Containerlab
7.6#1 in network simulation softwareFree planFree planWebAPIExtensionLinux
VisitContainerlab vs NAPALM
What both publish
| Fact | Containerlab | NAPALM |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Containerlab can launch VM based routers through vrnetlab or boxen integration and can run containerlab style topologies on Kubernetes through Clabernetes. | The project README identifies integrations with Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm. |
| License | The public GitHub repository identifies the project license as BSD-3-Clause. | The GitHub repository identifies the project license as Apache-2.0. |
| Support | The project directs users with questions, ideas, and bug reports to its Discord community. | The README points users to the napalm channel on the network.toCode() Slack team for help. |
Containerlab plans
- ContainerlabFree
- Free and open-sourceFree
NAPALM plans
- NAPALMFree
Pick Containerlab if…
Containerlab suits network engineers and others who need to define and manage network labs as code. It also fits users who want to start topologies in CI or pair labs with telemetry stacks.
Pick NAPALM if…
NAPALM suits network engineers and automation teams using Python or frameworks such as Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm to manage or validate devices across vendors.