Comparison

HE.NET Network Tools vs NetBuddy MobileShark

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

NetBuddy MobileShark

This app transforms your iOS device into a professional network packet analyzer. It allows for deep packet inspection, protocol analysis, and intuitive visualization of network traffic. Ideal for troubleshooting, security investigations, and debugging network-related code.

Highlights
  • Packet capture and analysis
  • Protocol detection and inspection
  • Connection tracking
  • Traffic visualization
  • Advanced filtering
  • Export capabilities
  • Local data processing
Features
Read full description

NetBuddy - MobileShark: Professional Network Analysis in Your Pocket MobileShark transforms your iOS device into a powerful network packet analyzer, bringing desktop-class packet capture and analysis capabilities to mobile. Whether you're a network administrator troubleshooting connectivity issues, a security professional investigating suspicious traffic, or a developer debugging network-related code, MobileShark provides the insights you need with an intuitive, touch-optimized interface. Comprehensive Protocol Analysis Instantly identify and understand network protocols with MobileShark's intelligent protocol analyzer: Protocol Detection: Automatically identifies TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS and other common protocols Deep Packet Inspection: Examine packet headers and payload data with detailed breakdowns Hex Dump View: Inspect raw packet data in traditional hex+ASCII format Connection Tracking: Group related packets into conversations for easier analysis Intuitive Visualization Tools Understand complex network patterns at a glance with visual analytics: Protocol Distribution Charts: See the breakdown of protocols in your capture Traffic Flow Visualization: Track data flow between hosts with interactive diagrams Dashboard View: Get key statistics about your network traffic in real-time Customizable Filters: Focus on the traffic that matters most to you Professional Features MobileShark includes capabilities typically found only in desktop analysis tools: Advanced Filtering: Create complex filters to isolate specific traffic patterns Export Capabilities: Share your findings or continue analysis on desktop tools Detailed Statistics: Analyze packet timing, size distributions, and more IP Resolution: Automatically resolve IP addresses to hostnames when possible Port Information: Identify services based on standard port assignments Privacy and Security Your data stays on your device: Local Processing: All analysis happens on your device – no data is sent to external servers Privacy Respecting: No analytics or tracking in the app Built for iOS MobileShark embraces the latest iOS technologies: Native SwiftUI Interface: Smooth, responsive UI designed for touch Dark Mode Support: Comfortable analysis in any lighting condition Split View on iPad: Take advantage of the larger screen for side-by-side views Document Browser: Easily manage and access your packet captures Files Integration: Save and load captures from iCloud Drive or other storage providers Perfect For Network administrators diagnosing connectivity issues Security professionals investigating suspicious traffic Developers debugging network communications IT students learning about protocols and network operations Anyone curious about what their apps are doing behind the scenes MobileShark brings the power of professional network analysis tools to iOS, with an interface designed specifically for mobile devices. Capture, inspect, and understand network traffic wherever you are – no laptop required. Download MobileShark today and gain unprecedented visibility into your network communications!

Screenshots

HE.NET Network Tools4 screens
NetBuddy MobileShark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HE.NET Network Tools at 76% against NetBuddy MobileShark's 25%. HE.NET Network Tools also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and rating (4.0 vs 1.0). On 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

HE.NET Network Tools is free to download; NetBuddy MobileShark costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HE.NET Network Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HE.NET Network Tools has 72 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of HE.NET Network Tools's written reviews are positive against 25% of NetBuddy MobileShark's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, NetBuddy MobileShark every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
HE.NET Network Tools versus NetBuddy MobileShark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHE.NET Network ToolsNetBuddy MobileShark
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.0 (72 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings72 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHurricane Electric, LLCRick Bodnar

Customer experience

HE.NET Network Tools

All ratings70 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews133 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral12.0%
Negative12.0%

NetBuddy MobileShark

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

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

NetBuddy MobileShark

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HE.NET Network Tools

No in-app purchases

None

NetBuddy MobileShark

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 NetBuddy MobileShark free?
NetBuddy MobileShark costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HE.NET Network Tools or NetBuddy MobileShark?
HE.NET Network Tools is rated higher. HE.NET Network Tools averages 4.0 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while NetBuddy MobileShark averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do HE.NET Network Tools or NetBuddy MobileShark have ads?
Neither HE.NET Network Tools nor NetBuddy MobileShark shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HE.NET Network Tools or NetBuddy MobileShark?
HE.NET Network Tools ships an update every 2 months, and NetBuddy MobileShark every 3 months. Most recently, HE.NET Network Tools was updated on October 23, 2026 and NetBuddy MobileShark on October 25, 2026.

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