Trace Fiber vs Kestrel LITE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Trace Fiber
Take control of your home Wi-Fi network with this intuitive application. Easily manage parental controls, enhance network security, monitor connected devices, and set up guest networks for visitors.
- Parental controls
- Network security
- Device management
- Guest network creation
- Easy-to-use interface
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Trace Fiber CommandIQ is an easy-to-use application that puts subscribers in control of their home network. Manage your home Wi-Fi network with features such as parental controls, network security, device management, and creating guest networks.
Kestrel LITE
Analyze network packet capture files directly on your mobile device. Inspect packet details, reassemble TCP streams, and view host and DNS information. Ideal for network engineers and students learning packet analysis.
- Packet list with hex/ASCII inspector
- TCP stream reassembly
- Flow records with byte/packet counts
- Host inventory with DNS resolution
- Protocol classification
- Timeline view
- Chain-of-custody log
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Kestrel Lite is a network packet analyzer for iPhone and iPad — open a PCAP or PCAPNG file, see what's inside, and triage it from your phone or tablet. CORE FEATURES Dashboard with tappable widgets — jump from any metric to the relevant tab Packets list with hex+ASCII inspector and filter syntax (port, host, protocol, length) TCP stream reassembly with full payload view (captures under 1 GB) Flow records with bidirectional byte/packet counts Host inventory with hostname resolution from DNS observed in the capture DNS queries with full A/AAAA/CNAME/MX/TXT response data Protocol classification: TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SSH, FTP, SMTP, TLS, ARP, SMB, mDNS, DHCP, NTP, SNMP, SSDP, QUIC Timeline view of capture activity Chain-of-custody log with SHA-256 file integrity hash PRIVACY GUARANTEE 100% offline — no network access 100% on-device — your captures never leave your device No account required, no sign-in Free with no ads IDEAL FOR Network engineers triaging captures on the go Security analysts doing first-pass review Students learning packet analysis and networking Anyone curious about what's actually in their PCAP files LIMITATIONS PCAP files are processed up to 50,000 packets per capture Raw payload search is not included TCP reassembly disables automatically above 1 GB to protect device memory Upgrade to Kestrel Sight to get: Unlimited packet capacity — no 50,000-packet cap Analyst Bookmarks — flag any packet, flow, host, DNS query, or stream with a note. Bookmarks are included in the PDF export Enhanced IPv6 support — addresses displayed in canonical RFC 5952 form, search matches any textual representation of the same address Refined PDF reports — human-readable durations, complete Top Talkers, paginated bookmarks Refined CSV exports SUPPORT Questions, issues, or feature requests? Email support@tracivex.com — we read every message and use your feedback to guide development.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Kestrel LITE at weekly against Trace Fiber's every 3 months. Trace Fiber's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Trace Fiber against 5.0 for Kestrel LITE. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
Trace Fiber ships an update every 3 months, Kestrel LITE weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Trace Fiber | Kestrel LITE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 138 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Trace Fiber Networks, LLC | Tracivex LLC |
Customer experience
Trace Fiber
Kestrel LITE
In-app purchases
Trace Fiber
No in-app purchases
Kestrel LITE
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Trace Fiber free?
Is Kestrel LITE free?
Which has better reviews, Trace Fiber or Kestrel LITE?
Do Trace Fiber or Kestrel LITE have ads?
Which is updated more often, Trace Fiber or Kestrel LITE?
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