Our take
Activeregular commits- Activity
- 42
- Community
- 81
- Issues
- 47
- Pull requests
- 39
- More contributors than 78% of the projects we track
- Slower to merge pull requests than 97% of the projects we track
RustScan is an actively maintained, Rust-based reconnaissance tool with broad community contributions, though its release cadence and issue resolution times merit attention.
Good fit if
- You want a fast port-discovery step that can feed Nmap or scripts.
- Your workflow benefits from Python, Lua, or Shell scripting, or from IPv6, CIDR, and file input support.
- You can meet the GPL-3.0 license terms and are comfortable installing the Rust toolchain for the officially supported Cargo route.
Look elsewhere if
- You need a recent published release as part of your adoption process, since there has been no release in over a year despite regular commits.
- Your team needs issues to be resolved quickly, as the measured median time to close an issue is lengthy.
- You need a scanner that does not require Rust for the officially supported installation method.
All health signals
| Last commit | 2026-11-04 (4 days ago) |
|---|---|
| Commits, last 90 days | 57 |
| Releases, last 12 months | 0 (latest 2.4.1, 2025-02-23) |
| Contributors | 100+ (top contributor: 46% of commits) |
| Issues closed, last 90 days | 29 (typically closed in 543 days) |
| Pull requests merged, last 90 days | 50 (typically merged in 21 days) |
| Project age | 6 years |
Checked on 2026-11-08 with the GitHub API.
Project history
Daily GitHub snapshots since Nov 9, 2026. History covers stars and forks; health signals are not tracked historically.
Stars
20,690Forks
1,403More snapshots will appear as the daily collection continues.
Overview
RustScan is a Rust-built port scanner for quickly finding open ports, with results that can be passed to Nmap or custom scripts for further analysis. It aims to make the first stage of network reconnaissance faster while allowing users to extend what happens after a port is found.
It is aimed at security testers and network administrators who want a fast scanner that fits into a broader command-line workflow. The project describes support for IPv6, CIDR ranges, and file input, and offers installation through Cargo and platform package managers.
Key Features
- Scans TCP ports, with the project stating that a full port range can be scanned in as little as three seconds.
- Pipes discovered ports into Nmap for follow-up analysis.
- Runs scripts written in Python, Lua, or Shell.
- Supports IPv6 targets, CIDR notation, and file-based input.
- Includes adaptive behavior intended to tune scanning to the environment and how the tool is used.
- Provides performance checks in continuous integration to catch significant slowdowns.
Use Cases
- A penetration tester can quickly identify open ports before running more detailed Nmap checks.
- A security practitioner can trigger a custom script when a particular service port is discovered.
- A network administrator can scan an IPv6 or CIDR range as part of an authorized inventory workflow.
- A user with a list of targets can provide file input and incorporate the scan into command-line tooling.
What you need
Detected in the repository
- Rust (from Cargo.toml)
- A test suite and automated checks on GitHub Actions
License in plain words
GPL-3.0strong copyleft
- Commercial use: yes
- Modify and redistribute: yes
- You must keep: the license notice
- Share your changes: yes, the full source of anything you distribute that includes it, under the GPL
- Includes an explicit patent grant from the contributors:
A summary, not legal advice: the LICENSE file is what applies.
Getting Started
Install with Cargo:
cargo install rustscan
See the README and installation guide for package-manager and Docker guidance, configuration, and usage details.
Alternatives
- masscan: Masscan uses a C-based asynchronous scanner and its own TCP/IP stack to probe large address ranges, while RustScan is Rust-built and commonly hands results to Nmap.
| Project | Language | License | Stars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RustScan | Rust | GPL-3.0 | 20.7k | Active |
| masscan | C | AGPL-3.0 | 26.1k | Maintained |
Considerations
The repository is active, with regular recent commits and merged pull requests, and contributions are not concentrated in a single person. However, no release has been published in over a year, and issue closure is slow by the measured median. The README describes speed as a priority and notes performance checks, but scan results and timing will depend on the target network and environment. RustScan is GPL-3.0 licensed, so review the license obligations before incorporating or distributing it as part of another product.
Found this useful?
Share it with someone who would like RustScan.