NetBox vs Nautobot

NetBox9.4Visit Nautobot9.1Visit

Higher score NetBox #1 in Network Documentation Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 6 features Visit NetBox

vs

Nautobot #3 in Network Documentation Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Nautobot

• NetBox fits best

  Network teams wanting a mature open-source source of truth

• Nautobot fits best

  Automation-focused network engineering teams

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Side by side

Feature	NetBox 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Nautobot 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Network Documentation Software	#3 in Network Documentation Software
Best for	Network teams wanting a mature open-source source of truth	Automation-focused network engineering teams
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features NetBox 0/6 · Nautobot 0/6
Device inventory	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
IP address management	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Network diagrams	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Credential storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Circuit management	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Relationship mapping	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Broad modeling for IPs, devices, racks, cabling, circuits, and virtual machines Discovery, audit trails, APIs, webhooks, scripts, reports, and plugins Community edition is open source with self-managed deployment	Models devices, interfaces, IPs, VLANs, circuits, and cables Python Jobs include scheduling, permissions, logging, and approvals REST, GraphQL, webhooks, and integrations support network automation
Cons	Cloud plans are listed as Contact Sales rather than fixed public prices Core NetBox is not configuration-management software Advanced SSO and 24×7 SLA support are limited to Cloud Premium	Its scope may exceed the needs of documentation-only teams Automation depends on maintaining validated network data Self-hosted, commercial, and Cloud editions add deployment choices
Our verdict	NetBox is a network and infrastructure management platform for engineers and operators who need a centralized source of truth. It models IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, devices, virtual machines, sites, racks, cabling, VLANs, VRFs, VPN tunnels,… Read the review →	Nautobot is an open-source network source of truth and automation platform for enterprises managing complex networks. It organizes devices, interfaces, IP addresses, VLANs, circuits, cables, and related network data, then uses that… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• NetBox — where it wins

  • Broad modeling for IPs, devices, racks, cabling, circuits, and virtual machines
  • Discovery, audit trails, APIs, webhooks, scripts, reports, and plugins
  • Community edition is open source with self-managed deployment

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud plans are listed as Contact Sales rather than fixed public prices
  • Core NetBox is not configuration-management software
  • Advanced SSO and 24×7 SLA support are limited to Cloud Premium

• Nautobot — where it wins

  • Models devices, interfaces, IPs, VLANs, circuits, and cables
  • Python Jobs include scheduling, permissions, logging, and approvals
  • REST, GraphQL, webhooks, and integrations support network automation

  Where it doesn't

  • Its scope may exceed the needs of documentation-only teams
  • Automation depends on maintaining validated network data
  • Self-hosted, commercial, and Cloud editions add deployment choices

• NetBox9.4/10 · Free plan

  A mature open-source source of truth with broad modeling, discovery, APIs, and automation.

  Visit NetBoxFull verdict →
• Nautobot9.1/10 · Free plan

  A flexible, automation-focused source of truth for complex network environments.

  Visit NautobotFull verdict →