Airward vs Fing
Both tell you what is on your network. They disagree about where your network data should live, and about how you should pay.
Updated 21 August 2026
Fairness note. Fing facts below are taken from fing.com in August 2026 and products change — check their site before deciding. We make Airward, so read this as an argument, not a referee’s verdict.
The short version
Fing is a cross-platform product with mobile apps, desktop apps and agents you can run on a Raspberry Pi or NAS, tied together by an optional account that syncs your network data so you can check it remotely. That is genuinely useful if you look after several networks, or want to see your home network from somewhere else.
Airward does not do any of that, on purpose. It is one macOS app, it holds your device inventory in a local database, and it operates no servers that receive your network data. If remote access matters to you, Fing is the better fit and you should use it.
| Airward | Fing | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS 14+ only | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, plus agents |
| Account | None. There is nothing to sign in to. | Optional; unlocks sync and remote access |
| Where data lives | A local database on your Mac | Local, with cloud sync when you use an account |
| Remote access | No | Yes, via account |
| Pricing | Free tier; Pro €39.99 once | Free tier; advanced features by subscription |
| Rogue AP / evil-twin alerts | Yes, in Pro | Not the product’s focus |
| Lives in | The menu bar, always running | An app you open |
Where the two genuinely differ
Recurring versus once. Fing’s advanced features are a subscription. Airward Pro is €39.99 one time. Over several years that is a real difference — though a subscription also funds ongoing development, which is a fair trade rather than a trick.
Cloud sync versus no servers. This is the actual philosophical split. Syncing your device inventory is what makes remote access possible; it also means a list of everything on your network exists somewhere other than your house. Neither choice is wrong. Airward simply refuses to make it, which costs you remote access and buys you the guarantee that there is nothing to breach.
Always-on versus on-demand. Airward sits in the menu bar and notices when something joins while you are working. A scanner you open tells you what is there when you remember to look.
Choose Fing if…
- You want one tool across phones, Windows and Mac.
- You look after networks you are not physically at.
- Remote access and sync are worth an account and a subscription to you.
Choose Airward if…
- You are on a Mac and want something always watching, not something you open.
- You want rogue access point and evil-twin alerts specifically — see what an evil twin actually is.
- You would rather your network inventory never leave the machine.
- You prefer to pay once.