If you want a TCPView or CurrPorts alternative on Windows 11 that finds and kills the process on a port, Port Detective shows every listening port with its process, PID, and path, and kills the owner in one click, guarded so you never end a recycled PID. The free edition includes 5 kills; Pro is a one-time purchase that adds unlimited kills, Port Guard, and Docker-aware scans. TCPView and CurrPorts are free and still do the basic job well.
The usual moment: you start a dev server and get EADDRINUSE: address already in use. Something already owns port 3000 or 8080, and you need to know what it is and end it without killing the wrong thing. TCPView and CurrPorts are the classic answers. Here is how they and the newer tools compare.
Find what owns the port and end it in one click.
Get it from Microsoft
What is the short answer?
- TCPView (Microsoft Sysinternals) is free, current, and lists TCP and UDP endpoints with their owning process. Start there if you want something free from Microsoft.
- CurrPorts (NirSoft) is free, shows the process path and command line, closes connections, kills the process, and exports to several formats. Its listed system requirements stop at Windows 10.
- Open-source CLIs and small apps such as Portify, PortKiller, and PortExec are free and good for developers who like a terminal.
- Port Detective is built around one workflow: type a port, see the owner, kill it safely. Pro adds a background Port Guard, remote and Docker-aware scans, process lineage, and history export.
How do the tools compare?
Facts about other tools come from their own sites or repositories, checked on 17 October 2026.
| Tool | Price model | Platform | Shows owning process | Ends the process | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Detective Free | Free | Windows 10 and 11 | Yes, with PID and executable path | 5 token-guarded kills | Instant port lookup |
| Port Detective Pro | One-time purchase in the Microsoft Store | Windows 10 and 11 | Yes, TCP and UDP, IPv4 and IPv6 | Unlimited, token-guarded | Port Guard every 250 ms, remote and Docker scans, process lineage, CSV and JSON history, per-port notes, Ctrl+K palette |
| TCPView | Free (Sysinternals) | Windows | Yes, TCP and UDP endpoints | Closes established connections | Save output; Tcpvcon command-line version |
| CurrPorts | Freeware | Windows (listed requirements stop at Windows 10) | Yes, with path and command line | Closes connections and kills the process | Export to HTML, XML, text, CSV |
| Portify | Free, MIT | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Built to replace the netstat and taskkill routine | Rust CLI plus tray app, early version 0.1.0 |
| port-killer (productdevbook) | Free, MIT | macOS and Windows | Yes | Yes | Kubernetes port forwards |
| PortExec | Free, MIT | Windows | Yes | Yes | Go terminal UI that protects system processes |
Sources: TCPView, CurrPorts, Portify, port-killer, PortExec, PortKiller for Windows.
TCPView
TCPView is a free Microsoft Sysinternals tool that lists every TCP and UDP endpoint on the system with the process that owns it. It can close established connections, save its output, and it ships with Tcpvcon for the command line. It is maintained by Microsoft and costs nothing, so for many people it is all they need.
CurrPorts
CurrPorts from NirSoft is freeware that shows each connection’s process, path, and command line. It can close connections, kill the owning process, and export the list to HTML, XML, text, or CSV. NirSoft’s system-requirements list goes up to Windows 10, so test it on Windows 11. NirSoft also makes LiveTcpUdpWatch, which shows live TCP and UDP activity.
Open-source port killers
Developers often reach for a small open-source tool instead. Portify is an MIT-licensed Rust CLI with a tray app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, at an early 0.1.0 release. productdevbook’s port-killer is MIT-licensed for macOS and Windows and handles Kubernetes port forwards. PortExec is an MIT-licensed Go terminal UI for Windows that protects system processes from being killed. There is also a Tauri-based PortKiller for Windows. All are free; most are young projects.
Port Detective
Port Detective is a native-Rust Windows app that turns EADDRINUSE: address already in use into a one-click fix. It typically uses under 50 MB of RAM, has no telemetry, and needs no account.
- Free edition. Live listening-port view with process name, PID, and executable path, instant port lookup, and 5 kills to try safe termination.
- Token-guarded kills. Each kill is guarded by a Process Token, so you never end a process that has reused a PID.
- Port Guard (Pro). A system-tray watchdog checks your critical ports every 250 ms and can end an intruder and relaunch the right owner.
- Docker and remote (Pro). Scan VMs, Docker bridges, and servers, and map host ports back to the container and image that published them.
- Power workflow (Pro). Ctrl+K command palette, parent and child process inspection, a connection-history timeline with CSV and JSON export, per-port notes, and copy-as-command.
Pro’s regular US list price in the Microsoft Store is $9.99, paid once; the listing shows the current price.
Start with the free edition and its 5 kills.
Get it from Microsoft
How do I find and kill the process on a port without installing anything?
Windows has the commands built in. In a Command Prompt:
netstat -ano | findstr :3000lists connections on port 3000. The last column is the PID.tasklist /FI "PID eq 1234"shows which program that PID belongs to.taskkill /PID 1234 /Fends it.
It works, and it costs nothing. The risk is ending the wrong thing: by the time you type the third command, the PID may belong to something else. Our guides to finding the process using a port, killing a process by port, and fixing EADDRINUSE on Windows go through each step.
How do I do it in Port Detective?
- Open Port Detective. Every listening port is listed with its process, PID, and path.
- Type the port. Lookup jumps to the owner.
- Check the process. Confirm the name and path are what you expect.
- Kill it. One click ends the process, guarded by its token. The free edition includes 5 kills.
- Guard it (Pro). Add the port to Port Guard so it stays with the right owner.
When is a free tool the better pick?
- You check ports once in a while. TCPView or the built-in commands are enough.
- You need the full command line of the process. CurrPorts shows it.
- You work on macOS or Linux too. Portify and port-killer are cross-platform.
- You script everything. Tcpvcon or an open-source CLI fits a terminal workflow.
Port Detective earns its place when port conflicts are a weekly event, when a wrong kill would cost you, or when Docker and remote hosts are part of the picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good TCPView alternative for Windows 11?
CurrPorts and Port Detective are the common choices. Port Detective focuses on finding a port’s owner and killing it safely, with a free edition. TCPView itself is still free and maintained by Microsoft.
What is a CurrPorts alternative for Windows 11 that kills the process on a port?
Port Detective kills the owning process in one click with a token guard against recycled PIDs. TCPView closes connections. Open-source tools such as PortExec and Portify also kill processes.
Is Port Detective free?
The free edition is free, with a live port viewer, lookup, and 5 kills. Pro is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store with unlimited kills, Port Guard, and more.
Does Port Detective show Docker containers?
Yes, in Pro. It maps host ports back to the container and image that published them.
Does it send data anywhere?
No. Port Detective has no telemetry and no account.
Try Port Detective
Get the free edition from the Microsoft Store, or buy Port Detective Pro once for unlimited kills and Port Guard. Compare it with our pages on a TCPView alternative and a CurrPorts alternative for Windows 11, or go to the Port Detective product page.
Find what owns the port, then keep it yours with Pro.
Get it from Microsoft
Microsoft, Windows, and Sysinternals are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Docker is a trademark of Docker, Inc. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Port Detective is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.