Compare
AirMQTT vs LAN Sheriff
LAN Sheriff visualizes network traffic on a world map, while AirMQTT focuses on MQTT messaging only.
AirMQTTFast, native MQTT client for iPhone, iPad, Mac & Android
LAN SheriffNothing leaves town unnoticed 🤠 Every server your devices talk to, live on a world map. Self-hosted, open source, zero config.Which to pick
Pick AirMQTT if you want…
- Cross-device native MQTT client
- Integrations with MQTT 3.1.1, TCP or WebSocket (on AirMQTT's list, not LAN Sheriff's)
Pick LAN Sheriff if you want…
- Live outbound traffic map
- Network traffic visualization
- Open-source code (291-Group/LAN-Sheriff on GitHub, AGPL-3.0 license)
- Integrations with Tailscale, Discord or Slack (on LAN Sheriff's list, not AirMQTT's)
Side by side
- What it is
- AirMQTT:AirMQTT is a native MQTT client for macOS, iPhone, iPad and Android that lets you connect, publish, and subscribe with iCloud-synced settings.
- LAN Sheriff:LAN Sheriff is a self-hosted, open-source tool that visualizes every outbound connection from your devices on a live world map.
- Best for
- AirMQTT:Cross-device native MQTT client
- LAN Sheriff:Live outbound traffic map
- Who it’s for
- AirMQTT:Developers and engineers who need to test or monitor MQTT topics on desktop and mobile devices.
- LAN Sheriff:Home users, hobbyists, and small-team IT admins who want privacy-first network visibility.
- Pricing
- AirMQTT:Subscription
- LAN Sheriff:Free
- Open source
- AirMQTT:—
- LAN Sheriff:Yes, 105 GitHub stars
- Works with
- AirMQTT:MQTT 3.1.1, TCP, WebSocket, iCloud
- LAN Sheriff:Tailscale, Discord, Slack, ntfy, webhook
AirMQTT features
- Multi-platform support. Runs natively on macOS, iPhone, iPad and Android with OS-specific requirements.
- Real-time publish/subscribe. Connect, publish payloads instantly, and monitor live topics.
- Private iCloud sync. Sync connections, quick actions and filters across devices without an account.
- MQTT 3.1.1 & 5.0 support. Works with both major MQTT protocol versions over TCP or WebSocket.
- Topic filtering & search. Easily find and filter topics with built-in search functionality.
- Export & backup. Export connection settings and topic data for offline use.
LAN Sheriff features
- Watchtower egress map. Shows a live world map with lines to every external server, including country, org, app and traffic details.
- Deputy & Patrol modes. Runs without privileges on a single machine or with elevated access to monitor all devices on a network segment.
- Radio Chatter DNS feed. Streams every DNS lookup with domain, resolver and classification of trackers or malware.
- Precinct network map. Auto-generates a diagram of devices and their connections based on observed traffic.
- Wanted List suspicion engine. Ranks and explains suspicious connections using plain-language reasons.
- Dispatch peer sharing. Pairs multiple instances to aggregate observations without exposing raw traffic.
- Export & alerts. Exports CSV/JSON and can send alerts to webhook, ntfy, Discord or Slack.
- Multi-language UI. Interface available in 12 languages, including right-to-left scripts.
AirMQTT vs LAN Sheriff FAQ
Is AirMQTT or LAN Sheriff free?+
AirMQTT is listed on DevHunt as a paid subscription. LAN Sheriff is free.
Is AirMQTT or LAN Sheriff open source?+
LAN Sheriff is open source (291-Group/LAN-Sheriff on GitHub, AGPL-3.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for AirMQTT.
Do AirMQTT and LAN Sheriff integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: AirMQTT lists MQTT 3.1.1, TCP, WebSocket and iCloud; LAN Sheriff lists Tailscale, Discord, Slack, ntfy and 1 more.
On DevHunt
LAN Sheriff
32 upvotes · Launched on DevHunt on Aug 25, 2026
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.