mDNSShark vs Outpost
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
mDNSShark
Discover and analyze devices on your local network. This tool reveals what services devices are broadcasting, maps network topology, and assesses security risks. It offers packet capture and optional TLS inspection for deeper insights into network traffic.
- Device discovery (mDNS, SSDP/UPnP)
- Network topology mapping
- Security risk assessment
- Packet capture and export
- Home and Lock Screen widgets
- Optional TLS inspection
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mDNSShark is an open-source network scanner for iPhone, built for privacy-minded engineers and anyone curious about what is on their Wi-Fi. It listens to Multicast DNS (mDNS), DNS-SD (Bonjour) and SSDP/UPnP to find printers, cameras, media servers, smart home gear and other services on your local network, with no setup and no account. FOR CURIOUS MINDS Ever wondered what your TV, thermostat or camera is saying on your network? mDNSShark shows you: what a device announces about itself, which ports answer, and what your phone talks to. Built by engineers for the curious minded and explorers, with literal values and nothing hidden. WHAT YOU GET - Device discovery: Bonjour/mDNS, SSDP/UPnP, an ARP table read and a light sweep of your own subnet, with MAC vendor lookup. A long list of Bonjour service types is browsed, including cameras, Matter, Thread, appliances and 3D printers. - See what a device says about itself: TXT records are listed exactly as received, and vendors come from the device's own claim or its MAC. - Topology: a map of how devices connect, centered on your gateway, with devices on other networks shown apart. A Networks sheet lists this phone's networks, gateways and off-network devices. - Security assessment: flags risky exposed services such as Telnet, FTP, SMB and RTSP, and checks device manufacturers against CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and the NVD. Only ports confirmed by a real connection are listed as open. - Probe this device: on request, and behind a confirmation, send the standard probes to a single address on another network. Devices that were never probed say Not probed. - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets: Devices Online, Scan Now and Security at a Glance. On iOS 26 and later, Scan Now starts a scan right from the widget. - Packet capture: see which servers your phone talks to (DNS lookups, IP addresses, ports), capture mDNS traffic, and export to pcap for Wireshark. - TLS Inspection (optional subscription): decrypt and read your own device's HTTPS traffic using a certificate you install and trust, with a bypass list for apps you want left alone. PRIVACY Scans and analysis run on your phone. Your device list and scan results are never uploaded; only vendor names are sent to the NVD when you tap Refresh CISA Data. Widgets read a snapshot stored on your device. There is no telemetry, no analytics, and no trackers. Two things leave your device, and both are visible to you: while Packet Capture is on, DNS lookups go to the resolver you choose (Google Public DNS by default), and the Refresh CISA Data button you tap yourself downloads CISA's public catalog and asks the NVD about device vendors seen on your network. Discovery needs only local network access; Packet Capture also asks you to allow a VPN configuration. SUPPORT ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT The optional TLS Inspection subscription helps fund active development of mDNSShark: new features, fixes and upkeep. SUBSCRIPTION TLS Inspection Monthly is an auto-renewing monthly subscription. The price and any free trial are shown in the app before you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase, or when a free trial ends. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel any time in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Discovery, scans, and the Security tab are free. OPEN SOURCE AND YOUR VOICE mDNSShark is built in the open and your ideas shape it. Found a bug or want a feature? Open an issue and tell us. Contributions are welcome too. Bugs and feature requests: https://github.com/Shapehaven-Innovations/mDNSShark/issues Source code: https://github.com/Shapehaven-Innovations/mDNSShark Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shapehaveninnovations.com/privacy.html
Outpost
This app provides two layers of security: it analyzes incoming messages and screenshots for scams, and it scans your home network to identify connected devices and potential vulnerabilities. It offers both free features for basic protection and a Pro version with advanced scam analysis, data breach monitoring, and enhanced network security.
- Scam analysis of messages and screenshots
- Home WiFi network scanning
- Device identification and security scoring
- Link and password reputation checks
- Data breach monitoring
- Caller blocking and spam text filtering
- Router security fixes
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Outpost is two kinds of protection in one app: it screens the scams that come at you, and it watches the network you live on. Got a text you're not sure about? Paste it in, or add a screenshot, and Outpost tells you plainly whether it looks like a scam, why, and what to do next. Ask Siri — "Check this with Outpost" — for an answer without opening the app. Run a scan and Outpost finds every device on your Wi-Fi: phones, TVs, printers, smart-home gadgets, and the ones you don't recognise. It checks what each device exposes, flags what's genuinely reachable from the internet, and gives you one security score that climbs as your network gets safer. It's also built to stay private. Network scans, your device list, and your history never leave your iPhone. No account, no ad tracking, nothing sold. WHAT YOU GET FREE • Unlimited network scans — never rate-limited • Every device identified in plain English, with open ports and services • A 0–100 security score with a trend over time • See what's exposed to the internet, and step-by-step fixes for your router • Check a link before you tap it — Outpost reads the address without opening it • Check whether a password has leaked, without ever sending the password • Review what your apps quietly do with your data • A home-screen widget, and Simple Mode for anyone who wants three big buttons OUTPOST PRO • Deep scam analysis of messages and screenshots, including live threat data • Block or label unwanted callers, and filter spam texts from unknown senders • Data breach monitoring — get told if your email turns up in a new breach • Guardian: share a simple protection summary with family, or watch theirs • Encrypted filtering DNS to block ads, trackers, and malicious sites • Close internet-exposed ports in one tap — Outpost talks to your router for you • Known-vulnerability (CVE) checks, including flaws under active attack • Confirm from outside your home what's really reachable from the internet • Background monitoring with alerts when something changes • Router Doctor, Device Detective, guided checkups, Time Machine, Weekly Brief • A protection report showing what Outpost actually did for you BUILT FOR FAMILY Simple Mode replaces the app with three large buttons — check a message, check your Wi-Fi, and call someone you trust — so you can set it up for a parent and hand the phone back. Guardian lets you keep an eye on their protection without taking anything over, and only ever shares a score and a count of issues. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Outpost only scans networks you confirm you own — it won't touch a workplace or public Wi-Fi. Network scanning happens entirely on your device. The features that do need the internet are named in the app before you use them: a breach lookup, a link or number reputation check, the optional vulnerability lookup, and the Guardian summary you choose to share. Password checks send only the first five characters of a hash, so the service can't tell which password you checked. Available in English and Spanish. Outpost gives you information and practical guidance — it isn't a guarantee of safety. Always verify unexpected requests through a channel you already trust. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Outpost Pro — 1 month: $4.99 per month Outpost Pro — 1 year: $29.99 per year Outpost Pro is an auto-renewing subscription that unlocks the Pro features listed above for the length of the period you choose. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → your name → Subscriptions. Prices are in USD and may vary by region. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://outpostsec.app/privacy Additional terms: https://outpostsec.app/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: mDNSShark at every 2 weeks against Outpost's monthly. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. mDNSShark sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Outpost sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for mDNSShark against 5.0 for Outpost. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
mDNSShark ships an update every 2 weeks, Outpost monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | mDNSShark | Outpost |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ShapeHaven Innovations LLC | JEREMY JAMES HIGHTOWER |
Customer experience
mDNSShark
Outpost
In-app purchases
mDNSShark
- TLS Inspection Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
Outpost
- Outpost Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- Outpost Pro Yearly$29.991 Year









