macOS Network Utility's Port Scanner Is Gone. Here Are Your Options.
Apple removed Network Utility in macOS Big Sur. Here's what to use instead for scanning ports on a Mac, with and without the Terminal.
You opened Network Utility to run a quick port scan, and it was not there. macOS Network Utility’s port scanner has been gone since macOS Big Sur, released in November 2020. Apple quietly pulled the app, leaving no built-in GUI replacement. The underlying functionality still exists, but you now have to reach for Terminal or a third-party tool to get to it.
What the Port Scanner Did
Network Utility had a Port Scan tab. You entered a hostname or IP address and an optional port range (for example, 1 through 1024), clicked Scan, and the app listed every open port it found. No commands, no flags, no syntax to memorize.
The underlying tools that powered it, including netcat and the OS networking stack, are still available on every Mac. What is gone is the interface that wrapped them.
Terminal Alternatives
Both of these work on a stock Mac or with a one-time Homebrew install.
nc (netcat, built-in): Every Mac ships with netcat. To check a single port:
nc -zv hostname 80
To scan a range:
nc -zv hostname 1-1024
The -z flag tells netcat to scan without sending any data. The -v flag makes output verbose so you can see what is happening. Netcat is reliable for targeted checks, but scanning large ranges is slow because it works port by port.
nmap: More powerful than netcat, but requires installation via Homebrew:
brew install nmap
Once installed, scan the top 1000 common ports with:
nmap hostname
Or specify a range:
nmap -p 1-1024 hostname
nmap is much faster than netcat for range scans, and it includes service guesses based on port numbers.
GUI Alternatives
If you want a graphical tool, two apps from the same developer cover the use case at different price points.
NetUtil (free, netutil.app): A full replacement for Network Utility. It includes ping, traceroute, DNS lookup, whois, and a port scanner tab. The port scanner works exactly like the old Network Utility version: enter a host and port range, click scan, see which ports respond. It is the simple, no-cost option for one-off remote scans.
Portie ($8.99 one-time unlock): Portie’s remote scanning goes a step further with automatic service identification. Port 22 is labeled SSH, port 5432 is labeled PostgreSQL, port 80 is labeled HTTP, and so on, so you do not have to cross-reference port numbers manually. The base app is free and covers live local port monitoring with auto-refresh every three seconds, a grouped-by-app view, and a flat list mode. The $8.99 unlock adds remote scanning with service identification and the ability to kill processes directly from the app. A good fit if you do port work regularly or want the local monitoring alongside remote scanning.
Which to Use
A quick breakdown based on what you need:
- One-off remote scan, no cost: NetUtil (or
ncif you are comfortable in Terminal) - Faster range scans in Terminal: nmap via Homebrew
- Regular port work, service labels, or local monitoring: Portie’s paid unlock
- Local port monitoring only, free: Portie’s free tier (live view, auto-refresh, grouped by app)
The Short Version
Apple removed Network Utility’s port scanner in macOS Big Sur, but the functionality is still available. For quick remote checks with no cost, NetUtil or netcat covers it. For regular use with service identification and live local monitoring, Portie is worth the one-time unlock. The Terminal options (nc, nmap) remain solid if you are comfortable with the command line. None of this requires Apple to bring Network Utility back.