11 BEST Network Scanning Tools (2025)
Oliver Jones
IP and network scanning tools are applications that can discover various loopholes in the network and safeguard from unprecedented and abnormal behavior that threatens the system. It is necessary to select a good quality tool, since randomly choosing a IP and network scanning software can lead to inefficient monitoring, inaccurate scanning and security issues.
Therefore, after spending over 90+ hours researching, I have reviewed 40+ best network scanning tools and handpicked the most comprehensive free and paid options for you. My insightful and unbiased article provides a convenient way to secure your computer network. This ultimate guide offers credible and well-researched features, pros and cons, and pricing. Go through the article completely to discover exclusive and trusted insights that will help you choose the best network scanning tool. Read more…
ManageEngine OpUtils is a remarkable tool that provided me with clear insights into network setups with real-time IP tracking and scanning. It automates your network scanning with scheduled scan routines and helps in troubleshooting the network.
Best Network Scanner Tools (IP Scanner Software)
| Name | Supported Platform | Free Trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👍 ManageEngine OpUtils | Windows, iOS, and Android | 30-Days | Learn More |
| 👍 Site24x7’s Network Monitoring | Windows, Linux, and iOS | 30-Days | Learn More |
| Paessler | Windows and Linux | 30-Days | Learn More |
| Atera | Windows, Mac and Linux | 30-Days | Learn More |
| Nessus | Windows, Mac and Linux | 7-Days | Learn More |
1) ManageEngine OpUtils
ManageEngine OpUtils is a remarkable tool that provided me with clear insights into network setups with real-time IP tracking and scanning. I could schedule alerts to be sent daily, weekly, or monthly, which is perfect for staying informed. The tool made it possible to receive alerts when problems grow, or new issues arise using its impressive threshold-based settings. It also sends alerts through email, SMS, and custom or default options, which I found very useful.
IP Address Management: Yes
Network Monitoring: Yes
Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Features:
- Scanning: It automates your network scanning with scheduled scan routines and helps in troubleshooting the network. It also helped me streamline scanning across multiple subnets, routers, and switch ports to detect rogue devices and enhance network security.
- Extensive reports: ManageEngine OpUtils monitors bandwidth and web server and generates diverse reports that can be used to conduct network audits. I found out that it has a switch port mapper and scanner module that lets you scan, view, and map in-depth insights.
- Scalability: It allowed me to achieve high scalability, including support for multiple subnets and both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- Integrations: This commercial network scanning tool seamlessly integrates with IBM, CT.gov, EDS, and UPS.
- Other features: ManageEngine OpUtils offered me services such as IP address management, advanced IP scanner, switch port management, rogue device detection, and config file management.
- Supported Platforms: I could use it on Windows, iOS, and Android.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a Quote from Sales
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial
30-Days Free Trial
2) Site24x7’s Network Monitoring
Site24x7’s Network Monitoring gives detailed insights into your network devices with its easy-to-use interface. It helped me build custom dashboards and add widgets to fit your organization’s needs, which I particularly appreciate.
It also offers SNMP-based performance and availability monitoring, network traffic monitoring, and network configuration management. Moreover, I could also monitor cloud-managed devices (Cisco Meraki) using a simple network management protocol or REST API.
IP Address Management: Yes
Network Monitoring: Yes
Free Trial: 30-Days Free Trial
Features:
- Monitor SNMP devices: This tool helped me monitor any SNMP-enabled device with its custom SNMP monitoring. It also helped me ensure the fault management of all my SNMP devices with a secure, firewall-friendly architecture.
- Centralized log: Site24X7 also has a cloud-hosted log management that identifies all potential causes for operation issues. It uses topology or Layer 2 maps for easier administration. I could also view the network data in tables, charts, graphs, dashboards, and reports.
- Notifications: During the research, it sent me instant alerts through SMS messages, emails, voice calls, and push notifications whenever an SNMP trap was generated or a network device status was changed.
- Integrations: I could seamlessly integrate it with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, and more.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Pricing: Its starting plan costs $9 per month and is billed annually.
- Free trial: 30-day free trial.
30-Days Free Trial
3) Paessler
Paessler security network scanning tool offers advanced management of IT infrastructure. In my experience, this software is great for monitoring IT infrastructure with technologies like SNMP, WMI, and others such as sniffing, REST APIs, and SQL. It is the most effective way I have found to ensure my network runs smoothly.
