SagaOS Kea Pilot

SagaOS Kea Pilot is a self-hosted web console for operating Kea DHCP and BIND9 DNS. It is best suited to ISP and enterprise teams that want those services, monitoring, and configuration controls together. Its MIT licence makes commercial use possible without a software fee, but teams must run the infrastructure and secure the initial login before production.

Overview

Kea Pilot brings address allocation, name-service administration, and operational oversight into one platform. That combination is most useful for network teams already running Kea; it is less compelling for organizations seeking a hosted service or a general-purpose IP address management product. Multi-tenant isolation and granular role permissions help when multiple teams or customers share the environment.

Deployment is on Linux or Docker, with Kea, PostgreSQL, and Nginx in the documented stack. BIND9 can be omitted from the minimal installation, though DNS management and DHCP-linked DDNS depend on it. The minimum footprint is 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD, with higher resources recommended for production. The initial admin/admin login must be changed before production use.

Key features

DHCP and DNS administration

DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 management includes subnets, pools, host reservations, leases, options, and Kea high availability. This makes the platform relevant to operators who need both protocol versions and failover controls in the same workflow. BIND9 zone and record management, RFC2136 updates, and synchronization of DNS with DHCP lease events connect address assignment with name resolution. If a team only needs basic IPv4 DHCP on a local Windows service, this broader Linux-oriented scope may be unnecessary.

Monitoring, access, and recovery

A live health dashboard, WebSocket updates, service status, performance metrics, audit logs, and analytics provide operational visibility beyond configuration alone. Role-based access control, user management, and tenant data isolation support shared administration. Backup, restore, versioning, and rollback give operators a way to recover configuration changes. The project also lists CSRF protection, input validation, secure sessions, SQL injection and XSS protections, and rate limiting; TOTP and hardware-token multi-factor authentication are described as enterprise features.

API and integrations

REST endpoints cover DHCP and DNS operations, while WebSocket events support live updates. This is useful for teams integrating management workflows with other systems, though the platform's value depends on operating the associated services and database rather than merely consuming a hosted API.

Pricing

The MIT-licensed software plan costs nothing. It permits commercial use, modification, and distribution, and no paid tiers or usage limits are stated. That is a strong fit for teams able to deploy and maintain the stack themselves; the trade-off is that software cost does not remove the hardware, administration, or production-security requirements. The software is provided without warranty. Commercial support is available for enterprise deployments and custom integrations.

Platforms

Kea Pilot is available as a web interface and API for self-hosted Linux deployments. Documented operating systems are Ubuntu 20.04+, CentOS 8+, RHEL 8+, and Debian 11+, with Docker deployment also supported. It is not presented as a Windows-hosted or managed cloud service. Support channels include GitHub Issues, documentation, and community discussions.

Who it's for

Choose Kea Pilot if your ISP or enterprise network team already operates Kea and wants DHCPv4/v6, BIND9 DNS, DDNS synchronization, monitoring, permissions, and configuration recovery in one self-hosted system. Its multi-tenant controls are especially relevant to shared environments. Look elsewhere if you need a hosted product, a small-footprint local DHCP utility, or a deployment that does not meet the stated minimum system requirements.

Pros and cons

• Pros: DHCPv4/v6, reservations, high availability, DNS management, and lease-linked DDNS cover a broad network-services workflow.
• Pros: Monitoring, audit logging, tenant isolation, granular roles, and configuration rollback address operational oversight and recovery needs.
• Pros: MIT licensing allows commercial use and modification without a software charge.
• Cons: Self-hosting requires at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD, with more recommended for production.
• Cons: The documented admin/admin initial credentials require immediate replacement for production, adding a security step before deployment.
• Cons: BIND9, PostgreSQL, and Nginx add operational components for teams that only need DHCP management.

Alternatives

Compare DHCP Management Software if you want to survey the category before choosing a self-hosted platform.

• Subnetly is worth considering when you want a freemium option with a monthly free tier capped at 256 IPAM addresses, 10 subnets, 2 DHCP pools, and one private and one public DNS zone.
• ISC Stork is another free, self-hosted option for Linux, macOS, or web environments; professional support is also offered at custom pricing.
• FluxDHCP may suit teams seeking free, self-hosted Linux DHCP software under an AGPL-3.0 licence.
• teemIP is an alternative for teams wanting a freemium IPAM platform with a free Community plan and community support.
• DacatDHCP is a permanently free Windows option for local IPv4 DHCP service.
• Danbyte is a free, self-hosted Linux option with all features included and no seat licence or enterprise tier.
• Jen Kea DHCP Management Console is a free self-hosted Kea console for Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Docker, requiring MySQL or MariaDB.
• OpenIPAM is a free open-source option with browser-only or self-hosted-backend use.

Verdict

Kea Pilot is a strong fit for ISP and enterprise operators who want one self-hosted control plane for Kea DHCP, BIND9 DNS, monitoring, and configuration recovery. Its breadth and permissive MIT licence are the main reasons to choose it; the infrastructure burden and required credential hardening are the main reasons to look elsewhere.