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Nmap pros and cons

Vendor: Nmap
4.3 out of 5

Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Nmap includes UDP ports in its scans, differentiating it from competitors.
Initial setup for Nmap is simple, enhancing user accessibility and quick deployment.
Nmap offers detailed insights into network environments, such as connections and port activities, aiding in comprehensive network management.
Nmap features real-time reporting which provides thorough details on network traffic, including IP addresses and protocols used.
It efficiently supports compliance checks by identifying network vulnerabilities and improper device connections, ensuring all devices adhere to set standards.

CONS

Nmap has a high price that could be reduced.
Initial setup of Nmap could be improved.
It takes some time to familiarize oneself with Nmap and its options.
Customization is not very user-friendly in Nmap.
Finding suitable courses and professional resources for Nmap can be challenging.
 

Nmap Pros review quotes

Mehdi Mamaghani - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Specialist at Pars Khodro Company
Oct 11, 2022
The scanning procedure includes UDP ports which sets it apart from competitors.
Venkatesh-K - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Architect (Cyber Secrity) at HCL Technologies
Oct 27, 2022
The initial setup was simple.
PraveenMoule - PeerSpot reviewer
System Network Administrator at Mungi Engineers Pvt. Ltd.
Nov 4, 2022
Nmap's performance is great, and I've never noticed any issues in this respect. It really doesn't put a heavy load on the machine when using it.
Learn what your peers think about Nmap. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Harish (Kumar) - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security and IT Head at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Nov 23, 2022
The best feature of Nmap is that it lets me see useful information about each endpoint in my entire network environment. For example, I can see every single connection of the network as well as each and every port.
AdeelAgha - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead - Cyber Security & Compliance at Al Tuwairqi Group
Mar 13, 2023
It is a very user-friendly product.
Youssef EL AZZOUZI - PeerSpot reviewer
Intern Master in Cybersecurity and Cybercrime at Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi
May 9, 2023
It helps us secure the network infrastructure.
SS
Information Security Professional at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Oct 23, 2023
It enables us to delve deeper and identify the services and open ports on the system and visualize this information on a dashboard automatically.
vishnummv - PeerSpot reviewer
vCISO / GRC / Cybersecurity consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Apr 28, 2025
From a functionality standpoint, it's robust and straightforward to comprehend.
Heritier Daya - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Nov 6, 2023
The most important function, according to me, is the capability to use some arguments in the scanning. The solution's capability to go figure and do a deep dive, discovering information on specific aspects.
reviewer1597890 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Security Officer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Jan 9, 2024
Nmap has a powerful command line tool and a set of diagnostic features.
 

Nmap Cons review quotes

Mehdi Mamaghani - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Specialist at Pars Khodro Company
Oct 11, 2022
It takes a bit of time to get familiar with the solution and its options.
Venkatesh-K - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Architect (Cyber Secrity) at HCL Technologies
Oct 27, 2022
The price is high and could be cheaper.
PraveenMoule - PeerSpot reviewer
System Network Administrator at Mungi Engineers Pvt. Ltd.
Nov 4, 2022
Since I started using Nmap, it has been completely based on the command prompt and I think it would help other users if they implemented a decent GUI as well.
Learn what your peers think about Nmap. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Harish (Kumar) - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security and IT Head at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Nov 23, 2022
One of the drawbacks of the standard Nmap utility is that it does not come with a graphical user interface, unlike a number of other open-source alternatives such as Zenmap.
AdeelAgha - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead - Cyber Security & Compliance at Al Tuwairqi Group
Mar 13, 2023
They should deliver Playtech's username and password.
Youssef EL AZZOUZI - PeerSpot reviewer
Intern Master in Cybersecurity and Cybercrime at Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi
May 9, 2023
The solution's initial setup could be better.
SS
Information Security Professional at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Oct 23, 2023
The challenge often lies in finding suitable courses and professional resources.
vishnummv - PeerSpot reviewer
vCISO / GRC / Cybersecurity consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Apr 28, 2025
Nmap major operates through the CLI; there's no GUI component, and that's where the challenge is.
Heritier Daya - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Nov 6, 2023
There is room for improvement in the design, the GUI. It looks a bit odd. Maybe Nmap should improve it or add more widgets to make it more attractive, but the basic functionality is good and provides what we need.
reviewer1597890 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Security Officer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Jan 9, 2024
There could be a specific option to check non-pingable endpoints for the product.