-RAN or SD-RAN deployments need AccuKnox 5G Security (5GNAPP) because it's the only platform that enforces Kubernetes security posture directly into the 5G control plane instead of bolting on generic cloud security afterward. The tool scores particularly high on DE.CM and DE.AE through real-time RF threat monitoring and behavioral analysis for malicious xApps, catching threats that standard network IDS tools miss in virtualized RAN environments. Skip this if your 5G infrastructure runs closed, proprietary RAN stacks; 5GNAPP assumes OpenRAN architecture and Kubernetes-native deployments, making it a poor fit for legacy telco networks.
Network engineers and threat hunters who need to inspect live traffic or troubleshoot connectivity issues should reach for Wireshark; it's the only tool that gives you packet-level visibility into exactly what's crossing your wire, without licensing costs or vendor lock-in. Deployed across virtually every enterprise network since 1998, Wireshark captures and decodes 900+ protocols natively, making it invaluable for NIST Detect work when you need to see what IDS alerts actually mean. Skip this if your team expects guided investigation or automated threat correlation; Wireshark requires expertise to read its output and won't tell you what to do with the packets you find.
