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Best Software-Defined Networking Software in 2026

Software-defined networking software addresses network control and management through software, with options differing in architecture and supported capabilities. Compared on control-plane and deployment models, supported protocols, and policy segmentation, the entries offer several dimensions to consider for your infrastructure. OpenDaylight, TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller, and VMware Workstation Pro are among the named choices. Check the managed device limit for an indication of supported scale, and consider northbound API support if that matters to your environment. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost details to weigh against the listed capabilities.

  1. 1

    Antrea

    Free plan Open source APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Antrea combines Kubernetes networking with additional policy, federation and diagnostic capabilities.

    9.3 Open source Visit site
  2. 2

    Cilium

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    Cilium brings networking, policy, security, and observability features together for Linux workload environments. Check kernel and scale requirements before choosing an installation path.

    7.3 Open source Visit site
  3. 3

    Kube-OVN

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Kube-OVN offers network orchestration features for Kubernetes, including tenant VPCs and KubeVirt migration support.

    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    ONOS

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    Choose ONOS for a software-defined network control plane with distributed operation and a broad set of device interfaces.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  5. 5

    OpenDaylight

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2

    OpenDaylight combines programmable network control with a broad set of protocols and scaling components. Its self-hosted setup and Java requirement are important considerations for deployment.

    7.1 Open source Visit site
  6. 6

    Faucet

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    Choose Faucet if you operate production networks with supported OpenFlow switches and want a free, self-hosted controller with routing, policy, and monitoring capabilities.

    6.8 Free plan Visit site
  7. 7

    TP-Link Omada Cloud-Based Controller

    Free plan AndroidiPhoneWeb
    6.8 Free plan Visit site
  8. 8

    Open Virtual Network

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted

    OVN provides logical network abstractions and related networking features for cloud management environments.

    6.7 Free plan Visit site
  9. 9

    TeraFlowSDN

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    TeraFlowSDN offers a broad controller and API surface for smart-network work, including beyond-5G use cases.

    6.7 Open source Visit site
  10. 10

    Ryu SDN Framework

    Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Pick Ryu if you need a free, Apache-licensed framework with defined APIs for building SDN management and control applications.

    6.5 Free plan Visit site
  11. 11

    Calico Enterprise

    Paid LinuxSelf-hostedWeb+1

    Choose Calico Enterprise if your organization needs self-managed Kubernetes networking with security and observability across clusters.

    6.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  12. 12

    Cisco Catalyst Center

    Paid APILinuxMac+3
    6.0 Pricing on request Visit site
  13. 13

    Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller

    Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

    NDFC provides centralized lifecycle management and automation for Cisco MDS and Nexus deployments, with multiple fabric modes and API integrations.

    5.8 Pricing on request Visit site
  14. 14

    HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer

    Paid APISelf-hostedWeb

    Fabric Composer brings switch operations, security policy, and infrastructure integrations into one orchestration solution.

    5.7 Visit site
  15. 15

    Netris

    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

    Netris combines centralized network control with customer-environment deployment and documented behavior during controller outages.

    5.6 Pricing on request Visit site
  16. 16

    Isovalent Enterprise for Cilium

    Paid LinuxSelf-hosted

    Choose Isovalent Enterprise for Cilium if your organization needs enterprise networking, policy controls, observability, and runtime security across cloud and on-premises clusters.

    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  17. 17

    Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking

    by Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking
    Paid APISelf-hostedWeb
    5.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  18. 18

    Ericsson Billing

    Paid API

    Consider Ericsson Billing if your communications business needs to manage prepaid and postpaid services, usage rating and billing across telecom and digital offerings.

    5.1 Pricing on request Visit site
  19. 19

    OpenStack Neutron

    Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted

    Neutron provides a broad set of network management and connectivity functions for OpenStack environments.

    5.0 Open source Visit site
  20. 20

    .NET

    by Microsoft
    Paid WindowsMacLinux+2
    4.9 Visit site
  21. 21

    Azure Virtual Network Manager

    Paid Web
    4.8 Visit site
  22. 22

    Cisco Meraki Dashboard

    Paid Web
    4.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  23. 23

    Huawei iMaster NCE-Campus

    Paid Web
    4.4 Pricing on request Visit site
  24. 24

    Juniper Apstra

    Paid

    Apstra’s three paid tiers vary in blueprint capacity and network management capabilities. Teams should compare the listed plan limits and features; pricing requires an inquiry.

    4.3 Pricing on request Visit site
  25. 25

    Nokia Network Services Platform

    Paid Web

    Nokia Network Services Platform focuses on network discovery, configuration management, and policy automation, with API access.

    4.0 Pricing on request Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

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