Kestrel LITE vs PacketCircle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kestrel LITE
Analyze network packet capture files directly on your iPhone or iPad. Inspect packet details, reassemble TCP streams, and view host inventories and DNS queries. This app operates entirely offline and on-device, ensuring your data privacy.
- Packet list with hex+ASCII inspector
- TCP stream reassembly
- Flow records with bidirectional counts
- Host inventory with DNS resolution
- Protocol classification
- Timeline view of capture activity
- 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.
PacketCircle
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PacketCircle turns packet captures into a clear picture of who is talking to whom. Instead of scrolling endless packet lists, you see communication pairs as an interactive circle: endpoints on the rim, conversations as edges, colors by protocol or session quality. Ideal when you need to understand a capture quickly — on site, in a meeting, or reviewing a file someone sent you. What you can do • Open PCAP and PCAPNG captures • Explore Top talkers on a circle, table, or gauges view • Filter by protocol and focus on the conversations that matter • Inspect session health, ports/services, and application hints • Jump into a Wireshark-style decode (packet list, protocol tree, hex) • Follow TCP streams and export a conversation as PCAP Built for analysis, not noise PacketCircle is a native iOS app with a shared engine designed for conversation-centric troubleshooting — DNS, HTTP, TLS, SMB, and more when the payload is visible — without requiring Wireshark on your phone. Open a capture. See the circle. Understand the network. Made with love for the packet community.
Screenshots
Verdict
Kestrel LITE and PacketCircle are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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.
| Parameter | Kestrel LITE | PacketCircle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Althausen | Walter Hofstetter |
In-app purchases
Kestrel LITE
No in-app purchases
PacketCircle
No in-app purchases





