MAAS vs Cobbler

MAAS9.2Visit Cobbler8.4Visit

Higher score MAAS #2 in Server Provisioning Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit MAAS

vs

Cobbler #7 in Server Provisioning Software 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Cobbler

• MAAS fits best

  Bare-metal and VM provisioning with hardware control

• Cobbler fits best

  PXE-based bare-metal and VM provisioning

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Side by side

Feature	MAAS 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Cobbler 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.4
Ranking	#2 in Server Provisioning Software	#7 in Server Provisioning Software
Best for	Bare-metal and VM provisioning with hardware control	PXE-based bare-metal and VM provisioning
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Linux	Linux
Support	Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Community, Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features MAAS 2/3 · Cobbler 1/3
Control panel support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Multi-tenant management	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
API access	✓	✓
Specs
Supported operating systems	Both	Both
Server types	Both	Both
Provisioning method	Both	Both
Managed server limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Discovers, commissions, and provisions physical and virtual machines Controls power, storage, networking, RAID, LVM, and PXE workflows Offers REST API, CLI automation, custom images, and role-based permissions	Handles PXE network boot and bare-metal provisioning Supports Xen, QEMU/KVM, and VMware installations Combines OS profiles, repositories, DHCP/DNS, and automation interfaces
Cons	Requires a self-hosted deployment Standalone support requires Ubuntu Pro for MAAS controllers Advanced support costs $100 per managed machine annually	Requires a self-hosted Linux deployment Does not include AI features Focuses on provisioning rather than broader tenancy administration
Our verdict	MAAS is Canonical’s open-source infrastructure management platform for provisioning and managing physical servers and virtual machines. It is designed for data-center operators, IT teams, private-cloud builders, HPC environments, edge… Read the review →	Cobbler is an open-source, self-hosted Linux installation and provisioning server for teams automating operating-system deployments across bare-metal servers and virtual machines. Its scope covers PXE network booting, reinstallations, OS… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• MAAS — where it wins

  • Discovers, commissions, and provisions physical and virtual machines
  • Controls power, storage, networking, RAID, LVM, and PXE workflows
  • Offers REST API, CLI automation, custom images, and role-based permissions

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a self-hosted deployment
  • Standalone support requires Ubuntu Pro for MAAS controllers
  • Advanced support costs $100 per managed machine annually

• Cobbler — where it wins

  • Handles PXE network boot and bare-metal provisioning
  • Supports Xen, QEMU/KVM, and VMware installations
  • Combines OS profiles, repositories, DHCP/DNS, and automation interfaces

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a self-hosted Linux deployment
  • Does not include AI features
  • Focuses on provisioning rather than broader tenancy administration

• MAAS9.2/10 · Free plan

  A capable open-source choice for teams managing bare-metal and virtual machine fleets.

  Visit MAASFull verdict →
• Cobbler8.4/10 · Free plan

  A focused open-source choice for PXE, bare-metal, and VM provisioning.

  Visit CobblerFull verdict →