# ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs Magic Rescue: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[ExtraHop Packet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/tools/extrahop-packet-forensics) is a commercial [digital forensics](https://cybersectools.com/categories/digital-forensics) solution by [ExtraHop](https://cybersectools.com/companies/extrahop). [Magic Rescue](https://cybersectools.com/tools/magic-rescue) 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

| | ExtraHop Packet Forensics | Magic Rescue |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Digital Forensics | Digital Forensics |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Hybrid | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 10 |
| Last commit | – | Sep 2021 |
| Company | ExtraHop | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | ExtraHop Packet Forensics | Magic Rescue |
|---|---|---|
| Packet Capture | Yes | – |
| PCAP | Yes | – |
| Network Forensic Analysis | Yes | – |
| Evidence Collection | Yes | – |
| File Analysis | – | Yes |

### Core features

**ExtraHop Packet Forensics**

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

**Magic Rescue**

No features listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [ExtraHop Packet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/tools/extrahop-packet-forensics) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options.
- [Magic Rescue](https://cybersectools.com/tools/magic-rescue) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs Magic Rescue FAQ

Common questions when comparing ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs Magic Rescue for digital forensics.

### What is the difference between ExtraHop Packet Forensics and Magic Rescue?

**ExtraHop Packet Forensics**: Continuous full packet capture and forensics for network investigations. Built by ExtraHop.

**Magic Rescue**: A tool for recovering files by scanning block devices and extracting them based on 'magic bytes' in file contents.

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

### Who makes ExtraHop Packet Forensics and Magic Rescue?

**ExtraHop Packet Forensics** is made by ExtraHop. **Magic Rescue** is open-source with 10 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is ExtraHop Packet Forensics a good alternative to Magic Rescue?

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

## Related comparisons

- [ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs Packet Capture (cStor®)](https://cybersectools.com/compare/extrahop-packet-forensics-vs-packet-capture-cstorr)
- [ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs Endace Full Packet Capture](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endace-full-packet-capture-vs-extrahop-packet-forensics)
- [ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs SISA Compromise Assessment](https://cybersectools.com/compare/extrahop-packet-forensics-vs-sisa-compromise-assessment)
- [Magic Rescue vs Packet Capture (cStor®)](https://cybersectools.com/compare/magic-rescue-vs-packet-capture-cstorr)
- [Magic Rescue vs Endace Full Packet Capture](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endace-full-packet-capture-vs-magic-rescue)
- [Magic Rescue vs SISA Compromise Assessment](https://cybersectools.com/compare/magic-rescue-vs-sisa-compromise-assessment)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all ExtraHop Packet Forensics alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/extrahop-packet-forensics)
- [See all Magic Rescue alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/magic-rescue)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/extrahop-packet-forensics-vs-magic-rescue

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

More on ExtraHop Packet Forensics and Magic Rescue: 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