# Packet Capture (cStor®) vs PacketQ: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Packet Capture (cStor®)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/packet-capture-cstorr) is a commercial [digital forensics](https://cybersectools.com/categories/digital-forensics) solution by [cPacket Networks](https://cybersectools.com/companies/cpacket-networks). [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

| | Packet Capture (cStor®) | 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 | cPacket Networks | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Packet Capture (cStor®) | PacketQ |
|---|---|---|
| Packet Capture | Yes | – |
| PCAP | Yes | Yes |
| Network Forensic Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Network Monitoring | Yes | – |
| Network Visibility | Yes | – |
| Packet Analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Observability | Yes | – |
| SQL | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Packet Capture (cStor®)**

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

**PacketQ**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Packet Capture (cStor®)**

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

**PacketQ**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Packet Capture (cStor®)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/packet-capture-cstorr) 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.

## Packet Capture (cStor®) vs PacketQ FAQ

Common questions when comparing Packet Capture (cStor®) vs PacketQ for digital forensics.

### What is the difference between Packet Capture (cStor®) and PacketQ?

**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.

### Who makes Packet Capture (cStor®) and PacketQ?

**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.

### Is Packet Capture (cStor®) a good alternative to PacketQ?

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.

## Related comparisons

- [Packet Capture (cStor®) vs Endace Full Packet Capture](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endace-full-packet-capture-vs-packet-capture-cstorr)
- [Packet Capture (cStor®) vs ExtraHop Packet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/compare/extrahop-packet-forensics-vs-packet-capture-cstorr)
- [Packet Capture (cStor®) vs Telesoft TDAC](https://cybersectools.com/compare/packet-capture-cstorr-vs-telesoft-tdac)
- [PacketQ vs Endace Full Packet Capture](https://cybersectools.com/compare/endace-full-packet-capture-vs-packetq)
- [PacketQ vs ExtraHop Packet Forensics](https://cybersectools.com/compare/extrahop-packet-forensics-vs-packetq)
- [PacketQ vs Telesoft TDAC](https://cybersectools.com/compare/packetq-vs-telesoft-tdac)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Packet Capture (cStor®) alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/packet-capture-cstorr)
- [See all PacketQ alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/packetq)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/packetq-vs-packet-capture-cstorr

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

More on Packet Capture (cStor®) 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