Kismet vs wireshark: side-by-side comparison (2026)
Kismet is a free intrusion detection and prevention systems solution. wireshark is a free digital forensics solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
A wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system
A free, open-source network protocol analyzer for capturing and displaying packet-level data.
Side-by-side comparison
Feature
Kismet
wireshark
Pricing model
Free
Free
Category
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems
Digital Forensics
Deployment and fit
Deployment type
On-Premises
On-Premises
Company size fit
Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
Open source
GitHub stars
2,072
–
Last commit
Mar 2026
–
Use cases and capabilities
Packet Capture
Yes
Yes
Network Discovery
No
Yes
Protocol Analysis
No
Yes
Network Monitoring
No
Yes
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