Cobbler
6.2#4 in bare metal as a service (bmaas) softwareFree planFree planAPILinuxSelf-hosted
VisitCobbler vs MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator
MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator
5.9#7 in bare metal as a service (bmaas) softwareWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Cobbler | MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Cobbler can help manage DNS, DHCP, package updates, power management and configuration management orchestration. | The product supports automatic enrollment, console proxying, custom ISOs, GPU detection, an AI troubleshooting assistant, and an MCP control plane for automation. |
| Integrations | Cobbler can integrate with external configuration management systems including cfengine3, Puppet, bcfg2 and Chef, and also has an internal lightweight system. | The product page lists VMware, KVM, OpenShift, Terraform, Ansible, and HashiCorp Vault among its integrations. |
| Provisioning | It supports PXE deployments, virtualization with Xen, QEMU/KVM or VMware, and reinstallation of existing Linux systems. | Features include automatic inventory, virtual media-based OS deployment, multi-vendor firmware management, cabling detection, and secure cleanup and decommissioning. |
| Purpose | Cobbler is a Linux installation server for setting up and automating network installation environments. | Bare Metal Orchestrator provisions, re-provisions, and manages general-purpose and specialized servers across generations and vendors. |
| Security | The security policy says Cobbler has no SELinux or AppArmor profile and advises protecting it because it manages DHCP and TFTP and has broad network control. | The product page describes secure cleanup and decommissioning, clean OS and firmware provisioning, and role-based infrastructure permissions. |
| Support | The project directs users to its mailing list, GitHub issues and community chat for help. | The product page lists professional services, integration services, custom hardware drivers, and 24/7 technical support. |
Cobbler plans
- CobblerFree
MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator plans
- MetalSoft Bare Metal OrchestratorPriced on request
Pick Cobbler if…
Cobbler suits administrators setting up Linux network installations in small or large environments. It is intended for people comfortable with Linux server administration and protecting systems with broad network control.
Pick MetalSoft Bare Metal Orchestrator if…
It suits organizations managing bare-metal infrastructure across sites, vendors, or hybrid environments, including AI and HPC workloads. Teams planning Kubernetes-based deployments need to provide a cluster and a Site Controller VM at each site.