ExtremeCloud Orchestrator vs Dell Active Fabric Manager

ExtremeCloud Orchestrator9.0Visit DADell Active Fabric Manager8.7Visit

Higher score ExtremeCloud Orchestrator #3 in Data Center Fabric Software 9.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 4 features Contact Extreme

vs

DA Dell Active Fabric Manager #6 in Data Center Fabric Software 8.7/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Dell

• ExtremeCloud Orchestrator fits best

  Teams operating EVPN-VXLAN IP fabrics

• Dell Active Fabric Manager fits best

  Teams deploying Dell VLT fabrics

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Side by side

Feature	ExtremeCloud Orchestrator 9.0/10 Visit ↗	DADell Active Fabric Manager 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Data Center Fabric Software	#6 in Data Center Fabric Software
Best for	Teams operating EVPN-VXLAN IP fabrics	Teams deploying Dell VLT fabrics
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs	Docs
Integrations	3 integrations	1 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ExtremeCloud Orchestrator 3/4 · Dell Active Fabric Manager 2/4
Fabric automation	✓	✓
Multi-vendor management	—	—
Fabric assurance	✓	✓
API access	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported fabrics	Small data-center (non-Clos), 3-stage IP Clos, 5-stage IP Clos; BGP underlay with BGP or EVPN overlay; EVPN-VXLAN	Layer 2 VLT; Layer 3 distributed core; Layer 3 Routed VLT
Deployment model	On-premises	On-premises
Our review
Pros	Automates deployment and lifecycle management across several IP fabric designs Supports EVPN-VXLAN overlays and tenant VLAN, VRF, BGP, EVPN and VTEP services Integrates with VMware vCenter, OpenStack ML2 and Microsoft SCVMM	Designs Layer 2 VLT and two Layer 3 fabric types Discovers fabrics, deploys switch configurations, and validates changes Monitors health and performance through network, fabric, switch, and port views
Cons	Management is limited to Extreme fabrics, not multi-vendor environments Licensing is an annual subscription, with pricing available through sales or partners Self-hosted deployment requires an on-premises server, OVA or TPVM instance	Management is limited to Dell Networking switches On-premises, self-hosted deployment requires local infrastructure Pricing is handled through sales
Our verdict	ExtremeCloud Orchestrator (XCO) gives teams a centralized interface and APIs for deploying, provisioning, configuring, monitoring and managing Extreme IP fabrics. It is aimed at mid-market and enterprise organizations operating data-center… Read the review →	Dell Active Fabric Manager (AFM) is a network automation and orchestration tool for administrators managing Dell data center fabrics. It designs Layer 2 VLT, Layer 3 Routed VLT, and Layer 3 distributed-core fabrics, with discovery and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ExtremeCloud Orchestrator — where it wins

  • Automates deployment and lifecycle management across several IP fabric designs
  • Supports EVPN-VXLAN overlays and tenant VLAN, VRF, BGP, EVPN and VTEP services
  • Integrates with VMware vCenter, OpenStack ML2 and Microsoft SCVMM

  Where it doesn't

  • Management is limited to Extreme fabrics, not multi-vendor environments
  • Licensing is an annual subscription, with pricing available through sales or partners
  • Self-hosted deployment requires an on-premises server, OVA or TPVM instance

• Dell Active Fabric Manager — where it wins

  • Designs Layer 2 VLT and two Layer 3 fabric types
  • Discovers fabrics, deploys switch configurations, and validates changes
  • Monitors health and performance through network, fabric, switch, and port views

  Where it doesn't

  • Management is limited to Dell Networking switches
  • On-premises, self-hosted deployment requires local infrastructure
  • Pricing is handled through sales

• ExtremeCloud Orchestrator9.0/10 · Pricing on request

  A self-hosted control point for automating Extreme IP fabric deployment and operations.

  Contact ExtremeFull verdict →
• DADell Active Fabric Manager8.7/10 · Pricing on request

  A focused lifecycle tool for designing, deploying, and monitoring Dell VLT fabrics.

  Visit DellFull verdict →