This tool helped me set the reporting schedule as daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. It provides instant email, ICQ, and pager/SMS alerts. I could integrate it with PRTG and SAP, and it has automated failover handling. The tool provides multiple user web interfaces and allows you to monitor networks in various locations.
Features:
- Monitoring: I was able to monitor jFlow, sFlow, IP SLA, Firewall, IP, LAN, Wi-Fi, Jitter, and IPFIX. It also monitors IP addresses and network services, bandwidth, web applications, and servers.
- Full administrative control: It runs on your dedicated servers in your IT infrastructure. I received full access to configuration and data, and it is entirely flexible when it comes to backup, maintenance, and upgrades.
- Reports: This tool helped me access the numbers, statistics, and graphs for all the data it monitors. It allowed me to visualize my network using maps.
- Other features: Paessler offers alerts, eliminates server performance problems, multiple location monitoring, 100 free sensors, and more.
- Supported Platforms: I found it compatible with Windows and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plans start at $2149 per year.
- Free Trial: It offers 30-day free trial.
30-Days Free Trial
4) Nessus
Nessus is a network scanning tool that can be used for analyzing compliance, searching for sensitive data, and scanning IPs and website traffic. During my review, I found it intuitive and noticed that it simplified the network scanning process.
It sent me instant email alerts and allowed me to schedule reports monthly. I particularly appreciate that it monitors your bandwidth and web server effortlessly while supporting many plugins that provide timely protection from new threats.
Features:
- Complete scanning: The tool provides complete network scanning with unlimited assessments, offering accurate visibility into your computer network. According to my review, it is a smart too that exposes the threats with severity level so you can prioritize the issues.
- Security: I could secure my cloud, OT (Operational Technology) devices, and traditional IT assets. This network scan tool also detects the SQL injection attack and enables you to migrate to reliable solutions safely.
- Integrations: I found out that it integrates seamlessly with Amazon Web Services, ARCON, BeyondTrust PowerBroker Password Safe, Blackberry UEM, and more.
- Other features: Nessus offers pre-built policies and templates and customizable reporting and troubleshooting. It also has features like configuration assessment and more.
- Supported Platforms: It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plans start at $4,708.20 a year.
- Free Trial: 7-days free trial.
Link: https://www.tenable.com/products/nessus
5) Security Event Manager
Security Event Manager is one of the best network scanning tools in the market. In my experience, it is essential for strengthening security and maintaining compliance without any hassle. The centralized log collection system is impressive, providing thorough monitoring, while the monthly reporting schedule option is great for routine checks. This network scanner tool helped me receive instant notifications via email and web service alerts, which I suggest paying attention to for real-time updates.
Features:
- Real-time monitoring: It has a real-time log analyzer and server monitoring capabilities. Thus, I could monitor file integrity to keep my sensitive data safe, and it includes security log and server log management.
- Analysis: With an advanced pfSense firewall log analyzer, I received an insightful reporting. It has Azure AD log analytics and monitoring, a firewall log analyzer, a snot log analyzer, and much more.
- Security: SolarWinds offers a network security tool with intrusion detection capability and DNS protection, and lets you configure privileged account security. I noticed that it also has integrated tools for compliance reporting.
- Other features: I found out that this tool offers centralized log collection and normalization, port scanning, threat detection, an overview dashboard, and more. In fact, it’s one of the most effective solutions I’ve used for managing security.
- Integrations: Security Event Manager seamlessly integrates with JIRA and GitHub.
- Supported Platforms: It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and iOS.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.solarwinds.com/security-event-manager
6) Port Scanner
I analyzed Port Scanner, a network scanner tool which checks available IP addresses and their associated TCP and UDP protocols. I could access features that helped me track users and monitor device connection activity. Throughout my assessment, it provided me with the ability to deploy several configurations at once. The tool allowed me to schedule reports to send monthly alerts and supports command-line scanning. I advise you to define a DNS server with this tool, as it is a great option.
Features:
- Monitoring: According to my research, this network scanning tool is one of the best for IP Address management and network monitoring services. It allows me to keep track of bandwidth monitoring and server monitoring, which is essential for maintaining a smooth network.
