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Head-to-head · Virtual Routers Software

Arista CloudEOS vs Palo Alto Networks VM-Series

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Arista CloudEOS #1 in Virtual Routers Software 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Arista
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series #8 in Virtual Routers Software 8.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit site

Arista CloudEOS leads on 0 checks, Palo Alto Networks VM-Series on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreArista CloudEOS · 9.2/10

Arista CloudEOS scores higher on our rubric for virtual routers software: 9.2 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #8.

Arista CloudEOS is the better fit for teams seeking an established cloud virtual router. Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is the better fit for cloud teams needing virtual firewall and basic routing.

  • Arista CloudEOS fits best

    Teams seeking an established cloud virtual router

  • Palo Alto Networks VM-Series fits best

    Cloud teams needing virtual firewall and basic routing

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Arista CloudEOS 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Palo Alto Networks VM-Series 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.2
Ranking #1 in Virtual Routers Software #8 in Virtual Routers Software
Best for Teams seeking an established cloud virtual router Cloud teams needing virtual firewall and basic routing
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price Not checked yet Pricing on request
Free plan — —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Linux Web
Integrations 7 integrations 12 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Arista CloudEOS 2/2 · Palo Alto Networks VM-Series 2/2
VPN support ✓ ✓
High availability ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment type Not checked yet Not checked yet
Routing protocols OSPFv2, BGPv4, IS-IS, RIPv2, OSPFv3, BGPv6 BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP, static routing
Max throughput Not checked yet Not checked yet
Cloud platforms Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Equinix Network Edge Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Alibaba Cloud
Our review
Pros
  • Broad Layer 3 routing, VPN, NAT, GRE, and VXLAN support
  • Dynamic Path Selection with in-band path telemetry
  • Cloud HA, Terraform provisioning, and CloudVision management
  • Inspects traffic at Layer 7 with inline security controls
  • Supports BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP and static routing
  • Runs across major public clouds and virtualization platforms
Cons
  • Paid product with no free plan
  • Support channel is listed as email
  • Requires VM, container, or appliance deployment
  • Security-focused rather than a deep standalone routing platform
  • Pricing requires a sales conversation
  • No general free plan
Our verdict

Arista CloudEOS is a virtual router and cloud-native networking solution for enterprises and service providers building WAN and multi-cloud networks. It runs as a virtual machine or container, with deployment options spanning public…

Read the review →

Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is a virtualized next-generation firewall for protecting workloads and inspecting traffic across public and private clouds, virtualized data centers, and enterprise branches. It is aimed at mid-market and…

Read the review →
  1. Arista CloudEOSVirtual Routers Software 9.2Paid
  2. Palo Alto Networks VM-SeriesVirtual Routers Software 8.2Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Arista CloudEOS — where it wins

    • Broad Layer 3 routing, VPN, NAT, GRE, and VXLAN support
    • Dynamic Path Selection with in-band path telemetry
    • Cloud HA, Terraform provisioning, and CloudVision management

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid product with no free plan
    • Support channel is listed as email
    • Requires VM, container, or appliance deployment

  • Palo Alto Networks VM-Series — where it wins

    • Inspects traffic at Layer 7 with inline security controls
    • Supports BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP and static routing
    • Runs across major public clouds and virtualization platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Security-focused rather than a deep standalone routing platform
    • Pricing requires a sales conversation
    • No general free plan
  • Arista CloudEOS9.2/10 · Paid

    A cloud-ready virtual router for enterprise WAN, VPN, and multi-cloud routing.

    Visit AristaFull verdict →
  • Palo Alto Networks VM-Series8.2/10 · Pricing on request

    A cloud-ready virtual firewall with core routing protocols, VPNs and high availability.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All virtual routers software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update