Head-to-head · Software-Defined Networking Software
Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric vs HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer
Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric leads on 0 checks, HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer 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 scoreHuawei iMaster NCE-Fabric · 9.0/10
Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric scores higher on our rubric for software-defined networking software: 9.0 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.
Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric is the better fit for data-center fabric orchestration. HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer is the better fit for HPE data-center fabric management.
- Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric fits best
Data-center fabric orchestration
- HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer fits best
HPE data-center fabric management
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Side by side
| Feature | Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric 9.0/10 Visit ↗ | HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer 8.6/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.0 | 8.6 |
| Ranking | #4 in Software-Defined Networking Software | #6 in Software-Defined Networking Software |
| Best for | Data-center fabric orchestration | HPE data-center fabric management |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | Pricing on request | — |
| Free plan | Not checked yet | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux | Web |
| Support | Email, Tickets, Community, Docs | Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Integrations | 7 integrations | 9 integrations |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise | Enterprise, Mid-market |
| Features Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric 2/2 · HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer 2/2 | ||
| Policy segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Northbound API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Deployment model | On-premises | On-premises |
| Control-plane model | Centralized | Centralized |
| Supported protocols | OpenFlow, OVSDB, NETCONF, SNMP, BGP-EVPN, JSON-RPC, RESTful, RESTCONF | BGP, OSPF, VRF, EVPN, VXLAN, Spanning Tree Protocol |
| Managed device limit | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric is a centralized software-defined networking management and control system for data-center environments. It is designed for enterprise and financial-sector networks spanning multiple vendors, clouds, and data… Read the review → |
HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer is software-defined orchestration software for provisioning, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting data-center network fabrics. It manages HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switches as a unified fabric… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric — where it wins
- Automates provisioning, orchestration, and zero-touch device onboarding
- Combines VXLAN overlays with physical, logical, and application topology views
- Integrates with OpenStack, Kubernetes, VMware, and third-party platforms
Where it doesn't
- On-premises deployment may not fit teams seeking a SaaS control plane
- Contact-sales pricing makes direct cost comparison difficult
- Its broad multi-domain scope may exceed simpler network-management needs
HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer — where it wins
- Automates leaf-spine, underlay, and overlay fabric configuration
- Combines topology visibility, telemetry, alerts, and audit logging
- Integrates with VMware, Nutanix Prism, and HPE infrastructure tools
Where it doesn't
- Designed for on-premises deployments
- Requires paid switch subscriptions
- Focused on HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX fabrics
- Huawei iMaster NCE-Fabric9.0/10 · Pricing on request
Centralized fabric orchestration for multi-vendor, multi-cloud data-center networks.
Visit HuaweiFull verdict → - HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer8.6/10 · Paid
Centralized fabric orchestration for HPE Aruba Networking data-center environments.
Visit HPEFull verdict →
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All Software-Defined networking software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update