- Scanning: Its advanced IP scanner helped me view how my devices, like hub switches and routers, are configured. The scan configuration can be saved easily with the Port Scanner, and it uses threading and adaptive timing to accelerate scans.
- Integrations: I was able to easily integrate thus network vulnerability scanner with Dropbox, Google Analytics, Jira, LogMeIn, Microsoft Azure, NMAP, and more.
- Other features: Port Scanner offers a WAN killer traffic generator, MAC address scanner, and SNMP MIB browser. It also has MIB walk, config editor/viewer, config compare, and more.
- Supported Platforms: I could use it on Windows and Linux devices.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales.
- Free Trial: Offers a 14-days free trial.
Link: https://www.solarwinds.com/engineers-toolset/use-cases/open-port-scanner
7) Skybox Security
I explored Skybox Security and found it to be a remarkable network scanner tool. It provides network visibility across IT, multi-cloud, and physical environments, which is great for enterprises with complex networks. In the course of my review, I was able to monitor bandwidth while keeping security zones and device configurations in continuous compliance. It offered me a reliable way to interact with network topology, security controls, and assets.
Features:
- Vulnerability discovery: You can normalize data and collect aggregates from scanners, security controls, OT assets, CMBDs, and more. It helped me set its reporting schedule frequency as monthly. I found out that it is also capable of exposure management, cyber risk quantification and has a proprietary network model.
- Troubleshooting: Solve network connectivity-related issues and find the root causes of network outages. This ensures your business continuity and continuous uptime.
- Integrations: With Skybox Security, I could easily integrate Splunk, BMC, Microsoft, CLAROTY, NOZOMI, AWS, Azure, and CISCO, making it a great option for comprehensive security management.
- Other features: It is one of the best IP scanning tools that offers a security posture management platform, vulnerability assessment, and prioritization. This network management solution also provides security policy management and more.
- Supported Platforms: I found it compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales
- Free Trial: Request a free demo
Link: https://www.skyboxsecurity.com/
8) BeyondTrust
BeyondTrust is one of the free network scanning tools that identifies configuration issues and missing patches in applications, devices, virtual environments, and operating systems. I particularly liked its user-friendly interface, which simplifies integrations and enhances business productivity. It helps you stay on top of issues by sending instant email and notification alerts. I recommend setting alerts for hourly, daily, or monthly, depending on your needs.
Features:
- Management: During the research process, I found out that it provides bandwidth monitoring, patch management, and IP address management. In fact, BeyondTrust helped me improve risk management and prioritization.
- Threat management: The tool provides support for VMware that includes virtual image scanning. I noticed that it protects privileges at scale, follows Zero Trust policies, secures all kinds of remote access infrastructure, and more.
- Integrations: It seamlessly integrates with Bmc, CA Technologies, JIRA, Salesforce, Zendesk, and other useful tools. Moreover, it allowed me to integrate it with vCenter and scan virtual applications for security.
- Other features: BeyondTrust can scale effectively, increase efficiency, and allow access via SSH. It also provides seamless credential injection™ and helped me gain immediate access to security controls and more.
- Supported Platforms: I found it compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales.
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial.
Link: https://www.beyondtrust.com/
9) Qualys
Qualys is great for businesses that need to streamline security and compliance. I found out that it also adds security features to digital transformation. During my evaluation, I was able to monitor how well my cloud systems were functioning. It providedme with instant security and email alerts and helped set reports to be sent weekly or monthly. I particularly liked how my data was securely stored and processed using multiple servers that share the load. Plus, it does not require extra hardware for installation or managing data.
Features:
- Scanning: Qualys is one of the best network scanner tools that allows me to scale and provides end-to-end network scanning for all aspects of IT security. It also offers web app scanning in its vulnerability and configuration management.
- Real-time action: This tool analyzes the data in real-time and sends alerts on zero-day vulnerabilities, network irregularities, and compromised networks. It can also take care of threats in real-time with its features, such as cloud detection and response, extended detection and response and endpoint detection and response.
- Integrations: I was able to seamlessly integrate with CISCO, IBM, Splunk, Bugcrowd, CITRIX, MetricStream, and RSA
- Other features: Qualys offers a cloud platform, policy compliance, infrastructure security, and web app security. It also has cloud security, endpoint security, and more.
