Comparison

Network & System Admin Toolkit vs Near

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

Head to head
About

Network & System Admin Toolkit

This comprehensive toolkit provides network and system administrators with essential tools for subnet planning, network diagnostics, and SSH system administration. It offers a native experience across iOS and macOS devices, with no account or cloud dependency.

Highlights
  • SSH Terminal with persistent sessions
  • Subnet calculator and splitter
  • Network diagnostics (Ping, Traceroute, Port Scanner)
  • LAN device discovery
  • DNS lookup and benchmark
  • WHOIS and SSL inspection
Read full description

ForgeNetzwork is a complete Network & System Administration Toolkit for iOS and macOS. Designed for network engineers, system administrators, IT professionals, and students, it brings together powerful tools for subnet planning, network diagnostics, LAN analysis, and SSH system administration - all in one app, with no account or cloud dependency. SSH & SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION • SSH Terminal - Connect directly to SSH-enabled systems with a full interactive shell • Persistent Shell Sessions - Working directories, environment variables, and shell state persist just like in a native terminal • ANSI Color Support - Display colored prompts, command output, and syntax highlighting • Terminal Controls - Quick access to Tab, Esc, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+L, and arrow keys • Hosts Manager - Save and organize multiple SSH hosts for quick access • Command Reference - Search 40+ Unix/Linux commands with clear descriptions and one-tap copy • Secure Direct Connections - SSH traffic goes directly between your device and the host you configure, with no third-party server in between SUBNET CALCULATOR & PLANNING • Subnet Calculator - Compute network address, broadcast, host range, subnet mask, and wildcard from any IP/CIDR • Subnet Splitter - Divide any network into equal subnets by prefix or count • VLSM - Variable Length Subnet Masking for efficient IP allocation • IP Range to CIDR - Convert arbitrary IP ranges to minimal CIDR notation • Wildcard Calculator - Generate wildcard masks for ACLs and firewall rules • Subnet Reference Table - Quick-reference chart for /8 through /32 prefixes • Route Summarization - Aggregate multiple routes into a single summary prefix NETWORK DIAGNOSTICS • Ping - ICMP echo with RTT statistics, packet loss, and min/avg/max reporting • Traceroute - Visualize the full path to any host with per-hop latency • Port Scanner - Probe common TCP ports on a target • Network Monitor - Live dashboard tracking latency to multiple hosts with ISP information LAN & DEVICE DISCOVERY • LAN Scanner - Discover devices on your local network with IP, hostname, and open port detection • Wake on LAN - Send magic packets to wake compatible machines • Network Info - View your current IP, gateway, DNS, and connection details DNS & WEB TOOLS • DNS Benchmark Measure UDP latency to major DNS resolvers including Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS, AdGuard, and NextDNS • DNS Lookup - Query A, AAAA, MX, TXT, CNAME, and other records for any domain • WHOIS Lookup - Retrieve WHOIS information for domains and IP addresses • SSL Inspector - Inspect TLS certificate details, expiration dates, and issuer chains for HTTPS hosts IP UTILITIES • IP Converter - Convert IPv4 addresses between dotted-decimal, binary, and hexadecimal • Calculation History - Review and re-run previous subnet calculations BUILT FOR IT PROFESSIONALS • Native experience across iPhone, iPad, and macOS • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick network status • Optimized sidebar navigation for iPad and Mac • Terminal accent color customization • No account, no subscription, and no cloud dependency • Available in English, Spanish,German and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Whether you're administering systems over SSH, designing network architectures, troubleshooting connectivity, managing your local network, or studying networking and system administration, ForgeNetzwork puts the tools you need in one place.

About

Near

Features
Read full description

Your privacy-friendly action hub What matters, visible now. • 22 templates, 18 role presets and customizable entry points. • Pickup, meal and parking tasks can stay open until you complete them. • Create share cards in your theme; parents can keep appointment and vaccination records. Paste text, share it from another app, or enter details yourself. Near organizes supported formats on your device, and you review the result before saving. No account or advertising. CARDS FOR EVERYDAY MOMENTS • Train and flight details, parcel and meal pickup codes, queue numbers and QR or barcodes • Shopping lists and to-dos, with import from Apple Reminders and supported reminder times • Text notes, movie details, parking information, reminders and timers ON YOUR SCREEN AND WRIST • Show the current action as a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island on supported iPhones • Home Screen widgets in three sizes, Lock Screen widgets and Apple Watch views • Notes put the words first; checklists keep the next item clear • Automatic tasks follow start time. A task you put first stays current until it ends, then the next eligible task starts. A card’s lead time overrides the default. Scheduled alerts may temporarily take over. YOUR OWN STYLE Nine themes, clearer forms and ticket or record sharing styles suited to different card types. LOCAL CONTENT Card content is processed on your device and pickup codes are stored encrypted. Core card features work offline. This version contains no analytics SDK and sends no usage statistics. Device backups follow your Apple backup settings. LANGUAGE AND SYSTEM SUPPORT The interface follows your system language and supports 20 languages. Recognition uses local rules for supported formats; review the result or use manual entry for other formats. Text recognition depends on Apple Vision language support. iOS 26 reminders can use system alarms with permission; older versions use notifications. Automatic background scheduling of eligible timed to-dos requires iOS 26 and Live Activity permission; older systems update when the app runs. Live Activities, the Dynamic Island and Watch features depend on your device and permissions. Flight details are saved information, not live status. Check airport displays and airline notices for changes. More everyday reminders Save the time and place of a date, payment amounts and due dates for credit cards and bills, and yearly anniversaries using the Gregorian or Chinese lunar calendar. Use the default advance display or adjust each card. Less typing Recognize supported notifications, tickets and screenshots on device. Shortcuts receive the text or images you supply, saving clear results automatically and asking you to review uncertain fields. View multiple uncollected codes at the same pickup point. Message automation must be configured in Apple Shortcuts with the message body connected as input. Clearer cards and guidance Key details take priority. Pickup status and action buttons are distinct; collecting a parcel removes its code. Themes, ambient scenes, feature demos and illustrated tutorials help you get started. Choose a trash retention period; automatic cleanup runs when the app performs maintenance.

Screenshots

Network & System Admin Toolkit4 screens
Near4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Near at Free against Network & System Admin Toolkit's $8.99. Near also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18). Network & System Admin Toolkit's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Near is free to download; Network & System Admin Toolkit costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Network & System Admin Toolkit against 4.9 for Near. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Near has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Network & System Admin Toolkit ships an update every 2 days, Near every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Network & System Admin Toolkit versus Near: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetwork & System Admin ToolkitNear
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS1816.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB50 MB
Age rating12+12+
Developerluis reynaldo cedeno manzanilla毓凯 林

Customer experience

Network & System Admin Toolkit

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Near

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Network & System Admin Toolkit

No in-app purchases

None

Near

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Network & System Admin Toolkit free?
Network & System Admin Toolkit costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Near free?
Near is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Network & System Admin Toolkit or Near?
Network & System Admin Toolkit is rated higher. Network & System Admin Toolkit averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Near averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.
Do Network & System Admin Toolkit or Near have ads?
Neither Network & System Admin Toolkit nor Near shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Network & System Admin Toolkit or Near?
Network & System Admin Toolkit ships an update every 2 days, and Near every 5 days. Most recently, Network & System Admin Toolkit was updated on October 24, 2026 and Near on October 24, 2026.

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