Scanopy is for IT teams and MSPs who want a dedicated network diagram automation tool which works alongside their existing monitoring platform. NetDisco is for network teams that want free, open-source Layer 2 topology discovery and device tracking. The table below puts the two side by side on discovery, the four topology views, pricing, and licensing, including NetDisco's trade-offs.
Scanopy vs NetDisco: head to head
| Scanopy | NetDisco | |
|---|---|---|
| DiscoveryProtocols used to find devices and map connections | SNMP LLDP CDP ARP TCP/UDP | SNMP CDP LLDP ARP [12] |
| Service detectionWhether the tool fingerprints services per host (databases, web servers, containers) beyond simple port detection | Yes 240+ types | No |
| Network ViewsWhich topology views the tool produces from discovery. L2 Physical switch ports and links L3 Subnets, VLANs, routing Workload VM/container host nesting Application Service-dependency / app grouping Yes supported Tag ? unverified Greyed not supported | Layer 1/2 neighbor map (CDP/LLDP); explicitly no L3 routing or subnet mapping. [31] | |
| Live updatesWhether the map updates automatically after the initial scan | Yes | Yes |
| Open sourceOSI means an OSI-approved open-source license; Source available means restricted; No means proprietary | OSI AGPL-3.0 | OSI BSD |
| PricingStarting price or pricing model | Starts at $11.99 monthly, unlimited hosts | Free |
| Also includesCapabilities beyond network diagramming | Docker Visualization | — |
When to choose which
Choose Scanopy when: You want a dedicated, living network-documentation tool: automatic L2, L3, workload, and application views, per-host service detection, flat pricing regardless of host count, and a free self-hostable Community edition. It sits alongside your monitoring stack rather than replacing it.
Choose NetDisco when: Network teams comfortable with Perl and Linux administration who want a free, battle-tested tool for Layer 2 discovery and device tracking. Strong at answering "what device is on which switch port?" questions.
This is a focused, two-tool comparison. For all 13 tools side by side, see the full comparison of automated network diagram tools.
Sources
Try Scanopy
Scanopy deploys a lightweight daemon that discovers your network and builds a live topology map. No per-device fees, unlimited hosts. It pairs with whatever monitoring tool you already use.
Started as a homelabber, now deep in SNMP MIBs, Layer 3 topology, and service fingerprinting - building the network documentation tool I wished existed.