QuNetSim
QuNetSim is a Python framework for building and exploring quantum networking applications and protocols.
What QuNetSim is
QuNetSim is a Python framework for building and exploring quantum networking applications and protocols. Its built-in tasks cover qubit teleportation, entanglement distribution, superdense coding, and quantum key distribution. It can model multi-hop networks, using entanglement swapping to establish entanglement between hosts that are not directly connected. Users can define routing functions that take classical and quantum network states into account, with network layouts represented as NetworkX graphs. The event-driven design supports packets with sequence numbers and acknowledgements. Its Host, Protocols, and Network components correspond to application, transport, and network layers. Documented backends include SimulaQron, ProjectQ, and EQSN, with SimulaQron as the default; users can also add network and qubit backends of their own. The project provides pip installation instructions and a template script for generating an example. It is free, MIT-licensed software for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with self-hosted and desktop options. QuNetSim is intended for students and instructors, especially those beginning to study quantum networks. The project describes it as an educational tool, not a physically accurate or complete quantum network simulator.
Good
- Includes several built-in quantum networking tasks.
- Supports multi-hop networks and entanglement swapping.
- Users can add custom routing and backends.
- Free, MIT-licensed, and installable via pip.
Watch out
- Not designed for accurate quantum-physics simulation.
- Not intended as a full quantum network simulator.
- Platform-specific setup instructions require Python 3.5 or greater.
Who it suits
QuNetSim suits students and instructors exploring quantum networking protocols, particularly those relatively new to the subject. It may also suit developers who want to build quantum networking applications and custom routing or backend components.
Verdict
QuNetSim offers a free framework for learning about and developing quantum networking applications, with multiple example tasks and extensible network components. Its stated educational scope makes it unsuitable as a full or physically accurate quantum network simulator.
Plans and prices
From QuNetSim's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| QuNetSim | Free | MIT-licensed software · installable via pip |
The facts
Each one read from QuNetSim's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Architecture
- Its Host, Protocols, and Network components represent application, transport, and network layers, respectively.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Backends
- The documentation lists SimulaQron, ProjectQ, and EQSN as supported backends, with SimulaQron as the default.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Custom routing
- Users can write routing functions based on classical and quantum network states; network structures use NetworkX graphs.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Event-driven behavior
- QuNetSim is event-driven, and packets include sequence numbers and can wait for acknowledgements.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Extensible backends
- The backend is modular and users can implement and import their own network and qubit backends.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The project documents installation with pip and provides a template script that generates an example.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation describes students and instructors, especially people relatively new to quantum networks, as its intended users.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository includes an MIT License granting permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies, subject to its stated conditions.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The GitHub organization identifies itself as the Theoretical Quantum Systems Design Group and lists Munich.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Multi-hop networks
- The framework supports multi-hop quantum networks and uses entanglement swapping to generate entanglement between distant hosts.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Operating systems
- The installation guide provides instructions for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows and requires Python 3.5 or greater for its platform-specific setup instructions.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- QuNetSim is a Python framework for developing and testing quantum networking applications and protocols.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Quantum tasks
- Built-in tasks include qubit teleportation, entanglement distribution, superdense coding, and quantum key distribution.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- GitHub reports that the repository has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Simulation limitation
- The project says it is an educational tool and is not designed to accurately simulate quantum physics or serve as a full quantum network simulator.checked 4 Oct 2026
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