Use with authorization only. Scan networks and hosts you own or have explicit written permission to assess. Unauthorized scanning can violate acceptable-use policies and, in some jurisdictions, the law.

Advanced Port Scanner is a free, Windows-only tool from Famatech aimed squarely at one question: which ports are open on the machines around me, and what is running behind them? It is the port-focused sibling of Advanced IP Scanner, and it shares the same easy, click-and-go character. Honest positioning: it is a quick, friendly utility for a Windows admin who wants a fast read on exposed ports and services — not a scriptable, cross-platform, or audit-grade scanner.

What Advanced Port Scanner actually does

You give it a range of IP addresses and a set of ports, and it scans quickly to find which of those ports are open. Rather than stopping at “port 3389 is open,” it tries to identify the service or program listening there, so you get a more useful picture — this looks like remote desktop, that looks like a web server, and so on.

From the results it offers convenient shortcuts: for some services it can connect to them directly out of the scan view, so you move from “found it” to “reached it” without switching tools. It runs as a standard installer or as a portable executable, which makes it easy for a technician to carry and run without leaving a footprint on the machine. The interface is deliberately plain and the workflow is fast, which is the appeal.

Where it shines

Speed and clarity on ports. If your specific need is a quick sweep for open ports across a handful of hosts, it delivers that with almost no setup and presents the results in a way a non-specialist can read.

Service identification is genuinely handy. Knowing that an open port is “remote desktop” rather than a bare number helps you judge quickly whether something should be exposed, and the ability to reach some services straight from the results saves a step during hands-on work.

Free and low-friction. There is no cost and nothing to learn. The portable build is useful when you are working on borrowed or locked-down machines.

Where it falls short

Windows-only, again. Like its sibling, there is no macOS or Linux build, so it is no use to admins outside the Windows world and gives only a partial view on a mixed network.

No automation and no depth for auditing. There is no scripting and no scheduling — every scan is manual. And while it names services, it does not offer the rigorous version detection, OS fingerprinting, or scriptable checks that a proper security audit calls for. It is a convenience tool, not an assessment platform.

Closed-source snapshot. It is proprietary, so you cannot inspect the code, and it produces a point-in-time result rather than tracking changes or alerting you over time. The “connect to a service from the results” convenience is also a reminder to be careful: any port scanner in the wrong hands is a probing tool, so where and how you use it matters.

Who it’s for

This suits the Windows helpdesk technician or small-office IT contact who occasionally needs to check “what ports are open on these machines, and what’s behind them” and wants an answer in seconds. It pairs naturally with device-discovery work. If you need cross-platform coverage, scheduled or scripted scans, or serious security auditing, this is not the tool — it stays firmly in the quick-and-easy lane.

Licensing and cost

Advanced Port Scanner is free proprietary software (freeware). There is no paid tier, subscription, or purchase — the whole tool is free to use. Being closed-source, you cannot review or modify the code and you rely on the vendor’s builds, which is a good reason to be careful about where you get it.

How it compares

Advanced IP Scanner is the companion tool from the same maker, and the two overlap. That one leads with device discovery, shared-folder listing, and remote access (RDP, Radmin, Wake-on-LAN); this one leads with open ports and the services behind them. If you are choosing between them, pick by the question you ask most often — devices and remote control, or ports and services.

Nmap is the far more powerful port scanner, with detailed service and version detection, OS fingerprinting, and scripting — but it is command-line first and takes real effort to learn. If port scanning is central to your work, it is worth growing into.

Angry IP Scanner is the cross-platform option that also does port scanning alongside host discovery, so it is the better default the moment Macs or Linux machines enter the picture.

Getting it safely

Get Advanced Port Scanner from Famatech’s official site (advanced-port-scanner.com). We are an independent review portal — we host nothing and provide no installers ourselves. Freeware scanners are a common vehicle for tampered or bundled downloads, so verify your copy is genuine before you run it: see our short guide on how to verify a download. And scan only networks and hosts you own or have written permission to assess — our authorization checklist covers getting that permission in order first.

FAQ

How is this different from Advanced IP Scanner? They are siblings from the same maker. Advanced IP Scanner focuses on discovering devices and remote access to them; Advanced Port Scanner focuses on finding open ports and identifying the services behind them. Many people use whichever matches their most common question, or both.

Does it work on macOS or Linux? No. It is Windows-only. For cross-platform port scanning, look at Angry IP Scanner or Nmap.

Can it do a thorough security audit of my services? Not really. It names services and finds open ports quickly, but it lacks the deep version detection, OS fingerprinting, and scripting that a proper audit needs. For that, Nmap is the tool to reach for.

About the project

Advanced Port Scanner is developed and maintained by Famatech. This is an independent catalog — we don't host or distribute the software. For source code, documentation and official releases, see the project's own site.