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Batfish

Free#19 of 27 in Network Automation SoftwareNetwork Testing Software Data Center Networking Solutions Network Security Policy Management Software

Batfish: A focused, vendor-independent choice for validating network changes before deployment. Ranked #19 of 27 in Network Automation Software by our editors (7.2/10); pricing: Open source; best for free network change validation.

7.2/10Editor score

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At a glance

Editor score
7.2 / 10
Pricing
Open source
Best for
Free network change validation
Paid from
Free
Deployment
Self_hosted
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Vendor-independent modeling across many network platforms
- Pre-deployment validation for security, policy, and reachability
- Open-source self-hosted deployment with a Python client
Where it doesn't
- Requires self-hosted deployment and operational ownership
- Does not provide workflow orchestration
- Support is limited for some Aruba, Dell Force10, and Foundry platforms

Our verdict on Batfish

Batfish is an open-source network automation tool for analyzing device configurations, modeling network behavior, and validating planned changes. It is aimed at network and security teams that need to check reachability, forwarding, compliance, security policy, and failure impact before deployment. The tool can also analyze deployed configurations. Its vendor-independent approach covers platforms from A10 Networks, Arista, AWS, Azure, Cisco, Check Point, Cumulus, F5 BIG-IP, Fortinet, FRR, iptables, Juniper, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, and SONiC, with limited support for Aruba, Dell Force10, and Foundry.

Its strongest fit is pre-deployment network testing. Batfish can assess configuration compliance, security and path policy, reachability, forwarding behavior, and the likely impact of link or device failures. This gives teams a way to examine planned configuration changes across multi-vendor environments rather than limiting analysis to one network operating system. The Python client, Pybatfish, supports scripted analysis, while the service runs in a self-hosted environment commonly through Docker. Windows, macOS, Linux, and API access are supported.

Batfish is more focused on analysis and validation than on end-to-end change operations. The published positioning does not include workflow orchestration or verified integrations, so teams seeking a connected automation layer may need complementary tools and processes. Self-hosted deployment also places responsibility for operating the service with the adopting organization. Choose Batfish when configuration analysis, policy checking, and vendor-independent validation are the priority. Consider an alternative when built-in orchestration, broader workflow connectivity, or stronger coverage for its limited-support platforms is central to the requirement.

Your product? Our editors can test Batfish in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Batfish pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on batfish.org

Batfish fact sheet

Free plan	Not verified
Paid from	Free
Deployment	Self_hosted
Configuration management	Not verified
Workflow orchestration	Not verified
Network testing	Yes
Supported platforms	A10 Networks; Arista; AWS; Azure; Cisco NX-OS, IOS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR and ASA; Check Point; Cumulus; F5 BIG-IP; Fortinet; FRR; iptables; Juniper; Nokia SR OS/SR-SIM/MD-CLI; Palo Alto Networks; SONiC; limited Aruba, Dell Force10 and Foundry support
Device limit	Not verified
Deployment	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Pricing	Open source
Website	batfish.org
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Alternatives to Batfish

See all Batfish alternatives →

Also Ranked In

Batfish is ranked in 4 of our directories.

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Featured on iTechGuides

Batfish is listed in our Network Automation Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update