WatchYourLAN vs NetAlertX
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted monitoring & status options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
WatchYourLAN
Lightweight network IP scanner with web UI
VS
NetAlertX
Network presence scanner and intrusion detection
| Feature | WatchYourLAN | NetAlertX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Monitoring & Status | Monitoring & Status |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,290 | ★ 6,885 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Fing, Angry IP Scanner | Fing |
Why pick each one
Choose WatchYourLAN if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 7.3k GitHub stars
Choose NetAlertX if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is WatchYourLAN or NetAlertX better?
Neither is universally better. WatchYourLAN has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are WatchYourLAN and NetAlertX free and open-source?
Yes. WatchYourLAN is licensed under MIT and NetAlertX under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WatchYourLAN and NetAlertX with Docker?
WatchYourLAN: yes. NetAlertX: yes.