# Cyacomb vs PacketQ: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Cyacomb](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cyacomb) is a commercial [digital forensics](https://cybersectools.com/categories/digital-forensics) solution by [Cyacomb](https://cybersectools.com/companies/cyacomb). [PacketQ](https://cybersectools.com/tools/packetq) is a free [digital forensics](https://cybersectools.com/categories/digital-forensics) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Cyacomb | PacketQ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Digital Forensics | Digital Forensics |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 396 |
| Last commit | – | Feb 2026 |
| Company | Cyacomb | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Cyacomb | PacketQ |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence Collection | Yes | – |
| Content Filtering | Yes | – |
| Investigation | Yes | – |
| Signature Based Detection | Yes | – |
| Cloud Forensics | Yes | – |
| Social Media | Yes | – |
| File Analysis | Yes | – |
| Disk Image | Yes | – |
| Pattern Matching | Yes | – |
| Packet Analysis | – | Yes |
| PCAP | – | Yes |
| SQL | – | Yes |
| Network Forensic Analysis | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Cyacomb**

6 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**PacketQ**

No features listed.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [PacketQ](https://cybersectools.com/tools/packetq) fits if you are a small business or a mid-market company, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Cyacomb vs PacketQ FAQ

Common questions when comparing Cyacomb vs PacketQ for digital forensics.

### What is the difference between Cyacomb and PacketQ?

**Cyacomb**: Digital forensics tools for detecting CSAM on devices and online platforms. Built by Cyacomb.

**PacketQ**: A command-line tool that allows SQL queries to be executed directly on PCAP files for network traffic analysis with support for multiple output formats.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes Cyacomb and PacketQ?

**Cyacomb** is made by Cyacomb. **PacketQ** is open-source with 396 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Cyacomb a good alternative to PacketQ?

Often, yes. Cyacomb and PacketQ are both Digital Forensics products. Key differences: Cyacomb is Commercial while PacketQ is Free, PacketQ is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Cyacomb vs Cellebrite Digital Forensics Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cellebrite-digital-forensics-platform-vs-cyacomb)
- [Cyacomb vs Magnet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cyacomb-vs-magnet-forensics)
- [Cyacomb vs CaseScan](https://cybersectools.com/compare/casescan-vs-cyacomb)
- [PacketQ vs Cellebrite Digital Forensics Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cellebrite-digital-forensics-platform-vs-packetq)
- [PacketQ vs Magnet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/compare/magnet-forensics-vs-packetq)
- [PacketQ vs CaseScan](https://cybersectools.com/compare/casescan-vs-packetq)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Cyacomb alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cyacomb)
- [See all PacketQ alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/packetq)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cyacomb-vs-packetq

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/cyacomb.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Cyacomb and PacketQ: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md