Packet Capture (cStor®) is a commercial digital forensics solution by cPacket Networks. PacketQ is a free digital forensics solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
Lossless packet capture & analysis appliance at 10–200 Gbps line rate.
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.
See more solutions in this category, or build a security stack from your picks.
Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.
Packet Capture (cStor®) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options.
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.
Common questions when comparing Packet Capture (cStor®) vs PacketQ for digital forensics.
Packet Capture (cStor®): Lossless packet capture & analysis appliance at 10–200 Gbps line rate. Built by cPacket Networks.
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.
Packet Capture (cStor®) is made by cPacket Networks. 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.
Often, yes. Packet Capture (cStor®) and PacketQ are both Digital Forensics products, and both cover Packet Analysis, PCAP, Network Forensic Analysis. Key differences: Packet Capture (cStor®) is Commercial while PacketQ is Free, PacketQ is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.
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Updated 2026-11-02
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