Comparison · checked

Advanced IP Scanner alternative: Packet Echo vs Advanced IP Scanner vs Angry IP ScannerThree free scanners. Three different jobs.

All three find what is on a subnet. They differ in what they do next: Advanced IP Scanner gets you into the machines it finds, Angry IP Scanner is a fast, extensible scanner on any OS, and Packet Echo works out where things are plugged in and why the network is misbehaving. We make Packet Echo, so read this with that in mind.

Side by side

What each one does.

Advanced IP Scanner and Angry IP Scanner features are taken from advanced-ip-scanner.com and angryip.org, checked 2026-10-30. "Not listed" means the vendor's site does not mention it.
FeaturePacket Echo (free)Advanced IP ScannerAngry IP Scanner
PriceFree; Pro $79 onceFreeFree, open source (GPLv2)
PlatformsWindows 10 and 11Windows 7, 8, 10, 11Cross-platform
IP and subnet scan, hostnames, MAC addressesYesYesYes
Open portsYesNot listedYes
Which switch port you are on (LLDP / CDP)YesNot listedNot listed
Network diagnostics (link, internet path, DNS, throughput)YesNot listedNot listed
Remote access (RDP, Radmin) and network sharesNoYesVia custom openers
Export resultsCSV, JSON, ticket noteCSVCSV, TXT, XML, IP-port list
Read-only SNMP switch view, port errors, MAC tableProNot listedNot listed
Topology map, branded client reportsProNot listedNot listed
Packet capture analysis (.pcap / .pcapng)ProNot listedNot listed

Choose Advanced IP Scanner if…

You want to find Windows machines and get straight into them: it opens RDP and Radmin sessions and network shares from the results, can switch computers on and off remotely, and runs as a portable app with no install. It is free and made by Famatech.

Choose Angry IP Scanner if…

You need a scanner on macOS or Linux as well as Windows, want open-source software, or want to extend results with plugins and custom openers. It pings each address, then optionally resolves hostnames, finds MAC addresses, scans ports and reads NetBIOS information.

Choose Packet Echo if…

You are troubleshooting or documenting a network rather than administering the PCs on it. The free edition adds what a scan alone cannot tell you: which switch and port this machine is on (LLDP and CDP), an ordered Diagnose check of link, internet path, DNS and throughput, services announced over SSDP and mDNS, Wi-Fi details, and rogue DHCP detection. Pro adds a read-only SNMP switch view, topology maps, packet capture analysis and branded client reports, for $79 once with every future update included.

Using more than one

They do not conflict. Plenty of technicians keep a remote-access scanner for the help desk and a diagnostic tool for site visits.

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