NetGlobe vs netstat
netstat is the command-line tool built into every OS — it prints your active
connections as a text table. NetGlobe is the graphical, always-live version of that same
list: every socket on a map and globe, geolocated and named. If you've ever run
netstat -ano and thought "now what?", this is for you.
The short version
If you want a free, universal, scriptable socket snapshot in a terminal — or you're in a remote shell or automation — netstat is perfect and always there.
If you want to see and understand those connections — each geolocated on a live map, with WHOIS/RDAP, TLS, a process trust score, threat-intel matches, and traceroute/MTR/iperf3 built in — on Windows or Mac, then NetGlobe is the netstat GUI you want — a one-time $18.99 on either platform.
netstat reads sockets via OS-native APIs; so does NetGlobe. One is text, the other is a map.
Feature-by-feature.
Where the two tools overlap, and where they don't.
| NetGlobe | netstat | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Real-time network intelligence & diagnostics | Built-in command-line socket lister |
| Platforms | Windows 10/11 and macOS 11+ (Apple Silicon & Intel) | Windows, macOS, Linux (ships with the OS) |
| Output format | Live 2D map + 3D globe, sortable panels | Static text table (a snapshot) |
| Continuously live & updating | Yes — refreshes in real time | No — one snapshot per run |
| Geolocation of each endpoint | Yes — mapped on sight | No — raw IPs only |
| Owner / WHOIS / RDAP, TLS cert, reverse DNS | Yes — one-click Endpoint Focus panel | No — cross-reference by hand |
| Process trust scoring (code-signing, parent process, file age) | Yes — 0–100 score with reasons | No — PID only |
| Threat-intel feeds (FireHOL, Spamhaus DROP/EDROP, ThreatFox, Tor) | Yes — built in, configurable | No |
| Diagnostics (traceroute, MTR, iperf3, speed test, port scan, path MTU) | Yes — full toolkit built in | No |
| Internet-health context (BGP instability, IODA / IHR) | Yes | No |
| Scriptable / pipeable in a shell | No — an interactive app | Yes — a real strength |
| Price | $18.99 one-time · Windows & Mac | Free · built into the OS |
netstat behavior varies by OS and flags (e.g. netstat -ano on Windows, lsof -i
on macOS); details and pricing can change. NetGlobe reads sockets via OS-native APIs as a standard user.
Reach for netstat if…
- You want a free, instant socket dump in a terminal, nothing to install.
- You're on a remote or headless box, or scripting a check where plain text is what you need.
- A raw list of IPs and ports is enough — no geolocation or ownership needed.
Choose NetGlobe if…
- You want to see and understand every socket — geolocation, owner, TLS, trust score, threat-intel matches — without opening ten tabs.
- You'd rather watch connections live on a map and globe than re-run a command and re-read a table.
- You want traceroute, MTR, iperf3, and a speed test in the same window on Windows or Mac.
A list of IPs vs. a map you understand.
netstat answers one question well: what sockets are open right now? It's free, and pipes
cleanly into grep or a script — for a quick terminal check it's hard to beat. The catch is
what it doesn't tell you: a row is just a foreign IP, a port, and a PID. To learn who owns it,
where it sits, or whether it's on a blocklist, you're off to WHOIS and reputation sites one tab at a
time — and a second later the table has shifted, because it was only ever a snapshot.
NetGlobe reads that same live socket list — through the same OS-native APIs netstat uses, as a standard user — then does that legwork for you, on a live 2D map and 3D globe.
"netstat is hard to read — is there a GUI?"
One of the most-searched questions here — and NetGlobe is essentially the answer. Take a line most people can't parse at a glance —
TCP 192.168.1.24:52344 140.82.121.4:443 ESTABLISHED 5820
That's where netstat stops — a port, an IP, a state, a PID. NetGlobe reads the same row and makes it legible: your browser (PID 5820, code-signed, high trust score) talking to a code-hosting network in the United States over a valid TLS certificate, no threat-intel hits — one click from the full Endpoint Focus panel (WHOIS/RDAP owner, reverse DNS, path MTU, a live MTR trace, and matches across FireHOL, Spamhaus, ThreatFox, and Tor). It won't block anything; it just makes the connection make sense.
NetGlobe vs netstat — FAQ
netstat is hard to read — is there a GUI for it?
Sort of — that's essentially what NetGlobe is. netstat prints a static text table of sockets; you read the raw IPs and ports and cross-reference them yourself. NetGlobe takes the same live socket list, plots every connection on a 2D map and 3D globe, and labels each endpoint with its owner and location. If you've squinted at netstat -ano wishing it were visual, that's the gap it fills.
Does NetGlobe replace netstat?
For interactive, day-to-day "who is my computer connected to?" work, yes — NetGlobe shows everything netstat does and more. But netstat is still ideal for quick checks and scripting in a remote shell or automation, where a free command-line tool is exactly right. Plenty of people keep both.
How does NetGlobe get its data — does it use netstat?
NetGlobe reads active sockets through the same OS-native APIs netstat uses — connection tables on Windows, lsof-style enumeration on macOS — as a standard user. It then geolocates each endpoint, looks up its owner via WHOIS/RDAP, checks TLS and reverse DNS, and matches it against threat-intel feeds, so you don't paste IPs into ten tabs.
netstat is free. Why pay $18.99 for NetGlobe?
netstat is free and built into every OS, and for a raw socket dump it's unbeatable. NetGlobe is a one-time $18.99 because it does the work netstat leaves to you: mapping, geolocation, ownership, TLS inspection, trust scoring, threat-intel matching, and built-in traceroute, MTR, and iperf3. If a text list is enough, stick with netstat; the upgrade is for understanding the connections.
Does NetGlobe work on Windows and Mac like netstat?
Yes. netstat ships on Windows, macOS, and Linux. NetGlobe runs natively on Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel), so you get the same graphical, always-live view on either platform.
netstat is a standard networking utility included with Windows, macOS, and Linux; its behavior and flags vary by OS. This comparison is informational, and details and pricing can change — verify current specifics for your OS.
Related comparisons.
NetGlobe vs Little Snitch · NetGlobe vs GlassWire · NetGlobe vs Wireshark · NetGlobe vs TCPView · NetGlobe vs LuLu · NetGlobe vs Portmaster · All NetGlobe comparisons
Give netstat a map, a globe, and a brain.
A one-time $18.99 — on the Microsoft Store for Windows, or a direct download for Mac.
No account. Runs entirely on your device. See the full feature list or the FAQ.