# ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs PacketQ: 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). [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

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

### Use cases and capabilities

| | ExtraHop Packet Forensics | PacketQ |
|---|---|---|
| Packet Capture | Yes | – |
| PCAP | Yes | Yes |
| Network Forensic Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Evidence Collection | Yes | – |
| Packet Analysis | – | Yes |
| SQL | – | Yes |

### Core features

**ExtraHop Packet Forensics**

10 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.

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

## ExtraHop Packet Forensics vs PacketQ FAQ

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

### What is the difference between ExtraHop Packet Forensics and PacketQ?

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

**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 ExtraHop Packet Forensics and PacketQ?

**ExtraHop Packet Forensics** is made by ExtraHop. **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 ExtraHop Packet Forensics a good alternative to PacketQ?

Often, yes. ExtraHop Packet Forensics and PacketQ are both Digital Forensics products, and both cover PCAP, Network Forensic Analysis. Key differences: ExtraHop Packet Forensics 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

- [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)
- [PacketQ vs Packet Capture (cStor®)](https://cybersectools.com/compare/packetq-vs-packet-capture-cstorr)
- [PacketQ vs Endace Full Packet Capture](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endace-full-packet-capture-vs-packetq)
- [PacketQ vs SISA Compromise Assessment](https://cybersectools.com/compare/packetq-vs-sisa-compromise-assessment)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all ExtraHop Packet Forensics alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/extrahop-packet-forensics)
- [See all PacketQ alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/packetq)

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

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 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