Best Arista CloudEOS Alternatives in 2026
The top Arista CloudEOS alternatives are Juniper vMX, Nokia Virtualized Service Router and Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router: 15 virtual routers software our editors would look at instead of Arista CloudEOS, in our ranking order.
Arista CloudEOS: A cloud-ready virtual router for enterprise WAN, VPN, and multi-cloud routing. Where it falls short: paid product with no free plan.
Switching from Arista CloudEOS? For most virtual routers software buyers the best Arista CloudEOS alternative is Juniper vMX, built for service providers needing Junos virtual routing. VyOS has a free plan, which Arista CloudEOS does not. MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) offers the most max throughput (1000 Mbps).
Why People Look for an Arista CloudEOS Alternative
- Paid product with no free plan
- Support channel is listed as email
- Requires VM, container, or appliance deployment
- No free plan — 6 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallJuniper vMX9.0
Service providers needing Junos virtual routing
Visit Juniper vMX - Best free optionVyOS8.7
Has a free plan (Arista CloudEOS has none)
Visit VyOS - Most max throughputMikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)7.9
1000 Mbps
Visit MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR)
All 15 Arista CloudEOS Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forService providers needing Junos virtual routing
Junos-based virtual routing for service providers and enterprises needing MX edge capabilities.
- VPN support
- High availability
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Juniper -
Best forOperators needing virtualized service-provider functions
A service-provider-focused virtual router spanning IP/MPLS, broadband, NAT and IPsec functions.
- VPN support
- High availability
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Nokia -
Best forMid-market and enterprise multi-cloud teams
A cloud-deployable router with broad cloud coverage, VPN, routing, and centralized management.
- VPN support
- High availability
8.8/10★★★★☆Contact Huawei -
Best forTeams automating routing across varied environments
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A flexible virtual router for teams automating network services across on-premises and cloud environments.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit VyOS -
Best forFree Junos labs and small-scale virtual routing
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A capable free Junos lab router, limited by 100 Mbps throughput and single-VM design.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Juniper -
Best forCloud teams prioritizing routing plus security controls
A cloud firewall and virtual gateway that pairs extensive routing with threat prevention.
- VPN support
- High availability
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Check Point -
Best forCloud teams needing virtual firewall and basic routing
A cloud-ready virtual firewall with core routing protocols, VPNs and high availability.
- VPN support
- High availability
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forHybrid teams combining firewall, VPN, and SD-WAN
A hybrid firewall platform that combines VPN, SD-WAN, inspection, and centralized controls.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit FortiGate -
Best forTeams needing a free firewall with failover
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A free, firewall-focused platform with multi-WAN failover and VPN capabilities.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit OPNsense -
Best forJuniper teams managing firewall policies centrally
A Juniper firewall management platform, not a virtual router.
7.9/10★★★★☆Contact Juniper -
Best forEmbedded-device users seeking configurable network firmware
Free, configurable router firmware with firewall and VPN packages for supported hardware.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit OpenWrt -
Best forBudget-conscious teams wanting a feature-rich virtual router
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A perpetual-license virtual RouterOS with extensive routing, VPN, firewall and cloud options.
- VPN support
- High availability
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit MikroTik CHR -
Best forLinux operators seeking free routing and VRF
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A free routing suite for Linux operators needing protocol breadth and VRF support.
- High availability
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit FRRouting -
Best forLinux routing deployments needing mature open-source tools
- Better than Arista CloudEOS:
- Free plan
A free, self-hosted routing daemon for teams that need protocol breadth and routing control.
- VPN support
- High availability
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit BIRD -
Best forTeams needing programmable, hardware-agnostic routing
A broad routing and automation feature set for teams building software-defined networks.
- VPN support
- High availability
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Arrcus
Arista CloudEOS Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Arista CloudEOS?
Juniper vMX: #2 in our Virtual Routers Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.0 out of 10. Junos-based virtual routing for service providers and enterprises needing MX edge capabilities.
Is there a free alternative to Arista CloudEOS?
Yes. VyOS, Juniper vJunos-router, OPNsense, OpenWrt and MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) have a free plan or a free tier (7 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Arista CloudEOS alternatives?
Paid product with no free plan; Support channel is listed as email; Requires VM, container, or appliance deployment.
Which Arista CloudEOS alternative has the most max throughput?
MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR), with 1000 Mbps.
How do I switch from Arista CloudEOS?
Export your data from Arista CloudEOS (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Arista CloudEOS.
How to Switch from Arista CloudEOS
- Export your data from Arista CloudEOS (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Arista CloudEOS.
Arista CloudEOS vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Routing protocols | VPN support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arista CloudEOS | No | OSPFv2, BGPv4, IS-IS, RIPv2, OSPFv3, BGPv6 | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 1 | Juniper vMX | No | SPRING (segment routing) | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 2 | Nokia Virtualized Service Router | BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP | Yes | 8.9 | ||
| 3 | Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router | OSPFv2/v3, BGP/BGP4+, static routing | Yes | 8.8 | ||
| 4 | VyOS | Yes | 8.7 | |||
| 5 | Juniper vJunos-router | Yes | Free | BGP, IS-IS, OSPF, static routing | 8.5 | |
| 6 | Check Point CloudGuard Network Security | OSPFv2, BGP, RIP, static routes, multicast routes, policy-based routing, PIM-SM, PIM-DM, IGMP v2 and v3 | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 7 | Palo Alto Networks VM-Series | No | BGP, OSPF, OSPFv3, RIP, static routing | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 8 | FortiGate | No | 8.1 | |||
| 9 | OPNsense | Yes | 7.9 | |||
| 10 | Juniper Security Director | 7.9 | ||||
| 11 | OpenWrt | Free | 7.9 | |||
| 12 | MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) | Yes | $45 one-time | RIP v1/v2, OSPFv2, BGP v4, RIPng, OSPFv3, BGP, BFD | Yes | 7.9 |
| 13 | FRRouting | Yes | Free | BGP, RIP, RIPng, OSPFv2, OSPFv3, IS-IS, Babel, EIGRP, LDP, PIM, OpenFabric | 7.8 | |
| 14 | BIRD Internet Routing Daemon | Yes | Free | BGP, OSPF, RIP, Babel | Yes | 7.7 |
| 15 | Arrcus ArcOS | BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, EVPN, SR-MPLS, SRv6 | Yes | 7.6 |
Head-to-Head
- Arista CloudEOS vs Juniper vMX
- Arista CloudEOS vs Nokia Virtualized Service Router
- Arista CloudEOS vs Huawei NetEngine AR6700V-L Virtual Router
- Arista CloudEOS vs VyOS
- Arista CloudEOS vs Juniper vJunos-router
- Arista CloudEOS vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update