.NET

Overview

.NET is a network-management option for teams coordinating clusters and network resources across hybrid environments. It is best suited to operators who need centralized policy and node management, rather than teams looking for a simple standalone networking tool.

Its strongest case is the combination of multi-cluster management, policy controls, and scaling and update capabilities. The main constraint is capacity: the Free plan covers up to 1,000 nodes, while the stated ceiling for higher tiers is 5,000.

Key features

• Centralized hybrid management: A centralized control plane and hybrid deployment model let teams manage network resources across environments. This is useful when a single operational view matters; it may be more than a small, single-cluster setup needs.
• Cluster operations: Multi-cluster management, autoscaling, and rolling updates support coordinated administration as deployments change. These capabilities make .NET a stronger fit for growing or actively maintained environments than for users who only need basic connectivity.
• Policy and integration: Policy controls and segmentation provide ways to govern network behavior, and a northbound API offers an integration point for other systems. Teams that need network-level controls can make use of this breadth, though the 5,000-node limit remains a consideration for larger estates.
• Protocol support: Supported protocols include TCP, UDP, ICMP, ESP, AH, and any protocols. That range is useful for networks with varied traffic requirements.

Pricing

.NET is open source and has a free plan, but the pricing structure also includes distinct billing options and feature-specific plans. Paid plans use custom pricing, so organizations should establish which billing basis applies before planning costs.

• Free — free: Supports up to 1,000 nodes. It is the sensible starting point for smaller deployments, but teams that exceed the cap will need a higher-capacity option.
• Standard — custom pricing: Supports up to 5,000 nodes. It is the higher-capacity tier for deployments that outgrow Free.
• Premium — custom pricing: Also supports up to 5,000 nodes. The stated capacity matches Standard, so the plan choice should depend on requirements beyond node count.
• Subscription-based billing — custom pricing: For Azure Virtual Network Manager instances created before virtual-network-based billing, charges are per managed subscription.
• Virtual network-based billing — custom pricing: The default for Azure Virtual Network Manager instances created after virtual-network-based billing, with charges per managed virtual network.
• Network verifier — custom pricing: Covers reachability analysis in a Virtual Network Manager verifier workspace.
• IP address management — custom pricing: Charges are based on each active IP address managed by the feature.

The billing distinction matters: subscription-based and virtual-network-based charges use different units, while IP address management adds a per-active-address basis. The free cap is clear, but paid costs depend on usage and the applicable billing model.

Platforms

.NET is listed for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. That breadth suits teams managing environments across different operating systems and device platforms.

Who it's for

.NET is a strong fit for network operators who need to coordinate multiple clusters, apply policy controls, and manage up to 5,000 nodes under the higher-capacity plans. It is less compelling for a small deployment that can stay within the Free limit but does not need centralized, hybrid management, or for a larger estate that would exceed the stated node ceiling.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Centralized control, hybrid deployment, multi-cluster management, autoscaling, and rolling updates combine in one offering, giving operators a broad set of network-management capabilities.
• Pros: The free plan supports up to 1,000 nodes, providing a meaningful starting capacity before moving to a paid tier.
• Pros: Protocol support spans TCP, UDP, ICMP, ESP, AH, and any protocols, accommodating varied network traffic.
• Cons: Standard and Premium both top out at 5,000 nodes, which may not meet the needs of larger deployments.
• Cons: Paid prices are custom, and billing may depend on managed subscriptions, virtual networks, or active IP addresses, making costs harder to estimate without understanding the relevant basis.

Alternatives

For a different approach, consider the ONOS, which is free and published under the Apache License 2.0. VMware Workstation Pro is a free option for Windows or Linux hosts on 64-bit Intel or AMD PCs, with no subscription or license key required. The free Omada Cloud Essentials plan in TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller offers unlimited devices and sites with core management features and no ongoing fees.

Antrea is free but requires a Kubernetes cluster and Open vSwitch kernel module on every Kubernetes node. OpenDaylight is a free open-source SDN platform distributed as tar or zip downloads and Docker images. Cilium is free, self-hosted software for Linux requiring kernel 5.10 or equivalent and AMD64 or AArch64 hardware. Kube-OVN is a free, Apache-2.0-licensed Kubernetes networking project, while Open Virtual Network is free open-source software under the Apache 2 license.

Explore more options in Software-Defined Networking Software, Container Orchestration Software, and IP Address Management Software.

Verdict

Choose .NET if your team needs centralized hybrid management, multi-cluster operations, and policy controls within a 5,000-node ceiling. Its free tier gives smaller deployments room to start, but custom pricing and usage-based billing make it a weaker choice when predictable costs are the priority.