Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Network Topology Mapping Software

Forward Enterprise vs Auvik Network Management

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Forward Enterprise #6 in Network Topology Mapping Software 8.4/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit site
Auvik Network Management #8 in Network Topology Mapping Software 8.2/10 Pricing on request · 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Auvik

Forward Enterprise leads on 0 checks, Auvik Network Management 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 scoreForward Enterprise · 8.4/10
  • Free trialonly Auvik Network Management
  • Most featuresForward Enterprise · 2 of 2

Forward Enterprise scores higher on our rubric for network topology mapping software: 8.4 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

On deployment, Forward Enterprise gives you Hybrid where Auvik Network Management offers Cloud.

Forward Enterprise is the better fit for enterprises needing a network digital twin. Auvik Network Management is the better fit for IT teams and MSPs needing live network visibility.

  • Forward Enterprise fits best

    Enterprises needing a network digital twin

  • Auvik Network Management fits best

    IT teams and MSPs needing live network visibility

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 Forward Enterprise 8.4/10 Visit ↗ Auvik Network Management 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.4 8.2
Ranking #6 in Network Topology Mapping Software #8 in Network Topology Mapping Software
Best for Enterprises needing a network digital twin IT teams and MSPs needing live network visibility
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price — Pricing on request · 14-day trial
Free plan Not checked yet —
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Phone, Community Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs, Community
Compliance SOC 2 SOC 2, 2FA
Integrations 9 integrations 9 integrations
Built for Enterprise, Mid-market Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Forward Enterprise 2/2 · Auvik Network Management 0/2
Automated discovery ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Dependency mapping ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Topology views Mixed Not checked yet
Deployment Hybrid Cloud
Device limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Network data sources Device configuration and state; forwarding tables; security rules; routers; switches; firewalls; load balancers; AWS; Azure; GCP; IBM Cloud Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Maps physical and logical topology with end-to-end path analysis
  • Shows dependencies across on-premises and cloud environments
  • Tests change impact and verifies policy and intent continuously
  • Automatically discovers devices and updates Layer 1–3 topology maps
  • Combines performance monitoring with traffic-flow and bandwidth insights
  • Tracks configuration backups and history, with alert-routing integrations
Cons
  • Modular pricing is per modeled device and requires a sales conversation
  • Its broad network-modeling focus may exceed simpler mapping needs
  • 24/7 support is not offered
  • Pricing requires a tailored quote rather than published plan prices
  • No free plan; evaluation is limited to a 14-day trial
  • Cloud deployment and a collector may not suit teams seeking another model
Our verdict

Forward Enterprise builds a network digital twin for enterprise network, security, cloud, and compliance teams. It ingests configuration and state from routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, and public-cloud environments to model…

Read the review →

Auvik Network Management is a cloud-based service for corporate IT teams and managed service providers that need to discover, map, monitor, and manage network infrastructure. It automatically builds and updates topology maps across Layer…

Read the review →
  1. Forward EnterpriseNetwork Topology Mapping Software 8.4Pricing on request
  2. Auvik Network ManagementNetwork Topology Mapping Software 8.2Pricing on request · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Forward Enterprise — where it wins

    • Maps physical and logical topology with end-to-end path analysis
    • Shows dependencies across on-premises and cloud environments
    • Tests change impact and verifies policy and intent continuously

    Where it doesn't

    • Modular pricing is per modeled device and requires a sales conversation
    • Its broad network-modeling focus may exceed simpler mapping needs
    • 24/7 support is not offered
  • Auvik Network Management — where it wins

    • Automatically discovers devices and updates Layer 1–3 topology maps
    • Combines performance monitoring with traffic-flow and bandwidth insights
    • Tracks configuration backups and history, with alert-routing integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing requires a tailored quote rather than published plan prices
    • No free plan; evaluation is limited to a 14-day trial
    • Cloud deployment and a collector may not suit teams seeking another model
  • Forward Enterprise8.4/10 · Pricing on request

    A modeled view of network behavior for topology analysis, policy checks, and change planning.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Auvik Network Management8.2/10 · Pricing on request · 14-day trial

    Live Layer 1–3 maps combine discovery, traffic insights, monitoring, and configuration history.

    Visit AuvikFull verdict →

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update