Comparison

PingKit vs NetGuard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PingKit

Understand your home network with AI-powered explanations and 19 free tools. Identify devices, test speeds, and monitor connections privately on your iPhone. Offers advanced features and monitoring through optional subscriptions.

Highlights
  • On-device AI for network explanations
  • 19 professional-grade network tools
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Device discovery and identification
  • Connection monitoring and uptime watch
  • Optional subscription for advanced features
Features
Read full description

Is it your Wi-Fi, or is it your ISP? PingKit answers the question you actually have. It checks your device, your network, your router and the internet beyond it, then tells you in plain language where the problem is. Ask "Why is my internet slow?" and get a real answer instead of a number. Devices on your network are found automatically and named from what they announce. No jargon, no guesswork. 19 professional-grade network tools, completely free. AI THAT EXPLAINS YOUR NETWORK: Answers are written on your iPhone by Apple Intelligence, or by Apple Private Cloud Compute, wherever your iPhone and your language allow. PingKit's own service is the last resort, and PingKit asks your permission before it ever receives anything. Every AI feature is free without a subscription: answers written on your iPhone are unlimited, and PingKit's own service gives you 15 a week, up to 5 a day. NEW IN 3.3: • More devices get a name: PingKit asks each device for the name it announces, so smart plugs, bulbs, TVs and consoles that never showed a name do. • Labels stay with the device: a device keeps its name and label when its address changes. • Thread and Matter devices appear, scans are faster and quieter, and the Mac Agent's hardware addresses are shown as such. SIRI & SHORTCUTS: Speed test, "How's My Wi-Fi?", a gaming check, wake your computer, ping, port scan and DNS lookup, straight from Siri, Spotlight and Shortcuts. 19 FREE TOOLS: Smart Diagnostics, Speed Test, Ping, Visual Traceroute, MTR, Connection Monitor, Port Scanner, Bonjour Browser, Security Scan, Device Discovery, My Network, DNS Lookup, Whois, IP Geolocation, SSL Inspector, HTTP Analyzer, Subnet Calculator, Wake-on-LAN, Network Interfaces. MONITOR TAB: Live connection, Uptime Watch, Cert Monitor, Mac Agent, scheduled speed tests and reports in one place. Cert Monitor and Uptime Watch each include one permanently free slot. GUARDIAN ($2.99/mo): • Where the problem is: your device, your network, your router, your ISP, or beyond • Session Watch: game regions, two-hour sessions, lag under load, and where the lag is • Router mode: every port your router forwards from the internet • Cameras on your network, and whether each answers from the internet • Wake from anywhere through your Mac, with a Control Center button per device • Watch Mode, trends per network, and what changed since your last checkup • Fix It walkthrough: an ordered checklist for your exact router • Uptime Watch: 10 sites or TCP ports checked every 5 minutes, with down/recovered alerts • Cert Monitor: 5 domains, with expiry alerts • Monitoring through the companion Mac Agent while your Mac is awake: a morning briefing, alerts for the devices you choose, and a scan or speed test from anywhere • Apple Private Cloud Compute: answers questions too large for the model on your iPhone to hold on its own • Private iCloud sync between the Mac Agent and your iPhone GUARDIAN PLUS ($9.99/mo): • Cert Monitor: 50 domains • Alerts by email, with a Monday summary, or to a webhook • Sleep, restart and shut down your Macs and Linux machines • Four- and eight-hour gaming sessions, and your history as a spreadsheet • Several Macs, and 90 days of history • Scheduled reports and the signed ISO 27001 Compliance PDF • Everything in Guardian NOW IN 27 LANGUAGES. PRIVACY FIRST: All 19 diagnostic tools run on your device. No accounts, no tracking, no advertising. The Mac Agent syncs through your personal iCloud. When an answer needs PingKit's own service, PingKit asks first, and you can withdraw that permission at any time. PingKit Guardian: $2.99/mo or $24.99/yr. Guardian Plus: $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr. 1-week free trial on every plan. Cancel anytime. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pingkit.app/privacy-policy.html Terms of Service: https://pingkit.app/terms-of-service.html

About

NetGuard

Scan your WiFi network to identify all connected devices, their details, and exposed services. It alerts you to new or unusual devices, helping you secure your network. An optional one-time purchase removes ads and unlocks advanced security features.

Highlights
  • Scan WiFi network for connected devices
  • View device name, type, and IP address
  • Detect new, returned, and missing devices
  • Speed test, ping, and DNS lookup
  • Network security score and fixes
  • Background intruder alerts
  • Port scanner and traceroute
Features
Read full description

NetGuard is a free iPhone app that scans your WiFi network in one tap and lists every connected device with a friendly name, type, IP address, and the services it exposes. It flags new, returned, and missing devices so you always know what changed and can spot anything that should not be on your network. NetGuard is free and ad supported, with an optional one-time NetGuard Pro purchase (no subscription, ever) that removes ads and adds deeper security tools. FREE - Scan your WiFi and see every device - Device details: name, type, IP, Bonjour services - Current network, connectivity and public IP - Speed test: download, upload and ping - Ping and DNS lookup tools NetGuard is free to use and ad supported. NETGUARD PRO (one-time purchase, no subscription, ever) - Removes all ads, permanently - Network security score with plain language fixes - New device alert log: a history of who joined your WiFi - Background intruder alerts - Name and track your devices - What changed: new, returned and missing devices - Port scanner, traceroute, Wake on LAN, router security check - CSV and PDF export Pay once and keep it forever. No subscription. No tracking. Privacy first: NetGuard does not collect your data. Note that iOS does not expose MAC addresses to apps, so device identity is based on names and services.

Screenshots

PingKit4 screens
NetGuard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PingKit at none against NetGuard's shown. PingKit also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and ratings volume (9 vs 2). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PingKit sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and NetGuard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PingKit against 5.0 for NetGuard. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PingKit ships an update every 3 days, NetGuard weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PingKit versus NetGuard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPingKitNetGuard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (9 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings9 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPAUL SNYMANLevin David Schwab

Customer experience

PingKit

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NetGuard

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PingKit

Subscriptions10
  • PingKit Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • PingKit Guardian7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • PingKit Agent Monthly$3.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • PingKit Everything Monthly$4.991 Month
  • PingKit Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • PingKit Guardian Plus7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PingKit Agent Yearly$19.991 Year
  • PingKit Everything Yearly$24.991 Year
  • PingKit Guardian7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • PingKit Guardian Plus7 Days trial$79.991 Year
1 purchases

NetGuard

One-time1
  • NetGuard Pro$4.99

Questions

Is PingKit free?
PingKit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NetGuard free?
NetGuard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PingKit or NetGuard?
NetGuard is rated higher. PingKit averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while NetGuard averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do PingKit or NetGuard have ads?
NetGuard shows ads; PingKit does not.
Which is updated more often, PingKit or NetGuard?
PingKit ships an update every 3 days, and NetGuard weekly. Most recently, PingKit was updated on October 17, 2026 and NetGuard on October 12, 2026.

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