Tidal LightMesh

Overview

Tidal LightMesh is IP address management software for bringing cloud and DHCP address data into a shared inventory and planning workflow. It suits infrastructure teams working across Microsoft DHCP, AWS, and Azure that need to organize and check address space. Its planning tools and broad deployment options are useful strengths, though the lower-priced plans are tightly capped by users and IP count.

Key features

A read-only Windows Discovery Agent makes Microsoft DHCP scopes, leases, hostnames, and history searchable. Read-only, agentless AWS and Azure integrations discover VPCs or VNets, subnets, and assignments. On Pro and Team, cloud inventory syncs hourly; Enterprise syncs every five minutes, while Free syncs on demand. Free is therefore a weaker fit when teams need cloud inventory to stay current. Google Cloud support is not currently available.

TreeView and Network Containers bring planned and live networks together to help identify overlaps and group address space. The visual Subnet Builder divides a parent subnet into address sizes for cloud and data center plans. These features make LightMesh relevant to teams that need to plan allocations as well as record them, though they do not cover Google Cloud environments.

Record-level change tracking is paired with audit-log retention of 7 days on Free and Pro, 30 days on Team, and included retention on Enterprise. Tidal says it completed a SOC 2 Type II audit and uses AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS v1.2 in transit. API rates are 10 requests per second on Free and Pro, 25 on Team, and unlimited on Enterprise. Authentication options include Okta SSO, Google, Microsoft, and email and password.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and allows one user, fewer than 1,000 IPs, unlimited subnets, basic IPAM, and DHCP discovery. Its on-demand cloud sync and one-user cap make it most suitable for individual evaluation or a small, limited inventory.

Pro costs $35 a month when billed monthly, or $385 a year when billed annually. Both versions allow one user, fewer than 1,000 IPs, unlimited subnets, and DHCP discovery. Pro adds hourly cloud sync but does not expand the free tier’s user or IP limits, so it is a poor fit for a growing shared inventory.

Team costs $249 a month billed monthly, or $2,739 a year billed annually. It allows five users and fewer than 5,000 IPs, with unlimited subnets and DHCP discovery. The higher caps suit a small team, while its hourly sync remains slower than Enterprise. Team also extends audit-log retention to 30 days, compared with 7 days on Free and Pro.

Enterprise has custom pricing and includes unlimited users and IPs, unlimited subnets, on-premise hosting, priority support, and DHCP discovery. Docker self-hosting on Ubuntu LTS, AWS, or Azure is reserved for this tier; SaaS is offered on every plan. Support ranges from best-effort email on Free and Pro to 8-hour email support on Team and email, phone, and Slack on Enterprise. A 14-day trial is offered.

Platforms

LightMesh is available as a web service and supports API access, Linux, macOS, and Windows. SaaS is available on every plan, while Docker self-hosting is an Enterprise option. That gives organizations a deployment choice, but self-hosting is not available on the lower tiers.

Who it's for

LightMesh is a sensible choice for teams consolidating Microsoft DHCP and AWS or Azure inventory with subnet planning and overlap checks. Free can serve a single user with a small address pool; Team is the more practical tier for a five-person group under 5,000 IPs. Organizations needing Google Cloud discovery, more than five users without Enterprise, or faster-than-hourly cloud sync outside Enterprise should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Read-only DHCP and cloud discovery combines address sources without requiring agents for AWS and Azure.
• Pros: TreeView, Network Containers, and Subnet Builder connect inventory to practical allocation and overlap planning.
• Pros: SaaS spans all plans, with Docker self-hosting available for Enterprise deployments.
• Cons: Free and Pro are limited to one user and fewer than 1,000 IPs, while Team allows five users and fewer than 5,000.
• Cons: Free cloud inventory sync is on demand, and Pro and Team sync hourly rather than every five minutes.
• Cons: Google Cloud is not currently supported, and Docker self-hosting requires Enterprise.

Alternatives

IP Address Management Software is the broader category directory for comparing tools. Consider Subnetly if a free plan with explicit quotas appeals: its free tier includes 256 IPAM addresses, 10 subnets, 2 DHCP pools, and one private and one public DNS zone.

GestióIP offers free IPAM software and a separately priced configuration management module, making it worth considering when that module-based approach fits. teemIP is an alternative with a free, open-source Community edition. Danbyte is a free, open-source option with all features included and self-hosted deployment.

Obelinf offers a free Personal plan for one user, one organization, one site, four racks, and 30 devices; consider it when those inventory limits match the need. phpIPAM is free open-source IP address management software for self-hosted installation. SpatiumDDI is a free alternative built by Montréal-based SpatiumNorth, a company focused on infrastructure software. Infoblox Cloud Network Automation uses token-based licensing, with pricing by contacting Infoblox.

Verdict

Choose Tidal LightMesh if your team needs AWS and Azure inventory, Microsoft DHCP discovery, and tools to plan address allocations in one service. Its main advantage is the combination of discovery and network planning across SaaS and Enterprise self-hosting. Look elsewhere if you need Google Cloud support or more generous user and IP limits without custom-priced Enterprise.