Comparison

HE.NET Network Tools vs GL

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

Head to head
About

HE.NET Network Tools

A comprehensive suite of network diagnostic tools for professionals. It offers features like ARP/NDP lookup, DNS queries, IP calculations, bandwidth testing, and port scanning. Securely manage two-factor authentication codes and view network routing tables.

Highlights
  • ARP/NDP lookup
  • DNS lookup
  • IP Calculator
  • iperf bandwidth test
  • Port Scan
  • SSL/TLS Information
  • Two-factor authentication code storage
Features
Read full description

This suite of networks tools implements most of the network diagnostics that you need as a Network Engineer or System Administrator. Please help us improve it by giving us feedback. + ARP / NDP: Lookup local devices found on your network using either ARP (IPv4) or NDP (IPv6). + Bonjour Browser: See what DNS-SD/Bonjour services are available on your network + DNS lookup: Search for a servers DNS zone records such as SOA, NS, A, AAAA, MX, PTR. + Interface Information: Get information regarding your device's current network state. + IP Calculator: Calculate the Netmask, Wildcard, Network, Host range, and Broadcast for a given subnet. + iperf: Check bandwidth against remote iperf services. + One Time Password: Securely store and view your TOTP and HOTP (two-factor authentication) codes. TOTP codes are available on the Apple Watch. + Ping: Send ICMP packets to a single IPv4/IPv6 address. + Ping Sweep: Send ICMP packets to an entire subnet range. + Traceroute: Find the route packets take to reach your destination. + Progressive Traceroute: Get detailed statistics for a given route. + Port Scan: Scan a list of TCP ports on any server. + Routing Table: See your local device's routing table. + SSL/TLS Information: Check available ciphers, protocols and what's being used when connecting to a remove service. + Whois: Get information regarding network resources. + NO ADS! Note: Recent iOS releases secure certain low-level network information, and as such will not be available in-app, such as MAC addresses for other network devices.

About

GL

Features
Read full description

The GL-S20 Tool App is an application built specifically for GL.iNet hardware devices. It connects and operates your Thread Border Router and Bluetooth gateway, making it easier for you to use it. Features: Configuration Services for Bluetooth Scanning and Reporting and more scanning modes Configure devices' reporting interval, MQTT, DHCP/Static IP, Setting up MQTT servers, OTA firmware upgrades and more. Data Filtering Backup and Restore of Files If you want to learn more about GL-S20, please refer to: https://docs.gl-inet.com/iot/en/thread_board_router/gl-s20/ If you want to learn more about us, please refer to GL-iNet: https://www.gl-inet.com/

Screenshots

HE.NET Network Tools4 screens
GL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: HE.NET Network Tools at 4 against GL's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, GL every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and May 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
HE.NET Network Tools versus GL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHE.NET Network ToolsGL
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (70 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings70 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB39 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHurricane Electric, LLCGL Technologies (HK) Limited

Bugs and requests

HE.NET Network Tools

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Interface Information crashes app immediately
  • iperf3 fails with 'operation not permitted' error
  • iperf2 crashes on iOS 8+
  • DNS lookups not responding after updates
  • iperf3 only runs for 1 second despite longer duration settings
Show 7 more
  • iperf3 fails to start intermittently
  • App crashes when selecting tools from menu
  • Crashes on iOS 11 and later versions
  • Neighbor Discovery crashes on iPhone 6
  • Dark mode text hard to read on iPhone
  • App crashes on iPad for multiple functions
  • Ping and basic tools crash on iOS 11+

Requested features

12 requests
  • Vision Pro compatibility and controls
  • SRV record lookup in DNS tool
  • IPv6 subnet calculator
  • WOL (Wake-on-LAN) magic packet support
  • MTR (My Traceroute) tool
Show 7 more
  • Telnet command for port testing
  • Stop/pause button for running tests
  • Multiple iperf test execution
  • Configurable iperf parameters and bandwidth limits
  • LAN device scanning capability
  • Dark mode text color options
  • Apple Watch app with full functionality

GL

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HE.NET Network Tools

No in-app purchases

None

GL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HE.NET Network Tools free?
HE.NET Network Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GL free?
GL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HE.NET Network Tools or GL have ads?
Neither HE.NET Network Tools nor GL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HE.NET Network Tools or GL?
HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, and GL every 4 months. Most recently, HE.NET Network Tools was updated on September 2, 2026 and GL on May 18, 2026.

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