Xplot vs lw-yara: 2026 Comparison
Xplot is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. lw-yara is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best digital forensics and incident response fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Incident response teams with large packet capture backlogs will find Xplot's speed advantage worth the free price; color-coded TCP analysis cuts analysis time on network forensics work that would otherwise require manual trace parsing or expensive commercial alternatives. The tool handles gigabyte-scale pcap files without the overhead of full-stack DFIR platforms, making it particularly useful for lean teams doing ad-hoc packet investigation rather than automated response. Skip Xplot if you need threat hunting across multiple data sources or NIST Respond capabilities like automated remediation; this is a single-function parsing tool, not a platform.
Forensics teams and incident responders hunting PHP shells in compromised web applications should use lw-yara for its laser focus on webserver malware detection; the 107 GitHub stars and active maintenance show this ruleset actually gets used in post-breach investigations where generic YARA rules fall short. The free pricing means you can bake it into your DFIR playbooks without budget friction. Skip this if you need detection across the full application stack or run primarily on non-PHP infrastructure; lw-yara does one thing and won't help you find .NET backdoors or kernel rootkits.
