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Cybersecurity · head to head

Silent Eight vs Wireshark

Silent Eight logo

Silent Eight

Cybersecurity

AI adjudication of sanctions screening and AML alerts

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: Silent Eight automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.; Wireshark free and open source under the GNU GPL; downloadable without paying any license fee, no commercial tier
  • They diverge on capability: Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication, Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Silent Eight and Wireshark actually diverge.

Attributes where Silent Eight and Wireshark differ
AttributeSilent EightWireshark
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, LinuxDesktop, 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 Silent Eight

  • Alert adjudication
  • Narrative generation
  • Name screening automation
  • Quality assurance
  • Shadow mode
  • Model transparency reporting

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.

Silent Eight

  • A bank whose level one screening team spends most of its time closing obvious false name matchesnot Wireshark
  • A payments institution with alert volumes growing faster than it can recruit and train analystsnot Wireshark
  • A compliance function asked by a regulator to demonstrate consistency of alert decisions across offshore teamsnot Wireshark
  • An institution that has just tightened screening thresholds after an enforcement action and cannot staff the resulting alert increasenot Wireshark

Wireshark

  • Network Securitynot Silent Eight
  • Packet Analysisnot Silent Eight
  • Open Sourcenot Silent Eight

Where each one falls short

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

Silent Eight

  • Automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.
  • It does not improve detection, so an institution with a poorly tuned monitoring system automates the handling of bad alerts rather than fixing why they exist.
  • Pricing is tied to alert volume, which means efficiency gains elsewhere that reduce alerts also reduce the vendor bill in a way sales teams structure minimums against.
  • The headcount saving is only realised if the institution actually reduces the analyst pool, and many banks redeploy rather than cut, leaving the business case unrealised on paper.
  • As a mid-sized private vendor serving tier one banks, concentration risk cuts both ways; the loss of one large client materially affects the company, and buyers should ask about financial stability during diligence.

Wireshark

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Silent Eight

On request
  • Iris$undefined/year
    • Priced by alert volume adjudicated
    • Deploys against existing screening and monitoring systems
    • Shadow mode evaluation period

Wireshark

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Silent Eight if

  • You need alert adjudication.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want narrative generation.
Silent Eight 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 Silent Eight or Wireshark better?
Neither clearly leads. Silent Eight 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, Silent Eight or Wireshark?
Wireshark has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Silent Eight and Free for Wireshark.
Does Silent Eight or Wireshark run on more platforms?
Silent Eight runs on Web, Linux. Wireshark runs on Desktop, Cli.
Can I use Wireshark for free?
Yes. Wireshark has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Silent Eight starts at On request.
What is Silent Eight best used for?
Silent Eight is most often used for a bank whose level one screening team spends most of its time closing obvious false name matches, a payments institution with alert volumes growing faster than it can recruit and train analysts, a compliance function asked by a regulator to demonstrate consistency of alert decisions across offshore teams, an institution that has just tightened screening thresholds after an enforcement action and cannot staff the resulting alert increase. Of those, a bank whose level one screening team spends most of its time closing obvious false name matches and a payments institution with alert volumes growing faster than it can recruit and train analysts are not what Wireshark is typically brought in for.
What can Silent Eight do that Wireshark cannot?
Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication, Narrative generation, Name screening automation, Quality assurance. Wireshark covers Deep packet inspection, Live capture, Offline analysis, 3000+ protocol support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Silent Eight: Does Silent Eight replace our screening system?

No. It consumes alerts from your existing screening and monitoring systems and decides them. The detection layer stays where it is.

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
Silent Eight: Will a regulator accept AI closing alerts?

It depends on your jurisdiction and your model governance evidence. Banks typically run extended shadow mode first and phase auto-closure by alert type.

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
Silent Eight: Where is the company based?

Singapore, with offices in New York, London and Warsaw.

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
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