What CloudShark Does Well
CloudShark deserves credit for pioneering the idea of web-based PCAP analysis. It lets teams upload, share, and annotate packet captures via a simple URL — turning what was a clunky email-and-Wireshark workflow into something more collaborative. Its Wireshark-compatible packet decoder is solid.
If your team's primary need is a centralized, collaborative PCAP library where multiple analysts can share and annotate captures — CloudShark is built for that. It's excellent at PCAP management.
The CloudShark Problem: Price & Missing AI
Enterprise-Only Pricing
There is no public self-service plan. Pricing is negotiated per deployment, putting it out of reach for individuals, students, and small security teams.
No AI Threat Analysis
CloudShark is essentially a web-based Wireshark viewer. It does not interpret your traffic or flag threats — that analysis burden is still on you.
No IDS Integration
CloudShark doesn't run your PCAP through Suricata or any IDS engine. There are no signature-based threat detections or MITRE ATT&CK mappings.
NetNerve vs CloudShark — Feature Comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does CloudShark cost?
CloudShark uses custom enterprise pricing — there is no public self-service plan for individuals. Pricing is negotiated per deployment, which often puts it out of reach for independent researchers, students, and small teams.
Is NetNerve actually free to use?
Yes. NetNerve has a free tier where you can upload PCAP files and receive AI-powered threat analysis at no cost. Advanced forensics features are available on paid plans, which are priced for individuals and small teams — not enterprise-only.
Does NetNerve support PCAP sharing like CloudShark?
NetNerve currently focuses on analysis rather than collaborative PCAP storage and sharing. If collaborative library management is your primary requirement, CloudShark may suit you better. But if threat detection and AI analysis are your priority, NetNerve wins.
Can NetNerve analyze the same file types as CloudShark?
Yes. NetNerve supports .pcap and .pcapng files — the standard formats produced by Wireshark, tcpdump, and virtually every capture tool.