Side by side
Batfish vs IP Fabric
Both stand on network security policy management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Choose Batfish if you need configuration-based checks for policy, security, change impact, or network resilience. Teams working with Aruba, Dell Force10, or Foundry should account for the project's limited support for those platforms.
Visit Batfish
Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
IP Fabric focuses on discovery, modeling, path simulation, and validation while remaining read-only. Teams can evaluate its trial within the stated 30-day and 100-device limits; annual subscription pricing requires a request.
Visit IP FabricThe facts
| Batfish | IP Fabric | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | batfish.org | ipfabric.io |
| On network security policy management software | #1 of 37 | #5 of 37 |
Batfish: what it does well
- Analyzes configurations without direct access to network devices.
- Validates planned changes before deployment.
- Checks security policy and expected traffic paths.
- Assesses reachability after a single-link or device failure.
- Includes a Python SDK and example Jupyter notebooks.
What to know first
- Core analysis requires network device configurations.
- Support is limited for Aruba, Dell Force10, and Foundry.
IP Fabric: what it does well
- Discovers devices and cloud objects without agents.
- Simulates paths through Layer 3 to applications.
- Read-only access is sufficient for discovery.
- Compatible with air-gapped networks.
- Trial supports up to 100 devices for 30 days.
What to know first
- No free plan is listed.
- Trial is limited to 30 days and 100 devices.
- Subscription pricing is on request.
- Requires self-hosted virtual-machine deployment.
Alternatives to Batfish Alternatives to IP Fabric The whole list