Zenmap vs Nmap:

Nmap and Zenmap are two different cross platform tools used for port scanning. While they operate under similar circumstances and do similar operations, Nmap operates only on the command line, while Zenmap can be used from a graphical user interface. This means that visual elements, such as listviews, textboxes, and spinners replace lists of parameters during command line execution. This makes the latter significantly more user friendly, as the user does not have to know or memorize the position or syntax for each parameter. While Zenmap does hold an advantage in ease of use, Nmap appears to have slightly better performance, presumably due to lower system load. Despite these differences, Nmap and Zenmap are actually identical in operation, as Zenmap is simply a GUI overlay for the base application. As such, either application may be used to effectively scan open ports on the network.