LanScan Alternatives for Mac (2026): Scanners and Monitors Compared
Short version. LanScan is a clean, focused Mac scanner: free to use, with a Pro version at $5.99 that removes the limit on how many hostnames are shown. The main reasons to look elsewhere are wanting continuous monitoring rather than on-demand scans, or wanting more than discovery. PingKit Agent is a menu bar monitor that keeps sweeping and alerts on changes.
LanScan does one thing and does it tidily: it discovers devices on your network and resolves their names over mDNS, SMB and DNS, showing IP, MAC and vendor. If you have outgrown it, it is usually because you want the scan to keep happening without you.
Full disclosure: I build PingKit Agent, so weigh the recommendation accordingly. The limits section is not padding, and there is a whole category of Mac network tool below that PingKit deliberately is not.
The Comparison
| LanScan | PingKit Agent | Angry IP Scanner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free tier, Pro at $5.99 | Free tier, subscription | Free, open source |
| On-demand scan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous monitoring | No | Yes | No |
| Change alerts | No | Nine alert types | No |
| Menu bar presence | No | Yes | No |
| MAC address and vendor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Port scanning | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled speed tests | No | Yes | No |
| Certificate expiry monitoring | No | Yes | No |
| Syncs to an iPhone app | No | Yes | No |
| Wide arbitrary ranges | Yes | Local segment | Yes |
Pricing and features move around. Check the current listing before buying anything.
One Real Mac Advantage Worth Knowing
Mac scanners can read genuine MAC addresses from the ARP table and identify manufacturers from the OUI prefix. iPhone apps cannot, because iOS returns a placeholder address for network peers. So a Mac scanner and an iPhone scanner looking at the same network are working from different information, and the Mac has the better raw material.
PingKit Agent uses both: vendor prefixes from the ARP table, plus Bonjour and SSDP service advertisements, hostnames and open port patterns. Guardian adds an AI fallback that runs only when signature matching is genuinely uncertain, with a 24 hour cooldown per device.
What PingKit Agent is not. It does not measure bandwidth, throughput per app, or which process is using your connection. If that is what you came for, iStat Menus is the standard answer for your own Mac's usage and Little Snitch is the answer for controlling what your Mac connects to. PingKit Agent watches the network and the devices on it, which is a different job.
Honest Limits
- PingKit Agent sweeps your local segment, not arbitrary wide ranges. LanScan and Angry IP Scanner are better for auditing an unfamiliar subnet.
- Monitoring pauses when the Mac sleeps.
- Continuous alerting and scheduled testing are subscription features. On the Mac, Guardian is $2.99/month or $24.99/year.
- macOS 15 or later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good LanScan alternative for Mac?
For on-demand scanning, Angry IP Scanner is free and open source. For continuous monitoring with alerts when devices appear or the internet drops, PingKit Agent is a menu bar app that keeps sweeping rather than scanning once.
Can Mac apps see MAC addresses of other devices?
Yes. macOS exposes the ARP table, so Mac scanners can read real MAC addresses and identify manufacturers from the OUI prefix. iPhone apps cannot, because iOS returns a placeholder address for network peers.
Do I need a subscription to scan my network on Mac?
No. Free options exist, including Angry IP Scanner and PingKit Agent's free tier. Continuous monitoring, alerting and scheduled testing in PingKit Agent are part of Guardian, which is $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year on the Mac.
Why does my Mac scanner show fewer devices than expected?
Devices asleep or in a low-power state may not answer probes, and some networks isolate clients from each other. Check that the app has Local Network permission in System Settings, Privacy and Security, since a denied app reports an empty network.
Does PingKit Agent scan arbitrary IP ranges?
No. It sweeps the local segment you are connected to. For auditing an unfamiliar or very wide range, a dedicated scanner such as Angry IP Scanner is the better tool.
Scanning that does not stop when you look away
Continuous discovery with nine alert types, scheduled speed tests and certificate monitoring, in the menu bar. macOS 15 or later.
Get PingKit Agent for Mac