LanScan Alternatives for Mac (2026): Scanners and Monitors Compared
Short version. LanScan is a clean, focused Mac scanner: free to use, with a Pro in-app purchase from $9.99 that removes the limit on how many hostnames are shown, read from its App Store listing on 20 September 2026. 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, optional 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 | macOS 15 and 26 | 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
On macOS 15 and 26, 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. macOS 27 narrows that gap: it hides the system ARP table from apps that are not part of macOS, so scanners that rely on it, PingKit Agent included, show no MAC addresses there, and your router's device list is the place to read them.
PingKit Agent uses both: vendor prefixes from the ARP table (on macOS 15 and 26), 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 free. Guardian, $2.99/month or $24.99/year, adds the Agent's dashboard to PingKit on your iPhone.
- 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?
On macOS 15 and 26, yes. macOS exposes the ARP table there, so Mac scanners can read real MAC addresses and identify manufacturers from the OUI prefix. macOS 27 hides the system ARP table from apps that are not part of macOS, so scanners that rely on it, PingKit Agent included, show no MAC addresses there. 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, whose continuous monitoring, alerting and scheduled testing are free too. Guardian, $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year, adds the Agent's dashboard to PingKit on your iPhone.
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