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Head-to-head · Bare Metal Provisioning Software

OpenStack Ironic vs Tengan

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score OpenStack Ironic #6 in Bare Metal Provisioning Software 8.7/10 Open source ✓ 1 of 7 features Try OpenStack Ironic
Tengan #8 in Bare Metal Provisioning Software 8.5/10 Pricing on request ✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Tengan

OpenStack Ironic leads on 0 checks, Tengan on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOpenStack Ironic · 8.7/10
  • Most featuresTengan · 7 of 7

OpenStack Ironic scores higher on our rubric for bare metal provisioning software: 8.7 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.

OpenStack Ironic is the better fit for openStack-based multi-tenant provisioning. Tengan is the better fit for teams needing KVM, provisioning, and rack operations.

  • OpenStack Ironic fits best

    OpenStack-based multi-tenant provisioning

  • Tengan fits best

    Teams needing KVM, provisioning, and rack operations

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 OpenStack Ironic 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Tengan 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.5
Ranking #6 in Bare Metal Provisioning Software #8 in Bare Metal Provisioning Software
Best for OpenStack-based multi-tenant provisioning Teams needing KVM, provisioning, and rack operations
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Open source Pricing on request
Free plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Support Community, Docs Email, Docs
Integrations 5 integrations 10 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Mid-market, Enterprise
Features OpenStack Ironic 1/7 · Tengan 7/7
Bare-metal discovery Not checked yet ✓ (best)
OS image deployment Not checked yet ✓ (best)
PXE bootstrapping Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Lifecycle management Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Hardware inventory Not checked yet ✓ (best)
API access ✓ ✓
Out-of-band management Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Our review
Pros
  • Covers discovery, deployment, inspection, cleaning, and retirement workflows
  • Supports RAID, BIOS, firmware, IPMI, and Redfish hardware operations
  • Integrates deeply with OpenStack services and exposes versioned REST APIs
  • BIOS-level browser KVM with session recording and playback
  • PXE, ISO, and Kickstart deployment across multiple nodes
  • Discovery, telemetry, IPAM, firmware rollout, and audit controls
Cons
  • Requires self-hosted infrastructure rather than a hosted SaaS experience
  • Its broad lifecycle scope may exceed the needs of simple provisioning teams
  • OpenStack integrations are central to its strongest operating model
  • Contact-sales pricing provides no plan-by-plan buying detail
  • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure ownership
  • Not open source and focused on enterprise infrastructure teams
Our verdict

OpenStack Ironic is an open-source bare-metal provisioning service for operators managing dedicated physical servers. It discovers and enrolls hardware, deploys operating-system images, controls power and boot devices, and manages…

Read the review →

Tengan is an on-premise data center command platform from ePathra Solutions for infrastructure teams, colocation providers, managed-service providers, and enterprises. It brings together browser-based KVM access down to the BIOS,…

Read the review →
  1. OpenStack IronicBare Metal Provisioning Software 8.7Open source
  2. TenganBare Metal Provisioning Software 8.5Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • OpenStack Ironic — where it wins

    • Covers discovery, deployment, inspection, cleaning, and retirement workflows
    • Supports RAID, BIOS, firmware, IPMI, and Redfish hardware operations
    • Integrates deeply with OpenStack services and exposes versioned REST APIs

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires self-hosted infrastructure rather than a hosted SaaS experience
    • Its broad lifecycle scope may exceed the needs of simple provisioning teams
    • OpenStack integrations are central to its strongest operating model

  • Tengan — where it wins

    • BIOS-level browser KVM with session recording and playback
    • PXE, ISO, and Kickstart deployment across multiple nodes
    • Discovery, telemetry, IPAM, firmware rollout, and audit controls

    Where it doesn't

    • Contact-sales pricing provides no plan-by-plan buying detail
    • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure ownership
    • Not open source and focused on enterprise infrastructure teams

More comparisons

All bare metal provisioning software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update