- Supported Platforms: It is compatible with Windows, iOS, and Linux operating systems.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.qualys.com/
10) Nagios
Nagios is a remarkable open-source network scanner tool I analyzed for monitoring systems, applications, services, and business processes in DevOps. I particularly appreciate how it allows you to check networks, infrastructure, and systems. The tool provides instant alerts through phone, SMS, email, and mobile. I would recommend setting daily, weekly, or monthly alert schedules. Nagios scans the network automatically and sends alerts when conditions change. It also lets you toggle group or individual alerts on and off.
Features:
- Monitoring: Nagios is a lightweight network scanner software that offers web application monitoring, SNMP monitoring, log monitoring, and Windows monitoring. I could also monitor network protocols like HTTP, SMTP, POP, SSH, FTP, and more.
- Scalability and visibility: This free network scanning tool offers your network a high degree of scalability and visibility, helping you solve issues related to multiple networks. I also received extensive network analysis which provides in-depth and high-level visualization into granular data such as potential threats in the traffic.
- Defines individual files: Nagios allowed me to read its configuration from an entire directory, which helped me decide how to define individual files.
- Integrations: This network scanning software easily integrates with OTRS, Request Tracker, xMatters, and Jira.
- Other features: Nagios has comprehensive monitoring, visibility and awareness, problem remediation, and proactive planning capabilities. It also includes multi-tenant capabilities, extendable architecture, and more
- Supported Platforms: I found it compatible with Windows and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Request a quote from sales
- Free Trial: Lifetime free basic plan
Link: https://www.nagios.org/
11) LogicMonitor
LogicMonitor is a network scanner tool that I reviewed, which tracks predefined data sources in your applications. It monitors, graphs, and alerts you about trends and events to improve application management. During my analysis, I found out that this network scan tool provides instant text messages, emails, and voice call alerts. I could customize the reporting schedule, including setting it for monthly alerts. It includes alert routing to notify specific groups. The tool offers performance graphs and manages users based on their roles.
Features:
- Discovery and visualization: LogicMonitor can auto-discover all your network devices. I could discover and map relationships between critical infrastructure resources using its visualization capability and troubleshoot the issues instantly.
- Optimize performance: It helped me resolve any problem that arises instantly and improve the health of my network. It has unified network metrics and logs that help me identify root causes.
- Integrations: I could integrate it with Zoom, Azure, Windows, BROCADE, Autotask, Google Cloud, ORACLE, and more.
- Other features: LogicMonitor helped me visualize anomalies and set dynamic thresholds, which I found to be a great way to enhance performance monitoring.
- Supported Platforms: I could use it on Windows and Linux.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plans start at $22 per resource/month.
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial.
Link: https://www.logicmonitor.com/network-monitoring/
What is a Network Scanner?
A network scanner is a software tool or application that scans the network for security misconfigurations in the network devices. The network scanner tool also detects and categorizes all devices in a network by their IPs, MAC addresses, vendors, ports, etc.
Which factors should you consider while selecting the Best Network Scanning Tools?
I recommend considering the following factors before selecting network scanner tools.
- Quality of Customer support.
- The cost involved in training employees on the tool.
- License cost, if applicable.
- Product features meet your requirements.
- Compatibility of network scanner tool.
- Hardware/Software requirements of the IP and network scanner tool.
- Support and Update the policy of the IP Scanner tool.
- Reviews of the company.
Verdict
Choosing the right network scanning tool can significantly enhance your network’s security and performance. According to my review ManageEngine OpUtils, Site24x7’s Network Monitoring and Paessler are the most powerful options. Here is my verdict about why I would recommend these as my top 3 tools:
- ManageEngine OpUtils is an impressive and comprehensive tool that has provided me with the ultimate network management experience. Its powerful scanning capabilities and detailed reporting makes it a secure and robust option for maintaining network health.
- Site24x7’s Network Monitoring is a reliable and user-friendly tool that offers a wide range of features tailored for efficient network scanning. I appreciate how it provides real-time insights and customizable monitoring options, making it a powerful choice for network administrators.
- Paessler security network scanning tool offers advanced management of IT infrastructure. The tool provides multiple user web interfaces and allows you to monitor networks in various locations.
