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

Organize your daily tasks, notes, and reminders with customizable templates and presets. Easily capture information from various sources and display important details on your lock screen and wrist. Prioritize what matters with a privacy-focused, offline-capable action hub.

Highlights
  • 22 templates and 18 role presets
  • Customizable entry points
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch views
  • Offline functionality
  • Encrypted local storage
Features
Read full description

Turn information from screenshots, messages and quick notes into cards you can act on. Find your pickup code at the counter, check your seat before boarding, and put the card away when you're done. CAPTURE, THEN ACT Type, paste a notification or import a screenshot. On-device recognition extracts information for parcel and food pickups, trains, flights, movies, events, parking, lists, countdowns and more. Review, edit and add details as needed. KEEP THE NEXT STEP IN SIGHT Show a card now, schedule its display, or keep it inside the app. On supported devices, see key details in Dynamic Island, Live Activities on the Lock Screen, widgets and Apple Watch. Work through multiple pickup codes and move to the next one after collection. Automatic display depends on system permissions and execution opportunities; you can also start manually. Flight cards contain saved information, not live flight status. ROOM FOR EVERYDAY RECORDS Keep quick notes, checklists and a journal alongside your plans. Choose a card type that suits the task, then deal with it at your own pace. FREE FEATURES AND NEAR PRO On-device recognition has no usage limit and requires no account. Ordinary local cards are unlimited; the free tier supports up to 3 scheduled cards and 3 recurring items. Pro adds more themes and appearance options, more sharing styles, optional iCloud sync, and unlimited scheduled cards and recurring items. Some themes and features require Pro. OPTIONAL AI, YOUR CONFIGURATION Pro users can configure their own AI provider, model and API key. Near explains data sharing and tests the connection before activation. When enabled, relevant recognition content is sent to your configured provider, which may charge separately. On-device recognition remains available without AI. YOUR DATA CHOICES Local recognition runs on your device. iCloud sync and AI enhancement are separate opt-in features. Structured vaccination, medication and medical appointment records and linked sources are excluded from iCloud sync. Content you submit to enabled AI is processed under your provider's policies. Basic usage analytics can be disabled in settings. See the privacy policy for source retention and processing details. PURCHASES Pro is available through monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices, offers and trial eligibility are shown in the purchase screen and App Store confirmation. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://near.mingxi.io/privacy

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 $4.99. Near also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18). Network & System Admin Toolkit's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On rating, ads 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 $4.99 up front. Near sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Network & System Admin Toolkit asks for nothing beyond the download.

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. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Network & System Admin Toolkit ships an update every 2 days, Near every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Network & System Admin Toolkit versus Near: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetwork & System Admin ToolkitNear
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.9 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—95.8% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS1816.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB292 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 reviews24 reviews
Positive95.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

None

Network & System Admin Toolkit

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Near

Subscriptions2
  • Near Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Near Pro Yearly1 Year trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Near Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Network & System Admin Toolkit free?
Network & System Admin Toolkit costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Near free?
Near is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
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 2 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 November 10, 2026 and Near on November 10, 2026.

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