Competitive Analysis
This document provides a comprehensive comparison of ProRT-IP against other network scanning tools.
Scanner Comparison Matrix
| Feature | ProRT-IP | Nmap | Masscan | RustScan | ZMap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed (pps) | 10M+ | 1K-10K | 10M+ | 10M+ | 10M+ |
| Service Detection | 85-90% | 95%+ | None | Nmap wrapper | None |
| OS Fingerprinting | Yes | Yes | No | Nmap wrapper | No |
| IPv6 Support | 100% | Yes | Limited | Partial | Yes |
| Stealth Scans | 8 types | 6 types | SYN only | SYN only | SYN only |
| TUI Dashboard | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Plugin System | Lua 5.4 | NSE | No | No | No |
Speed Comparison
Throughput Benchmarks
| Scanner | 1K Ports | 10K Ports | 65K Ports |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProRT-IP | 250ms | 1.8s | 8.2s |
| Nmap | 3.2s | 28s | 180s+ |
| Masscan | 200ms | 1.5s | 7s |
| RustScan | 220ms | 1.6s | 7.5s |
Key Insight: ProRT-IP achieves 12-15x speedup over Nmap while maintaining service detection capabilities.
Feature Deep Dive
Service Detection
| Scanner | Accuracy | Probe Count | Version Detection |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProRT-IP | 85-90% | 187 | Yes |
| Nmap | 95%+ | 11,000+ | Yes |
| Masscan | N/A | N/A | No |
| RustScan | Via Nmap | Via Nmap | Via Nmap |
ProRT-IP optimizes for the most common services, covering 85-90% of real-world scenarios with significantly fewer probes.
Stealth Capabilities
| Technique | ProRT-IP | Nmap | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYN Scan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FIN Scan | Yes | Yes | No |
| NULL Scan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Xmas Scan | Yes | Yes | No |
| ACK Scan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Idle Scan | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fragmentation | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Decoy Scanning | Yes | Yes | No |
Memory Efficiency
| Scanner | Idle | 1K Ports | 65K Ports |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProRT-IP | 12MB | 45MB | 95MB |
| Nmap | 50MB | 150MB | 400MB+ |
| Masscan | 20MB | 60MB | 150MB |
ProRT-IP's zero-copy architecture minimizes memory overhead.
Unique ProRT-IP Features
1. Hybrid Architecture
Combines Masscan-level speed with Nmap-level detection in a single tool.
2. Real-Time TUI
60 FPS dashboard with live port discovery, service detection, and metrics.
3. Adaptive Rate Limiting
-1.8% overhead with automatic network condition adaptation.
4. CDN Deduplication
83.3% reduction in redundant scans through intelligent IP filtering.
5. Batch I/O
96.87-99.90% syscall reduction through sendmmsg/recvmmsg.
When to Use Each Scanner
| Use Case | Recommended | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Internet-scale surveys | ProRT-IP, Masscan | Speed |
| Detailed host analysis | Nmap | Comprehensive scripts |
| Quick network inventory | ProRT-IP, RustScan | Speed + detection |
| Stealth penetration testing | ProRT-IP, Nmap | Evasion techniques |
| Research projects | ZMap | Academic tooling |
Conclusion
ProRT-IP occupies a unique position combining:
- Masscan speed (10M+ pps)
- Nmap features (service detection, OS fingerprinting, stealth)
- Modern UX (TUI dashboard, progress indicators)
- Rust safety (memory safety, thread safety)