Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Eagle Eye Networks vs Wireshark

Eagle Eye Networks logo

Eagle Eye Networks

Cybersecurity

Cloud video surveillance billed per camera per month, where retention length drives the bill more than anything else

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wireshark logo

Wireshark

Cybersecurity

The world's foremost network protocol analyzer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Wireshark has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Eagle Eye Networks cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.; Wireshark free and open source under the GNU GPL; downloadable without paying any license fee, no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eagle Eye Networks and Wireshark actually diverge.

Attributes where Eagle Eye Networks and Wireshark differ
AttributeEagle Eye NetworksWireshark
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer camera per monthfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidDesktop, Cli
FoundedUnknown1998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Eagle Eye Networks

  • Bridge and CMVR appliances
  • Per-camera cloud retention
  • Browser and mobile access
  • Cloud analytics
  • Licence plate recognition
  • Multi-site management
  • Video sharing and export
  • Open API

Only in Wireshark

  • Deep packet inspection
  • Live capture
  • Offline analysis
  • 3000+ protocol support
  • Rich display filters
  • VoIP analysis
  • Decryption support
  • Scripting with Lua

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Eagle Eye Networks

  • A 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back officenot Wireshark
  • A school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrallynot Wireshark
  • A car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theftnot Wireshark
  • A retailer replacing failing DVRs but keeping the ONVIF cameras already installednot Wireshark

Wireshark

  • Network Securitynot Eagle Eye Networks
  • Packet Analysisnot Eagle Eye Networks
  • Open Sourcenot Eagle Eye Networks

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Eagle Eye Networks

  • Cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.
  • Pricing is not published, so the widely cited 15 to 50 US dollars per camera per month range is a reseller-derived estimate rather than a rate you can hold Eagle Eye to.
  • Every camera needs upstream bandwidth for continuous upload, so sites on poor connections either degrade quality or lose the cloud advantage, and the bridge only buffers for a limited period during an outage.
  • Video lives in Eagle Eye’s data centres, which raises data residency questions for public bodies and for European buyers, and exit means downloading years of footage before a subscription ends.
  • It is a per-camera subscription with no perpetual option, so a large site that would have paid once for an on-premises VMS pays indefinitely, and the crossover point against a Genetec or Milestone deployment usually arrives within a few years.

Wireshark

  • Free and open source under the GNU GPL; downloadable without paying any license fee, no commercial tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Eagle Eye Networks

On request
  • Cloud VMS subscription$undefined/month
    • Priced per camera per month by resolution and retention
    • Retention tiers of 7, 30, 90 and 180 days and 1, 2 and 3 years
    • Independently observed range of roughly 15 to 50 USD per camera per month

Wireshark

Free
  • Free & Open SourceFree
    • Full functionality
    • Deep inspection
    • Live capture

Which should you pick?

Choose Eagle Eye Networks if

  • You need bridge and cmvr appliances.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-camera cloud retention.
Eagle Eye Networks review

Choose Wireshark if

  • You need deep packet inspection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Cli.
  • You also want live capture.
Wireshark review

Questions people ask

Is Eagle Eye Networks or Wireshark better?
Neither clearly leads. Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request and Wireshark at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Eagle Eye Networks or Wireshark?
Wireshark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Eagle Eye Networks and Free for Wireshark.
Does Eagle Eye Networks or Wireshark run on more platforms?
Eagle Eye Networks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Wireshark runs on Desktop, Cli.
Can I use Wireshark for free?
Yes. Wireshark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request.
What is Eagle Eye Networks best used for?
Eagle Eye Networks is most often used for a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office, a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally, a car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theft, a retailer replacing failing dvrs but keeping the onvif cameras already installed. Of those, a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office and a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally are not what Wireshark is typically brought in for.
What can Eagle Eye Networks do that Wireshark cannot?
Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Per-camera cloud retention, Browser and mobile access, Cloud analytics. Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection, Live capture, Offline analysis, 3000+ protocol support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eagle Eye Networks: Do I need Eagle Eye cameras?

No. The bridge connects existing ONVIF cameras, which is the main reason organisations pick it over camera-maker cloud services.

Wireshark: Is there a cost to download and use Wireshark?

No, Wireshark is completely free. It's distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2, making it "free software" with no demo limitations. The full version is available at no cost.

Source
Eagle Eye Networks: What does it cost per camera?

Not published. Independent observations put it between roughly 15 and 50 US dollars per camera per month depending on resolution and retention, with Canadian examples up to 79 for 90 day 4K.

Wireshark: What support options are available for Wireshark users?

Wireshark offers multiple support channels including mailing lists, an active Discord community, the Ask Wireshark Q&A platform, comprehensive documentation, a user guide, and developer resources for those needing technical assistance.

Source
Eagle Eye Networks: What happens if my internet drops?

The on-site bridge buffers recording locally and uploads when the connection returns, but buffer capacity is finite and a long outage loses footage.

Wireshark: Are there different pricing tiers or subscription levels?

Wireshark does not offer pricing tiers or subscriptions. There is one free version available to all users regardless of use case, personal, professional, or organizational.

Source
Eagle Eye Networks: Where is my video stored?

In Eagle Eye’s data centres. Confirm the region before buying if you have data residency obligations.

Share

Related pages

More on Eagle Eye Networks

More on Wireshark

Keep looking

Other head to heads